We tell the student nurses to run for their lives."

[hbscott]

"Nurses may constitute the most dissatisfied professions in the United States today. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, slightly more than two-thirds of registered nurses (69.5 percent) reported being even "moderately satisfied" with their jobs. By contrast, 85 percent of workers in other industries and 90 percent of professional workers are satisfied with their jobs."

http://www.afscme.org/una/sns06.htm

-HBS

*I had not seen this posted before. Very interesting.

[hbscott]

Originally posted by weezieRN

What I think this study is saying is that nurses are dissatisified with their current "job" not their profession as a whole. You don't become a nurse just because...... you become a nurse because it is in your heart blood and soul.

Exactly!

From the last paragraph of the report the following states:

"While nurse dissatisfaction is endemic, survey after survey reports that nurses would like to continue working as nurses if job conditions were improved."

Now that is some serious food for thought.....

-HBS

[amycar11]

Nursing...nursing...nursing... it's the only course that's been roaring here in the Philippines!!

there has been a "flood":eek: of student nurses, limited clinical instructors:stone and crowded nurse's station :chuckle because of the clinical exposure of the students... Not to mention that some doctors are also taking up nursing :roll

that scenario is all for the hope that we'll someday have a better life compared to what we have here in my country...

now, here i am, reading the CONS of being a nurse... (although the situations that i've read is not as bad as the health care system we have here)...

it still is quite ironic

[Sheri257]

I don't have a problem with this thread. I'm glad hbscott posted it. We need to know all the facts about nursing, good and bad.

I'd much rather deal with some statistics than all of the other anecdotal "evidence" on the board. There's a lot of good stuff in that report, so thanks hugh.

I too would like to know more about the Chicago study. Couldn't find much about it actually, except that it was conducted from 1986-96.

[hmccartn]

"I don't have a problem with this thread. I'm glad hbscott posted it. We need to know all the facts about nursing, good and bad."

I agree that we need to know about the current situation and not bury our head in the sand...but the majority of posts on this site are negative...not want you want to read day after day as a student trying to prepare for a career in nursing...

wish there was an easy answer....of course there isn't...

[hbscott]

I have been an active participant in the health care system for 23 years. My mother was a Diploma Nurse who went on to get her Masters as a Nurse Practitioner. My Grandmother and my Mother-in-law are nurses. My sister-in-laws and brother-in-law are nurses. My wife is a nurse. I used to be an Advanced Practice Nurse. I have seen nursing go through these so called "shortages" on several occasions in my lifetime. There is no truer statement than the following in regard to health care administrators (generally speaking of course):

"They just want to recruit, recruit, recruit new nurses, burn them out and start over with a new bunch."

Nurses and Nursing has great numbers but so little voice (relatively speaking) in our health care system. Why is that?

-HBS

[newkid]

Hello happy student. I read your reply and it makes a lot of since.

I hope to become a nursing student for the first time this upcoming term. I to feel that it is important to love what you do and diffently be grateful that god has given you the opportunity to work so closely with others on the basis that nurses, and doctors work. Generally they make all the difference not just medically, but ethically as well. I have been in medicine for a very long time not as a nurse, but doing other things and yes you do see alot of mistreatment towards the workers, and lack of appreciation, but one thing is for sure because I feel that this is a calling for me it has not detoured me from wanting to become a nurse. So hang in their happystudent you have the right attitude.

Its other students like you whom make the journey easier.

It would be nice if we could keep in touch my email address is

[email protected] Hope to hear from you soon.

[hbscott]

Originally posted by Wanda Toomer

It would be nice if we could keep in touch my email address is

****@aol.com Hope to hear from you soon.

I would quickly edit your post and remove your e-mail address before you get SPAMMED badly. You might want to send your e-mail by PM (private message) to those you wish to carry on a conversation with.

-HBS

[Bambi]

Originally posted by weezieRN

Let me tell you student nurses a couple of things, I once thought like you 6 months ago when i graduated but let me tell you reality hit the first week I started when I had 8 pts and no idea where to find things, which doctor to call (in school you didn't call the dr and you certainly didn't obtain orders etc) or who any one was , aide.lpn etc. and it gets a little easier but not much. Not to reiterate but I once thought like you, what's all the fuss, but you will soon get the picture.

Amen!

[wjf00]

Maybe dissatisfaction is not such a bad thing. If you are satisfied you don't have much incentive to change and advance your profession. Stagnation benefits no one. And I am encouraged that the 30% who are dissatisfied are active nurses, good base to draw from to affect changes. Maybe I am totaly off base here, but the "other professions" with lower number of dissatisfied workers, may be chasing off the discontented in a tight job market. Which eliminates your impetus for positive changes within your profession.

Count me amoung the 70%, but always looking to change and advance the profession.

[CCU NRS]

Originally posted by happystudent

I agree.........

Hbscott, I think it is unfair for you to say we should run from nursing because YOU feel nursing students soon to be RNs will be dissatisfied with our chosen fields. Insted of being discouraging to the "newbies", why dont you take a proactive stand and encourage us to make things better. I refuse to be "scared" of surveys and biased opinions regarding MY future goals. So lets say you accomplish your "goal" of convincing us to persue alternate careers, WHO is going to take care of YOU when its your turn to be a patient?Right, thats what I thought..........

Actually the article is called

Listening to Nurses:

Dissatisfaction and Burnout on the Job

"We tell the student nurses to run for their lives."

So in Hb's defense he wasn't telling you to run.

He also wasn't being particularly negative I think he was just helping enlighten those of us who have not seen this article and I am grateful I found it very informative and well written with the sources that seem very legitimate. IMO

[pabrid]

Originally posted by RN2B4ABBY

This is very interesting but I am not running! I have read many horror stories about working conditions, staff members, nurse co-workers...but I am still not going anywhere. Nursing schools may be full, employers may choose to ignore what their nurses need and just re-fresh when ones burn out and leave and there may be a moderately high job dissatisfaction rate. When I think of being a nurse I get a feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me I belong there. I am not going into this field because of pay, benefits or for what other people will think of me. I am going into this field because I want to make a difference. When employers don't care about their nurses they don't care about their patients. Well I care! If I make a patient smile and feel better then I can be satisfied. If my being there helps out at least one other nurse with the workload and stress then I will sleep that night. It is going to be tough and grueling and I will cry more than once and question what I am doing. I know there is so much out there that I can't even possibly imagine right now... but I know I belong there so bring it on!

[pabrid]

Good for you!

We need more nursing students with your backbone! This is not to say that nursing is easy, because I found out that the real world is nothing like being a nursing student. It will be real hard, especially for the first 6 months to a year, but if you are strong, you will be a survivor. I also went into nursing to make a difference in people's lives, and I'm still here after nearly 7 years. So, keep the positive attitude regarding nursing.