I am a pre-nursing student (BSN) and I am very excited about the prospect of nursing. So far, I have a 4.0 GPA (in my pre-req's) and I have decided that women's health will be my focus. I am a feminist and an avid supporter of women's rights in healthcare. I would also like to educate young women (preferably minorities and low-income families) about sexual health and ultimately be a PP, L&D or a LAc RN. Discovering this dream has given me NEW LIFE and restored my passion for healthcare. However, after visiting allnurses.com, I am becoming a little worried. It seems like no nurses love their job. All I read about are arrogant doctors, backstabbing co-workers, high-exposure rates, mean and violent patients, abuse, staff bullying, harrassment, burnout, dissatisfaction, anxiety, sleeplessness and regret for ever entering the nursing profession at all.
Over the past 5 years as a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant, I have worked with nurses, psychologists, PH.d's, MD's, counselors, and psychiatry professors in the clinic, graduate school, ICU and general hospital setting. Over all, I have found all of them to be informative, nurturing and easy to work with (although usually absent-minded for one reason or another). I have never disliked any of the physicians I have assisted and they all give me good references and encouragement moving forward. I am very shocked... and honestly, a little terrified by some of the things I read here. I want to be a nurse educator and assist the less fortunate (teen-girls, single moms, orphaned babies etc.) but it gets quite confusing when there are people who act as though $25.00-$50.00/hr. salaries aren't enough to compensate for the "hell" they deal with on the day to day.
I would like to go far with my RN, incorporating my personal talents for writing, teaching and speaking. Articles, seminars... I am ready for the challenge. I want to bring "me" to nursing, not just work a 9am-5pm. I don't know if any of these nurses who complain have goals to go along side their RN or if they are just bedside nurses who are in it more for the money. There are so many facets of nursing (legal, hospital, teaching, psychiatric, executive, administrative, school, traveling etc.). There must be some where they can find a decent position. As far as the internet is concerned, nursing seems to get a very, very, very, very bad rap!
Is the bad rap legitimate? Would you recommend nursing? What's good about nursing? Is nursing the right profession for someone with my goal sets? And, for a new grad, would you recommend the clinic or hospital environment?
Ivy, I was just coming to this board with the very same thoughts. I'm a pre-nursing student who's been working for lawyers for 30 years. Lawyers, especially corporate lawyers, have a well deserved reputation as being difficult to work for and, for some, it's true. I've had lawyers grope me, call me names, scream at me or slam doors in my face during work. And I never felt good about the work I was helping the attorneys do...sneaky work in bitter divorces, crushing the little guy in corporate lawsuits and defending criminals. I want to do nursing so that when I collapse at the end of the day, I can feel that I've helped people rather than hurt them.
But I'm worried because I have kind of a soft skin. Yes, I'm used to a lot of abuse, but it was always the hardest part of the job. I'm emotional. I cry when I see kids in pain and want to hold the hand of the person who's frightened. I thought that was a good quality for a nurse but reading the boards, I'm thinking perhaps I'm too soft for this field. It sounds like you need a will of iron and a leather skin.
I know it's human nature to vent, but I'm worried from reading the posts. Am I fooling myself that I can be a nurse when I'm so sensitive?
Ivy, I was just coming to this board with the very same thoughts. I'm a pre-nursing student who's been working for lawyers for 30 years. Lawyers, especially corporate lawyers, have a well deserved reputation as being difficult to work for and, for some, it's true. I've had lawyers grope me, call me names, scream at me or slam doors in my face during work. And I never felt good about the work I was helping the attorneys do...sneaky work in bitter divorces, crushing the little guy in corporate lawsuits and defending criminals. I want to do nursing so that when I collapse at the end of the day, I can feel that I've helped people rather than hurt them.
But I'm worried because I have kind of a soft skin. Yes, I'm used to a lot of abuse, but it was always the hardest part of the job. I'm emotional. I cry when I see kids in pain and want to hold the hand of the person who's frightened. I thought that was a good quality for a nurse but reading the boards, I'm thinking perhaps I'm too soft for this field. It sounds like you need a will of iron and a leather skin.
I know it's human nature to vent, but I'm worried from reading the posts. Am I fooling myself that I can be a nurse when I'm so sensitive?
Wow --- I am the exact same way. Dealing with harrassment at my last job literally put me in the hospital. I was stressed out, hurt, embarrassed, frazzled and in the ER by the end of it. I considered being a paralegal. I went to school for it and I could tell after a couple of classes that it wasn't for me. I left that program and moved on to nursing. I worry the same thing. Is all my passion and sensitivity going to be crushed in this field? I know that times get hard. I can remember working in a Psych Clinic that catered to low-income. I saw a lot of violent, elderly, distraught and disoriented patients. I watched all of the older therapists deal with these patients and I watched all of the novice counselors burn out and fall apart within two months. Of course they stuck with it but it takes a lot to build up a thick skin.
So far, I love what I am learning in school. I love learning about the body, the mind and health. I am retaining he information I am studying very well and my ability to understand and recite it is quite impressive if I do say so myself. I have even been able to understand some of my friends weightloss (or lack there of) issues and I gave her some advice (just some stuff I had to learn in class) that really helped her. I feel good about that. I like helping people. I like talking to people and I like being able to say, "I did something my life. I am a college grad and I am a professional." I wish some of the nurses here could understand how much it hurts to hear these things. *sigh*
I can only speak from my experience as a medic and not as an RN, yet. I feel for you when I read your post. Your will comes from within and the leather skin comes with time and experience. There will be days when all you want to do is go home and hug your children or call to hear a loved ones voice on the other end. You will hold the hand of the frightened, you may cry with them, you may whisper a prayer in their ear as they take their last breath. You will go home some days emotionally and physically exhausted and honestly there have been some days when I wonder if there was anything else I could have done. But as I look back on my career as a medic I know that I put all I had into it. Don't be discouraged, what kind of person would you be without emotion? I feel a little defensive for the ones who post and are RN's because I think we have so much in common. Like I said before they are venting their reality and in moments of chaos there is always a miracle lurking. You take the good with the bad and you learn how to deal with it. There are so many different options for nursing that you will find your fit. Plus I would think anything would be better than working with a bunch of lawyers! Good luck.
But I'm worried because I have kind of a soft skin. Yes, I'm used to a lot of abuse, but it was always the hardest part of the job. I'm emotional. I cry when I see kids in pain and want to hold the hand of the person who's frightened. I thought that was a good quality for a nurse but reading the boards, I'm thinking perhaps I'm too soft for this field. It sounds like you need a will of iron and a leather skin.
I know it's human nature to vent, but I'm worried from reading the posts. Am I fooling myself that I can be a nurse when I'm so sensitive?
I am a newer nurse and I think we are fairly similar. I, too, am sensitive and emotional. That has been the hardest part of my job...dealing with caring for patients at the worst time in their lives. Comforting families when you know their loved one is not going to make it...Watching someone go from hopeful and excited for a second chance at life (transplant) and then watching them reject and die. I cry on the way home from work on a regular basis.
Luckily, we do get successful cases and seeing a very, very sick person get a transplant and recover well makes it worth it. It is extremely rewarding. However, I am already getting burned out and I have learned that I will not make it long as a happy person working in my current unit. I have plans to return to school, so knowing this is temporary for me helps a lot. But I will always remember many of my patients, and I stay in contact with some of my deceased patient's families.
For someone who is sensitive like you, me, and the OP (from how she sounds in her response to your post), nursing jobs where you deal with the very ill, dying, and/or long-term patients may not be a good idea. I am looking forward to my ultimate goal after more education of working in an outpatient surgical setting, where I don't get the chance to get attached to my patients
I can see where it would be confusing to someone not already "in the trenches"...and I think that your comparison to parenthood is actually probably a good one.
I love my kids to death. Never knew until I had them just how quickly and deeply you could fall for someone. :)
There are moments when they are so good and so sweet that it makes me want to cry b/c my heart just can't hold in the love.
And there are moments when they better be happy that I love them so mcuh, b/c it's the only thing keeping me from seriously injuring one of them.
The constant stress about finances, worry about how they're turning out, am I totally screwing up as a parent, are they safe when they're out playing, are they being little hoodlums when they're out playing, etc ad nauseum...it never stops.
But even though life would be easier and less stressful without the little buggers, I still wouldn't ever want to be without them.
I could find other jobs, with less stress, higher pay, etc...but then I wouldn't be doing what I love. The politics and policies can be awful...so I try to be involved in groups that work on changing those that hinder us. The pts can be awful, but they can be great too. And there's no other job that I'd rather do that has the same potential for imapct on someone's life. When we make a good save, or deal with a crisis situation, or fix something that would lead to death pretty soon if untreated, it's awesome.
So yeah, it sucks, but I'll keep on going back for more. I'd never discourage someone from being a nurse (in fact, I keep pointing out to my kids that it's a great career path with all different kinds of opportunities), but I would encourage people to go into it with their eyes open.
First off, for all of you jumping down the OP's throat, she was in no way intending to censor the people that come on here and use this site as a vehicle to vent their frustrations. If anything, the OP is trying to gain information as to why the number of negative posts seem to overwhelmingly exceed the positive. All of the snide, rude and contemptuous comments can be put on hold. There is no wonder why nurses get stigmatized as b****es.
OP, I truly honor you enthusiasm. It is refreshing to hear someone that has such a passion for nursing and possess a great amount of goals. I hope you can hold tight to the vigor that you are in possession of, it will take you a long way. I will say that there will be discouraging moments as this field is far less than always pretty.
I have two words for you -- READING - COMPREHENSION!
No, I am absolutely sure no one is intentionally discouraging anyone. What I am saying however, is that the collective image of many of these post is "discouraging". I had a friend come on this site and leave horrified. In fact, she is the one who told me about this site. She actually dropped out of her program behind the "cold feet" she got after reading some of this stuff (though I still feel that my friend was being extreme to say the least). Of course to you, a professional, it's just " nurses venting" but to us students it sounds like a "red flag". I must say, I was very "concerned" after reading many of these posts. I have taken out loans and expended much energy in my classes. I have absolutely no job security now. I have not had a "good position" since 2008. And, in that corporate office position I experienced extreme racism, bullying, back biting, name calling, racial slurs, mental abuse; it was unreal. It was hell actually. Pure hell. I am looking to nursing to get me out of the not-so-great position I am already in. The last thing I want to hear is that all these classes I'm getting A's in and all these loans I have taken out are just so I can feel like killing myself every day after my RN shift (should I choose to bedside nurse). Clearly, I went through that in my previous corporate office experience (stress related pneumonia, skin infections, hair loss, constant cold, insomnia, crying --- you name it.) I am putting alot of me into this and I am working very hard. This is very serious to me and it is quite alarming to hear so much "I wish I wasn't doing this". It makes you asks a lot of questions of yourself, God and everyone else. Sometimes when nurses "vent", they don't consider what this may sound like to students.
Also, I didn't judge anyone in my initial post.
Ivy Bee :heartbeat
Several people have already responded to this post and did a fantastic job. There's no need for me to say anything more.
Ivy, I'm a nursing student and almost done with school and I've been a CNA for 2 years at a large inner city hospital so I feel like I know very well what I'm getting into.
You seem intelligent and like you've researched this and I hope you go forward knowing all it involves. I think some of the bad nurses out there became that way because they didn't know what they were getting into and became bitter when things got tough.
You may have to remove a fecal impaction, you may have to wipe and change gowns 4-5 times a day in a mentally challenged screaming patient given laxatives, you may work a 12 hour shift with a 15 minute lunch break, you may have to enter a room and start an IV on a patient deathly scared of needles while their family watches your every move, you will be very busy most days you work on a hospital floor, you will certainly have to study a lot, be on your feet alot and need good shoes, you will certainly stay home a lot of weekends to study, and you will have nursing instructors that work to humble you. Don't let anything stop you.
I am a student as well and am about to graduate in a month. You seem like you have the right mindset to come into nursing. I have met a few nurses who are burnt out, but I have met so many more who truly love what they do. I competed my senior practicum on a pediatric floor where the nurses were all friends, never fought, and rarely complained. They all helped each other and their attitudes really made a difference in patient care. I understand your concern about some of the things you have seen on this website. Know that it is often used as a healthy resource to vent and doesn't necessarily reflect how nurses feel about their job all the time. Nursing is a very rewarding career and you seem like you are the perfect person to come into it. If you continue to remember why you went into nursing then I'm sure you will continue to love it.
Honey, this is a site for nurses and students to come to for all things nursing related. I rarely post about the awfulness that occurs at my job, but offending someone's sensibilities is the least of my concerms when I do. I'm searching for empathy, constructive criticism, and advice from others who have been through the same.
And if you're seeing "red flags" here, well, yep...you can't miss them. Better to go into it with you eyes open while you still have a chance to change your mind. Not everyone has that option, which is why so many people who have come to hate bedside nursing, legitimally IMO, are stuck. When you have a family to provide for, personal satisfaction in career choice often takes the back burner.
It would be awesome if nursing was all sunshine and roses, but it's not. At all. It sucks hard core on a regular basis....and this is from someone who can honestly say that I love my job and career and would never consider doing anything else. It's not "whining" to come here and vent and look for support...it's the only safe place that many have where there are oodles of people who know exactly what they're talking about. Just like you can choose to change the channel on the TV, you can choose which threads to focus on here...but don't expect those of us who have been there, done that, to moderate our "behavior" b/c being honest about our experiences might frighten people out of pursuing nursing as a career. No offense intended towards your friend or others who might have changed their mind after coming here, but if they can't even handle READING about what we go through, it's probably better that they got out before investing their blood sweat and tears in a nursing degree.
leekaye
79 Posts
Ivy, I was just coming to this board with the very same thoughts. I'm a pre-nursing student who's been working for lawyers for 30 years. Lawyers, especially corporate lawyers, have a well deserved reputation as being difficult to work for and, for some, it's true. I've had lawyers grope me, call me names, scream at me or slam doors in my face during work. And I never felt good about the work I was helping the attorneys do...sneaky work in bitter divorces, crushing the little guy in corporate lawsuits and defending criminals. I want to do nursing so that when I collapse at the end of the day, I can feel that I've helped people rather than hurt them.
But I'm worried because I have kind of a soft skin. Yes, I'm used to a lot of abuse, but it was always the hardest part of the job. I'm emotional. I cry when I see kids in pain and want to hold the hand of the person who's frightened. I thought that was a good quality for a nurse but reading the boards, I'm thinking perhaps I'm too soft for this field. It sounds like you need a will of iron and a leather skin.
I know it's human nature to vent, but I'm worried from reading the posts. Am I fooling myself that I can be a nurse when I'm so sensitive?