Yes, it does take less time to become a nurse but, in 1 hour, a lawyer makes what I earn in a 12 hour shift. I don't know about pharmacists but, for lawyers, the extra time in school does pay off.
You need to be good at your job to like it, and nursing takes longer than most professions to become proficient in, so there are a lot more nurses who don't like their job or end up quitting because they assume its "not meant for them" when in reality they would probably end up liking the job a lot if they put in a few more years of purposeful work aimed at bettering themselves as a RN.
I feel like I am putting my nursing license that I worked hard to earn working in critical care and having to have a 3 patient assignment in an ICU. How is this safe? Family members and patients are so needy and heaven forbid you don't get to their call bell right away. There are family members who will follow a nurse into another patient's room to get their attention. You put your foot down and set limits and they complain. It is to the point you lose the compassion of of wanting to help and care for the sick.
I certainly agree. As bedside nurses we have to deal with the patient, family, doctors, personalities, supply room that isn't filled, managers who aren't on our sides, all of which are taxing. At the same time we are told to put a smile on our face and follow it with my pleasure. I love my job, I only wish it was more nurse driven.
If properly staffed, led by managers who weren't delusional about a functional workload, speaking with polite families who didn't have a Google degree, not dealing with the "me first or I'll call the newspaper" client, and staff that had a work ethic.... If all this happened, I'd love my job.
Because that's not real life, I'm counting down the months until retirement.
I think a lot of people hate their jobs for different reasons. In the inner city hospitals of my area people are unhappy because they are treated poorly by patients and families. They are understaffed. Their pay is much lower than other areas in the country. And nursing can at times be a highly stressful job where being appreciated is a rarity. I don't think most of the people I talk to hate nursing though. It's more the circumstances that go along with the job at times.
What I can't stand anymore is that patients are now "customers", or consumers of health care. And they are running the show. Our boss was on the phone with a patient's mother for days, making sure she was satisfied, and telling her to be sure to call if she had any problems with the ER staff again. The problem? Her daughter, (who had been through rehab twice), did not get pain meds. The patient's PMD had specifically instructed that the patient not be given pain meds. And that's just one incident, there are many more. Keep those patient satisfaction survey's coming.
I will tell you why I love nursing. I love seeing a child come in super sick and then get better. The stories I could tell. I love babies and all that is involved with them and their unique physiology. It is rewarding to see that healing process and to see that it was a team effort of many people coming together to make it work. I love the mystery aspect of figuring out what is wrong and why. I love challenging cases that are interesting. I love the way the human body can react and adapt especially in children. I love making a difference for a parent that is stressed or just needs some support with basic understanding of children. I love it when they listen and it makes a difference for that child. I love the technology and the evidence based practice that we are now initiating because it supports what we do. I have a daughter that is being paid $15/hour to manage a Starbucks. She came home in tears last night from the workplace stress she's under, the mean spirited boss, the nasty customers, and trying to manage people. It just goes to show you that everyone is trying to run businesses with as few people as possible. I am probably on my feet as much as my daughter is. I get paid a whole lot more than that. For some reason, I believe that many nurses think that nursing is a dream job because of the higher pay. Like so many today, they want to sit and do nothing and get paid for it. LOL The minute things get tough, they are ready to quit. And that is not just work. It is other things as well. How about sticking it out and getting beyond that moment? Nursing is stressful at times. But to me, it is a stress that has a better feeling of accomplishment than making a cup of coffee not to say that this is not a worthwhile profession. It is. I am just saying that I am encouraged when I see someone healed because we intervened. In the olden days, children died of many of these illnesses.
I find it amazing how all nurses LPN's RN's and CNA's around the country are complaining of the same thing and no one in Corporate, Legal or socially cant see. And all these nurses are related to someone and hear the complaints. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING !!! SEE AND DON'T SEE HOW FAR DOES IT GO. MY NEXT QUESTION IS THE STATE SURVEYORS CAN'T SEE EITHER.
I find it amazing how all nurses LPN's RN's and CNA's around the country are complaining of the same thing and no one in Corporate, Legal or socially cant see. And all these nurses are related to someone and hear the complaints. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING !!! SEE AND DON'T SEE HOW FAR DOES IT GO. MY NEXT QUESTION IS THE STATE SURVEYORS CAN'T SEE EITHER.
I don't have the foggiest notion what you are trying to convey. :what:
Actually being a nurse is a dedication, a passion and commitment. Yes there are people who are born nurses and some have studied nursing but it is not in their hearts, so they get burn out easily. We must remember the reason why we are doing what are we doing. We have a purpose which others cannot do, and it is on our hands to be the best healthcare that can be.
Here is the link that talks about the RN wages
[h=3]Answers to Your Questions About RN Income Across the US[/h]
"You cannot do these types of jobs because you're a compassionate person. That can't be the reason. Because there will come a day when you won't feel compassionate, even if it's just for a day. And then you have to decide to be a professional."
You asked if higher pay would lead to higher job satisfaction. I don't think I have to be a nurse to know that no, this is not true. Nurses make enough to live comfortably and to support families. More money would equate to more fun off the clock, but not to more satisfaction while working.
The biggest reason grad school looks appealing to me is not because of the increased pay that would come along with it. It looks appealing to me because I see how stressed nurses are, I hear my friends complaining about being understaffed, I hear nurses stating that they don't have time for lunch or bathroom breaks, I see nurses and aids getting treated like **** from patients and family members. Nursing takes a lot out of a person and money doesn't replenish what was taken.
I hear you about grad school and am in no way trying to discourage you from pursuing that avenue. I don't know what kind of nursing you want to do post grad, but I'll give the example of our nurse practitioners we work with in sub-acute rehab and nursing homes. They are stressed beyond belief. Constantly being on call for the MD, always being the one woken up, numerous times, in the middle of the night, interrupted during family time...They signed up for this lifestyle, so I don't necessarily feel sorry for them, but I do respect the heck out of them for the tremendous responsibility they take on. Trust me....I'm hear the stress in their voice, I see the stress on their faces. I'm close enough to some where they feel comfortable enough talking about it. Intense stress. Intense responsibility.
For your own sake, please don't downplay the stress of post grad nursing careers.
mcRNBSN2b
1 Post
Yes, it does take less time to become a nurse but, in 1 hour, a lawyer makes what I earn in a 12 hour shift. I don't know about pharmacists but, for lawyers, the extra time in school does pay off.