Sandielynn

Historical evidence does not take into account the fact that I am a single mother with a mortgage who needs the income from whatever job I am doing. Unfortunately in this economy, there are more candidates than there are jobs so employers are able to demand more of their employees, regardless of the field they are in. It's not JUST nursing or health care. Many qualified, competent people have found themselves out of work and can't quite figure out how it happened because everything seemed to be going along just fine. Some nurses seem to want to think they have the market cornered on having it rough...and I'm not arguing that fact. But it's tough all over, and people in general have to learn to suck it up and do what needs to get done. I can guarantee you that I will survive because that's who I am. It's not a choice. I'm sure that there are many nurses who don't make it past the first year, but I think that's true of any profession, especially for those who go into those professions young and straight out of school. They have glamorized expectations and when those expectations aren't met, they quit. It's not that easy when you are older and have to be responsible, not only for yourself, but for a child as well. I just wish that my colleagues could find a way to be more encouraging instead of watching and waiting for new nurses to fail.

You are right, I did go to school on taxpayer money. But let me assure you that most factory workers are NOT afraid of hard work! I know that you have probably heard the stories of us getting overpaid for doing very little work, but trust me when I say that that was NOT my experience. My job was physically demanding as well. It was not uncommon for me to work 60 hours a week-or more! And those hours were spent on my feet, lifting and moving heavy parts, so I am NOT afraid of hard work. The people that I worked with were some of the hardest workers I have ever known. For most of us, the hard part isn't taking on hard work...we've done that for years. The hard part was going to school and taking tests and doing well on them. That is NOT something anyone can do. I am just amazed at the responses I am reading here. The fact that anyone would question my work ethic and personal drive...Those things come from wanting to provide a good life for your family, and have very little to do with the specific job you do to accomplish that. And the fact that we are going to school later in life should tell you something as well. Going back after 20 years is NOT easy. It would have been easier to quit, but I stuck it out, as did so many others. If that doesn't speak volumes about hat kind of character we have, I don't know what would.

I worked in a factory for 15 years, and truth be told, THAT was the job that I took for the money. I was a single mom with no education and needed a job that would provide me and my daughter with a steady, livable income and medical benefits. It wasn't my dream job but it paid the bills. When the factory that I worked in closed, I took the opportunity to go back to school (at 37!) and graduated at the top of my LPN class. I was also chosen to speak at graduation. I didn't go into nursing for the money (obviously!) but I won't complain about having some stability and job security, either. In my opinion, having new nurses that come from such diverse backgrounds is a very good thing. We can relate to blue collar patients on a different level, because we've been there. We know what it's like to make difficult decisions and wonder how they will affect our families. We've been through alot, but our journeys have brought us all together, and I would love it if our fellow nurses could welcome us into our new profession and appreciate all that we have to offer.

Thanks so much! That's kind of the direction I was headed in, so that's a relief!!

I will be graduating as an LPN on October 9, 2009 and was asked to speak at the ceremony. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can talk about? I am not a great public speaker and I don't want to bore everyone to tears, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!