Why so much Negativity in Nursing?

cyc0sys · Nov 17, 2017

Know this. Nursing is probably the most demanding profession you could ever perform. I don't say that lightly either. A great deal of responsibility and accountability is expected of you. You're the physician's eye and ears, after the 10 minutes they might spend with them.

It's all about the patient. If helping someone through the worst/best moments are their life is important to you, then you're on the right track. If you're in it for the money, recognition, or anything else, you're going to be sadly disappointed.

Your limits are going to be pushed beyond any other job will everyday if you're doing it right. That's why emotional, physical, and intellectual exhaustion are common place. Not everybody can rise to this standard everyday.

Some days you can make a huge impact. Other days are just treading water. But at the end of everyday, right or wrong, you've still made a difference.

anewsns · Nov 17, 2017

It can be a very bad experience for many people but i think it's more human nature to vent and talk about negative things at times and this is mostly anonymous so the negativity is valid but disproportionate to reality

Everline · Nov 17, 2017

Nursing is just too broad of a field for blanket statements. I greatly disliked one type of nursing but love my current job and therefore, I love being a nurse. It was absolutely worth the stress of nursing school. I wouldn't have said that a couple of years ago but I had hope and I was determined to make something of it.

HermioneG, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2017

Nursing, like any job, isn't perfect but it's a great and rewarding career. I come from a family of nurses and I've seen how much joy it's brought my mom, stepmom, grandma, aunties etc. Like every other path in life you'll come across those that are determined to see the darkness of it while others will be dead set on seeing the light. You can choose which one you want to be. It's people's perspectives..

I wouldn't recommend agonizing too much over it. Nursing is a great career, clearly you want it, so come join the family.

NuGuyNurse2b · Nov 17, 2017

It's all about the patient. If helping someone through the worst/best moments are their life is important to you, then you're on the right track. If you're in it for the money, recognition, or anything else, you're going to be sadly disappointed.

I'm in it for the money, which has been very good to me. Made more money in my entire life in nursing than in anything else I've tried.

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Nov 17, 2017

A career in any field is going to have benefits and drawbacks. You'll get out what you put in, and no one else can really tell you what you should do. The very nice thing about nursing is that the field is so diverse that if you don't like one area, there are likely opportunities to move, although sometimes you have to suck it up to get experience. Some people are called to nursing, some are more pragmatic and come to it for reasons of pay, schedules, flexibility, etc. Don't read too much into negative posts. People are far more likely to share a rant or frustration than share a positive experience, certainly some of the initial thread posts tend to be negative, but as you read through I think you find that in my threads there's a balance between those that are happy and unhappy. Good luck with your decisions.

Libby1987 · Nov 17, 2017

Regardless of the reason for choosing nursing for a career, it's the fortitude of devoting a couple of exhausting, overwhelming and sometimes scary years to develop the experience needed to function well in today's healthcare industry. Not the *exciting face-paced touching lives* exhausting, but the sometimes most demoralizing hardest days of your life type of exhausting.

If you can go into the first years with the tenacity to learn and grow under those circumstances after already spending years in a challenging and often frustrating nursing program, you can be both successful and satisfied.

If you don't have that realistic perception and expectation, you can find yourself pretty disgruntled with the whole thing.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 17, 2017

Most nursing jobs are a lot harder than many students realize. If you have the strength and tenacity to endure (and thrive) within this challenging field, it can be a excellent career choice. But a lot of people underestimate the many different challenging aspects of nursing and are surprised when they encounter them. Some react well to those challenges; others don't. It's up to you to prepare yourself and then again up to you whether or not you can thrive as a nurse or not.

Guest219794 · Nov 17, 2017

Since you are in the field, you see a lot of negativity.

Think about those people you see spreading negativity? Are they generally upbeat, positive people, who somehow become negative when they walk through the doors? Unlikely. They would be carrying that baggage wherever they go.

Do well in school.

Work your tail off at work.

Ask questions, read a lot, get certifications.

Then, you call the shots as to where you work.

Pick an environment that matches your personality and goals- All the negative people have already done that.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2017

Your limits are going to be pushed beyond any other job will everyday if you're doing it right. That's why emotional, physical, and intellectual exhaustion are common place. Not everybody can rise to this standard everyday[/Quote]
While it can be mentally/emotionally exhausting (I had a sudden onset of sobs last night, thinking about the pt I cared for a few days ago)... I'm pretty sure there are a few firefighters and military personnel who would beg to differ with the above quote.
I think part of it is some employers are truly dirtbags. When you require a nurse to stay an extra shift -- with no thought of her children or pets or elderly parents or her own well-being -- because YOU failed to plan for sick calls, on threat of abandonment... when you don't plan accordingly for a nurse's legally entitled breaks AND refuse to pay for that 1/2 hr because the nurse "failed to manage her time".... when you deny PTO for not putting the request in a whole YEAR in advance... You are a dirtbag!!
Part of it is in general, we tend to be more vocal about our gripes than our joys. That's not unique to nursing. My teenaged daughter is a rower during summer and fall, and most days practice was "Fine." or "Good." On days where their practice resembles boot camp? "Aaah we had to do 2x6K on the ergs and a 2K really FAST!! Can we get some Epsom salt on the way home?? Aaahhh my muscles are on FIRE and I had to use my albuterol TWICE!!! Can you bring my dinner to the bathroom?
I'm staying in the tub until bedtime!!" My husband and parents don't typically talk about work at all unless it's to vent.
Nursing definitely has it's must-vent moments, even for those of us who DO like our work. Throw in a site like AN where there's almost a million people who get it? See where I'm going?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 18, 2017

I love being a nurse. I chose this on purpose. :) I was a desktop publisher/graphic designer who volunteered as a paramedic on the side. I had an epiphany (after I hit a deer on the highway) that I needed to change my life. I chucked my corporate life to be an ER tech, and then I became a nurse. I have no regrets, though I probably should have done it sooner - but all things in good time. Best of luck in your journey to be a nurse, OP!

Why so much Negativity in Nursing?

Is nursing worth it?