Share why your current job sucks and what you hope will be different in nursing!

[WantAccel.BSN]

So..why does your current job suck and what do you hope will be different about nursing?

I'll go first. I got a degree in Psychology, and worked in research for 2 years, went to law school for a year, and am now working as a social worker (basically) with kid's with mental health problems.

The research job? Ugh...try basically telemarketing trying to force people to complete lengthy (I'm talking 3 or 4 hours) interviews about their "mental health," and then having to take a hit on your hours if you can't get enough of them to agree to do an the interview. Did I mention the interview itself is confusing as hell and no one really knows how to use it? Oh yeah..and the research subject are getting paid better then you are.

Law school? Sounds good, but be prepared to argue all day, every day, work your a** off, and have no life outside of your career. Oh yeah, and unless you want to work for a law firm (and are able to get one of those coveted jobs, just so you can work 60 hour weeks) you'll be making around the $35,000 mark, and be in upwards of $80-100,000 in debt (yup, that is the average salary in the public interest sector).

My current job with the kids with mental health problems? Again, hours are all dependent on people wanting you to come over to work with their kids (oh..and being there when they say they will). You have to come up with full time hours, but families only want you there a couple hours at a time, generally. Either that, or they want you to babysit their bratty, nightmarish kids. You can take the kids out, but not to your home. And remember, you have no money to spend on the kids (and the families are poor), and you don't get money for gas. Oh yeah, and the families will regularly curse you out, and you're supossed to "just understand" that they have problems. Did I mention the mountains of paperwork to justify the time you are spending with these kids as being "therepeutic?" I could go on and on....

Jesus...nursing is appealing to me because I fell like I'll finally have some predictable hours. Moreover, I feel like helping people in the medical arena is much more black and white then the fuzzy area that is mental health. I also feel like nursing allows for a much more balanced lifestyle, given the numerous options for employment, and work that doesn't follow you home. However, my previous three experiences since graduating from undergrad have me concerned that maybe it's just me:idea:

[Minty80]

Hello everybody,

I am not working right now. I am bachelors of traditional Indian medicine and worked for some months like a PA in India. After coming to US with my husband I could not take classes or work because of my visa status. I liked my previous job and it is quite similar to nursing. So I hope I will be happy with my career choice. I am also interested in biomedical research field but I think nursing will be better for me because of stability and flexibility. I would like to listen from biomedical science people about their jobs. Is anyone their? Anyway, I am starting my pre-requisites from this January at CC. Lets see how it goes.

[Knorremeisje]

I started pursuing my BA in Dutch/English Linguistics and Literature while I was still living in Belgium. This was what I had always wanted to do, however once in college, it was a huge disappointment. I had to read only 3 books for the entire year, and the main focus was on memorizing phonetics. Very, very disappointing. At this time I met my husband, we fell in love, and before I knew it I was moving to the US. I was looking for a different educational career and my husband actually suggested nursing. I never really thought of it before, nurses in Belgium are like nursing assistants here, they also make only about half of what nurses make here. I also never enjoyed sciences in high school. But I figured I might give it a try, I remembered the Hospice Nurses that took care of my mom only a couple of years ago and I got inspired. I took a CNA class and started my pre-req's towards nursing. For some reason I've been doing great with sciences here and I actually really enjoy taking them.

I worked as a PCT for about 6 months. It's a very hard job, you run around 12 hours a day, your main priority is to bathe everyone and make everybody feel comfortable. Some people are just so demanding, they act like they're staying at the Hilton... It was excellent experience with direct patient care however. I currently work a Monitor Tech/Unit Secretary, the pay is the same, but I get to read EKG strips (which is really amazing!) and I get to read doctor's orders and put all these in the computer.

Nursing should be somewhat a combination of those two I think. Plus handing out meds and assessing patients and all that. I'll enjoy interacting with patients on a different level, as their actual caregiver and make a real difference in their healing process. I also expect to continue learning and hopefully finish with a MSN as a NP. That'll take me another couple of years though! :)

[Dottie78]

I don't neccesarly hate my job, but there are things about it that suck, and have made me want to go into nursing. I currently work as a secretary, and have been in the office environment for about 10 years.

1) Bored to death

2) Work is not challenging enough; sometimes dumb little tasks

3) Getting fat sitting at a desk all day

4) Don't feel like I make much of a difference

5) See the same faces all the time, don't get to meet new people

6) Have to dress up (After doing this for 10 yrs. it gets tiring)

7) Low pay

BTW, I would like to add what I hope will be different in nursing. I'm looking forward to moving around, being up and about, instead of sitting in one little office all day. Also look forward to more challenging tasks, and meeting and taking care of all kinds of different people. Looking forward to making a difference in people's lives. SO looking forward to wearing scrubs, comfortable shoes, and pinning my hair up, instead of skirts/dress pants, hose, and heels!

Good luck to everyone, and hope nursing will be better for you than your current jobs!

[Do Or Do Not]

I gotta admit this is the most interesting thread I've read so far! Anyways:

Push factors: I spent the last 5 years making maps working in various contracts ranging from 100% field work to 100% office work. Half the time things were good, while the other half pretty much sucked. Being constantly outdoors I had to deal with being rained on, being stung by insects and dealing with extreme hot or cold days. In the office I had to deal with sheer boredom and dealing with the same people every single day. This is on top of being employed only 6 months out of every year which makes things financially stressful to say the least.

Pull factors: My mom was a nurse and we constantly got to sit down and watch medical shows on TV. Not just fictional shows like ER, but the uncensored programs showing operations and people bleeding and all kinds of other medical stuff. I loved it! I also had a bout with cancer earlier this year that had me spend some quality time in hospitals getting it removed. I got to really appreciate being in a medical environment and next month I'm going back there as a volunteer. Nursing seems to be the most logical step from there!

[SUZYQ1981]

My job really sucks! I am an Assistant Manager for a Children Shoe Company. I work stupid hours and deal with stupid people. I do more work then the manager and get paid nothing!! I only stay because I basically can't leave because my availability sucks since I am a parent of two. My husband works over nights and I work days. I never get to see my kids. And yes, i'm going to school full time, taking 4 online classes and one class on campus. I'm glad that I finally realized what I wanted to do with my life now since I am still young. I am glad to see that rn's get paid well. So hopefully when I am done in 4-5 years my husband and I will be able to buy a house here on Long Island,Ny and not have to move away from our families. I hope to provide better care in hospitals and make a difference!!!!!!!!!

[WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN]

My job really sucks! I am an Assistant Manager for a Children Shoe Company. I work stupid hours and deal with stupid people. I do more work then the manager and get paid nothing!! I only stay because I basically can't leave because my availability sucks since I am a parent of two. My husband works over nights and I work days. I never get to see my kids. And yes, i'm going to school full time, taking 4 online classes and one class on campus. I'm glad that I finally realized what I wanted to do with my life now since I am still young. I am glad to see that rn's get paid well. So hopefully when I am done in 4-5 years my husband and I will be able to buy a house here on Long Island,Ny and not have to move away from our families. I hope to provide better care in hospitals and make a difference!!!!!!!!!

You'll get there. Just keep plugging away. Before you know it it will be over, and it will all be worth it! Kudos for sticking with a job you hate, because you have to, to support yourself and your family. It's people like you that I think deserve a little helping hand...not the one's I work with that sit on their butts all day and get decent-sized checks in the mail for their kids from the government!

[BetterMeRN]

Before I became a nurse I worked in the same hospital I work now as a Unit Clerk...like a secretary. I worked in the ICU and saw so many different things, being able to see a doctor put a chest tube in a patient was amazing. Being a clerk was good but now being a nurse is far more rewarding. I just started I'm still on orientation, I learn something new everyday. I meet someone new everyday, I love being able to go into my patients room with a smile and try to make atleast the 8hrs I'm there for them better.

It's one of the most rewarding jobs ever, I can't imagine myself doing anything else. I love meeting people and making them feel better, nursing is my calling, I didn't find nursing it found me. Guys, if you love working with people, love the satisfaction of making someone feel better just with your presence alone then nursing is for you. It's very rewarded so many avenues to take....Forensic Nursing, NP, CNS, the list goes on and on.

Just wanted to share that, I walk out of the hospital every evening feeling better.

[Satori77, ADN]

My job doesn't "suck" but there are reasons why I am burnt out and need a change.

I am a vet tech, started for my love of animals but really fell in love with the medicine. But...

1)there is not much room for advancement or job growth. There is very little specialization.

2)it is very physical and I come home with bruises and cuts all the time. Wrestling on the floor with a dog bigger than me (I am 5"1, 110lbs), or getting scratched and/or bit by a feral cat...I know you can get hurt as a nurse too, but I seriously spend most of my day on the floor, on my knees (and have pain in one knee that comes and goes now)

3)Pay is crap. I make $12/hour after 10 years, and that is decent wages. My mother, an LPN here, is making $25/hour

4)Benefits are horrible or even non-existant (except for reduced pet care, that is the only good thing)

5)I have always been a big animal lover, but lately, with all the difficult ones we see, I like animals less and less, which is sad

The things I am looking forward to:

1)more autonomy

2)always learning new things and a chance for growth - I can go on and get a BSN, MSN, or even a doctorate if I want.

3)ability to specialize and change where I work. In vet medicine, you can move to another hospital, but you will still be doing the same work. I could work in the ER, ICU, OR, forensics, psych, go into management, teaching or research (and those are only the things I am interested in!). The possibilities are endless

4)if I get hurt, or just need a break because of getting older, I can always take a desk job somewhere that is still nursing related and not kill myself

5)better pay and benefits. I knnow many nurses complain about the pay. And I agree, for what they do, it doesn't seem to be enough. But compared to what I make, it will be a much-needed improvement. I can easily pay bills, not having to worry every month if we have enough, and have money for my kids

[Satori77, ADN]

I totally relate to everyone on this thread.

Here's my story- I went to school for a BFA in fine art,mostly because I've always been attracted to art making and didn't know what else to do, or think about how I would make a living when I graduated. For the last two and a half years I have switched back and forth between teaching art to special ed students and brainless jobs in the fashion and accessories industry. I liked teaching for the most part, but I felt frustrated with my limited ability to actually make a difference in my student's lives. I also did not like that there was no real growth or movement in teaching- it is very stable, very predictable, and very boring for me at the end of the day.

The office jobs- well that is where I am now. I left teachig to return to a position as a sales assistant for a companyt hat makes cosmetic bags. I thought maybe I had not given the coprorate world a fair shot the last time, and that maybe there was still something in it for me. Within a month I knew I was wrong.

I've been spending the last few months doing serious career research and exploring, and one thing or another has led me to the possibility of nursing. It's great for all the reasons every has said- stability but alwasy changing, learning, growing. Good pay, flexible hours, the ability to have REAL true job satisfaction from helping another. Mainly I just hope that this is it, the thing I've been looking for to make my working life more enjoyable. we spend too much time at our job to hate it, and I want to feel good and make others feel good.

Now I just have to get into nursing school!

When I first went to college, I really wanted to major in art. I love to draw, paint, create, and consider mysef creative. But I didn't know what I what do with that degree, how I would make money. Part of me still wishes I pursued it, but I figure after I get my nursing degree and we have more money, I will take some art classes, get back into it as a hobby.

[birdy88]

I just recently quit my retail "career" which I've mostly had since I was eighteen. I've had some time off and thought of nursing since I've had this fascination with the body and how different things cause the body to react in certain ways. And also because I've been in school four years and have no degree whatsoever behind me and I was thinking I really should have a plan by now.

I started thinking about nursing because it is practical. Two years in school is do-able, I can take my pre-reqs now and get into school in a couple years (can't go now anyway because we're paying for my husband to finish his degree first). What excites me about this profession is the challege. I love the rush of running around having different things to deal with all at once and knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. You get a tiny bit of that feeling in a hectic retail mall where I worked, although nobody appreciates you and at the end of the day all the stress that sometimes accumulates just isn't worth it. You start thinking, why am I taking this? Some woman yelling at me over a pair of pants?? Well, I like the idea that nursing is hard and not everyone can do it, although that's also what scares me. And of course, like most people in this profession, I truly want to help people.

[polishgurlrn2b]

I am a banker. I work as a r/e loan processor and closing coordinator. I love the people I work with. (I hope to find good relationships such as this when I get into the nursing field). The job itself makes me want to slam my head into my desk everyday I have to be here. Banking is easy, but its not for me. I feel the only reason I am still here doing this is because it is all I know-like my security blanket. As a banker, you can help people, but thats all based on how much money they make, how much they have in assets, etc. As a nurse, you can help people no matter how much money they make or have in the bank. I have always preferred an active job vs. a job behind a desk. I hope to loose a few unwanted pounds by having a job on my feet ! I know how you feel having to deal with "stupid" people because after almost 8 years in the banking industry, I promise you I have seen my fair share. Granted, there are more customers that you just love to see and talk to that make your day, but there are some that can ruin it just as fast. And the thought of having to deal with title companies every day for the rest of my life makes me want to hurl... LOL Thanks for the opportunity to remind myself exactly why I have chosen the Nursing route and to share it with others!

[Dental Hygienist]

My current job doesn't "suck", but I just can't imagine doing it for another 39 years! I'm a dental hygienist and the pay is great but that's about it; and I'm finding that good money just isn't enough.

Negatives about hygiene:

1) Can't get enough hours (25-30 a week if I'm lucky)

2) Benefits are not offered in most jobs

3) monotonous, dare I say "boring" work

4) When patient's cancel or no-show, my hours get cut & I lose money

5) dentists resent us because they have to pay us well

6) VERY rough on the body. #2 profession for carpal tunnel surgery and in the top 5 professions for neck surgeries

7) I go home in pain (mostly neck & lower back) every day that I work

8) No ability for lateral or upward movement. I can change jobs, but I'll still be doing the same exact task hour after hour for the rest of my hygiene career

9) the public mostly misunderstands the profession and thinks we're trained on the job or the same as a dental assistant

10) dentists want us to "sell" dentistry and "selling" anything makes me want to gag. I just can't do it, so therefore I miss out on overdue raises and bonuses.

Positives about Nursing (Hopefully):

1) Feel like my work has purpose and makes a difference

2) people understand that nurses are well educated, professionals while maybe not always "respected" like they should be, the community understands that nursing school is hard and respects that

3) Stable hours, decent pay, ample work, can pick up shifts, possible overtime

4) Benefits Benefits Benefits!!!

5) I'm a night owl and think I'd like to work graveyard

6) Constant variety. Can change specialties or go into management, get my masters or NP, or CRNA or doctorate....the possibilities are endless!!!