Scared Pre-Nursing Student: Is Nursing as Bad as I Hear?

[Ivy Black]

Hello to all the nurses out there ---

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?

Thank you,

Ivy Bee. :heartbeat

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

One thing I have seen a lot of on these boards is discouragement directed to the students and/or new nurses who are "niave" enough to have some enthusiasm towards the profession. That's pretty eff'ed up. If you have been doing it for years and have become jaded, (and I don't know if you have or not) that's fine. It is hard not to be "somewhat judgemental" when most of the post you read on these boards sound bitter, cynical and angry. It makes you ask yourself if nursing is this bad, why are these people still doing it? The craziest part is, most of these "I hate my job" nurses say that they have been nursing 5 years or better. I don't think it is "naive or judgemental" to begin to question what must be (forgive me) wrong with people who would go on 5-35 years doing something they claim to despise enough to "warn" anyone even remotely interested in it, not to do it. I don't know about you, but if I hate even as much as a 30 minute TV program, I change the channel. With that being said, I really have to wonder if nursing is really that bad or if some of the nurses here are just without goals that would take them beyond the apparently "hellish awfulness" of bedside nursing. I think after reading approx. 300 "I hate this. I hate this. I hate this" posts over the past 3 hours, me asking if these people are crazy, unmotivated or correct in what they say is an honest and fair question.

I think some of the nurses here, instead of telling us pre-nursing and nursing students and new grads to "just wait until our lives too have been effed up, broke down, frazzled, ruined or destroyed by the dark, filthy, demon filled dungeon that is the inner stinch of this our great nursing profession", should place themselves in our shoes and consider how either terrifying or completely insane all of this "I hate this job that I have been doing for the last 15 years by my own choice" must sound. All I want is a sound answer that does not attack my passion, my goals or my "niave; judgemental" views and there seems to be a lot of that going around on this site. As a newbie, I must say, this site seems terribly negative and non-inspiring. I came here thinking I could learn and read some insightful and encouraging posts from seasoned field professionals. Honestly, there just seems to be a lot of whining. I am just trying to make some sense of all this. Considering the posts that are frequently posted here, again, I think my views are very fair. There are pros and cons to every job.

Ivy Bee :heartbeat

The most important thing that you will need to do when you become a nurse is to keep your passion for nursing. Yes, nursing is defintely different than what you are taught in nursing school and it is not an easy profession. Many nurses feel the way they do because they joined a profession to provide quality patient care and advocate for their patients. Yet, they deal with extreme short staffing, lack of respect, no breaks or lunches, etc., which does not result in quality patient care. Research why nurses (good) leave the profession. Hopefully, you will never have the opportunity to cry on your way home from work, because you felt that you didn't take the best care of your patients for reasons that are not under your control (e.g. short staffing due to poor administration or greed). That being said, I am proud to be a nurse and I worked hard for it! And...at 45, I am still continuing my nursing education. My point, you should be aware of the negatives as well as the positives and not judge nurses until you become one. And...if you work for a facility that endangers your patients, you, or your nursing liscense you can always look for a new job. Always keep in mind why you became a nurse and KEEP the PASSION!

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I haven't read all this. Short answer, yes it is that bad and no, $50/hour isn't enough most days.

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

Wow... ok. That is very encouraging. So far, working in the corporate office environment (not medical office, but general office) is unfulfilling for me on many levels. Everybody is a "robot". Nobody has or even wants to have a feeling about anything. Nobody is interested in helping anybody do anything. Nobody is willing to stand up for anything. It's all about, "me me me". It's disgusting. I really believe that alot of these "Oh, I hate my job" nurses are hospital nurses. I can imagine that would be stressful. Why not just gain the year or two of experience and move on? I don't get that.

I wonder if a lot of these nurses are ADN nurses with limited options. Why not just move on?

Ivy Bee :heartbeat

I just caught that quote. I started off as an ADN nurse at a very large and prestigious teaching hospital (options the same for both ADN and BSN). A BSN that started started the same day with me had to have extended orientation r/t the fact that her technical skills and critical thinking were inadequate. I have definitely moved on and am now working on my Masters. ADN, BSN, it does not matter, I still feel that you need bedside nursing experience.

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

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?

You would be a great nurse, because you are sensitvite to human suffering and have compassion. Just using your examples: I could not work in peds (so I give monthly to St. Judes), and I know some nurses who (for their own personal reasons) feel uncomfortable holding the hand of a frightened patient. I have had patients ask me to remain at the bedside during procedures, because I gave them comfort. I have cried with, held, prayed with, and comforted families when their loved one died. You only need an iron will and leather skin to preserve yourself mentally and sometimes healthcare workers also make morbid jokes for the same reason.

[Ivy Black]

I haven't read all this. Short answer, yes it is that bad and no, $50/hour isn't enough most days.

Linearthinker --- May I ask why you've decided to stay with nursing for 20+ years and go after so many certifications in the field? If its that bad, wouldn't you prefer to move on?

Ivy Bee :heartbeat

[Ivy Black]

I just caught that quote. I started off as an ADN nurse at a very large and prestigious teaching hospital (options the same for both ADN and BSN). A BSN that started started the same day with me had to have extended orientation r/t the fact that her technical skills and critical thinking were inadequate. I have definitely moved on and am now working on my Masters. ADN, BSN, it does not matter, I still feel that you need bedside nursing experience.

I agree with you on the necessity of bedside nursing experience.

Ivy Bee :heartbeat

[JSlovex2]

i don't think BSN, ADN, etc. matters once a person has experience. for example, the best nurse i know (i.e. the nurse i'd want to be MY nurse if i was in the hospital) i believe has her ADN or possibly even did a diploma program - i've never asked. i do know that she doesn't have a BSN and she can run circles around the nurses who DO.

if we're talking about new nurses with no experience - as with any field, i think more education is better. but i'd never say a BSN nurse who has a couple years experience is better than the nurse i mentioned who has 20+ years experience.

[RNYC]

I haven't read all this. Short answer, yes it is that bad and no, $50/hour isn't enough most days.

I'd love to hear where they pay nurses 50/hr..lets give the new nurses a realistic bellweather.....if they are new RNs and lucky enough to land a job we're talking 18-34 (high end in California). I agree with 50/hr isnt enough most days, but travelers in some high paying states are getting 35-45 so 50 is wayyy on the high end. There are some hospitals systems I am very familiar with that pay CRNAs 50/hr!

[Five&Two Will Do]

I'd love to hear where they pay nurses 50/hr..lets give the new nurses a realistic bellweather.....if they are new RNs and lucky enough to land a job we're talking 18-34 (high end in California). I agree with 50/hr isnt enough most days, but travelers in some high paying states are getting 35-45 so 50 is wayyy on the high end. There are some hospitals systems I am very familiar with that pay CRNAs 50/hr!

Me too! I wouldn't mind pulling that kinda bank! Maybe if you want to go to the middle east and don't mind wearing bullet proof scrubs you could make that much LOL!

[Katie5]

I haven't read all this. Short answer, yes it is that bad and no, $50/hour isn't enough most days.

Give me that and see if I won't make it enough all days.

[JSlovex2]

Give me that and see if I won't make it enough all days.

seriously - 50 bucks an hour x 12 hours. hmm......i'm thinking 600 bucks a day is pretty dang on worth it.