Monsoon8181

Thank you so much for your reply! I agree that it is about perception and the individual. Some people seem to do ok with the stress. I just don't see that and the feeling of being constantly rushed being worth it when the part I love-spending time getting to know and understand patients-seems like a small part of the job. Like the things that are stressful outweigh the part that is rewarding to me personally. It sounds like you are doing something different now, are you still in the medical field?

Hi Nurses :) I could use some advice from experienced nurses out there. I currently work as a CNA on a medsurg floor to gain experience for nursing school and to make sure nursing is for me. I work at a great hospital where everyone truly cares about patients and are very helpful toward me and patients in general. I think being a CNA is great 95% of the time. I get to spend lots of time with patients and I really like helping them with ADLs. However, I look at the RNs on my floor and honestly their job looks like hell a lot of days!! Pulled in so many directions, stressed, on hold w pharmacy or Drs, constantly administering meds, dealing with unruly patients and families and getting to spend little time with patients. It seems impossible to stay on task and not make a potentially fatal mistake with so much on your plate! Not to mention hours of charting! No one complains and the nurses are so awesome, but I never hear anyone say how much they love nursing or that they feel fulfilled and appreciated. nursing is filled with so many talented, hard working, incredibly intelligent people, but it seems like the profession has really been hurt by a flawed system and there is simply too much placed on one person. Seems frustrating to work within. My question is, am I getting an acurate picture/forming a correct opinion of nursing? Are there environments beyond medsurg or even a hospital where I would get to spend more time with patients and not feel so rushed? (I've shadowed in LTC and it seems about the same!) Im also ok with nursing just not being right for me and going with another profession like OT. I'd rather know before I spend the time and $ on nursing school! Thank you so much for any insight!