Starting to doubt nursing....

itsmejuli · Nov 21, 2009

If nursing isn't what you want to do, then don't do it.

The only person in life you need to make happy is yourself.

You're not responsible for making your parents happy. Its your life, if you've not decided what you want to do in college then take some time off to think about it.

RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN · Nov 21, 2009

Here is a short summary of my situation.
Currently I'm a third year student at Orange Coast College. In my first two years I wanted to become pharmacist then on the third year(this year) I decided that the career is not for me. I picked Computer Science at first and actually took one class and I do not like it at all. Afterward I've been looking into Nursing career ever since(6 months already). I don't want to let me parents down and I feel like the longer i stay in this school the more they disappointed in me.
Just today, I typed in "I hate nursing" in google just to check out the cons for this career and to my surprise there are so many that actually starting to worry me. I've already do many research and here are some of the cons I've found:
1. Underpaid + Overwork.
2. Really really really stressful career.
3. People don't give you respect (coworker + patients)
4. Screw up schedules (ruined your social life)
5. There are many more but it seems like my thread is getting long...
I have a few questions for Nurses.
1. DO you like/hate your job? why?
2. DO you recommend nursing career for students? why?
3. DO you regret going into nursing career??
4. Is it true that there are variety of nursing jobs in one hospital?? for example if you hate your area/floor you can pick a different one in the same hospital and have totally different experience??
Please please answer these questions from the bottom of your heart. I'm so depressed right now. Right now I just want to rip my B*lls out with my bare hands cuz I don't feel like I'm a man anymore. I don't know since when have I become this indecisive and so low in confidence.

Ive been a nurse for almost two years now and I love it. I love where I work, as well as the people I work with (with the exception of two here and there) and I also love interacting with my patients. What you've got up there on the top doesn't apply in my situation at all.

1. I like my job because I genuinely care for people and love being able to make a difference in their lives when they are ill and probably at their worst. I also like the money, however, I didn't get into nursing for the money.I do make a decent paycheck >60K.

2. I would recommend nursing only if you feel that it's for you and not your parents. But first, go to work as a tech in a hospital and get the feel for it, then decide.

3. No regrets at all.

4. There are many area's of nursing to get into. I currently work in medsurg and I love it. I work three days on and four off, great schedule in my opinion.

Good luck.

Terpole · Nov 24, 2009

You certainly have vaild points. The wide range of nursing positions, some of those things are true, and then none of them are true. Mostly your concerns are experienced at the bedside, but this is the frontlines of nursing where your experience will shape your career. But this profession isn't for everybody, and always examine why you went into it in the first place.

With that said,

1. DO you like/hate your job? why? I have a love/extreme dislike relationship with it. You have your good days and bad days. Any number of reasons can bring about this dislike, but I won't go into them.

2. DO you recommend nursing career for students? why? It depends on many factors, but generally yes.

3. DO you regret going into nursing career?? I sometimes do, because of the strain it places on me family-wise. If I got away from the bedside I probably be better off.

4. Is it true that there are variety of nursing jobs in one hospital?? for example if you hate your area/floor you can pick a different one in the same hospital and have totally different experience?? Absolutely. Working in procedures, cath labs, etc is much different than your garden variety floor. However, these jobs are at a premium and very specialized so it's sometimes hard to get into.

NeoNurseTX, RN · Nov 26, 2009

1. Underpaid + Overwork. Some days I am. Some it's the other way around.

2. Really really really stressful career. Yes it can be!

3. People don't give you respect (coworker + patients) Rareity

4. Screw up schedules (ruined your social life) My schedule is set so I know it months ahead of time. I work weekends by choice so I can't blame my work for missing social events on the weekends.

5. There are many more but it seems like my thread is getting long...

I have a few questions for Nurses.

1. DO you like/hate your job? why? I like it most of the time. I feel fulfilled from my work and it's great to see the kids grow and go home.

2. DO you recommend nursing career for students? why? It depends on their personality and what they want to do. It's not for everyone.

3. DO you regret going into nursing career?? Not a bit. Great spring board into other careers and it's a great career all of it's own.

4. Is it true that there are variety of nursing jobs in one hospital?? for example if you hate your area/floor you can pick a different one in the same hospital and have totally different experience?? YES. I want nothing other than my unit and I know I'd be miserable anywhere else.

Please please answer these questions from the bottom of your heart. I'm so depressed right now. Right now I just want to rip my B*lls out with my bare hands cuz I don't feel like I'm a man anymore. I don't know since when have I become this indecisive and so low in confidence.

loveLA824901 · Nov 26, 2009

1. Underpaid + Overwork. At my facility we are definitely overworked. But we are paid well with excellent benefits so I guess that balances out.

2. Really really really stressful career. I think it gets stressful. I've found in my few years that you have to cover you a$$ A LOT!

3. People don't give you respect (coworker + patients) This is not an issue at my facility.

4. Screw up schedules (ruined your social life) I love my schedule; I work primarily days (0730-1600), but sometimes I switch and work evenings (1530-MN)

5. There are many more but it seems like my thread is getting long...

I have a few questions for Nurses.

1. DO you like/hate your job? why? I love my job, the thing I love about it the most are my patients. I work at the VA and our patients are truly the best.

2. DO you recommend nursing career for students? why? I would recommend nursing, yes. Nursing is the only career where you can literally do anything with one degree. The realm of nursing is so vast.

3. DO you regret going into nursing career?? Absolutely not.

4. Is it true that there are variety of nursing jobs in one hospital?? for example if you hate your area/floor you can pick a different one in the same hospital and have totally different experience?? This is very true.

Don't give up. Once you're done, you'll be so happy that you did it. Good luck.

Nenee · Nov 29, 2009

I am a new Nurse(LVN). I currently work at a LTAC. These patients are critical, some at the end of their lives. The hardest part of my job most of the time is dealing with the family members. Some are really mental and crazy, many are in denial. Also, a lot of the patients are heavy, on ventilators. At my hospital, LVN and RN's work as a team, we share the same patients. Some days I will have 10 and others 8(if I have TELE pt.s). We also work with a CNA. I work 12 hour shift, and each second of my day is busy, even working in a team of 3, it doesn't seem like enough. I try to do the best I can with the working conditions. There are days that are very good(which is few and far between) and days that feel like HELL, where I feel mentally and physically drained. On my days off, all I do is stay and bed and sleep. And it can be frustrating when I am sleeping and I get a phone call at 12 midnight, asking if I can come into work the following morning. I normally am a very hard worker, and I am good at what I do. But I feel like I am stressed because I am sleeping a lot. I've only been doing this for 4 months. I am going back to school to get my RN because that will open more doors for me. I know that I cannot do bedside nursing forever. It can be draining. There are many options. You just have to shop around and find what is right for you. Its all about where you work, the conditions of your job and who you work with. That will determine a lot. There are many pro's and con's in nursing. It all depends on the individual and how they can handle things.

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2009

First of all, leave the parts where God put them, you'll need them later.

Second....I've been a map maker, an assistant manager of a department store, an engineer (computers), a disaster recovery planner, and now a nurse. So I've had some variety. All jobs have moments where they completely stink, make you wish you were never born, make you wish your coworkers/customers/boss REALLY had never been born. Doesn't matter what kind of work, you still have to deal with human beings, and a lot of them really aren't nice people. A lot of people will talk about how mean nurses are to each other? Bah humbug. You get a bunch of overpaid engineers together when they know 10% of the jobs are being outsourced at the end of the month, and THEN you'll see people "eating their own." Backstabbing, snarling, career sabotaging, boss tattling -- and that was at the end of a good quarter. Computer work is swimming with the sharks 24/7/365; nursing's "just" about lives, computer work is about money. Have a 40 million dollar contract on the line and you'll see some "lateral violence."

Whether or not you can move around inside the hospital depends on your boss, your company's economy, and if that department's boss is in a fight with your boss and they can use you as a battleground. Saw it happen with me in computers, seen it happen with folks wanting to move in the hospital. Usually you can if the timing's right and everyone's in a good mood.

What are you good at? Do you like people? Hate people? Are you a good speaker, or does the thought of speaking in front of a group make you want to puke? Make a list of what you think you're good at, and then go see the career councilor at school. There are dozens of tests and tools to determine what you will be good at. Go get the the experts to help you.

FYI, when I went, it said my "first best destiny" was "bioengineering" -- well, did the engineering, now doing the bio, maybe one day I'll develop a real, implant it and leave it artificial heart.