I'm currently debating with myself on whether not to bridge to the RN or to pursue other interests. I've heard from so many nurses out there who seem to have a real problem with those of us nurses who will admit that a major factor in our choosing nursing was the salary options, flexibility, and (perceived in this economy) stability. They tell those considering nursing for the same reasons, that they'll never make good nurses, or that they'll just get burned out and leave the field, that the only reason to become a nurse is because you bleed to help other people. But they're plenty who have always dreamed of nursing and will burn out either way. As there are those who just don't understand what nursing work actually is and burn out, those who are afraid of "yucky" work, those who only want to do administrative work, etc.
My personal story is that I left business school to pursue nursing so that I could have the financial security since I wasn't interested in climbing the corporate ladder. And I've always had an interest in healthcare (almost pursued sports medicine) so it was a mostly smooth transition for me and I think I'm a darn good nurse. *pats self on back, hehehe, j/k*. But although I didn't "always want to be a nurse", I always wanted to help people in one way or another and have found aspects of nursing that I love (and of course, some I could do without :barf01:). If and when I leave the field, it will be to follow my dream of owning a business. And honestly, without my nursing salary & flexibility, it would probably be much harder to do so and maintain myself without taking out many loans, moving back home, etc. Nursing has and definitely would continue to make me a very independent young woman.
Anyway, my point is, what is so wrong with seeking the financial perks of nursing if you can do the job, because although we do deal with people on the most personal of levels, it IS work. Whether you see it as a job or as a career, we are not volunteering to do this work. We expect to receive monetary compensation (and sometimes get unexpected rewards :hug: from pts and families) at the end of the week, or two weeks, etc. How many of you would have entered into or continued in the field if it paid only $5-6 above the minimum wage?
So let's stop putting barriers and constraints on the field and those who may enter it for the financial benefits it can offer. Sure the money is definitely not everything, and at times doesn't seem to be enough. But does the prospect of decent earnings and autonomy determine who will become a caring, compassionate, active (and much needed) member of the nursing field and who will not? How much longer will we keep telling those whose initial or final decision to enter nursing stemmed from economic need that they are not needed here and destined to failure? Instead, maybe we should focus our energies on advocating for true depictions of nursing in the media, organizing a collective voice nationwide and truthfully advocating nurse education (the good & the bad) so that at least, future nurses (and those who choose another path) can make informed, healthy decisions.
Now with that being said, I can say that a big reason I have chose nursing as a career is because of the stability and security. However, I had to ask myself if I would truely dedicate myself to giving each PERSON the care they deserve, if I would make sure to remember that they could be me in the future, or my family and care for them the way I would want to be cared for or the way I would care for someone I loved. I had to question weither or not I would want to deal with blood, waste, and sickness on a daily basis. I had to look deep within in myself and question my true intentions for becoming a nurse, b/c for me I don't want to just be a nurse; I want to be a GOOD NURSE.
SO IMO to anwser your question there's nothing wrong with becoming a nurse to seek stability and security, but I do think there has to be an underlying WANT to be a nurse in order to be the best nurse you can be and to give people the care they deserve...But, that's just my
I agree with you 1000%. All that you thought about, I also had to consider because I knew there was "dirty work" involved. And I agree, no one should enter this profession with little to NO desire to be of service to other people. I do know a CNA in nursing school now who is this way, which is pretty ironic, because they tend to have more "dirty work" to do than we do as nurses sometimes. If I hadn't been exposed to (and absolutely loved) basic first aid care and sports medicine in high school, I may have never even considered nursing. But I knew that I enjoyed caring for people, even big, sweaty football players, hehehe, and health in general.
It is fine if it is on your list, even high on your list of reasons to be a nurse. Not only should you want it but you should insist on it. Everyone who is doing a difficult even down right dangerous job should be compensated accordingly. What I think gets some people upset it that recently, just in the last two or three years, we have been seeing post by people that seem to have NO other reason but that they think they are going to make big bucks. A lot of nurses are horrified to see post like one young fellow made to the effect, "that he wanted to be a nurse so he could work with HOT young chicks and make tons of money". Now I thought it was funny and even suspected a troll but some people got really upset. My reply was that he was going to be very disappointed because most female nurses were plump grannies like myself. I also told him the money was not as great as he had heard. PS I know there are attractive young female nurses out there and I hope I didn't offend you, but the post was made about 2 years ago when the average age of a nurse was around 47. I do believe it the average age has since gone down.
I am laughing so hard right now! Maybe the guy was being sarcastic (I hope so for his sake). Hahahahaha, I'm still trying to catch my breath :rotfl: !!!
Anytime you work with people (especially people at their most vulnerable time), it's more than just a plain old job. Nurses have consequences for their actions that people in most other fields don't have. Consequences that go beyond what your supervisor thinks or whether you get a raise, etc.
However, I actually decided to write because I wanted to comment on the post regarding resentment. I do understand the concern, but I was trying to figure out how one would know which nursing students to direct their resentment towards?
If it's just being displayed to all nursing students in general, and everybody is able to pick up on that resentment, that could create very uncomfortable feelings for the nursing students, regardless of why they decided to get into the profession. Especially in someone that is struggling or having a hard time adjusting to nursing and all the hard work it entails. They may think the work is more overwhelming than they had anticipated, and then they are getting treated like crap to boot. Not much motivation there to stick around.
Specializes in Hospice/Mental Health/LTC/Home Health.
My boss first went to college for business and later nursing because her sister is a nurse and her sister knew she would make a great nurse, and she does! She now owns her own nurse staffing company which has three offices in three cities in Ohio and over 100 employees. All of that in two years op starting the business. She is a great nurse and I see nothing wrong with why you initially go into nursing as long as your happy doing what you do. When your happy, your patients will be too.
Well some of it came from posts I've read online on various nursing sites. Other comments came from an instructor here or there when I was in school. I actually had a clinical instructor sit us all down on our meal break one night and ask how many of us had entered nursing because it was our first choice. She had a rep for being the hardest instructor and being quite adamant about "weeding out" students who were choosing nursing from an economic or financial standpoint, and even those who were fresh out of high school "with no world experience" and possibly unsure of their commitment to nursing. This has really stood out in my memory and was my first face-to-face experience with this kind of thinking by current nurses. Fortunately, this was the night before my last clinical rotation and I was way too close to graduation to be discouraged!
Give me someone with a strong work ethic and they have the potential to be a good nurse. I've met so many yo-yo's with a burning desire to be a nurse who are sloppy, judgmental, and rude.
I have both clinical and admin. The biggest problem I see with nursing and salaries is that those that are in mainly for money punch in and punch out and that is it. Nursing is not a JOB it is a profession. As such nurses must act as professionals and become involved and invested in the future of that profession which means working outside of your shift to help drive nursing practice and becoming involved at the unit level.
Nursing is just a job to me. I never wanted to be a nurse when I was younger, never particularly interested in a job helping people either. What I did want was an honest job that gave me the ability to make what I wanted to make. Nursing as a profession, professional organizations, all that other stuff is great for those interested so have fun with it. I'll just go home after work, play with my kids and play softball. Glad to be here.
or that they'll just get burned out and leave the field, that the only reason to become a nurse is because you bleed to help other people. 
But they're plenty who have always dreamed of nursing and will burn out either way. As there are those who just don't understand what nursing work actually is and burn out, those who are afraid of "yucky" work, those who only want to do administrative work, etc. 
*pats self on back, hehehe, j/k*. But although I didn't "always want to be a nurse", I always wanted to help people in one way or another and have found aspects of nursing that I love (and of course, some I could do without :barf01:). If and when I leave the field, it will be to follow my dream of owning a business. And honestly, without my nursing salary & flexibility, it would probably be much harder to do so and maintain myself without taking out many loans, moving back home, etc. Nursing has and definitely would continue to make me a very independent young woman.
Instead, maybe we should focus our energies on advocating for true depictions of nursing in the media, organizing a collective voice nationwide and truthfully advocating nurse education (the good & the bad) so that at least, future nurses (and those who choose another path) can make informed, healthy decisions.
. Thanks for reading!
.......
ItsTheDude
621 Posts
nothing is wrong with seeking security and stability in a job, nursing is just a job.