What nursing field do you think is easiest and hardest?

I always told my students to ask every nurse why s/he did what s/he did, and also why s/he didn't do what s/he didn't do. Lots of people can tell you why they like something, but it's when they tell you why they don't like something that you can make a decision.

Examples:

"Mother-baby nursing! I love it! What better opportunity to get a new family off to a good start-- a good birthing experience, establish breastfeeding, and all that. And when a new family has a good birth experience, they'll come back to our hospital for care later on in life."

"Mother-baby nursing, yeeeeecccchhhh! Tits and fundi and peripads and screaming brats and if I never see another whiny entitled ***** with a six-page birth plan and a mother-in-law it'll be too damn soon."

everyone thinks their chosen career is harder. having an aunt in nursing and a mother in teaching, i'm just glad i'm not a state teacher. they have it hardest, if you ask me.

I know this is an old post but I had to put my two cents in

easiest: ambulatory, outpatient, clinic nursing

hardest: med/surg (way too many patients that complain way to much that aren't sick enough to be on any other floor but aren't quite ready to leave yet), or I would say peds is difficult but ive never worked in peds. psych would be difficult too pending on what psych hospital you are at. I personally would not take comfort in knowing someone i'm taking care of has voices in their head telling them to kill the medical staff. that being said, I do like the crazy old people.

I know this is an old post but I had to put my two cents in

easiest: ambulatory, outpatient, clinic nursing

hardest: med/surg (way too many patients that complain way to much that aren't sick enough to be on any other floor but aren't quite ready to leave yet), or I would say peds is difficult but ive never worked in peds. psych would be difficult too pending on what psych hospital you are at. I personally would not take comfort in knowing someone i'm taking care of has voices in their head telling them to kill the medical staff. that being said, I do like the crazy old people.

I wonder if you read any of the other responses on this thread prior to posting?

There is no possible way to declare one specialty "easy" and another one "hard". The one you are proficient in, the one you love doing, is the one you would decide is "easier" than one you are not knowledgeable in, and dislike doing. That one will always be harder.

Oh, and the ones you have NO CLUE about? I find many people are quite sure whether those jobs are "easy" or "hard".....although they've never worked in those fields

Lol. Ya I can say which one is easiest. And yur right I have no clue about the ones I said I have no clue about but I presume would be difficult. Yes I did read the other posts. But I appreciate you trying to start a little online fight here. Gave me some amusement this morning. I'm pretty sure this post was supposed to be based of of opinion not concrete evidence filled with facts and figures. That being said I still stand by what I said. And just because a job is hard doesn't mean it's not enjoyable.

No fight intended, and none started. Takes two to play.

Have a good day! :)

Easiest: Out Patient Surgical Centers

Hardest: Psych and LTC centers. I would rather be unemployed then work either again.

Anesthetist nurse. From personal experience switching in the field.

All are hard in their own way. Floor nursing? I couldn't just show up and start working there. I would have no ideas of the ins and outs of care needed.

I have never worked psych but I think you guys are crazy thinking that's an easy job.

MedSurg is hard, the hardest job of my life.

Working with and watching the discharge planners. That looks like a less physically demanding/ less stressful job. I don't think it would be too bad(though I have never walked in their shoes).

easiest: mother baby unit

hardest: med surge, LTC...NEVER will I work those

@wooh

So freaking true!! I hate it when nurses say any other profession is better than nursing, they are only saying this because they have not worked as a banker, teacher, dr, dentist, lawyer, social worker etc. Other people's jobs always seem easy.

I sat with a resident at a hospital and respiratory therapy came into the room twice a day. They start off with a high pay racket but probably don't get many raises. Their duties seemed so much simpler than a nurse's duties and they didn't seemed stress with overload of work. The Respiratory therapy seem to enjoy their job but from the outside everything seems rosy.