Shocked by What Nursing Really Is!!

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Okay, I always thought I would love being a nurse and it was always my goal to go back and finish a nursing program at some point. However, I recently began working as a patient care tech in a hospital and I have to say-I am shocked by what nurses really do, and I am not so sure now it is for me or not. The RN's and LPN's where I work do paperwork for almost 12 straight freakin' hours. I rarely see them get the chance to interact with patients, even when they would like to. They are too busy doing mountains and mountains of documentation. I watched the RN on duty last night to see how long she actually interacted with a patient person to person and it was probably about 12-14 minutes total. Even though the money is extremely better for nurses, techs have it made in a lot of ways. We get to interact with the patient a lot, get tons of thank yous and appreciation, both from patients and nurses, we really don't have to worry about any of the patients major concerns (oh you want meds, I'll get the nurse), and we don't have the managers calling us down freaking out about paperwork mistakes because ours are not usually as serious as the nurses. Teching is low stress and fairly enjoyable right now, and I am afraid that nursing would be a lot of stress and low enjoyment, albeit for a lot of money. Opinions??

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I came home from my first day as a Tech saying almost the exact same thing. Luckily for me, I was in the Float Pool, so I requested to be trained in as many different areas as possible, and let me assure you, that every area is SO different as far as the Nurses go. What area or you working in? Maybe you just need to move to another floor.

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It may be different at other facilities- you can work in many different settings. In a hospital, the patients are in and out so yes you have to get all of that paper work done in a short amount of time, since hospital stays are not very long now and days. At long term care, I have observed much less paperwork being done because the clients live there or stay for extended periods of time so, they usually only document if it is necessary or if a patients condition changes- there is more interaction, but also there are so many patients that you cant spend as much time as you would like with them. I think its a balance you have to make when you start working. Always follow your heart and do what you think is right for you, but there are many other settings that allow more contact with a patient(visiting nurse?)- ask around, talk to the nurses where you work and research before you make a decision so that you dont regret what you choose- even though there is no wrong choice! Hope I helped!

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Specializes in CVICU.

As an ICU nurse, I get to spend more time interacting with my patients... that being said, for a task which takes 5 minutes, I spend about that much time charting said action after I'm done... grrr...

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You got that Right! I have been in the field for almost 30 years......Computer charting is no better! Still too much doc. on the screen.......And its like that no matter where you go in the hospital........The stress level is very high in this field...........I wouldn't consider nursing to be a very good paying job at all......unless, your the CNO........coming out of school, most nurses start at $17 to 21 an hour, the ones who have been a nurse for 5 years..........are making 22 to 25 an hour and the more senior nurses 27 and up plus shif dif. This is in Florida.and working on the floors,ER's pays a little more. Its not bad pay......but for what you do and the crap you take its not worth it on your mind , body or your health........so like I have taught my daughter.....don't pick a career,because you can make money at it.......find what you love to do and everything else will follow....Too many of us pick careers , that we don't love......I do love nursing, it was never about the money I could make, but.......Its the companies, insurance companies and lawyers that are running the hospitals....its all about the $$$$,making money off of sick people,Law suits, cutting staff, cancelling staff etc. They have no rescept for the hospital staff on all levels. It is a big shock for most grads, I know a few who were very good at nursing, but left and went back to there jobs as Waitress, they could not handle it! You ever wonder why.......there is always a shortage in nursing? Now the up side is.........you can go any where in the world and work........you can do anything from floor nursing, to management, research etc. and like today.......during hard times..........you will always have a job and can still move around.but the hospitals are also playing games, during these hard times, Many grads have told me......school does not prepare you for the real world in nursing. But it is good that you are a CNA, and can see what is going on.........and...you really get to see how messed up our healthcare system is. Good Luck with whatever you do in life!

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just because you got to see observe a specific part of nursing from your end, it doesn't necessarily mean that overall nursing is that way. generalization is such a tricky thing to handle.

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It may be different at other facilities- you can work in many different settings. In a hospital, the patients are in and out so yes you have to get all of that paper work done in a short amount of time, since hospital stays are not very long now and days. At long term care, I have observed much less paperwork being done because the clients live there or stay for extended periods of time so, they usually only document if it is necessary or if a patients condition changes- there is more interaction, but also there are so many patients that you cant spend as much time as you would like with them. I think its a balance you have to make when you start working. Always follow your heart and do what you think is right for you, but there are many other settings that allow more contact with a patient(visiting nurse?)- ask around, talk to the nurses where you work and research before you make a decision so that you dont regret what you choose- even though there is no wrong choice! Hope I helped!

I second these good comments.

I work in hospice, as an after hours nurse. I go to Pt homes prn usually for time of death or symptom control. Typically, I stay until the symptoms are under control or the funeral home has taken the body. The rewarding part of my job is that I do get to give time and attention to one Pt/family at a time--for the most part.

Some nights are really busy, and you are pressured to move on asap, because there are others needing a visit. Sometimes you can't wait to get out of the home you're in, often because of family conflicts, sometimes because everyone but you smokes, and occasionally because it's just plain creepy or filthy. In my experience the rewarding visits outnumber the dicey ones by a wide, wide margin.

The thing to keep in mind is no job is perfect. There will be irritations and roadblocks to giving good care wherever you land. You've shown in your OP a healthy skepticism about jumping into something because the money is better. Check things out for yourself. What may be a deal-killer for one person is no problem to another.

Good luck in the path you choose.

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Nursing used to be about caring for the patient. Today, got to get that paperwork done! 12-14 minutes, that is about par at the hospital where I work. Emphasis is put on the proper paperwork. Don't do the paperwork, administration crawls up your butt. Forget something with the patient, just make sure you complete the paperwork on what was not done. That's computer charting.

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Specializes in Surgery, Tele, OB, Peds,ED-True Float RN.

I've worked in Canada and the US. In my experience the paperwork in Canada is at least 50% less. Here in Canada I spend about 60% of my shift with the pt's (90% in the ER and L&D), 20% charting and 20% interacting with the other healthcare professionals (PT, OT, MD's, SW, RT, Charge RN, mangers). We use computer charting for almost everything and it used it to drive me crazy until I worked with paper charting. Now I would die if they got rid it.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I think it depends on what department you work in. Although OB has much more paperwork than most departments (intrapartum you have intrapartum paperwork, if mom delivers than you have postpartum paperwork for mom and baby paperwork all on the same shift, and we often double chart...I have three forms to fill out for an intrapartum intake, double chart for breast feeding-mom and baby- ect, ad charting is very detailed anyways...charting every 2 mins during epidural start, then, every five during pushing, charting on mom and FHT...ect) but we spend a lot more time with our patients than Med/surg. I suppose ICU is similar.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

I had been an aide for almost 10 years and I really thought I had made a mistake when I started working as an LPN. I used to find myself in uh-oh moments thinking " Oh,I need a nurse" and then remembering "Crap-that's ME! When I was an aide I was responsible for direct patient care and then I waved "goodbye" to the nurses at the end of my shift while they stayed behind finishing up. But you know what? For me,it wasn't enough. You have to ask yourself the same question. There are many settings to take a nursing degree.I am in LTC and generally get to spend time with my residents-more so then I did in acute care.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

op: i have no argument with your post. nursing in many areas is a lot of stupid documentation! for example, i am one who prefers to clean up a patient so i can assess the skin and apply treatment the way i like to do. i am also the one who prefers to feed a patient who has difficulty eating because i know i can count up the amount the patient ate and be accurate. however, i have to rely on others because every month some manager who has left bedside nursing ages ago found another document to add the "mountain"! this is another reason why medical surgical nursing on poorly managed floors is unbearable and i am leaving it for the ed soon. there is no way i could work the floors 1-2 years and ensure that i keep my license or my sanity. god bless those of you who remain!

-new grad rn heading to the ed!!

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