Registered Nurses: Do you like your jobs?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am thinking about going to nursing school, and I want to know your opinion. I have sort of lurked these forums for a little while and it seems like a lot of nurses do vent here, however there has to be a reason why you don't quit and keep going back despite the crappy patients, patient ratios, arrogant doctors.. etc.

Has your opinion of people changed at all, do you still have faith in humanity so to speak after dealing with so many types of people?

Do you still maintain your compassion for others?

Do you get depressed at all from the circumstances?

Why do you keep going back?

Thanks a bunch, nursing has been on my mind for a few years now and I feel like this feedback would help me make my decision moving forward.

Thank you.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
I am thinking about going to nursing school, and I want to know your opinion. I have sort of lurked these forums for a little while and it seems like a lot of nurses do vent here, however there has to be a reason why you don't quit and keep going back despite the crappy patients, patient ratios, arrogant doctors.. etc.

Has your opinion of people changed at all, do you still have faith in humanity so to speak after dealing with so many types of people? Yes, my opinion of people has changed. I started out my career as a bit of a Pollyanna, and I got a big slap in the face by reality. I'm now pretty cynical.

Do you still maintain your compassion for others? Sometimes

Do you get depressed at all from the circumstances?Often

Why do you keep going back? I enjoy eating and having a roof over my head. And I also really like my current position.

Thanks a bunch, nursing has been on my mind for a few years now and I feel like this feedback would help me make my decision moving forward.

Thank you.

I love my current job. I feel like I contribute to society as a whole, and to my patients individually. I am challenged, usually in a good way. I am adequately compensated. I have a good work/home balance. BUT, I do not work in a hospital. When I did work in a hospital, I was miserable. I would often cry on the way to work. I despised my manager, I was not appreciated, nor were my coworkers. We were treated terribly by management and administration, and they also allowed and somewhat encouraged patients and family members to also treat us disrespectfully. The doctors were the only ones who cared about us. We rarely got breaks, we were chided for asking for compensation for missed breaks. Patient Satisfaction was the god and all else paled in comparison. We were expected to do more with less every day, and to do it with a smile on our faces. Honestly, if my current job ends, I don't know what I'll do. I cannot imagine going back to the bedside.

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As far as the whole "has nursing changed your faith in humanity?" question goes, I think we'd do well to remember that we're often seeing people during some of the very worst and most stressful moments of their entire lives. That kind of keeps things in perspective.

Plus, since I was already a pretty cynical person going into nursing, I never got the full "reality slap" experience that so many new grads seem to go through.

So, all in all, I rather disagree with the general consensus that nursing is a particularly depressing and/or disheartening career.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
As far as the whole "has nursing changed your faith in humanity?" question goes, I think we'd do well to remember that we're often seeing people during some of the very worst and most stressful moments of their entire lives. That kind of keeps things in perspective.

Plus, since I was already a pretty cynical person going into nursing, I never got the full "reality slap" experience that so many new grads seem to go through.

So, all in all, I rather disagree with the general consensus that nursing is a particularly depressing and/or disheartening career.

^Totally agree with THIS. :yes:

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Nursing has sucked me dry of every bit of compassion I have. If we rated compassion on a scale of 1-10, I would say when I started nursng school I would rate my compassion about a 9 or 10. I'm 2 years into my career and I give my compassion about a 1.

I DO have compassion for the very very rare patient that drew the short stick and has everything wrong with them...stuff they cannot control and didn't do to themselves.

But for the diabetic neuropathy patient, yes im sorry your in that much pain...but you did this to yourself. Drinking a 12 pack of mountain dew a day, Smoking 2-3 packs/day and living off ice cream did not help your diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy and kidney failure at all. Compassion for this?? not at all.

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People can suck sometimes with any job you have. Nursing is no different. I do it because at the end of the day I am proud of my hard work and I feel I am doing something worthwhile AND the pay is great.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

Absolutely love, LOVE, LOVE looking like a nurse! Picked up a few skills along the way to complete the image.;)

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Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.
I love my current job. I feel like I contribute to society as a whole, and to my patients individually. I am challenged, usually in a good way. I am adequately compensated. I have a good work/home balance. BUT, I do not work in a hospital. When I did work in a hospital, I was miserable. I would often cry on the way to work. I despised my manager, I was not appreciated, nor were my coworkers. We were treated terribly by management and administration, and they also allowed and somewhat encouraged patients and family members to also treat us disrespectfully. The doctors were the only ones who cared about us. We rarely got breaks, we were chided for asking for compensation for missed breaks. Patient Satisfaction was the god and all else paled in comparison. We were expected to do more with less every day, and to do it with a smile on our faces. Honestly, if my current job ends, I don't know what I'll do. I cannot imagine going back to the bedside.

Hi Monkeybug (Cute name!)

I feel the exact same way. I love being a nurse when I am actually taking care of patients instead of dealing with the 101 other things that pull me away from the bedside. Getting out of the hospital is my main focus at this time. I have been a medical-surgical nurse for 4.5 years and I hate it. Trying to fit 10 hours of work into an 8hr day does not work. Then there is the politics and favoritism. It is too bad because being a nurse and being able to care for people is a beautiful thing.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

After 30+ years I STILL like nursing, I don't always like my current job or employer.

I have compassion, empathy, and am sometimes saddened by the circumstances of my patient(s).

I go back again and again because this is my profession/career, I like what I do, and I make a reasonable living doing it.

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Hello, it really doesnt matter what we say, if you want to go to nursing school, go to nursing school, keep in mind that you will be working very closely with people and personalities will clash just like everywhere else, however, I will respond to your questions

Has your opinion of people changed at all, do you still have faith in humanity so to speak after dealing with so many types of people?

I think I had to work on my faith in God after I started nursing, I experienced the "nurses eat their young" syndrome. It was a depressing time, but sometimes you go through things to find out how strong you really are.

Do you still maintain your compassion for others?

Yes, I still do

Do you get depressed at all from the circumstances?

Sometimes I get depressed from the sudden deaths, I work in a CCU so we get a lot of MIs on the floor

Why do you keep going back?

I will be 2 years in nursing in October of this year, for now I keep going back for the experience, and of course the money, how long will I stay as a floor nurse? I have no idea but I know it wont be too long cos my back is already telling me its close to time to get out. I wish you luck

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As far as the whole "has nursing changed your faith in humanity?" question goes, I think we'd do well to remember that we're often seeing people during some of the very worst and most stressful moments of their entire lives. That kind of keeps things in perspective.

I agree completely.

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Nursing is fantastic. There is nothing like it. I was fortunate enough to be a pulmonary ICU nurse at a major university hospital, just when the AIDS crisis was arriving in our unit. Some of the nurses refused to care for patients with AIDS. I was happy to do so, and know that I provided comfort. I received many letters from partners and family members of my patients, thanking me.

You (we) never know when we'll be the next pioneers in providing care for our patients. But we get joy from caring.

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NO! underpaid, overworked, expected to carry elephants on your back and stand on your feet for 12 hours, no job security.

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