We read a lot of desperate stories of our fellow RN's, LPN's and student nurses on here-I want to start a thread where we share our happy success stories so that we can give some comfort to those who struggle.
I have been a nurse for over 20 years and I have had good and bad experiences like the rest of you all.
I learnt from the bad and patted myself on the back with the good.
Once you do get experience under your belt it is so much easier to move and change jobs when things don't work out.
If I have been unhappy in a job-I looked for something else. There is no reason to work somewhere you are so unhappy in that it makes you physically sick to your stomach.
I love being a nurse, I am happy and I wouldn't have chosen any other career
I feel fulfilled and I know I do the best work I can do every day-I have a great manager and that is the key to success for me
I'm a new grad, been in my job for almost 3 months. It's not all butterflies and rainbows (in fact a couple times I felt like going in a corner, rocking and sucking my thumb in the first 15 minutes), but I truly enjoy my coworkers. My fellow nurses are ALWAYS willing to help me and answer my incessant questions. when I apologize for asking a question (sometimes) every.single.one told me to never stop asking. My charge came up to me at the end of my night shift last night and said "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really impressed by how well you're doing the job. It'll take you at least a year to feel fully comfortable, but never ever stop asking questions and learning".
Yeah, I agree with The Commuter, there's no job I would ever really "love". Work will always just be a means to an end, a source of income necessary to live and to enjoy the things that actually do bring me happiness. If I were to inherit money or win the lottery, i would be gone the second the check cleared.
But, while I find the idea of a "calling" to be a bit childish, I will admit jobs like nursing do provide a certain degree of satisfaction that jobs like retail or manufacturing do not. Even if all I do on a shift is pass some meds and chart and toilet some people, at least I can go home knowing I did something worthwhile, that I comforted someone and eased their pain. There's only a handful of jobs where someone can say that on a daily basis.
I work in Post partum and I honestly love my job. It is generally a great floor with great co-workers. Ofcourse there is always the exception but the good definitely outweighs the bad. For the most part, my job is butterflies and roses. I work with mothers and babies. Ofcourse sometimes things can turn bad and we do have patients with very bad circumstances.
Overall, I do look forward to going to work most days.
The best part of being a nurse is about to become the worst part for me. My father has terminal cancer. I love that being a nurse means I will be able to knowledgeably care for him when he needs help. My employer is being more than understanding, willing to give me any time off [even with little notice] that I need to go to appointments with him now, and understanding that I will take extended time off when the end is close and he needs around the clock care. My co-workers have been very supportive, even though they know they will be needing to pick up the slack with all the time I will be missing.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Over 35 year I have loved being a nurse. Oh it's had it's moments where I felt being a food service industry job would be better for at least I could make tips for giving good service...but I have always loved being a nurse. I lOVE ICU and I love the ED. I loved dupervision at night for I get to teach and mentor. I DISLIKED management in the last 10 years because everything has changed. I lOVED the Cath lab and learned a TON... but I had one co-worker who made my life a living hell. I also HATED call. I was a cardiac anesthesia nurse (wet nurse for the cardiac fellows and a heart holder)...I HATED DAYS and the surgical mask. I LOVED TRAUMA FLIGHT!
Nursing has been good to me for the most part...but it has changed somewhat over the last few years.
Nola009
940 Posts
Wow...
Congrats on making it through!!