Second Guessing Future as an RN

marvalol · Jun 18, 2009

Being a Nurse is a stressful job, and maybe it could be the floor that you are on. Do not give up on your life long dream, at the end of it all you get to decide what u really want. Remember nursing is a wide scope so I am confident that you will find an area that you will not have to pull your hair out on a daily basis. Good Luck:smiletea2:

suni, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2009

I have been anurse for 20 years and cannot imagine doing anything else.

Stress you bet, but it is the best job and at times the worst job. Part of it is nurses need to stand up and say ' I don't appreciate the way you are speaking to me"

We need to hold physicians accountable as well as our peers. Give respect and get respect.

Junebugfairy · Jun 19, 2009

my mom is a nurse of 25+ years.

i am in my last year of ns

nursing is highly stressful, but i like it, i like the stress associated with caring for other people. it just does not get to me.

families?? omg! family members can be awful, they want something for mom/dad/grandma/grandpa, right now.. not a second later..

this is a highly stressful job, and i worked as a nurse tech for 8 years before going to ns, so i was very aware of the stress levels and 'family member' fun.

it is possible that you were unrealistic with your expectations of what nursing entails, we had a few girls drop out when they realized that they might be needed to wipe bottoms as an rn. they assumed that nursing was 'cushy', and far away form the yucky stuff.

i would hate to tell you to do anything that makes your life stressful to the point that you cannot mentally handle *it*.

i'll be honest, i have nurse teched at two hospitals and it is exactly like what you are describing.. highly stressful, but i like it. i can handle it.

deep down inside you have to decide if you can handle such a hectic, stressful job, and if you cannot it is okay.

arelle68 · Jun 19, 2009

It would be right to thoughtfully and thoroughly consider this decision. There are lots of jobs in nursing. Many of them are just as you describe. There are some that are less stressful. I've heard of them, and I'm looking for one myself. Nursing is a rewarding profession, even with all of it's difficulties. (Whispers: Run, Baby! Run while you still have a chance!)

dewayne · Jun 19, 2009

i'm nervous now - i've been in law enforcement for 20 years and just quit my job to go to RN school. Does anyone have any advice - Is Radiology easier than Nursing school - HELP

any suggestions on which order to take the classes

iamanurse#1 · Jun 19, 2009

You stated that you were in law enforcement previously. I don't know in what capacity-corrections officer or police officer but have you considered correctional nursing? That may turn out to be a good option for you. I would do some research into that. Higher pay than most hospital nurses and excellent benefits.

tremblelina · Jun 19, 2009

Hi there,

To qualify my post in advance: I am currently a pre-nursing student starting my first semester of ns this fall.

Having said that, something to think about while considering if nursing is truly for you, are the variety of nursing positions available. Not all careers must begin in the hospital. Many new grads go directly into other areas such as a dr.'s office, clinic, school, etc that will certainly have stress but perhaps not on the level of working at a hospital.

Obviously the types and availability of positions will depend on where you live, for example I live in an area with more hospitals, specialty centers, and dr.'s offices than you can shake a stick at, but I realize this is not the case for everyone. Even so, don't rule out the possibility of commuting if it means a job that is a better fit for you when starting out.

So before deciding that you may need to go a different route, please consider all the possibilities within a reasonable driving distance. I know for me personally, about an hour one direction is all the commute I can stand.

Also, don't forget about positions in areas like nurse consulting, researching, administration, and education. Assisted living and nursing homes may also be something to consider.

In any case, there are many directions you could go, feeling unsure about the stress in your current job and what you're seeing from the nurses there does not mean you could not handle it or would not make a great nurse, you also do not have to work at the same place when you are a nurse.

nkara, CNA · Jun 19, 2009

It is a very stressful job but you won't always get rude co-workers or rude parents/family members. Just think about what YOU want.. do you want to care for patients? do you get satisfaction from helping them? if the answer is yes then your on the right track. Don't worry about the "other" people just worry about the patient.

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 19, 2009

Give it a little time to get over the shock. When you are able to see more objectively, observe and talk to the nurses.

Nursing floors and units vary in their conditions and morale.

If you are allowed to float, you will get an even better picture.

Yes, nurses do really earn every penny they make.

chicookie, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2009

Ok first off, you are new. It takes a little while to "shift gears". It happens to everyone. Those first few weeks of any new job are sometimes horrible, and then you get the gist of it and it all of sudden becomes better.

Second, just remember that there are better floors. you are not going to stay there. There are too many opportunities for nurses. You just have to give it time.

My suggestion to you is keep a stiff upper lip and let the bad stuff roll off your shoulders. It will get better.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2009

Seems to me like your disenchantment with nursing is only based on your limited experience in one place and with certain people. Giving up your dream on one limited experience is giving up way too easily.

I used to practice law, and in the 10 or so years I practiced plus the 2 summers while I was in law school, I worked in the private sector, public interest organizations, government agencies, and also had my own solo practice for about 3 years. I really tried out everything and when it was all said and done, it was clear that NOTHING I did as a plain old lawyer would make me happy. I discovered that I should have been doing nursing all along and I've started to volunteer to get my feet wet. I will take the same approach as I did in law, and perhaps in the future I would be happy combining nursing and law experiences, who knows? But my point is: don't make a rash decision to leave a career until you've exhausted your possible niches.

Give other scenarios / environments / specialties a chance, and remember the REAL reasons why you wanted to be a nurse. The priority of a nurse is caring for their PATIENTS, and your post did not include that as a complaint. Everything else is extraneous, and I am pretty confident that if you make the effort you will find the area that will help you love nursing once again.