What exactly ARE the wrong reasons?

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I've seen a lot of people around here state that if you get into nursing for the wrong reasons, then you are going to hate it. Well, what exactly are the wrong reasons? What are the right ones?

A British friend of mine got me a great teeshirt...

"When I grow up, I want to be a nurse so I can help people and see loads of willies..."

I would wear it under my nursing school uniform! ;)

Missy

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Hey Blee, I used to BE an accountant! Yes, I was very unhappy. So glad I took the risk to do what I love (nursing).[/quote']

I figured that if I had to hear people's complaints, at least I had the power to do something about them in a meaningful way. The grad student who threw her books in my direction because the network crashed and she didn't save her work (for like 4 chapters... dumbass...LOL - we had signs and popups galore asking users if they "saved their work"), didn't have a stinking clue.

I already have my self-esteem firmly in place, so if I can make someone else's day better while I am making a nice living and allowing my nocturnal nature to take over (I work night 12's - happily) - all the better.

Good for you, liebling, it must have been scary taking that risk. I had 8 years off raising children to decide what to do with my life once the chicks were out of the nest.

Blee

I am working in accounting right now, well accountant/receptionist, and HATE it. I have tried for 2 years to get another job thinking it would be different in another environment. As it turns out associate's degrees in accounting aren't worth hardly anything around here because so many 'office' people are out of work that the good paying jobs get snatched up quickly and I would have to take a pay cut to work closer to home. I drive 1/2 and hour now and when I become a nurse I have a bigger town with plenty of nursing jobs open 15 minutes away.

Nursing was my first choice of a career when I graduated high school 7 years ago, but I got side tracked from school and eventually went back to school for accounting. Now here I sit with my degree getting ready to take my entrance exam for a vocational school (OH nursing board approved) to their LPN program. So for me the reasons are a combination of what has been listed as good and bad reasons. I do want the pay, and security, and I do want to help people. Keep in mind that I'm not the go getter type of helping absolutely everybody I see, but I do want to feel more fulfilled at the end of the day. Somehow sitting at a desk, answering the phone and taking messages for people who only notice I'm here when I'm gone doesn't do much for me. I know that there are going to be days that I feel that way in nursing, but at least there will be the days that I do feel good about helping somebody. So I will find out shortly if I am doing it for the right reasons, and I hope I will be good at it. I hope that makes sense.

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People that choose it only for the money or security but have the personality and compassion of a toad irritate me. :) Some people just don't have the self-awareness to realize they won't be good nurses. Thankfully those people are few and far between. Nursing school tends to weed out the toads, but a few make it through.

By toad, what exactly do you man? I mean what are some things that are characteristic of toads?

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Specializes in Government.

I have an enormous amount of empathy for anyone as an adult making a career change to nursing. I did it myself at 32 and it was not easy. New degree, new roles...all a challenge. As I am in a government agency where I am the only nurse... Every day someone wants my opinion if they/their son/their daughter should become a nurse.

I think a wrong reason can vary. For example, if people think they are going to make tons of money and have a "great flexible schedule!" I talk about the realities of bedside nursing. Working Christmas...that alone is something people rarely consider. Also, in my state, you can get more pay with a teaching degree, working M-F days and having 3 months off in the summer. Much better benefits, too. If it's just about the money, I'd go there.

Also, since I worked pediatrics for 15 years, many people want to ask about that. Just having a vague "love for children" doesn't always translate into a great pediatric nurse. Often when I talk to interested people, they think pediatric nursing is all about sitting all day snuggling with some poster child. I saw so many people wash out of peds for that reason, I try and tell people it is much more challenging than hugging kids all day.

Lastly, I found my nursing school to be a dreadful predictor of who would stay in the profession or who would run off. Academic competition did not equal clinical competence or clinical joy. By 24 months, half my class was out of nursing. By 5 years it was 75%. At 10 years, I was the last functioning RN left.

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Also, since I worked pediatrics for 15 years, many people want to ask about that. Just having a vague "love for children" doesn't always translate into a great pediatric nurse. Often when I talk to interested people, they think pediatric nursing is all about sitting all day snuggling with some poster child. I saw so many people wash out of peds for that reason, I try and tell people it is much more challenging than hugging kids all day.

What would be some good reasons to want to go into pediatric nursing?

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
By toad, what exactly do you man? I mean what are some things that are characteristic of toads?

Please don't take me literally that I was talking about real toads and their personalities.

I'm talking about people without warmth, people who don't like people, people who don't have the capacity to empathize, that lack compassion, that have no interest in helping others. In my opinion nurses have to have these qualities just a little bit.

I think that compassionate caring is the heart of nursing and marks a good nurse.

Some people just want a job that pays and go they go through the motions of collecting their paychecks.

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Specializes in Government.
What would be some good reasons to want to go into pediatric nursing?

Don't want to hijack the thread but I can offer an answer. Pediatric nursing is very challenging clinically. Unlike a lot of adult hospital units, you can get just about everything at once in pediatrics. Head injury, congential defect, ortho, endocrine, post-op...you name it. I think a good prospect is someone who is not afraid of splitting focus to so many areas of care.

I also think that my comment about "a vague love of children" is very different than good solid hands on experience with kids, sick and well. There is a lot of vomit....and secretions of every type. There is the diplomacy of the parent child relationship to handle. There is heart-breaking abuse...twisted arms and legs, shaken babies, burned children. You need to be able to steel yourself and take care of them.

This is just my POV, obviously. I think it is hard to know. I often recommend that people volunteer or work as a CNA before they consider nursing. Actually being around children (more than a niece or nephew) can help as well.

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Specializes in M/S, OB, Ortho, ICU, Diabetes, QA/PI.
A British friend of mine got me a great teeshirt...

"When I grow up, I want to be a nurse so I can help people and see loads of willies..."

I would wear it under my nursing school uniform! ;)

Missy

I love it!!! I would sooooo wear that t-shirt out if I had one.......

my husband once told a friend of ours "Nothing shocks my wife when it comes to the human body - she's seen more naked people than a Media flick director!" - um, thanks hon..........

I had actually planned to be a physician - talked about it since I was a little kid - I recently saw a great-aunt who I hadn't seen since I was 16 and she asked if I was a doctor, like I planned - I said "No, I did something better - I became a nurse!"

Note: please do not misconstrue this post as a "doc-bashing" post - I was being facetious - I've worked with as many great docs as great nurses - just like I've worked with just as many butt-head nurses as butt-head docs......;)

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

IMO:

*If you do it for the money

*If you hate people and think that you can "just" get a job in med-surg because "at least the people will be asleep"...yes I had a girl in my Micro class that really said that!

3. I'm going to nursing school because I'm not a good enough student to succeed in a real college major -- or in most other career fields.

Yes, a bad reason. But also an untrue one. I am getting my BSN from a REAL college, not to mention that schools like Davis and UCSF have nursing programs. With as many more units I will have when I graduate than a "regular" college student I think my degree will be more valid than theirs...or worked harder for.
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Please don't take me literally that I was talking about real toads and their personalities.

I'm talking about people without warmth, people who don't like people, people who don't have the capacity to empathize, that lack compassion, that have no interest in helping others. In my opinion nurses have to have these qualities just a little bit.

I think that compassionate caring is the heart of nursing and marks a good nurse.

Some people just want a job that pays and go they go through the motions of collecting their paychecks.

Oh, no I wasn't thinking of it literally, I was just using the word you used in my question.

The reason I asked is that I wasn't sure what sort of people you were referring to by saying 'toad'. Thanks for explaining! ^^

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Oh, no I wasn't thinking of it literally, I was just using the word you used in my question.

The reason I asked is that I wasn't sure what sort of people you were referring to by saying 'toad'. Thanks for explaining! ^^

You're welcome. Glad I could clarify it. When I think of a toad, I think of a blob just sitting there, nonsmiling, no emotion, just doing as little as possible waiting for the flies to come his way. ;)

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

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Heehee. Sorry, couldn't resist!

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