RN Survey :)

nurseklw72 · Apr 13, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession?

I was interested in working in the medical field and nursing was appealing because of job availability and security.

2. What do you like about being a nurse?

My job is never boring.

3. What do you not like about being a nurse?

The attitude from some patients, families, doctors that nurses are subservient.

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve?

No. There are jobs with far less responsibility that make more money than nurses.

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?

Yes, for the most part, the doctors in our facility are great to work with.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?

How to deal with difficult people. :madface:

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in?

I had to be the charge nurse and had a patient load of 10 patients 3 of which were fresh post ops. There was no nurse assistant. Needless to say, that was also my last day on that unit.

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?

Nursing is most rewarding when you realize that you've made a difference to someone.

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER?

I am a big believer in starting out on med-surg for 6 months to a year. It really helps to sharpen your assessment skills and time management strategies.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing?

No. As a matter of fact I am getting ready to continue my education to get a masters in nursing education.

Please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (ASN or BSN)?

32/female/ASN/5 years/PCCU

fultzymom · Apr 13, 2007

1. I have always been interested in health. Nursing has good job security.

2. I like my job because I feel like I am accomplish something good when I am working. I feel like I can make a difference.

3. Stressful job that sometimes there is no appreciation for. I also dislike working with co-workers who are just in this for the pay check et do not really care.

4. Absolutely NOT! We have a very stressful, demanding job. I know others who make more.

5.At my facility there are onlly a couple of doctors who do not treat us respectfully. Most of them do.

6. Dealing with the death of a patient. No way to teach that though! Maybe dealing with difficult families who think we are their personal slaves.

7. Working two floors due to a no call/no show on our Alzheimer's Unit. How well do you think the patients got cared for that day?

8. Knowing that you have done something to help someone when they are in the worst time of their life.

9. No. I think you need experience first.

10. No I have never thought about leaving nursing. No matter how stressful the day, I love it!!

Female, 30 years of age, 5 years experience, LTC facility floor nurse/MDS nurse, ASN

Hope this helps!

Susgu · Apr 13, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession?

Interest in the medical field/health; opportunities in nursing

2. What do you like about being a nurse?

Allows me to make a positive difference in people's lives; gives me variety; meet and learn about all sorts of people

3. What do you not like about being a nurse?

Long hours; demanding/negative patients and doctors

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve?

Sometimes I feel I get paid less for what I have to deal with!

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?

Yes, for the most part. There will always be a couple of those "know-it-alls," though.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?

Nothing. Sometimes the real world teaches you things you can't learn in school. (I do like what nurseklw72 said, though!)

7. What was the worst situation you have ever been in?

Unit full (and overflowing - they just kept coming!) with patients, all patients high risk with a couple needing constant attention, one nurse left sick, call lights were not working, repair men were in the hallway trying to fix call lights, call lights kept going off because of the repair men working on them, phones were ringing non-stop (of all days), nurses' station a complete mess, and I was in charge!

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?

When you know you've made a positive impact in someone's life. When you hear the gratitude from your patients

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER?

I don't necessarily think they should. They can if it's something they really want to do. However, know what you are getting into. You should be a quick learner, a good time manager, be able to work in a fast-paced environment, and easily deal with stress.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing?

No, there are other avenues in nursing I'd like to explore.

32/Female/LDRP/10 yrs/BSN/MHA

HealthyRN · Apr 13, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession?

I was always interested in working in healthcare and I wanted to become an FNP. Also, nursing has a lot of job opportunities and room for advancement.

2. What do you like about being a nurse?

Everyday is different and I am never bored.

3. What do you not like about being a nurse?

The lack of respect and appreciation from patients, coworkers, and other health care professionals. I dislike shift work and having to work 12-hour shifts, nights, holidays, and weekends. The patient load is nearly impossible, leaving little room for adequate breaks.

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve?

No!!! Most of the time, I'm not sure if even $50/hr would cut it.

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?

Yes, I do think that the doctors that I work with respect us. In the ER, we work very closely with the doctors and I am often asked for my opinion on patient care decisions.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?

I wish that they would have given us more responsibility sooner. It wasn't until the last year that we took on more than one or two patient and we never got up to a full patient load. Also, until the senior year, we only worked 4 or 6 hour shifts. It's like the school holds back because they don't want you to know how horrible it really is until it's too late.

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in?

I have been in many bad situations and several stick out in my mind. Most involved a patient load that was unreasonable with far too many critical patients, no tech to help out, and no support from management after asking for help. I've also been in situations where my life has been threatened by a patient or family member or I have been physically assaulted.

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?

The most rewarding thing about nursing is helping a patient understand his/her diagnosis and how to manage the disease. I also enjoy helping patients/families deal with a true emergency that is occuring.

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER?

Yes, I did! I have done well and I've had coworkers tell me that I am a better nurse than some that have been in nursing for many years longer than I have.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing?

I thought about leaving nursing several times in the past year, but I recently was accepted to an FNP program, so I'll be staying for now.

Female, 22 years old, ER, less than 1 year of experience, BSN

clc19k30 · Apr 13, 2007

1. Mother was a nurse, I have always been the "Helpful" one did not want to be a doc.

2. Helping that poor soul at their hour of need.

3. People thinking that A. I am gay because I am male, B. Patients who have no comprehension on how hard people work to keep them alive.

4. On most days I don't think anyone in the field of public service gets paid enough to put up with the idiots out there. But on those beautiful days when it all clicks I think "All of this AND a paycheck".

5. Yes, I work with Military Docs, the rank is the big equalizer.

6. Nothing can prepare you for the real world.

7. Deployed in Afghanistan with a 10 person shock trauma team when we got an eight year old female Afghan who was burned over 50% of her body. She had been burned for 21 days with absolute minimal care, Father was feeding her very little and they had been told by the Afghan Doc to take her home to die. I could pick her up with one hand and not strain doing it. We tried to get her evaced to a larger Combat Support Hospital but there was no room at the CSH. We took care of her for five days, low on burn supplies, she need a high protien diet ( which was taken care of by the men of the 3 Bn 503rd Airborne Infantry, they donated over $2,000.00 of their own Protien shakes for her), pain control was rough because we did not want to vent her, no sterile environment for wound care, you can see the picture. Anyways we got her a bed at Khandahar and flew her out. Worst five days of my nursing career.

8. Watching a person who should have died walk, roll, get transported out of your unit, knowing that they are going to live because of your staff and you.

9. NO NO NO NO. Not on any intense ward.

10. No, nope, no way, uh-uh.

extraordinary067 · Apr 13, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession? I wanted to work in healthcare and nursing offers many different opportunities.

2. What do you like about being a nurse? its never boring. i find the field of medicine fascinating.

3. What do you not like about being a nurse? its extremely hard work, physically and emotionally.

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve? absolutely not. my paychecks are big but for the work i do....not even close to enough.

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with? some docs respect us and some don't. it all depends on thier ego and of course how good the nurse is.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world? where do i begin....everything. something they definitely didn't cover was "horizontal violence" and how to handle it. i am finding it very prevalant on my unit.

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in? i've been a nurse for about 3 mths so i'll have to get back to you.

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse? i work in icu so i would have to say being there for families and constantly teaching them and updating them about thier loved one. they are so appreciative.

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER? sure, why not.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing? no, i just started.

Please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (ASN or BSN)?

I am a 27yo female who works in a medical/surgical ICU. I have a BSN and about 3mths nursing experience.

TazziRN, RN · Apr 13, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession?

It's what I've always wanted to do.....take care of people

2. What do you like about being a nurse?

Making a difference.

3. What do you not like about being a nurse?

The politics, felling like my hands are tied sometimes.

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve?

Sometimes, aych-ee-double-toothpicks NO

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?

For the most part, yes. We have one or two really arrogant docs who thikn that we are there to be handmaidens, but most have a great deal of respect for us.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?

Can't remember what I felt that far back!

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in?

Being blamed singularly for something negative that several people had a part in.

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?

When a patient says "Thank you" and means it.

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER?

Mixed feelings. I started in ER as a new grad and love it, but sometimes I wish I'd started in medsurg to learn first.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing?

No way!!

Please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (ASN or BSN)?

44 and 11/12ths, female

Emergency department, 18 years in 2 facilities

ADN

GrnHonu99, RN · Apr 13, 2007

This email is for all RN's.. I am writing a paper for my nursing issues class (I graduate in May) and I need your prospective.. Please give me your honest opinion!
1. Why did you enter the nursing profession?
2. What do you like about being a nurse?
3. What do you not like about being a nurse?
4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve?
5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?
6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?
7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in?
8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?
9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER?
10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing?
Please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (ASN or BSN)?
I know that this is kind of long and I really appreciate your input. Thanks!
blueherring

1. My love of medicine and the human body. Ive just always known i'd be in the medical field somehow. Also the realm of opportunities in the nursing field is amazing!

2. I just like being a nurse. I love the flexibilty of my schedule and the practice of my profession. I love the knowledge base. I like the challanges it presents. I like dealing with people in a therapeutic way. Being able to come home at the end of the day and feel like I've made a difference.

3. The stereotypes, the politics. I don't like some of the nitty gritty aspects of the jobs...i highly doubt anyone likes bedpans and such, however its not really that bad. I don't like nurse burnout. Oh and I don't like when people die.

4. Of course i'm sure everyone thinks they deserve more. We have such a broad knowledge base, people really dont realize all we do and how much we really know. We definitely don't get the credit we deserve.

5. Tough. Some, yes. Some others: No. I can't stereotype all docs, some are really great and want to work with you as a team and others, well we know the alternative. In general though, not really.

6. The little things (which are usually the most important). Sure I could tell you about nurse theorists and the patho of some minute disease..which is great, dont get me wrong..bc I can critically think my way though any situation......however when it came to the hands on practical stuff I felt kinda lost in the beginning. The first tme one of my co workers told me to get a bair hugger for my pt. I was totally lost or the time I couldn't work the PEG tube (during orientation).... Those are the moments I feel really dumb...

7. Needle poke from a John Doe

8. My patients, those little moments. Being proud of my profession.

9. It can be done, but it's difficult bc as a new grad you are timid, inexpierienced and in the ER you are expected to act quickly and make split second decisions...as a new grad that can be extremely tough. However, if thats all you know, you catch on rather quickly and learn very quicly.

10. No

26/F/Neuro ICU/8mos/MN

EarthChild1130 · Apr 13, 2007

1. why did you enter the nursing profession?

i became a nurse because i found out that there is such a thing as a psychiatric nurse...psychiatry is my passion in life, and when i found out there was such a thing, and that i could make a decent living working in that field, i went...then i found out about forensic psychiatry, and have made that my goal!

2. what do you like about being a nurse?

i like the flexibility, decent pay, and not having to be behind a desk or something like that all day long. also, my husband is military so we move a lot, and it's comforting to know that i can get a job just about anywhere we go. i also love to educate and teach people, and nursing entails a lot of teaching and educating of patients. i also like that i can impact someone's life in a meaningful way.

3. what do you not like about being a nurse?

i think that we as nurses should strive to become a more united front, if that makes sense...there should be nation-wide nurse-to-patient ratios, for example, and the only way that will happen is if we stand up and demand these sorts of changes.

4. do you think you get paid what you deserve?

i don't think any nurse gets paid what s/he deserves...it's a hard, rough job. however, i made minimum wage prior to becoming a nurse, so i can't complain that much yet...but, then again, wages are another of those things that we should step up and demand be changed to co-incide with the type of work that we do.

5. do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?

i'd say that overall we are...there are a few buttheads in any place, but the good ones know that without us they'd be toast. i've only met one jerk, and when he pushed my buttons i pushed back...he desisted fairly quickly!

6. what do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?

i wish i'd learned more about delegation. we had a class on it but delegating is a difficult skill to learn.

7. what is the worst situation you have ever been in?

a patient in our seclusion room pulled out his eyeball in response to voices in his head repeating a bible quote...i think it goes 'if thine own eye offends thee then pluck it out' or something like that.

8. what is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?

knowing that every time you come in contact with your patients your are changing their life in some small way.

9. do you think new-grads should start in the er?

i don't think so...when i first got out of school i'd have said 'yep! go for it!' and i went straight to psych from school...and then i moved here and took a job on a medical floor while waiting for a job opening on psych...it was like being in school all over again for a short while...i think that everyone needs a firm grounding in assessment skills, time management, and delegation, and medical/surgical floors provide that. so now i think everyone should spend at least 6 months on a medical floor first...anyhow, who knows? you may decide that you like medical! i like the med/surg almost as much as psych! i like the diversity of the patients! (but not quite enough to stay lol)

10. are you thinking about leaving nursing?

nope...i'm going into forensics and using the psychiatric nursing there too...my goal is to work in maximum security prison or psychiatric prison as a nurse practitioner, and also work on becoming a medical examiner, as there is a nurse here in my state who is a medical examiner. i love forensic psychiatry.

please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (asn or bsn)?

sex: female

age: 29

dept: equal parts medical and psychiatric services

years experience: almost 2

degree: bsn

i hope that information helps you and that i wasn't too long-winded!!

i know that this is kind of long and i really appreciate your input. thanks!

blueherring

daisy1972 · Apr 14, 2007

1. why did you enter the nursing profession?

i like wearing the white cap and white uniform. nurses look neat and decent professionals.

2. what do you like about being a nurse?

can use nursing skills anytime, anywhere.

3. what do you not like about being a nurse?

working on holidays without proper compensation.

4. do you think you get paid what you deserve?

a great no!

5. do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?

there are some who respect us especially if they realize you know what you are doing. however if you are new in our unit, some of the surgeons made fun of you.

6. what do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?

intravenous insertion.

7. what is the worst situation you have ever been in?

being offered a gun to keep as a guarantee that our hospital bed will be returned after transporting a serious patient.

8. what is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?

being complemented after a hard day's work.

9. do you think new-grads should start in the er?

not really.

10. are you thinking about leaving nursing?

no.

please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (asn or bsn)?

female, 34, medical/surg/ob dept., 10yrs., bsn

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Apr 14, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession?

My parents wanted me to be a nurse and I went and applied figuring I didn't have a chance. I got in, figured I'll see what it was all about and got hooked.

2. What do you like about being a nurse? Good hourly pay, Flexibility, it used to be job satisfaction but that's gone.

3. What do you not like about being a nurse? Taking verbal abuse and ungratefulness from family members.

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve? Yes, because I've been a nurse for a long time my hourly rate is much higher than that of collegues. Do my collegues get paid enough? No!

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with? In the hosp, yes, they are thankful for our input. In HH no they just seem irritated. Perhaps because they don't me personally?

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world? I should have gone to medical school instead. In terms of nursing I can't think of anything.

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in? A patient with a heart rate in the 250's, Cardiologist who thought he was God refused to do anything, after 3 calls to him I called administration. He came to the floor and hollared loudly at me. Took one look at the monitor and said "holy s***" and called for a stat cardioversion. "Hello doc I've been telling you this HR for at least 30 minutes, didn't believe me now big fella did ya? He wrote me up for insubordination and insulance. I wrote him up as well for patient abandonment. I won. He was told he needed to apoligize to me. Of course he never did.

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse? That would be too long to write about. Basically, helping patients.

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER? No

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing? No

Please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (ASN or BSN)?

51 y/o female with ASN, worked med/surg for 31 years, with a 8 year break in OB/GYN, now in home health. Considering leaving home health to work in radiology dept in the hospital.