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:

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

I do like my job, and I am one hell of an excellent nurse.

polishgurl- I kept my comments about the topic: nursing, I did not make negative comments about you. Your comment to me: "get out of it, cause i wouldnt want you caring for my family if you are that bitter about your job." was really rude and uncalled for. When the crap hits the fan, I am the kind of nurse you certainly do want caring for your family.

I am also a realist.

I used to belong to an online mentoring group where I tutored nursing students in A&P, and Nursing Fundementals. I never talked about the real world of nursing to the students. Any comments I made were strictly encouraging. It's ironic that several of them wrote back to me after they'd become nurses and said things like "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" they were upset because I'd been too encouraging, not "realistic" enough, lol.

I posted in this thread after reading the rediculous statement that "other fields are so much less stressful than nursing." I just had to comment after reading that.

And you even wish a happy holiday to me? The "negative one?" How generous of you.

I hope your find your nursing careers to be just as fulfilling and rewarding as you imagine them to be.

Carry on.

[polishgurlrn2b]

yeah realist. so am i. just cause i choose not to take a negative attitude, doesnt mean im not realistic. if you like your job, dont just share the negatives, though they are respected. share the positives. this isnt a "vent about your job" post and all your posts seem to do just that. again, we all know that the job has crappy times just as the good ones. but as incoming students who are nervous as hell, this is supposed to be just a light hearted conversation about why we have chosen to make this career change. I completely understand wanting us to know the "real, raw" side of nursing. but also share the positives. no doubt that you arent a "good" nurse, but you just sound so bitter about it. thats all i was saying. and, some people, if they are bitter about their job, they dont give their 110% at it. if you have anything positive to say about nursing, please do share. i clicked on your link that shows actual nurses sharing their feelings on their job. even they can find some positives to go along with the negative bs they have to deal with day to day. thanks for the well wishes, and i wish you well in your continued career.

[paccookie]

I guess I am in the minority because I love my job. I'm an EMT at a local hospital. I plan to go to paramedic school this summer, then nursing school for a BSN at some point after that. I want to get a few years of experience as a paramedic, so I'm not in a huge rush to get a nursing degree. What do I hope to get out of nursing? I hope to become a flight nurse one day. I'd like to get some good, solid ICU experience first as preparation, maybe some OR/PACU experience and maybe a year or so of experience in a level 1 trauma center (there's one about 20 miles north). I'd love to become a flight medic first, although that also requires about five years of experience, so I'm not sure how that will fit in with my plans and my age (I'm 27 already). I'm short and not very big, so I fit the size requirements nicely. LOL That has been a bit of a challenge in the EMS world, but so far I haven't had too much of a problem. I'm not afraid of much and I like a challenge. I almost went another direction towards a history degree and law school, but working as an EMT has totally pulled me back towards the medical world. I'm glad it did! I've discovered that I'm good at this and that I love it.

[WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN]

Your statement: I posted in this thread after reading the rediculous statement that "other fields are so much less stressful than nursing." I just had to comment after reading that.

I never said that "other fields are so much less stressful than nursing." If you are going to quote me, I would really appreciate an accurate quote.

What I said was, "the level of stress in nursing seems significantly less then other professions I've been exposed to," and, if you go back and look, that was AFTER you berated me in your original post, telling me I was naive to think that I would argue less as a lawyer than as a nurse. So that statement was NOT why you "just had to comment," because it didn't occur until AFTER you had already begun to post. And what is more (like another poster said), one's opinion of "stressors" can be significantly different given differences in personality, demeanor, lifestyle, etc. I don't think it is inappropriate to espouse my belief that the stressors will be less, for me, then the stressors in other fields I've worked in/seen, because, for me, they may very well be.

And you still haven't responded to anyone's prompting to mention something (or things) you DO like about nursing, and why you continue to stay in the field if you think it is that atrocious.

[polishgurlrn2b]

to wantaccelbsn: you go gurl. just like ive said a previous post. keep the positive attitude about your choice to change to nursing. stay realistic (since we are all naive daydreamers waiting to get the chance to have a cushy job like nursing LOL) but let the positives outweigh the negative.

as for me, i choose to IGNORE the negative attitudes about the profession. I know some people get lost on these forums and click on the wrong thread. i am just going to pretend that thats what happened. unless i see a post that explains why they chose to stay in nursing being that its so HORRIBLE. where does this person find their motivation to do the job in a caring manner, when they seem so angry about the day to day bs that nurses have to put up with. NOT SAYING THEY ARE A BAD NURSE-let me just get that out there now. just saying i dont like my job due to day to day bs too. but thats my motivation to change careers, and i also dont find myself doing my job to the best of my ability (which i am a d*** good banker) because i feel that way. but here's a news flash to those who chose to argue that they are right, and we are all wrong (which i think we should just agree to disagree and get back to the light hearted topic at hand)-every career has its ups and downs: budgets that keep you from doing your job, unappreciative bosses, customers, patients, etc) long work hours, and not enough pay for what you do. and aches. be it headaches or back aches. we all have them from rdh's to nurses, to lenders, and lawyers. nurses arent the only ones. Again, Good luck to everyone and i look forward to hearing more about the jobs-maybe someone has a funny/odd one they'd like to share. I am going to go and read more threads that nurses have posted on their thoughts about their careers. i hope EVERYONE had a great holiday yesterday and has a wonderful new year. i say everyone because although i disagree with a specific individual on here, that doesnt mean i want to ignore the fact that they are a person too. and (like i said) i hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season. take that how you want to, cause i know how i meant it...

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

oh, forget it.

[WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN]

oh, forget it.

I still wish you would tell us what you dislike so much about your job, why you don't change careers, and what, if anything, you think can be done to make yourself more satisfied. Are there particular subsets of nursing you would advise against, or just the entire field? I apologize for any harsh words that have been exchanged, but I think all anyone is saying is that we implore you to help us. I know some of us (perhaps myself, included) may have idealistic notions about nursing, but telling us that, without additional information and assitance, probably isn't going to help anyone.

I wish you, and everyone else here, well in your career endeavors.

[polishgurlrn2b]

same here. i wish everyone well in their journey to achieving their goal. good luck!

[kamikazegirl]

Actually, I like my jobs (respite care and behavior modification "tech"). I mainly wish they were more rewarding and paid better (and actually had benefits), but there is only so much one can do with a BA in psychology (in field) and experience with autism and other PDDs around here (everyone has one it seems). Also, graduate school is extraordinarily expensive and competitive. I had to work my way through undergraduate, so I didn't necessarily have a lot of time to put in for research with my peers and professors (which seems almost like a must for admission to MA/PhD/Psy.D programs)

What interests me about nursing is,

1) the human body fascinates me (and all of the odd things that keep it functioning or can contribute to its breakdown)....human behavior is interesting as well [hence one of my jobs]....

2) challenging career (which can be a negative too...)

3) job security and mobility (??)

4) the sheer number of ....specialities...it seems almost endless and awesome

However, I am well aware that its not a cakewalk, and thank/encourage/beg for any insights from current/former nurses.

[B2728]

I currently work as a computer programmer analyst. It's stressfull, demanding, and thankless - and that's the plus side.

My next job will not be "outsourceable".

[Futurenurse86]

My last job was a soldier. It just wasnt for me. I deployed to Iraq and hated it. Want to talk stress, I dont think there is anything more stressful then worrying about your life, being thousands of miles away from your family, and doing a job you hate (truck driving). I got out and decided to go back to college to find a new career, and that is when nursing "found" me. In the Army I had stability, paycheck every two weeks (not that it was anything to brag about), healthcare, but it just didnt make me happy, so I hope nursing will be more enjoyable for me.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I like my job--I'm a freelance writer/editor and SAHM. I make my own hours, work as much or as little as I please, I'm good at what I do and I enjoy it. However, the pay is very low and even with dh working we're barely above subsistence level. On the plus side I have freedom, I have time for creative work, and do feel that I'm making a difference (in a small way). So what am I looking for in nursing? I know I'll be trading in my cozy little life for one that is much more challenging and stressful but I love the opportunities in nursing, the exposure you get to people of all walks of life, the experiences... There's something so vibrant about nursing as a profession. I'll probably keep writing after becoming a nurse (one day God willing!) but will have so much more material to draw from. I think the knowledge and experience that one gains from nursing is invaluable and opens up many doors in life. Truthfully I'm enjoying being in school (I like the structure of it and knowing the expectations at every step, and the sense of accomplishment). This is sort of an idyllic period that I will enjoy for two more semesters until it's time to apply to nursing school, and I'm kind of anxious about the changes that it will bring. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.