At 43, I'm a nursing student. Why am I doing this? It's because I have volunteered at a nursing home for two years, not including all the years as a child I visited a nursing home across the street from my house. It's because I love talking to people, love hearing their stories. Young, old, black, white or other, I love talking to them all.
And I stick out like a stone in my nursing class. I think they are all in it for the money. For the most part, the people in my class do not seem interested in talking to the patients when we are at clinicals. A few are condescending, and some are borderline rude; but most do not seem interested in the patients as people.
This worries me for several reasons. One: if I become involved with the patients as people, talk to them about their lives, etc., will I be comfortable doing intimate things for them, like giving bedbaths and/or enemas? Will they feel uncomfortable having someone they connect with, doing these things?
Does anyone reading this understand where I'm coming from? I shudder to think of some of my fellow nursing students being my nurse one day.
Gee Ingelein are you so rabidly pro-union that you see any comment that doesn't actively support and promote your stance as an "anti-union" comment? I'm puzzled as to what part of my message said I was against the Union in any way shape or form.
The more level-headed reader would (correctly) understand that ALL I said is that there are a lot more factors at play than a very oversimplified "we're union, you're not" explanation.
Or do you honestly disagree with THIS post as well?
RARELY are things EVER so simple, cut-and-dried in real life. Our system of compensations certainly is not.
-Hey back atcha. Oh been around. Just haven't really been messing with the 'net in a while.
Got really fired up last night when a 2-yr old came into the ER who was (little doubt in anyones' mind) physically abused (fractured face) -really got my steam going. Now I'm keeping a tight eye on the news to see if the 'suspect' is going to get arrested. Anyone who would harm a child -especially to the degree this one was- needs to be strung up.
sigh. Sometimes I just wish I weren't part of our species, but I have to keep in mind that most people are not like this.
OK, OK Gromit , I'll stop frothing at the mouth for a while regarding unions, or maybe not. I do agree that rarely are things simple or cut and dried. Well I guess I am guilty as charged, I left my level head somewhere and cant seem to find it. That is horrible about the two year old. I was once in the ER with one of my own kids and heard this LOUD wailing and screaming in the hall way, found out later it was the reletivive ( the perpretrator) of a child that was brought in DOA, abuse case, haunted me for along time thereafter. ER nurses see so much.Sorry about hijacking this thread.
Money? What money? There are kitchen workers at our hospital who make more than I do. You bet I'm going for my RN and that money is a factor. There is no way I would bust my tail like this for the rest of my life for the chump change they pay me!
I am currently a student in my senior year of high school. I am not in Nursing for the $$$, but who wouldn't want a little more pay? Money doesn't matter to me, it's about the pts and thier qualty of life! I love to make a difference, even if no one thanks me for it. At least I would know that I've made my pt's life a bit better and then I can go home with a smile of satisfaction! Now isn't that what Nurisng is all about?
Money? What money? There are kitchen workers at our hospital who make more than I do. You bet I'm going for my RN and that money is a factor. There is no way I would bust my tail like this for the rest of my life for the chump change they pay me!
I decided to go into nursing at the age of 31, not for the extra money, but for the sincere desire to be a nurse. I will be making about $6/hour more than I made at my last job.....But I will also have a huge student loan and other debts incurred while I'm in school that will eat up any extra money I make for the next number of years........
HOWEVER, I don't think that there are many nurses who decide to go into nursing just for the money. After years of schooling for a BSN, there's usually a great deal of student loan debt, personal and family sacrifice, etc. Plus, a new grad nurse pay ISN'T nearly as great as some other professions. As well, who would want to go into nursing if they aren't a generally caring person, wanting to help others? I havn't even seen or smelled what I will likely see and smell a lot of over the next number of years and if you don't have the stomach for blood, wounds, vomit, feces, etc, NO amount of money would do for some people.
Whenever I've been looked after by a nurse in the hospital, as long as they are caring and competant, I really don't care why they got into nursing.
Simplepleasures
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