Why does anyone go into nursing?

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Jul 13, 2011

That's a good question. I can't really answer that because I had no "reason" for entering into nursing school. At the time, I wanted something different, and nursing school was there and readily available. However, it wasn't so different that it was alien to me, and I already had the prereqs from a previous degree and some of the know how from a previous side job.

At this point, I'm not really interested in it anymore to be completely honest, but with one year to go sure I'll finish, and I'll look for a nurse job too. If I can't find one in a place and department of interest to me I'll keep doing what I've been doing. I don't want to be a nurse enough to work in any department, place, or position.

I might make hourly more than I used to before changing jobs and going to nursing school, but all said and done I'll likely make about as much (net) or less in a year.

Countless jobs are available to "help people" so nursing as a means to an end in that respect doesn't mean a lot to me.

One perk not available to me in my current field is mobility. You can nurse, quit, nurse somewhere else, quit again, and get another nurse job. In my field, if you move, no matter what you did before you're now the rookie on the bottom of the **** pile.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jul 13, 2011

I'm a control freak & reealllly like telling people what to do -- there's no better place than critical care. :lol2: I can control your breathing, bp, level of consciousness..... bwwaaaaaa!!!!! I also like the huge savings on wardrobe because I only need scrubs and pjs - too tired to go anywhere that requires any other type of clothes. And what about all those interesting people we get to meet?? I tell ya, there's nothing as diverse as the customers on a full-moon Saturday night in the ED, amiright?

Srsly, I totally agree with the OP - seems like an every-increasing amount of people are surging into nursing based on inaccurate/faulty reasoning. Can't help but think that there are going to be huge consequences in the form of a 'rebound' shortage in a few years as all the disillusioned folks beat feet as soon as they can to ANY OTHER JOB. We (grizzled veterans) will become extinct for sure.

Ginnym1981 · Jul 13, 2011

Very good question. (note I don't have a previous degree either so my post may not be valid to you)

And I'm just starting nursing school this fall so I honestly, still ask myself this question often to make sure I'm doing the right thing.

Truth is I won't truly know if it was right for me until I'm actually working as an RN.

What drove me to nursing school was basically the feeling of wanting to "make a difference" in someone's life. Whether it be my coworkers, the patient, their friends or family members.

I'm almost 30 years old and I come from a background of desk jobs. I hated working the typical M-F, 8-5 job, sitting in front of a computer all day and answering the phone.

Heck, I pretty much all HATE phones now and the job was so monotone and unchallenging for me. I wanted more and knew that I wasn't using my full potential.

In my ideal job, I would like to continue to learn new things while also be kept me on my toes. It would allow me to utilize my thoughts and ideas and at the same time, let me SEE that I can make a difference in this world.

And yes, other jobs definitely allow you to help others. I chose the medical field over anything else because it WILL always be needed....as far as "in this economy," nursing is in the same boat as any other field you listed.

There is ALWAYS a chance of losing your job when the economy takes but there are so many places nurses can apply to besides working in the hospitals. Schools, LTC, Dr. offices, specialist offices and many, many more.

It may not be where I want or see myself working but in the long run, I will do anything to feed my family.

Being a nurse is going to be hard, stressful, draining and probably frustrating at times but it also has the good things that I'm looking for in a career.

The money is good-not sure where you got your figures but know that the hourly pay varies demographically and it isn't the only benefit nurses receive.

There is also a HUGE array of positions for nurses so moving around the field if you come across something you don't care for is an option as well as moving into administrative work if after the job has worn down your body.

There aren't many professions that will allow you to do this with a single degree.

Anyways, sorry my post is ramble-y, I appreciate your question and nursing definitely isn't for everyone... (and I'm still hoping it will pan out to be for me!)

Ginnym1981 · Jul 13, 2011

Srsly, I totally agree with the OP - seems like an every-increasing amount of people are surging into nursing based on inaccurate/faulty reasoning. Can't help but think that there are going to be huge consequences in the form of a 'rebound' shortage in a few years as all the disillusioned folks beat feet as soon as they can to ANY OTHER JOB. We (grizzled veterans) will become extinct for sure.

Okay, you got me curious....what was your "accurate/non faulty" reasoning for becoming a nurse?

JenniferWilson74 · Jul 13, 2011

I start NS next semester (BSN) and I chose this career for three reasons. First, when I started this journey (3 yrs ago), everything I saw on the news and read on the internet said there was a severe shortage, that jobs were expected to grow exponentially for the next decade, and pay scales and job security were primo. Second, I live near a CC with a great ADN program and a CSU with a great BSN program. And finally, I was doing restaurant management, which I hated (my husband did too) so we made the decision for me to quit and go to school full time.

When I started going to the CC it seemed like EVERYONE around me was going for nursing. There were so many people going for nursing that it became a cliche, and I found myself only reluctantly telling people my major. Also at that time, nurses were being shipped over from other countries to cover the shortage, so I believe there must have been a true shortage AT ONE TIME. But, not so much any more.

Also, when I started I saw that the ADN program was only two years, but as I quickly learned, my pre-reqs had pre-reqs and the classes were impossible to get in without first building up some units.

The CC selects their qualifying students by way of Lottery, which is done once a year. Last fall, they had over 900 applicants for 160 seats! So I am going the BSN route for which entry is competitive and because I kept my GPA high I was able to get right in. So basically, I'm at a point where I've come too far to stop now. I'm just hoping that in the next three years things start looking a little better for nurses and the economy in general.

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · Jul 13, 2011

i joined the board because i'm curious to know why other people choose to go to nursing school, particularly those who have worked in another field and are choosing nursing as a second career.
let me be perfectly clear: i'm not looking for an argument and don't intend to argue with anyone on here. (argue is different than debate). i'm also not trying to (deliberately, anyway), knock the profession of nursing in general. (i do, however, have a thing or two to say about nursing school and instructors, but i'll bite my tongue for now).
here's some good ones i've heard so far:
1.) "because i love people and i want to make them all better". my response: isn't there a career that pays a heck of a lot more money than nursing where you can still help people? how about accounting, where you can help people fix there money situation (which is ever so important in this awful economy). or law, to help them with legal manners. or perhaps even a life counselor or psychologist? you're helping the brain, and you don't have the chance of contracting hiv, hep a-z, mrsa, vre, etc.
2.) "it's secure; there'll always be a job for me". yeah, right. in this country/economy? nothing's secure.
3.) "the money is great". seriously? $20-25 is 'great'? i didn't realize...
4.) "my was sick with and from that point on, i just wanted to be able to heal people. yeah? that's your relative/friend. whole different ballgame.
so like i said, i'm interested in hearing thoughts/rebuttal. but not shots against me, my character, my opinions. not interested.
thanks!

because i get to poke people with needles and not get into trouble for it..i actually did think of psych but to be a psychologist is much longer schooling. i worked in accounting and lord that is eternally boring and made me get fat. law, well my sister is a lawyer and had a hard time finding a job even with connections and graduating in the top ten out of 400 person class, and up to her ears in debt now. nursing just offers variety, decent pay for the amount of time in school, and can be better depending on what you make of it so these are some of teh reasons i chose nursing. and yes i do want to advocate for my patients because what a wonderful thing if i can make someones life better at a vulnerable point but maybe my perspective on that is different since i did decide that i wanted to work in something that i felt would contribute to society after my best friend was murdered because it changed my life and made me view everything different and nursing just interested me while teh bad side of multi tasking, urine, blood, and vomit doesnt bother me much.

cogath · Jul 13, 2011

I don't want to have to get a Masters or PhD to be useful (my previous degree was in biochemistry). I have to be on my feet at any job I take. I am very interested in health and disease processes but don't want to the committment of being an MD. I want to work in a fast-paced, challenging environment. I want a job where I am continually learning. I love needles. I want a job where I have a lot of options about what I can do. I want to work evenings or nights

MsV. · Jul 13, 2011

I haven't started NS yet but I have two reasons:

1- I am easily bored and like an environment that is always changing.

2- I have never been able to picture myself doing anything else...it's just what I am supposed to do/be. Same feelings I had when I decided to become a mother. I don't think I will ever regret either decision, even though both are tough, demanding choices.

:)

Amanda

porridge · Jul 13, 2011

I wanted to be a nurse from a young age. I was a very sick child and the only thing that made long hospital stays bearable were the kindness of various nurses. Of course that was a long, long time ago and things have changed a LOT. These days bedside nursing is, in my opinion, not a career worth considering unless you have the patience of a saint and the strength and endurance of an athlete.

NIUnurs2be · Jul 13, 2011

I hear this question time and time again. I began my college career in the hopes of becoming a speech language pathologist and three years later decided to pursue nursing. Most people think I am out of my mind and especially since I have a twin sister who is entering pharmacy school. "You're too smart to be a nurse." "The hours are horrible and the doctors treat you like garbage". "You have too much school debt, a nursing career doesn't pay that much." The list goes on... Granted I am just starting nursing school, but I am not entering it with any fantasies.

I think a lot, not all, but a lot, of college students enter a nursing program and get their first job as an RN without ever having any solid experiences in the working world besides a few part time jobs. Truth is, there is politics wherever you go. I don't care who you work for or what you do. There will always be some type of administration thinking they know best and constantly trying to "improve" things. Policies change by the minute in order to make up for budget cuts or match up to new standards.

I for one, am amazed by the human body and spirit. I want to be apart of someone's recovery. Even if every other patient on my case load thinks I'm a dumb nurse who can't do anything right, I firmly believe that "that one" patient can make all that difference. And I, in return, hope I can be "that one" person for someone else.

I think nursing provides a little bit of everything I am interested in, I love to educate, I love to counsel, I love knowing that one day I will have the tools to heal or alleviate someone's pain and suffering. I love science and interacting with all different types of personalities. I know the job comes with poop, vomit, back-breaking shifts, inferiority, perhaps not good enough pay, but at the end of the day, it's all frame of mind. I am firm believer that you get what you put into things. Look through like from a negative angle and anything and everything will appear negative.

And hopefully one day when I do become an RN and I question my profession, which I am sure someday will happen, I can look back at this post and remember : )

szeles23 · Jul 13, 2011

I really wanted to be an MD as a child, then I decided to start my poly sci career and move into law school, I found that boring and went into business and found that extremely boring and then returned to my original love of medicine. (mind you this all happened over a 10 year period).

I like working in fast paced, multi-tasking environments. I can't sit behind a desk and push paper all day. I originally wanted to be an MD but by 2006 I was married to my husband in the marine corps with one child on the way. So I decided to start my pre-reqs for nursing since the MD route was really going to take FOREVER. In 2008/2009 after the birth of my 2nd child, PCSing, and a 364 day deployment to Iraq, I started applying to nursing schools. I got into the first one in virginia and was supposed to start last January. Only problem was orders came for us to move to Hawaii, but I had had a little bit of time to plan for the bsn program at UHM. when we moved here I applied and got in and start this fall. We won't move for at least 3 years (more likely 4 years) and the program is 3 years.

I chose nursing because I love medicine, I have always played the "guess the diagnosis" game on mystery ER, life in the ER, and even on house. I eat that stuff up. I also chose nursing because I was already sitting on a nice pile of student loan debt from my previous endeavors, and the fact that it wouldn't take me a billion years to complete and put me in much more debt AND I can take it with me wherever my husband gets transferred. There is always a military clinic or hospital, and they always need nurses. This is one job I can do in Japan or anywhere!

I'm not saying that I will stop at a bsn, because I have always still had medschool in the back of my mind, but I think I will take an APNP/FNP route or the PA route. I'm still unsure, but I love NPs, they really make the world go round. I would also not mind working for the VA hospital or clinics as well, and there is usually always one wherever we will be. It is my little way to give back to the servicemembers like my husband, who sacrifice themselves for the good of others.

I didn't go into nursing for the money. The $20 an hour rate you have depends on where you live, but most nurses I know make 2x that, plus many other benefits, like a 4 day work week and excellent benefits. We live off of one income now and do fine, so another income would just be paying off our house and student loans.

I also solidified my choice of nursing after my grandmother became bedridden and was on hospice care. The nurses and CNAs she had were the most wonderful people in the world. They really treated her like she was their mother or grandmother. They all had hearts of gold and they made an impact on her and made her transition from this world to the next much more comfortable and peaceful for everyone.

Nursing isn't for everyone, but I'm 100% that it is for me. I can't make a difference in anyone's life playing dr phil (whom is NOT a real dr.), or doing their taxes, or fixing their financial books (borrrrring). But I can give comfort and hope to the family of an ill or injured loved one, and I can help people heal by giving excellent care.

As to the lack of nursing jobs, they are not really lacking. It just depends on where you are and where you are willing to work. And with the baby boomers starting to retire, the field of nursing is going to grow so much over the next 5-10 years, look it up on the bureau of labor statistics. To add to this is that there is already a shortage of family practice drs, which gives FNPs and PAs to take the place of those family practice drs. Hence why I want to be an FNP because they can have their own practice.