Whats to Enjoy about Nursing?

dazey71 · Feb 4, 2007

I have my days like anyone else, but all in all I'm pretty happy with my job. I love my coworkers, and I love that if I get bored in one area, I can move.

ahsitters · Feb 4, 2007

Maybe its the way fate works but on the few days that I have rolled out of bed dreading the shift ahead of me They have actually been the best days of my career at the end of my shift.

Even tonight when my palliative pts family said they were happy to see me because they knew I would take good care of her if they went home to sleep.

My patient and their families putting their trust in me when they are scared and worried makes this career worth every bad day i've had.

some days you love it some days you hate but i have 10 love days to every hate day.

:nurse:

blueyesue · Feb 4, 2007

This thread has really helped put things in perspective. One CAN have a fulfilling career in nursing, and you CAN learn the correct way to handle stress, and you don't have to internalize it and become bitter.

I see some here when faced with hardships choose to react positively. That is a breath of fresh air. It is contagious. However, the other side can be just as contagious IF one allows it. Which leads to the point that our daily reactions are a choice. If one chooses to look at things negatively, then over time that is what they become. They keep adding up, and they eat away at you.

So, obviously some need to change the way they see and think. The moment negative feelings or thoughts come in, stop them. It is actually very empowering. Do we allow experiences and moments dictate our thought process, or do we have our thought process under control? One CAN enjoy what they do, and they will get soo much more fulfillment and enjoyment out of life if they talk and think positively. For those who say "It isn't that easy" I say, "Yes it is" You just have to change the negative thought process, and start with the one that makes you say it isn't possible. :clown:

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Cattitude · Feb 4, 2007

this thread has really helped put things in perspective. one can have a fulfilling career in nursing, and you can learn the correct way to handle stress, and you don't have to internalize it and become bitter.
i see some here when faced with hardships choose to react positively. that is a breath of fresh air. it is contagious. however, the other side can be just as contagious if one allows it. which leads to the point that our daily reactions are a choice. if one chooses to look at things negatively, then over time that is what they become. they keep adding up, and they eat away at you.
so, obviously some need to change the way they see and think. the moment negative feelings or thoughts come in, stop them. it is actually very empowering. do we allow experiences and moments dictate our thought process, or do we have our thought process under control? one can enjoy what they do, and they will get soo much more fulfillment and enjoyment out of life if they talk and think positively. for those who say "it isn't that easy" i say, "yes it is" you just have to change the negative thought process, and start with the one that makes you say it isn't possible.
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a lot of this makes sense. however, many,many nurses are burned out after years and years of being treated unprofessionally. years and years of being abused by unhappy, miserable administrations, doctors, and patients too. it is not so easy at times to put on a "happy face" if you will.

[color=#483d8b]it bears repeating. nursing is unlike many others professions, once you are working as a nurse for some time, maybe you will empathize a bit more with some of your colleagues. i know as students, you can often have a romanticized view of what nursing should be. :cool: i really wish it were as easy as just wanting it to be so. sometimes it's not.. don't think the nurses that are tired and burned out here haven't tried...:stone

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[color=#483d8b]no one wants to say, "oh i give up,hate nursing,hate everything". most nurses i know that have struggled have tried for a long time to maintain a positive outlook on life. but nurses do a pretty poor job of taking care of themselves and sooner or later it gets to you. again, very few people want to be negative..sometimes leaving nursing, even if only temporarily , is what was needed for them.

[color=#483d8b]sabbaticals should be mandatory for nursing .

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AfloydRN, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2007

Amen to casbeezgirlrn. I don't think I could have said it better. Bless you.

UTRN2005 · Feb 4, 2007

I like my co-workers, but not my job. I've been a nurse for 1 year and am more than ready to get away from the bedside. Many days I feel like I work my butt of only to be chewed out in the AM by the nurse practitioners/MDs/whoever is around. I do the best that I can and I'm not stupid. I'm tired of being treated by non-nursing staff, patients, and families like I'm an idiot. I can explain something until I'm blue in the face and no one will believe me but when the MD comes in and says the same thing it is instantly the most profound thing anyone has said. I'm tired of wiping butts and breaking my back for overweight pts that expect us to fix them but then will not take care of themselves. I'm tired of feeling like I'm a well-paid babysitter. I'm tired of watching people waste away instead of us letting them die with dignity.

I'm moving away from the bedside this summer and going to CRNA school. I have the utmost respect for those who can stay at the bedside but I can't do it anymore. While I do think the pay is fine, the lack of respect, resources, and autonomy are getting to me. Good luck to everyone, whereever your career leads you!

blueyesue · Feb 4, 2007

a lot of this makes sense. however, many,many nurses are burned out after years and years of being treated unprofessionally. years and years of being abused by unhappy, miserable administrations, doctors, and patients too. it is not so easy at times to put on a "happy face" if you will.
[color=#483d8b]it bears repeating. nursing is unlike many others professions, once you are working as a nurse for some time, maybe you will empathize a bit more with some of your colleagues. i know as students, you can often have a romanticized view of what nursing should be. i really wish it were as easy as just wanting it to be so. sometimes it's not.. don't think the nurses that are tired and burned out here haven't tried...:stone
[color=#483d8b]no one wants to say, "oh i give up,hate nursing,hate everything". most nurses i know that have struggled have tried for a long time to maintain a positive outlook on life. but nurses do a pretty poor job of taking care of themselves and sooner or later it gets to you. again, very few people want to be negative..sometimes leaving nursing, even if only temporarily , is what was needed for them.
[color=#483d8b]sabbaticals should be mandatory for nursing .

thanks for your reply. being positive just doesn't apply to nursing. it benefits anyone. yes there is a time where one needs to move on. you don't have to be a nurse, to know stresses of life. most have had plenty. i used to work as a realtor. you work for weeks sometimes months for a client and if they don't buy/sell the home, and you have just spent all that time and you don't get paid for it. in the mean time you have dealt with their families, the owners and buyers of homes, other realtors, used a lot of gas for your car showing homes, setting up open houses etc. each profession has its own stresses. now, being a realtor is not my niche, so i decided to move on. even with a positive attitude, you know when something isn't right. being positive doesn't turn off reality. it helps you through it the best way possible. :)

oh, and as a side note, how could i have a romanticized view of nursing when i belong to allnurses.com? :roll

Cattitude · Feb 4, 2007

you don't have to be a nurse, to know stresses of life. most have had plenty. i used to work as a realtor. /quote]
but,you have to work as a nurse to know what nurse's feel. you just have to... i can't say it any bettet than that. take another look at post #66. she's only 23 and been a nurse one year!!! do you honestly think if she'd only stop negative thoughts, she'd be ok? i think she's doing the right thing for her..
bedside nursing is tough and while it didn't burn me out i can certainly emathize with those that it affects. positive thought can be a great way to help at times but it may not be a solution.
so no, you don't have to be a nurse to know the stresses of life, but yes to know the stresses of nursing.
btw, i used to be a correctional officer in one of the largest maximum security men's prison's in the state (also famous). i had to be around all sorts of criminals and i was very young, only 21. that job was a piece of cake compared to nursing!:chuckle

TrudyRN · Feb 4, 2007

I do it now strictly for the money. Sorry, but I can't fake that I do it because it means so much to make someone's day or to be told thank you (I can count the times that has happened in my six years of nursing on one hand, anyway). Other nurses will turn on you, patient's and family will turn on you, you can't possibly meet every expactation and demand of all the people all the time (not even close) and no matter how hard you try you end up getting it spit back in your face. Everyone is looking for a lawsuit these days and the stress of contantly looking over your back gets you down after awhile. And if you think you have an employer who cares about you and will protect you think again...they will hang you out to dry faster than you can say "but yesterday you were going on and on about how you appreciated me."I've gone from a good-natured gentle person eager to help people to a cynical, bitter old woman who thinks things she never would have thought when she started in the business. Nurse Rachaud? You better believe it. Nurses who have been in the business awhile can understand what could make her the way she was... I'd rather go collect cans or wash dishes but who can live on that? I'm working my way out of this hell hole called nursing, though. I've taken steps to get my master's degree (definitely not in nursing) and maybe do some counseling and teach at a community college.

Sorry to say, I agree with all that you said. I, too, am growing old and bitter, I am aware that am employer who loved you yesterday will throw you away tomorrow, colleagues are fickle, the patient or family who smile in your face will also stab you in the back. I do it out of habit, fear of no income, and not having the umph to start over with something else. I guess that's just life. But it really does drag you down and sap your energy, reduce your happiness, and raise your blood pressure. I know I need to find something else to do. Prayers for guidance would be great! Motorcycle Mama, I wish you well.

I do still enjoy some of the patients and coworkers. I do like to help patients and I do feel good about it when I get to do that.

blueyesue · Feb 4, 2007

bedside nursing is tough and while it didn't burn me out i can certainly emathize with those that it affects. positive thought can be a great way to help at times but it may not be a solution.

yes, as i said, even with a positive attitude, you know when something isn't right. being positive doesn't turn off reality. it helps you through it the best way possible.

so no, you don't have to be a nurse to know the stresses of life, but yes to know the stresses of nursing.

yes, as i said each profession has its own stresses, and sometimes the one you are in isn't right for you. however, becoming bitter originates from allowing your circumstances to control you instead of controling your response towards them. :)

Ann RN · Feb 4, 2007

yes, as i said, even with a positive attitude, you know when something isn't right. being positive doesn't turn off reality. it helps you through it the best way possible.
yes, as i said each profession has its own stresses, and sometimes the one you are in isn't right for you. however, becoming bitter originates from allowing your circumstances to control you instead of controling your response towards them. :)

well said! :yelclap:

Cattitude · Feb 4, 2007

yes, as i said, even with a positive attitude, you know when something isn't right. being positive doesn't turn off reality. it helps you through it the best way possible.
yes, as i said each profession has its own stresses, and sometimes the one you are in isn't right for you. however, becoming bitter originates from allowing your circumstances to control you instead of controling your response towards them. :)

let me try and share this thought with you regarding my fellow nurses. thankfully i don't feel bitter about nursing, angry at times and maybe dissapointed but not bitter and worn down.

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[color=#483d8b]having said that, i again empathize with my colleagues that do feel that way. nursing does little to help it's own. nurses do a great job taking care of everyone else's needs, whether it's their pt's, employer's, or family's needs. then many nurses do not do such a great job of taking care of their own needs. and who is there to help them??? not too many... so again, after years of this , you need a little more than just trying to put it into a positive attitude. i understand where nurses struggle with these feelings of bitterness. i don't think it's always a matter of them allowing their circumstances to control them. nurses have a tough fight when it comes to issues like staffing and pt. care. circumstances are often beyond our control. that is reality. hospitals are not pro nursing, they're just not. most nurses, even at the end of a tough shift will tell you they love nursing. but ask them about circumstances?? hmmpphhh..

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[color=#483d8b]i know we will not agree on this issue, that's ok. i know i feel in my heart that you will not understand until you've "done your time". i know you think you already do understand, that's fine too. :clown: .

[color=#483d8b]differences are what make the world a better place.

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