So what is the deal with nursing.....

cb_rn · Jun 7, 2010

The short answer is there is a nursing shortage for experienced nurses in certain specialties in certain areas.

OR, ICU and L&D tend to be in demand.

For the new grad, the world is no longer your oyster.

Some of the large teaching hospitals still offer great preceptorships but those are extremely competitive as there is now a glut of new grads on the market, many that are willing to relocate, and the managers can pick and chose in a way they weren't able to before.

I'm sorry, I don't have the strength to reply to the "mean" to new nurses comment (been writing a paper all morning and my reply might not be coherent as my braincells ache) other than to say lateral violence does exist and is widespread BUT sometimes the perception of a person is that any level of criticism is a personal attack. Not true. Criticism is not the same as bullying behavior. The bullying that does exist happens because managment does not effectively deal with the disruptive behavior and the organization has not adopted a no tolerance culture for the actual practice of bullying.

I'm sure others will chime in on the subject.

Don't let that stop you from becoming a nurse if thats what you want to do. However, not many jobs out there give you a regular sense of doing good for society. There are shining moments, however, and the trick is to collect them and remember them when times are crap.

Best of luck

flyingchange · Jun 7, 2010

I have never been bullied in the workplace as a student nurse. Staff nurses have treated me with nothing but respect. I believe that it's because I try to have a reciprocal attitude of maturity, inquiry and respect for everyone on the unit, as well as a solid work ethic.

Certainly I have experienced lateral violence, to some extent, in every workplace I have been; however nursing has not been worse than anywhere else.

I chalk up most lateral violence stories to hyperbole and the poster's singular point of view. Many students in my class have what I consider poisonous attitudes. If the staff nurses snap at student who have been sitting on their thumbs while the preceptor is up to his or her ears in new admissions or whatever, or students attempt to delegate and avoid learning opportunities, or they fail to treat the patients with dignity by exclaiming "eww! gross!", OR, gods forbid, they fail to own up to mistakes or pretend they never happened... I don't consider that a case of "poor student, mean nurse".

This applies equally to new grads, I'm sure.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jun 7, 2010

I think you also have to remember that this is a site where nurses can talk about their fears, frustrations, joys, vents etc and know that at the other end in most cases there is another nurse that understands where they are coming from.

To get a hang of what is happening in your state check out your state forum United States Nursing Forums - Nursing for Nurses who knows what will happen by the time you qualify but things will vary from state to state

Batman25 · Jun 7, 2010

I have been around these boards off and on the past couple years. I am not a nurse yet but am seriously thinking of changing my career to be a nurse. But when I read the majority of the posts on this board I am discouraged with all the negativity and horror stories I read about.

A lot of what you read here is people venting which can be needed after a long day. People are also sharing their horror stories to find a way to cope and how best to deal with these situations. You will read some negative but there are also tons of positive stories as well. I feel the good really outweighs the bad in nursing.

Is there a nursing shortage or not? Is the nursing shortage only in certain areas of the country and in only certain fields? Whats the real story? What is it really like?

I always keep in mind there are a lot of nurses currently licensed not working in the field. I don't see it as a shortage as much as some nurses not willing to put up with poor working conditions any longer. Nursing does come with its fair share of issues and burnout can be high.

There are some areas that tend to need nurses on a more ongoing basis than others. Research your area to see who is hiring and what units are in demand. Also ask what school most of their hires come from. That can help.

It is harder for new grads to get jobs. There are many reasons for this but the main one is many hospitals go for the experienced person when they can because they don't need to do extensive training. They can hit the floor running. Hospitals also worry they will train a new grad to have them leave in a short time and take their experience with them. I feel for the new grads.

Why are seasoned nurses so mean to new grads? Are they that miserable that they feel they can take it out on others less than them? It seems like such a harsh field.I am sick of my engineering job where I go home at the end of the day and feel like I havent contributed to anything good in society. I want to help people and make a difference in the world. But if nursing is so horrible as it sounds on this board then maybe I should stick with my boring engineering job. Please someone enlighten me and help me see how it really is. Thanks.

Word of advice...be careful not to stereotype seasoned nurses. Not all are mean to new grads and many are wonderful. Seasoned nurses and new grads both have their share of pros and problems. If a seasoned nurse corrects you don't assume they are miserable either and try not to take it personally. They should treat you with respect but learn that a criticism or correction can be lifesaving and it isn't meant to hurt you. I listened to everything every experienced nurse taught me. Some were rainbows and lollipops and some weren't but all helped me.

I can't tell you what to do and if you will be happy but I do think you should give it a try. You don't seem fulfilled in your current field so I say experiment and see what is out there. And if you stay in your field that doesn't mean you aren't contributing to society. We all do in our own way. :)

loriangel14, RN · Jun 7, 2010

What you need to remember is that many of us come here to vent to others that understand.It does not mean we all hate being nurses.Most of us love our jobs but we all get fed up once in a while and need to let it out. I agree with cb_rn, to some people any communication from an older nurse that is not all sunshine and roses is construed as an attack. you do have to take some of the posters views with a grain of salt. Generally nursing is a wonderful profession and quite often I find that people are what you make of them.I know a nurse that claims that she has awful coworkers but she has skipped from job to job and has the same complaint about every job.I have worked with some of the same people she has and they have been pleasant to work with. perception is everything.

The job front is tough right now.I am in Canada but are hearing pretty much the same story up here.Experienced nurses with a specialty are in demand while new grads are struggling.Who knows what it will be like down the road.

spacemom1 · Jun 7, 2010

Thank you all for your responses. I apologize if I came across he wrong way as to blaming all seasoned nurses as mean. I am confident that the majority is of the contrary. I appreciate the insight. It is a difficult decision to change ones career and I have been thinking about it for 5 years! I would love to do womens health. Just taking the leap o do it is so scary. I hope to see more feedback on my initial post. You all are very helpful.

djaychris · Jun 7, 2010

This thread has some good information. I am an experienced RN who keeps hearing about "the nursing shortage", although I haven't seen it yet for myself. The ED I presently work in is overstaffed and nurses are having their hours cut short and being forced to "flex". Although I have not experienced any effects from a "shortage" lately, having it explained as a shortage for "experienced RNs in certain areas" makes alot of sense. A young girl I'm friends with just graduated nursing school, and she cannot find a single open position anywhere in the PGH area (WPAHS/UPMC combined). It is a sad way to start a career when you entered school because of "the shortage" and "all the job opportunities". I think there is much misinformation being given to prospective students thinking about entering nursing school right now, and I don't know where all these fresh grads are going to go to work. I think that nursing is a great profession though. You will likely work with other nurses who are unpleasant or downright rude, but if you're diplomatic, you'll survive. You will also have the pleasure of working with many compassionate and intelligent nurses who will be more than happy to share what they've learned with you. All in all, it's a great field, if you can find a job.

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 7, 2010

Engineering may be boring and not fulfilling some emotional needs, but it is important, respected, and financially lucrative.

If you want to change careers, do so understanding the trade-offs required. Asking around here is a good start.

As others have said, the board does tilt towards the negative sometimes. Every one complains about their jobs and this is a place where other nurses really understand.

There is a shortage in a few specialty areas. It is not hard to find a job for and experienced dialysis nurse or experience OR nurse. New grads are having a difficult time right now.

The job market goes through boom and bust cycles(like engineers).

Seasoned nurses and new grads often get along fine. What is different in nursing is that we are forced to depend on each other. There is no hiding out in cubicles or offices; we are in each others' presence all day long. That is more opportunity for interpersonal trouble.

If nursing is calling you still, ask about shadowing a few nurses at their jobs. If nursing is not for you, there are volunteer opportunities that can fulfill the need to give.

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2010

Personal satisfaction from your job is overrated. Volunteer. Visit a nursing home. Donate to charitiy..... As one poster wrote shining moments even in nursing are few and far between.

silentRN · Jun 7, 2010

Nursing is a great career...Just remember...12 shifts a month is all you work...what other job can you say that with?

mikeicurn, ASN, RN · Jun 7, 2010

My :twocents:

I think a lot of the people complaining about the lack of jobs are young and not very realistic about the job market. My son is in his early 20's, and is the same way. They expect to have a job waiting on them when they graduate, and end up unemployed or working in an unrelated field. and moving back home with their parents. They call them "boomerangers" and I saw a figure recently that said there were over 18 million of them in the US. I know people with teaching degrees driving trucks and working in fast food places.

We have a college close to us that offers Bachelor degrees in counseling. You can't swing a dead cat around this little town without hitting someone with one of those worthless degrees. If you go to engineering school, you will not be guaranteed a job when you graduate. You will have to apply and apply, and compete with many other qualified people for every position that is open. That is just the way our economy is right now. Nursing has not been untouched by this. There are nursing jobs out there, but you are going to have to work a little harder to get them. I went on a job site for my state a searched for a few different job headings to see how many jobs were available. here is what my little hillbilly study found out.

Engineer 1363 Teacher 445 LPN 296 RN 1404 Counselor 162 Pharmacy Tech 196

Radiologist 81 Architect 211

So, you could do worse than being a nurse. Imagine graduating after 4 years and many thousands of dollars to try and find an architect job.