Tell me something good...

Don't let the perceived negativity bother you. If you count total number of posts, most aren't down on nursing. However, remember part of the reason we come here is to vent our concerns with people who understand, so don't be dismayed by our reality.

I like making a difference in people's lives. Looking at a heart monitor and wondering "why are there t-wave changes in the last 24 hours" and doing some labs and finding my "hunch" was correct. The patient was hypokalemic and I got orders to supplement him with potassium. (Sorry if this is greek to you.) This was just the other day.

Good luck in school!

I know I need to keep reading. And you're right, this is where you come to vent. I won't get discouraged. :)

And yes, it is all VERY Greek to me. I have a lot to learn.:chuckle

Listen to Tweety... I am an ER nurse, and about as jaded as they get... but I love my job and can;t imagine doing anything else. Besides, it kind of settles the "nosy-poke" in me. Love to be in the know... just don't have to talk about it! Besides, the days are NEVER the same, which also satisfies the slight ADD in me. AND, the schedule works well for me. Hubby off every weekend, he gets "his" weekend, we get "our" weekend, and I get one night a week to do whatever I want. We see each other and get our time to ourselves. Win-win situation for me!!!

First of all, Welcome!.

We rant and rave....but by far this is a great place to vent, make friends, network etc... I have corresponded with people from as far away as Australia.:) . I used to come here and "lurk" when I was in nursing school. I found it most helpful when researching topics for say a paper for school.

Stick around. I know that you will like it here.

Jo-

I LOVE nursing. It is so rewarding. I am a firm believer that a person needs to find something that they are passionate about....something they truly enjoy. For me, it's nursing. Sure, I could do without the politics and paperwork. But the patient care is fulfilling. I have learned so much about myself and others in this profession. Every day is a new day with something different. Many people do vent on this site....we all need to vent from time to time. But nursing is an awesome profession when you are there for the right reasons.

You know, when I spent a year in the Amry reserves, my friends told me that they couldn't understand why I was still in the Army - all I did was whine and gripe! :chuckle

I think it's similar too. We come here to share and mope and gripe and rant and rave - but deep down inside, we can't imagine being anywhere else! :)

I like meeting new people. I like helping people out. Working with my hands. Being on the move. Having to use my head AND my hands. I like the intricate techniques. I boast to my friends - "Can you change a bed while the person is still slepping in it?" :rotfl:

It's basically a job where you bring that person back to where he was before. Sure, the docs and surgeons tell the patient what's wrong - we help put them back right.

Our profession is probably the only one where we tell people on a regular basis - "Well. Let's not see each other too soon" in parting. And I'm perfectly ok with that. :)

it was and is worth it to me. I work PRN in the job I dreamed of doing: labor/delivery. Could not be happier with my choice.

Is it all sunshine and roses??? NO, but we have more choices than ever before, as nurses. That means, if one job does not suit a person, he/she can look for another and have a reasonable expectation of finding the one that does.

There are low stress nursing jobs out there. I just got a job as an LPN making $18.00/hr on the 7PM-7AM shift. I sit with a lady in her house. She goes to bed soon after I get there and aside from checking her sugar once or twice and helping her to the potty once in awhile and charting a little note here and there the rest of my time is spent kicked back on the couch with my shoes off reading a book or watching tv. After 4 yrs. of having my nose to the grindstone in the nursing home this home duty nursing job was a dream come true.

Ditto to all the previous posts. There is no other work like it, no day is the same, and you will make a difference in a person's life at their most vulnerable. It is very rewarding.

Thank you all for your positive feedback. I do not have rose-colored glasses on...I know there will be ups and downs. I am really looking forward to it and will be on here often to get advice and probably do some venting myself throughout the process. :)