I feel like everywhere I go people are expressing their hate for nursing rather than their love. I want to go into nursing, and I want to love it. WHY does everyone (almost) hate it so much? Is it really that bad? Can someone express their love for it? I would really enjoy hearing why you love your nursing job.
Personally I could never work in a nursing home, but my goal is to work in the OB/NICU or the ER.
I don't think people hate nursing, it's just sometimes the longer you do it the more frustrated you get. I work on a busy med surg floor and deal with a crazy busy shift most nights, then add on top of that more and more pt's and/or family either treating you like crap or thinking they are your only pt and yelling at you when you don't move quick enough. it sucks when your pt is crashing and you are doing everything you can and your other pt is throwing a fit because it took too long to get their family member a blanket. though i have days when the pt and/or family give me a hug and tell me how glad they were to have me as their nurse....that is when my faith is restored and i remember why i became a nurse :)
When was at the UofC I meet many nurses who seemed to love nursing. I believe it's because they knew about all the specialties you can get into and how easier to change your specialty. All in all it can be pretty stressful and scary.
because we are over worked & under paid. whch would be okay of you were appreciated. but we are over worked, under paid & under appreciated . seriously .
I don't think it's fair to say new grads aren't pulling their weight. Explain what you mean. Im a new grad of 8 months and I'm 100% certain I'm pulling all of my weight . I do my job, start report on time, and leave on time nearly every day. Hardly ever leave anything for the next shift although things have been dumped on me several times because "night shift doesn't do anything".
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
OP, I think if it's what you want to do, you should just DO IT. Never let naysayers stand in your way if it is truly what you believe you are here to do. That said...
One of the posters mentioned going into it with realistic expectations, which is one of the best pieces of advice you could have. Realize that while you cannot know it yet being on the outside looking in, this is not an easy job regardless of what specialty you work in. You might not get in where you want to right away, but you could turn around and find you like something else. Keep your mind open and realistic.
Probably the biggest issue I have with nursing, doesn't lie with nursing itself but the corporate healthcare machine. I left nursing for a bit of time in part because of that. I felt it created more stress than it was worth. But guess what? I'm coming back to nursing. Why?
It's because nursing sometimes feels like a "trashy" profession/vocation. A lot of adult learners go into it after being former waitresses and CNAs. It's a sort of "fast track" to a middle class income and a lot of people look at it as an easy path to making money, unfortunately.
I don't think it's fair to say new grads aren't pulling their weight. Explain what you mean. Im a new grad of 8 months and I'm 100% certain I'm pulling all of my weight . I do my job, start report on time, and leave on time nearly every day. Hardly ever leave anything for the next shift although things have been dumped on me several times because "night shift doesn't do anything".
I think Ruby was being specific to nurses who cost the hospital thousands to train, barely get off being precepted, then leave.
And Ruby is correct in that aspect. But I think job hopping is in the new generation. (I, myself, am guilty of job hopping! But I have been at my current job 1.5 years now) I've been seeing a lot of new grads wanting to go straight to icu, er, ob. Some new grads I've talked to seem to act like med surg is beneath them...not sure where this mentality comes from. Maybe shows like Grey's anatomy make the specialty areas seem more glamourous?
I believe that only a minority of nurses truly hate nursing. I think venting or complaining about our high stress jobs is our way to cope. We use all nurses therapeutically, when our families or friends don't get what's going on in our work lives. I believe venting shows how much we care about our jobs and how as nurses, we tend to allow aspects of our jobs to follow us home.
And Ruby is correct in that aspect. But I think job hopping is in the new generation. (I, myself, am guilty of job hopping! But I have been at my current job 1.5 years now) I've been seeing a lot of new grads wanting to go straight to icu, er, ob. Some new grads I've talked to seem to act like med surg is beneath them...not sure where this mentality comes from. Maybe shows like Grey's anatomy make the specialty areas seem more glamourous?
I believe that only a minority of nurses truly hate nursing. I think venting or complaining about our high stress jobs is our way to cope. We use all nurses therapeutically, when our families or friends don't get what's going on in our work lives. I believe venting shows how much we care about our jobs and how as nurses, we tend to allow aspects of our jobs to follow us home.
There is the better ratio in critical care, OR and such. More support. Prestige.
Med/surg especially tele, is a great learning opportunity but I can not blame anybody for going around it. It is high stress, a grinder, and people seem to be eager to leave asap. So why put yourself through it if you can avoid it and go straight to a specialty? I went into critical care right out of nursing school and was just fine. I worked med/surg later on and stayed only for few years because I felt I was getting too old for the craziness...
There is the better ratio in critical care, OR and such. More support. Prestige.
Med/surg especially tele, is a great learning opportunity but I can not blame anybody for going around it. It is high stress, a grinder, and people seem to be eager to leave asap. So why put yourself through it if you can avoid it and go straight to a specialty? I went into critical care right out of nursing school and was just fine. I worked med/surg later on and stayed only for few years because I felt I was getting too old for the craziness...
I can't say that I blame the new grads for side stepping med surg and going into specialties. Med surg is one big, chaotic beast. But I don't think anyone should ever think med surg is beneath them or any nursing specialty for that matter. Most of us work just as hard as the next nurse, no matter what department.
txgal34
33 Posts
I don't think people hate nursing, it's just sometimes the longer you do it the more frustrated you get. I work on a busy med surg floor and deal with a crazy busy shift most nights, then add on top of that more and more pt's and/or family either treating you like crap or thinking they are your only pt and yelling at you when you don't move quick enough. it sucks when your pt is crashing and you are doing everything you can and your other pt is throwing a fit because it took too long to get their family member a blanket. though i have days when the pt and/or family give me a hug and tell me how glad they were to have me as their nurse....that is when my faith is restored and i remember why i became a nurse :)