AnneCurrey

Agreed! However, my point is that young people are cheating themselves if they don't select a career in something that they are passionate about and something they like. Some pursue college humanities and teach/do research in those subjects, work for museums etc. Some are engineers...etc..etc. I don't know if it is the economy since I've been hearing the same complaints about nursing for years and years when my aunt was a nurse. She eventually left and became a manager at Verizon and never looked back. Well, at any rate. I just hate to see young people have the life sapped out of them for a job. Years ago, I read an article in RN magazine about a young hospice nurse who "saw the light" on her day off. She said she hated what she did but took a vacation day and took a bubble bath, looked at the flowers and regrouped to go back to the trenches and a patient's "thank you" made it worthwhile. She was cheered on by the magazine editors. I wrote a letter to the editor and it was published. I really blasted them for making the poor girl a standard of sacrifice for a job and reminded them that vacation days should be used to pursue interests, do fun things etc...not to recover from a job that one hates. Anyway. I wish all of you well. I only work part time now in case management and clothing retail (which I love) a couple other days per week. My days as a full time nurse are long long gone.

Then get out when you can. There are tons of jobs that pay as much and so what if you make a couple thousand dollars less per year. Get that MBA or chef's degree or degree in History or anything. It's about the quality of life and the respect. How many people just glaze over when a woman says she is a nurse as compared with a young woman who says she is a Veteranarian, a lawyer a CEO or whatever. Leave it now while you are young and don't feel stuck. The loans will be repaid and in the whole sceme of your life, this can just be a footnote.

Well, if you like nursing then that's good. Most people don't. Yes, there are days off but when one gets older those days off are needed to recover from a 12 hour shift - and a full lunch break is considered a bonus. However, I'm glad that you found something that works for you.

.....Do case management or something in insurance. I finally quit and am doing case management part time and working retail women't clothing for another two days a week. I 'm just where you are and I am telling these young people to get out now before they are stuck. A job should be enjoyable and rewarding to the person doing it. A young person should not have - yet another bad day - get a smile from a patient and then think that "it's worth it". It's not worth it, not by a longshot. When other young people their ages are doing business internships, being mentored and nurtured into careers, girls who go into nursing are exhausted, depressed and disheartened walking around in scrubs and sneakers. Nothing like getting dressed up and feeling good about your appearance. I now believe that girls who go into nursing haven't done enough homework on other career choice or have moms who were/are nurses or worse yet, decided to be nurses at a young age and this was kept in their heads.

I am reading these posts and I am wondering why young people would stay or "put up" with a job that is depressing them, upsetting them, sapping their joy, etc. This is not the 1950's or 60's where women could only be librarians, secretaries, hairdressers or nurses. You can be anything you want. Just go for it. If you get in some debt, then so be it. Your next job may have loan assistance. Be a doctor or a lawyer or anything that interests you. Life is more than working a "job" that you hate.

Yes, go be an engineer or something else. Hey, those few years in nursing school will just become a footnote in your life. Because of the women's movement, there is a wonderful array of careers to select from. You don't have to be stuck doing this and cheered on by those who have long since left bedside nursing. A career should be enjoyed and not something that puts a knot in one's stomach every time one goes off to work and something is very wrong. If a job makes somebody depressed, the person needs to get out. So what if you have to go back to school? There are many companies out there that have loan forgiveness. Go to a career cournselor to see what would be suited for you. It's about the job fitting you...and not you trying to fit the job.

Well, I am also a believer and if somebody hates what they are doing so much, it may be that you are in the wrong job choice. I hated nursing but was stuck in it for a long long time because I was a single again parent raising a child and didn't have the luxury of switching careers. I can honestly say that after years I hated every day of nursing. I am telling all of you who are young and able to get out....to get out. Be a doctor, lawyer, MBA, or anything....anything than this. Good luck

Leave the field now. Nursing is a horrible horrible field and for a comperable amount of education, you can work in the business world, art world, fashion, chef or or anything you choose. You don't need a therapist, you need a career change. So what...you made a mistake. Better you get out of it now than later. Don't let 10 years go by and still be in this horrible "career". Find out what you like and what you are good at then pursue that .

Leave the field now and use any means possible. It takes a real different sort of person to enjoy cleaning up body waste, being on one's feet all day and not even getting lunch breaks on a regular basis. You already have your answer. You don't like it so get out now.