The happiest healthcare workers

kayelle · Sep 18, 2003

I think everyone is generally stressed in a health care position. It's not an easy job either way. My best friend is an Occupational Therapist and LOVES her job. I've noticed the Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapist seem pretty happy with their jobs. It might be the autonomy of job. But to be honest, in my clinicals as a nursing student most of the nurses I worked with said they loved their job. Why do you pose such a question? Are you considering changing your career?

P_RN, ADN, RN · Sep 18, 2003

I believe the PT, OT and Respiratory therapists were the "happiest" at my place. I can't say I ever saw any one of them show anger or frustration......the PT's were the most even tempered. IMHO

RNKPCE · Sep 18, 2003

Remember nursing is the one that usually has the closest contact with the patient, at least in the hospital. The nurses often hears if not bears the brunt of everything that goes on negatively with the patient and/or other departments/ or staff. We are the patients closest advocate and sometimes being a patient advocate isn't the easiest position to be in, but the most important.

Bambi · Sep 18, 2003

I'd considered ultrasound tech before I got into nursing. Throughout my nurse training I've kept an interest in ultrasound, but opportunity has not presented itself. I don't know anyone personally that does did type of work, and I was unable to find anything on the internet like this nurses forum to get more info. I thought about looking into a hospital that might cross train me. I am not sure if anyone does this, but I guess it is worth a try.

angelac1978 · Sep 18, 2003

Bambi, there is a message board that has an ultrasound discussion on it. it's http://www.radiography.com and there are several posts that list websites that have listings of accredited schools. Off the top of my head, http://www.ardms.org is on of them, I can't remember the others. If you are already an RN with at least an ADN, you should be able to attend any ultrasound school out there. Most of them require that you be an allied health professional first, like an RN, a rad tech, respiratory therapist, etc.

That being said, in my limited experience, I have also noticed that many nurses aren't happy with their jobs, or at least not as happy as other medical professionals. Most of the rad techs I have talked to and observed seem very satisfied with their jobs, but as someone pointed out in a previous post, it may be because they do not spend as much time with the pt's as nurses do. Just my 2 cents!

A

Bambi · Sep 18, 2003

Cool! Thanks!

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2003

I was just reading the results of a survey that shows that nurses are dissatisfied or unhappy in their jobs twice as much as the average.

I think that volunteers are often satisfied and happy at work.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2003

http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band106/b106-5.html

grouchy · Sep 18, 2003

3 little words: overpaid hospital CEO

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2003

From what I've seen the one's who seem to enjoy their work and are the most pleasant to deal with are the Speech Therapists, then PT and OT. The most miserable besides nurses seem to be the respiratory therapists.

Liann · Sep 18, 2003

I am a medical technologist, and I love my job. However, it does get pretty aggravating to bear the brunt of everyones frustration when an analyzer is down or a blood sample is unacceptable for testing.

I do not call the floor to ask for a new sample to be drawn just for the fun of it....

I did not create the shortage of blood for transfusion.

I am a professional who strives for excellence in patient care, but it seems as if we in the lab are given a hard time because those who work on the floor are getting a hard time. All hospital staff had to attend all of those "service excellence" sessions, yet dont treat each other with courtesy.

Administration does not foster team spirit when the nurses get a "market adjustment " in pay, but NO ONE else does. We in the lab are an average of 43 years of age. There will soon be a shortage of qualified lab personnel...guess we have to wait for our "market adjustment"!

So get used to fewer and fewer medical technologists doing more and more testing. On weekends we work solo and are responsible for Blood Bank , Blood Gas and Stat Chemistry testing in our department. Hope your patients in the ER, OR, ICU, NICU, and Burn unit can wait........I only have two hands.......