Why should i consider nursing?

GingerSue · Dec 22, 2004

Could you work part-time in order to have some $ - that's what I'm doing. The reason I know that I can work some evenings while also studying during the daytime, is because that's what I did when I first went into nursing. I did well in both the studies and the job.

Roseyposey · Dec 22, 2004

I am 25, from the Uk and in a well paid job. I am considering becoming a nurse but all the talk about low pay and long hours and really put me off. I already have a degree in science and human biology but the shortest course i'm aware of is a 2 year acclerated course in the UK. I am really worried that the stress of having NO money for 2 years will get to me. I would just like to hear from existing nurses who could perhaps advise me on what nursing is REALLY like. I would like to travel to Oz one day and use my nursing skills there.
I'm very confused and unsure!
Many thanks

I dunno, why should you consider nursing?

talaxandra · Dec 22, 2004

Why are you considering becoming a nurse? I ask because it seems to me like those reasons would be good reasons for you to be a nurse!

There are literally hundreds of different places nursing can take you, from ward nursing (in dozens of specialities) to ICU, theatre, and casualty; drug and alcohol nursing, rehabilitation and psychiatry; community care nursing, school nursing, and health promotion; remote or rural nursing, flight nursing or armed forces nursing... and that's just the beginning! Nursing is extremely portable, often flexible, and allows you to work in countries that you would otherwise be ineligible to work (like Australia).

I'm a nurse because I find the work intellectually stimulating, the patient contact satisfying, teaching rewarding, it funds my studies, and I enjoy the variety of people I get to meet. I really do get to make a difference. As a nurse I have a connection with everyone who is or was a nurse. Although we disagree a lot, nobody else gets what it's all about. And once you're a nurse, part of you is always a nurse.

bargainhound, RN · Dec 22, 2004

What do you do in your current "well paid job"?

Could you travel to OZ and work in that field?

That would be my recommendation.

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 22, 2004

That is a question only YOU can answer. Nursing is far from "easy" and yet very satisfying in so many ways. I would shadow some nurses, if you can, to see if it's for you or not. Just remember, you may see a lot of negative posts here. Nursing IS stressful and tough, and sometimes people need a safe place to vent, where others understand just how it is....this would be that place. So try and not let all the negatives overwhelm you. Welcome to the boards!

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 22, 2004

I wanted to say if you want positive stories about nursing, check out the nursing stories forum.......there are some really good things to what we do, also. It will help balance out the negatives you see here. Best wishes to you, whatever you do decide. I, too, want to travel to Oz one day.

lighthouseRN · Dec 22, 2004

I had the same thoughts as you a few years ago. I was already in the medical field so naturally I thought nursing was for me. Honestly I did not think this through carefully or fully explore other options. I wish I did. Don't get me wrong I really love nursing. I like the reward I feel from helping others. I think there are many other opportunities to still help people other than nursing. Nursing is a challenging field with considerable amount of rocky places. I have been in nursing as an RN for 4 years now and have not found my niche yet. The one thing going for an RN is the limitless opportunies offered. The down side is working with other women who gossip, managers who do nothing, rising costs, short staffing just to name a few. Explore other alternatives, research your options and choose carefully. Good luck. :balloons:

z's playa · Dec 22, 2004

Why should you consider nursing?....

Well there really isn't anyway to sell you on it...either you feel "the calling"...or you don't. That's my view on it.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Dec 22, 2004

Practical considerations that attracted me to nursing:

Earn a decent living working 3 days a week

Can pretty much find a job anywhere in U.S.

Expect to be able to do this is some form into my 60's

Wide variety of opportunities--my goal for now is to be a bedside nurse, but I won't starve if my knees give out

Collegial atmosphere--for all the complaints I've read, I'm sure there are many who feel they work with a good group and enjoy the interaction. I've been on construction crews that were as *****y as anything I've read about here.

Not many professions have a 2-yr entry degree.

I look so darned good in scrubs.

Good luck with your decision. I'm glad to see you are giving it serious thought. It hasn't been an easy road, and I can well believe that school is the easy part. On the other hand, a lot of jobs are tough. One factor I'd give some weight to are what your options might be if it did turn out you hated it. Could you go back to your previous field? Could you try something else? My nurse manager once told me she had read that baby boomers go through an average of 7 careers--that sounds like a lot, but sampling a few makes sense to me.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Dec 22, 2004

Another thought: if you can find part-time work in healthcare, or volunteer at a hospital, you can see nurses in action and get a feel for dealing with patients. I wouldn't have dreamed of doing this when I was 25, and really sort of stumbled into healthcare in the first place. I wouldn't really give up the life I've led in the interval, but I do sometimes wish I had started this when I was younger.

Justmeandmycat · Jan 1, 2005

I had the same thoughts as you a few years ago. I was already in the medical field so naturally I thought nursing was for me. Honestly I did not think this through carefully or fully explore other options. I wish I did. Don't get me wrong I really love nursing. I like the reward I feel from helping others. I think there are many other opportunities to still help people other than nursing. Nursing is a challenging field with considerable amount of rocky places. I have been in nursing as an RN for 4 years now and have not found my niche yet. The one thing going for an RN is the limitless opportunies offered. The down side is working with other women who gossip, managers who do nothing, rising costs, short staffing just to name a few. Explore other alternatives, research your options and choose carefully. Good luck. :balloons:

Knowing what you know now, what other options do you think you should have considered? I'm trying to decide if going on in nursing is worth it. Like you, I enjoy the medical field, it's interesting, it seems to come naturally and have no trouble absorbing and comprehending the information. I'm also very good with patients. But am discouraged by the many negatives in nursing, particularly the things you mentioned above. I know those come with many other professions but they seem particularly pronounced in nursing. I feel as though I opened the door with my LPN and took a peek into a profession that is in trouble, dysfuctional, and has everyone at each other's throats. Not a good feeling! I'm just glad I didn't go thousands of dollars into debt to find this out. Definitely will not stay an LPN, but an ADN-RN doesn't look that much more attractive, despite the flexibility. I enjoy working one on one with patients - I'm not interested in looking after an entire floor or managing others. Plus, the negative atmosphere of floor nursing and truly unhappy co-workers is too much. So I'm moving on - somewhere! Like I said, what other options do you think are worth considering?