What a coincidence. . .every single student nurse who shadows me. . .

vintage_RN, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2012

When I did a high-school co-op placement in the NICU and L&D of my hospital, I was positive that I wanted to be a nurse there one day. I still would, it was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. I will admit however that I have no clue about the other areas of nursing and when i start my clinicals I might find I like another area. I also realize that in this job market I probably wont get to just pick my specialty, I'll probably have to just get a job whereever will hire! Thats the reality of it!

allnurses Guide · Jul 28, 2012

I think part of this frustration is that students sometimes seem a little disrespectful of people who choose to remain bedside nurses.
As an ED nurse, I've worked with some students who immediately say, "Oh...this is interesting but I'm going to do one year and get right out of it..." They really convey that "this" which is our career, is something to avoid.

I think this is the spirit intended by the OP. I didn't read any attack in there at all. It was directed to people who have been hanging around here long enough to notice trends, and was probably understood by them based on that shared knowledge/experience. I'm going to guess sundowner didn't mention her observations to the students who were shadowing her or question the validity of their reasons for making those choices.

itsnowornever, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2012

Ok, I have to say that yes, I am a "new grad" that wants to go to the ED and that is my goal, however, I am rather shocked that this post blankets us all in the same group. Do I want to be an NP? NOPE! Why? Because trauma is my end goal and I have never seen a job listing there for an NP. Do I want my doctorate? Heck yeah. Why? Because I have an AMAZING mentor who has her doctorate. She isn't an NP, she is a nurse and a teacher, BUT she pushed through with two kids, a husband and two jobs and STILL managed to gain more education. If that isn't an inspiration to get my doctorate, I have no clue what is.

These blanket assumptions are rather shocking. Reality has never "hit" me and maybe that's because, much to your surprise I'm sure, there are some MATURE nursing students who are a bit older and know how things work. I realize that I have to have experience and so my horizons are broad, I will get whatever job I can. If I love that place, sure, I'm going to stick around, that's the loyalty in me. If that means I will stick around for a few years in LTC, then that's what I'll do, no wing clipping or dashing of dreams. The ED also gave me a love of older people, they are dolls (some) and I would lovingly work for LTC just for the chance to get more elderly patients.

ER is my end goal. Once I get there, I'm staying there. Flight nursing? DREAM! However, there are close to NONE of those jobs where I live, so the plan? Find a way to volunteer with search and rescue. How odd of me as a student to not chase the easy dreams. What a way to toss that blanket statement aside.

BTW---while working clinical in the ED my last go round, both charge nurses assumed I was in the new grad program at the hospital...so not all of us are starry eyed thinking it's like TV. Some of us crave the ordered chaos, because that is what drives us. For some of us, it's passion. Oh, and I'd never work NICU. My son was there when he was born, and I just don't have the strength that those women had. Not my cup of tea, so I guess I'll leave that spot open for the other new grads.

(In defense of your post, I have seen what you are talking about, and even as a student I would roll my eyes as fellow students and chuckle thinking, "You have no idea what the ER is really like, do you?" So please, do not lump me and those like me in with those kind of people. )

Stephalump · Jul 28, 2012

I think part of this frustration is that students sometimes seem a little disrespectful of people who choose to remain bedside nurses.
As an ED nurse, I've worked with some students who immediately say, "Oh...this is interesting but I'm going to do one year and get right out of it..." They really convey that "this" which is our career, is something to avoid.
I've also had students who say, "I think I want to go on to be an NP, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there"
Which one is more appealing? Especially coming from someone who may be young, and not very experienced in life, as well as nursing?

It seems to me that it would be very easy to color any ambitious students with the paintbrush of ones own insecurities.

Susie doesn't want to stay a bedside nurse? I'M a bedside nurse! What are you implying about ME and MY job.

That's all well and good, but odds are, Suzie is way too consumed with her life's path to be doing anything other than telling you what she feels, without any deep seated, hidden agendas. Maybe Susie doesn't like bedside nursing. Not everyone does. Maybe she got into nursing because she was inspired by her midwife and that's all she wants to do. It happens.

oluchika · Jul 28, 2012

For me, it was the experience of volunteering in the newborn nursery at my local hospital for almost three years that made me decide that I wanted to become a neonatal nurse. I have always loved dealing with kids and babies (probably due to all of the babysitting I have done over the years). In middle school and high school, I really enjoyed watching the shows on TLC and Discovery Health, so nursing seemed like a good fit for me. I would be able to merge my love of kids and interest in the medical field. I was also born premature at 29 weeks and found out during my volunteer experience that two of the nurses were actually my nurses while I was in the hospital!

I have also never thought about getting an advanced degree, at least not now. Nursing is my second degree and I'm ready to actually work for awhile. My mom was trying to convince me to go straight into getting my master's degree since I just graduated in May. I told her no, I'm tired of school, lol. I'm turning 25 next month and would like to actually move out of my parents house! The only reason I am still there is because the school I went to was 2-3 miles from my house. It didn't make any sense to move out and pay for an apartment when I can save that money for later.

sauconyrunner · Jul 28, 2012

it seems to me that it would be very easy to color any ambitious students with the paintbrush of ones own insecurities.
susie doesn't want to stay a bedside nurse? i'm a bedside nurse! what are you implying about me and my job.
that's all well and good, but odds are, suzie is way too consumed with her life's path to be doing anything other than telling you what she feels, without any deep seated, hidden agendas. maybe susie doesn't like bedside nursing. not everyone does. maybe she got into nursing because she was inspired by her midwife and that's all she wants to do. it happens.

yes! totally. the last month i worked in the ed, i had tons of students. some made these statements and they were taken as "very snotty" by most of the nurses. i don't know why but nurses, more than many, seem to crave recognition. (maybe because we get a lot of non-recognition from docs, other nurses, and patients and administration...). i think a discussion before heading out to clinical may be helpful...just to remind students that what they say that is all about them...can sometimes come off as "all about someone else" it's a good rule of thumb for all of us. sue is about to be a nurse, which means she needs to learn to focus out...and get beyond her ideas and consider others. i am guilty of being that student. 12 years ago, i had to do an evening in a nicu. omg, it was dark and warm, and as a student i couldn't really touch the babies. i don't love babies. i struggled to stay awake and i struggled to find questions to ask that nurse, because frankly, i did not want to be there! i think i did finally end up saying something like, "yes this area really never grabbed my interest, to which the nurse raised up her eyebrows...i felt like a total jerk. it was a real eye opener for me...and i went on tons more unwanted rotations but never ever said that kind of thing again!

bols27 · Jul 28, 2012

I don't understand the animosity towards students who wish to become advanced practice nurses. I understand that some will not be able to accomplish this for a variety of reasons but honestly it is just like any other profession in my opinion. Do you think anyone goes to business school with the dream of becoming a cubicle jockey for the whole of their career? Do you think people get a degree in IT so they can work in a low to mid level systems analyst position forever? There are obviously going to be those who wish to fast track to NP or CRNA that are currently in nursing school due to the fact that they have to become an RN before they can become an NP or CRNA. These are the people who started nursing school with a goal in mind and there is nothing wrong with that. They should not be looked down upon for being honest about their goals nor should it be an issue that their goal is not to "push a med cart in LTC" or have 15 needy patients on a busy med surg floor. This is the reason that a BSN should not be made the entry level for nursing. I have worked with RNs in settings such as LTC that would not make good critical care nurses b/c they have a very narrow knowledge base, motivation, intellect, etc....but they are good at the jobs that they do and there is no reason that they should have had to acquire 15-20k more debt to do the job that they do. A lot of nursing is not nearly as difficult as some nurses would try and have you believe. People got by for years and years and years with diploma nurses that didn't even go to college at all. Requiring a BSN for entry into nursing would only serve to make the mundane jobs in nursing even less desirable to new grads. Anyway, my point is, it makes me extremely irritated to see and hear nurses speak of new grads who plan to further their career or work in high acuity areas of nursing as if they are somehow wrong for wanting to do so. You don't have to downplay others dreams and desires to have pride in what you do, perhaps these sorts of attitudes are why nursing is not as well respected as medicine? I doubt family practice doctors shake their head at or speak of with scorn med students who plan to become neuro surgeons.

RNperdiem, RN · Jul 28, 2012

I would be more suprized if your students told you they wanted to get into prison nursing, long term care or geriatrics out of school.

There is a status to being in certain specialty fields that reflect what our society values, and it isn't the elderly, disabled, imprisoned, chronically ill, or psychiatric patients. So it is not unexpected that students gravitate to the higher status fields.

Credentialing is becoming more important too. Opening up nursing to higher degrees is going to attract people who have been trained from birth to value the attainment of the highest level of education.

As a result, nursing is becoming more stratified and diverse.

merlee · Jul 28, 2012

Back in the Jurassic Age, I did volunteer work as an ambulance nurse, and then decided to go to nursing school. I really thought I wanted to work in the ER. Then I started my clinicals, and completely fell in love in the Neonatal ICU. Completely. My friends thought I would go to the OR, since I seemed to enjoy that and it was a good fit.

I lucked out, and got accepted into the NICU where I trained. I loved it, but the politics got to me. In barely a year, I left and did IV team for a few years. That was fun.

Over the years, I worked other positions. I did acute dialysis at some of the nation's top units, where I worked with the newest equipment and the toughest patients. Never did I feel more a part of the picture because the patient, the machine and I were all one piece. I loved acute dialysis, truly!

But circumstances change, and sometimes we have to move on. In my case, that included moving for my husband's career. Then I found myself eventually working in Home Health. What a perfect fit for me, for many years. Yes, I loved that, too!

What I am saying here, is that it is helpful to keep an open mind as we do not know what is around that next corner. We don't know who might be out there that is a wonderful mentor on a unit you never envisioned, or where the air in a unit you craved to work in is too hard to breathe.

I lived and worked in 5 states and in Israel. I am glad I tried to keep all of my options open, whereever I was. We need to be as flexible as possible.

studentnurse96 · Jul 28, 2012

I am a student and will be graduating in a few weeks. I can honestly say that I have one passion and that is Peds. The thought of doing anything else depresses me. The majority of my classmates fit into that cliche of L&D and ER nursing though I don't understand it lol. There are a few that say they want to be a school nurse because it's "easy" and they will work the same hours as schools and get summers and holidays off. I didn't go to school to be a nurse because I thought it would be easy or convenient. I did it because I love to be challenged and a am a natural born nurturer. I'm not happy unless I am caring for someone in need. If I ever get to the point that I want to take the easy way out...time for a career change!!

eleectrosaurus · Jul 28, 2012

..and not a 2 year program that anyone can do. It is like we are dumbing down nursing at a time when being a nurse is more challenging than ever...

Ouch! Pretty harsh on that one, Reserve judgement please.

My 2 year program started with 88 students 18 graduated, 100% nclex pass rate, In testing by ATI (that also tests bachelors and masters programs) i scored in the 99th percentile in all my exams except for two that were 94,95. In clinicals we worked along side bsn and msn students and left them in the dust, our preceptors told us we kicked their butts. So far every one of my classmates has killed the nclex in 75 questions. frankly it was way easier than school exams.

SwansonRN · Jul 28, 2012

This is exactly why I never told anyone what my career aspirations were in nursing school :no: judge judge judge