Should I become a nurse? Thanks for all the help!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2014

Its not a morally conflicting job, you don't have to question yourself when you go home at night.

There are many areas of nursing where moral distress is prevalent. Do not be fooled, because many nurses question themselves when they arrive home at night.

You can work anywhere

Some cities and states no longer have a need for new grad nurses due to the economic meltdown of '08. Many people entered nursing during the middle / latter part of the last decade, so now we have a glut of too many nurses without enough jobs for everyone.

You can travel to other countries and use your skills to help the poor.

Without a baccalaureate (BSN) degree, many of these countries will not want your help as a nurse.

Stability

In recent years many nursing jobs have become 'precarious' and unstable. For 3.5 years (2010 to late 2013), I had no benefits such as health insurance, and my work hours were not guaranteed. One week I'd have 48 hours and the next week I'd have no hours. In recent years I suspect nursing will become a career filled with part time positions due to changes in the health insurance laws.

Retired APRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Feb 23, 2014

Hi Brooke! :)

Have you thought about volunteering at a hospital after school or on the weekend? Tell the volunteer coordinator that you are thinking about nursing as a career and asked to be put into volunteer role that will take you around to different parts of the hospital. That will give you a first idea, I think.

Good luck! :up:

MidwestICURN · Feb 23, 2014

I think it's great that you are considering nursing! However, as stated above, several of your concerns should be addressed before you apply to nursing school.

(1) I would imagine that, in order to be involved in any type of global outreach program (i.e. PeaceCorps, Nurses without Borders, etc.), you'll have to have some type of experience, meaning that you'll have to have a few years in at the bedside. I don't know that this a requirement for a fact, but, on the other hand, many nursing schools are involved in such programs during their semester breaks, allowing nursing students to get some unique experience before they graduate.

(2) I can't imagine any aspect of bedside nursing that does not deal with needles; whether it be IV insertion, lab draws, or SQ medication administration. I don't have advice for you on that one. Same goes for wounds and injuries; it's what we as nurses see on a daily basis.

(3) Nursing is a morally and ethically distressing profession, no matter what field you enter into. There are days where it is difficult to leave work at work, and this can be especially troublesome when you are new. Oftentimes, our hands are tied, and we feel very helpless when we know the right thing to do, but are bound by hospital policies, family wishes, etc.

(3) Around my area, not many hospitals offer 3, 12-hour shifts per week anymore. At least, they don't consider it full-time. Most people in my facility work 2, 8-hour shifts and 2, 12-hour shifts per week. I've worked the night shift since I started (3 years ago), and while I love it, it can be very taxing on my energy-levels and everyday life. As a new grad, you probably won't get your choice of shift. You'll also be working weekends and holidays too (although you should be compensated accordingly).

(4) You WILL make a mistake. End of story. Hopefully you will learn from it and be better off because of it. As a new nurse, I remember running over my shifts in my head on the drive home. It's a frightening feeling that mostly goes away with time, but is something to always be cognizant of. People's lives ARE in our hands. Even the most experienced of nurses make mistakes. We are human.

(5) Nursing school is a challenge in itself, but it prepares you for about 25%-50% of what you will experience in the real world. There's a HUGE learning curve after you graduate. Most of what I learned about nursing actually occurred AFTER I passed my NCLEX. There's simply no way to expose you to enough real-world experience in 2 years with clinical two times per week.

(5) Nursing is back-breaking, exhausting, and oftentimes thankless. Instead of working with us, management and other healthcare staff such as physicians, techs, therapists, etc. actually end up working against us, and we are forced to "deal with it." Hospitals are cutting supportive staff (whose responsibilities then fall on the nurse) as well as RN's left and right; it's not as secure a profession as some think. That being said, I love what I do and would never consider leaving. I live for moments like seeing someone who I cared for get better.

I hope I do not discourage you from investigating the nursing field, it really is a wonderful profession. It can be very fulfilling, especially for those who are not in the profession just for the paycheck. However, I want to ensure that you understand the challenges that lie ahead.

A good place to start for more information would be the American Nurses Association: What is Nursing?

Best of luck!

Biffbradford · Feb 23, 2014

I agree with the volunteering suggestion. THat will not only get your 'foot in the door', but allow you to explore other career options as well.

brookepee · Feb 23, 2014

Thanks for all the help :)

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Feb 23, 2014

I don't know whether you should become a nurse, but I do wish that I had done it at 18 instead of at 40.

RunBabyRN · Feb 23, 2014

Nursing as a place to "start" in the health care field is pretty intensive (peruse the student fora, you'll see what I mean). I would suggest starting as a CNA or medical assistant to get a better idea before investing that much time and effort. Nursing is AT LEAST 4 years of schooling in most states, and that's for an associate's degree.

As far as working toward ending poverty and such (good ambition!), consider a program like the Peace Corps or Doctors Without Borders, or even becoming a public health nurse (ideally doctorate prepared). You can really get in there where you're exposed to a lot of poverty and what's really going on in the world this way, and make a difference in that area.

Here's my response to your pros and cons list:

Pros

1.Its not a morally conflicting job, you don't have to question yourself when you go home at night. Most nurses go home at least sometimes questioning something they did or didn't do for someone. Most of us feel good about what we do, but there is definitely moral conflict sometimes. Look into what an ethics committee does. That'll give you some idea of what we face every day.

2. Stability Nursing is NOWHERE NEAR as stable as it used to be. Hours are being cut, new grads are having an impossible time finding work, and we're being asked to do more with less day by day.

3.You are part of the backbone, the people who allow us to lead the lives we do.

4. It's important, we all need a nurse at some point!

5. I like the idea of working 3 shifts of 12 hours. There is less and less of this. I'd love to work this kind of schedule, but I haven't seen anywhere locally that does this anymore.

6. Room for advancement

7. You can work anywhere Depends on the job market. Again, it's become VERY competitive, and nurses have a very high unemployment rate right now.

8. You can travel to other countries and use your skills to help the poor.

Cons:

1. I have a hard time looking a wounds or people who are suffering from an injury. This is where public health nursing might be a great idea for you, as far as working toward your goals and not having to see as much of this sort of thing.

2.I am afraid of poking someone with a needle. Again, in PHN, you may not have to, depending on your position. You WILL have to do this as a student, guaranteed, and you'll likely need to work your way up to positions where you don't do this.

3. I am afraid of making a mistake, and I can't imaging that there are any small mistakes when dealing with someone life. We're human, and we do make mistakes. Hence my response to your first pro. Also, like I said, we're being asked to do more with less, and sadly, patients DO suffer after a certain point with this.

4. I have never thought of being a nurse until this year and I worry that nursing is only for people who have a calling for it ? Some nurses have "the calling," some don't. Having a calling doesn't determine whether or not you'll be a good nurse.

I hope that clarifies a few things. Do some more exploring, and really get yourself in there if possible to see if this is the right path for you.

You might also consider being a social worker. You can make a big difference for people in this line of work. And there are fewer needles and wounds! :)

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Feb 23, 2014

Brooke,

What about Public Health? Sounds like what you want without the parts you do not.

A good friend has a masters in Public Health and works with Doctors Without Borders and the Children's Heart Project in Bhutan, South Sudan and lots of other exotic locations.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 23, 2014

As far as your "Pro" list:

Number 1: Wrong. Nurses find themselves in morally ambiguous situations all the time, and there have been plenty of times I've gone home wondering if I did the right thing, or if we as a health care team were doing what's best for the patient. Doing a full code on a 90 year old patient who is demented and riddled with cancer? Try to get the sound of ribs breaking while you're doing CPR on that poor soul. That's just one example. Others here could chime in with many more.

Number 2: Nursing jobs do not have stability. Nurses are being downsized or "right sized" (aka-fired) because for hospitals, it's about the money.

Number 7: There are areas that are oversaturated with nurses, so you may not be able to find a job should you move to one of those locations. Certain specialties are very hard to get into, so you can't guarantee you'll get a job in one of them.

Your Cons:

Nos. 1, 2: You're going to have to learn how so suck that up, because that's a big part of the job.

No. 3: At some point, you will make a mistake. Fortunately, most mistakes aren't catastrophic.

No. 4: Maybe some people feel like they've had a spiritual calling to be a nurse, but you don't need it to be a nurse. Intelligence, a desire to help others, a willingness to keep learning and growing in the profession...these are things that are needed to be a good nurse.

HHN2472 · Feb 23, 2014

This is not the place to ask this question. A few of these nurses are over-worked, stressed, cynical and fearful of newbies stealing their job. Nursing is good. It is good money, there actually are jobs... everywhere. People just don't look hard enough. Yeah there are a ton of new nurses pumped out every year, but not all of them are employable. Some are stupid, some are criminals, some will decide its not worth it, established RNs retire, established RNs change career options... Morally, no I DON'T question myself when I go home at night. Maybe its my job, maybe its my attitude... Nursing to me is the most ethical career I could have chose.

Now needles... Eh. I thought the same thing. You get used to it. Blood, you get used to it. It is EASY to make mistakes. We all do, they are lying if they tell you they don't. Yeah, you can make a mistake to end a life, but mistakes you make, as a good nurse you will catch it before it is life threatening. I would never dissuade a person from nursing out of fear of them taking my job and you will see a LOT of nurses doing that to youngsters with the nursing dream. I see it all the time. Nursing to me is a dream job. Good and bad, I love it and I hope that you will too.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 23, 2014

This is not the place to ask this question. A few of these nurses are over-worked, stressed, cynical and fearful of newbies stealing their job. Nursing is good. It is good money, there actually are jobs... everywhere. People just don't look hard enough. Yeah there are a ton of new nurses pumped out every year, but not all of them are employable. Some are stupid, some are criminals, some will decide its not worth it, established RNs retire, established RNs change career options... Morally, no I DON'T question myself when I go home at night. Maybe its my job, maybe its my attitude... Nursing to me is the most ethical career I could have chose.
Now needles... Eh. I thought the same thing. You get used to it. Blood, you get used to it. It is EASY to make mistakes. We all do, they are lying if they tell you they don't. Yeah, you can make a mistake to end a life, but mistakes you make, as a good nurse you will catch it before it is life threatening. I would never dissuade a person from nursing out of fear of them taking my job and you will see a LOT of nurses doing that to youngsters with the nursing dream. I see it all the time. Nursing to me is a dream job. Good and bad, I love it and I hope that you will too.

Yeah, right. We discourage anonymous posters from nursing because we're afraid they may take our jobs. LOLOL.

And if "this is not the place to ask this question," why did you proceed to answer it?