I graduated from nursing school 13 years ago and now I'm wondering, sheesh, can anyone can get into nursing? Can anyone get a license to work? Is the NCLEX failing anyone?
Pretty good pay attracts many and schools seem to be passing anyone through to fill the job openings. It is not an academic group so far in my experience which I think is so weird because I think medical issues are very complicated and difficult-- pathophysiology and understanding multiple organ system function/failure-- heavy stuff.
I am sadly disappointed by the caliber of some of the nurses. I've been working over 10 years in the hospital setting and I still feel I don't understand so much and someone with 1 year experience acts like they know it all. So what is in their head? I think taking care of sick people is a huge responsibility. So much to be on top off. Just being aware of what changes to be concerned about-- you know, when someone is going bad. Much responsibility. This is a serious business, nursing and most go to work to socialize. It makes me so angry.
Second issue, but not less important is that the majority don't want to take care of patients- they whine and complain -- so much negativity. Yes, if it wasn't for the money, they'd be out of there. They don't appreciate having a job and not being unemployed-- come on, have they looked at the unemployment rate? Too many have gone into nursing for the pay. The "caring" factor is down at the bottom of their list or just gone. I feel sorry for the patients. I have very hard shifts- up to 10 med/surg patients sometimes and it is so stressful. But really you gotta try to treat the patients like you'd want your family to be treated. Bring back the :heartbeat to nursing!
Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
i am going into nursing because i really can't imagine myself doing anything else. i graduated with a ba in english and philosophy/religion and worked at an advertising agency for three months.... and it made me miserable. now i'm finishing up my nursing prerequisites and will be starting school next spring or fall.
was money the deciding factor in my decision to become a nurse? absolutely not!
however, i do plan on getting married and having a family someday, and know that i need a job with a good income so that i can support myself and my children on my own if necessary. i really hope i won't ever have to go through a divorce or lose my husband, but i am choosing to take these worst-case scenarios into consideration because i feel that financial independence is very important.
i realize that nursing will be a very difficult/exhausting profession, but i know it's what i want, because if i'm not working together with others and helping those in need, i feel like there's something missing from my life.
i am volunteering on an oncology floor right now, and am required to volunteer a minimum of four hours a week.... this past week i volunteered sixteen hours because i missed the patients! .....so no, it's not "just the money", especially since i'm not getting paid yet! :loveya:
that's really nice, volunteering on an oncology floor, missing patients. sounds like you have a good heart. the world needs more like you. but here's my thought on that-- being a nurse actually gives you very very little time for your patients. it is 90% (if not more!) filling out every form management can think of to show we are doing our job. sign this, initial this-- to prove we did something. and we end up rushing through being in the room with the patient because we need time to do the charting.
i start feeling nervous if i am with a patient for more than 5 minutes at the beginning of a shift-- i am there for a quick look to make sure they are breathing, alive, not bleeding, iv not swollen like a baseball, not in any trouble. on to the next 7 to 9 patients- by then if report finished at 7:30 and it really took just 5 minutes per patients, it is already almost 8:30. and that is if i didn't see a puffy iv, 2 or 3 people didn't need to go to the bathroom (techs are going around doing vitals so they can't be bothered), someone needs pain medicine, someone's having chest pain... at 8:30 i go back again to do assessments and meds. and by the time i've seen everyone, sometimes it is after 10- or 11pm! like this weekend before i got to my 7th patient. but i left him for last because he didn't have 9pm meds. thank goodness.
so sad because for instance, there are so many elderly patients who just want to chat. well i don't have time for that! okay, i make time, but really i don't have time! maybe after my shift is over.
Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
i can tell you that where i work all of our new grads passed the nclex. i have a hard time believing it's 'harder' than the 2 full days of testing that was the norm in years past. (ok, dark ages!). what i am seeing though, is nurses that can't start ivs, can't mix iv meds, mix up drugs, hook up a simple 3 lead ekg monitor wrong, have no idea about foley care, etc. etc. etc. even worse, some of them don't ask, but 'pretend' to know- and this can be a very dangerous situation. we have had to let several new grads go due to what management called "incompetence"- passing the boards does not a nurse make. good preceptor programs are a must, but if the basics aren't learned in school new grads are at a disadvantage w/out that solid foundation. i would advise any new grad to take an ekg class, iv cert. class, and whatever else your hospital offers- this is far more useful than the socialization i'm seeing around the nurses station lately!! there seems to be a lack of seriousness about the profession - too much joking/levity- - this is the time to learn- ask questions- research, school may be over, but working is where the real learning begins!!
anononurse, so true. why pretend you know something?!?!? that endangers the patients! so true! passing the boards does not a nurse make! experience, being taught by a caring experienced preceptor is needed. it is part of the nursing education. graduating shouldn't be the end of learning.
which leads me to another thought-- there is a veteran nurse on my unit-- super intelligent, caring nurse. this nurse is hardly used to precept. it is the more "popular" younger nurses precepting. nurses who have worked only 2 years, 3 years! can you believe that? i don't get it.
they can "teach"/pass on procedure, what/how we do things on the floor, what the routine is, how to use the computer, charting, but not "here's how you know when someone is going bad", "here's what labs to pay attention to", caring for a chf patient to avoid "he sounds bad, his fluids are going at 150" in the same breath, not to start an iv in the inner wrist because you can cause nerve damage! ... hmm, what else?
Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
i think that current nursing education focuses more on theory and pumping information to prepare the students for the exam (nclex), but do not really seem to focus on the clinical component. and, i noticed that compared to the past, clinicals are only a day or two on the unit with just a few patients. not realistic! i can see for the initial exposure, but i believe that as they move on in the program, the amount of clinical time and patients should (realistically) increase. there is a 10 month vocational school program (lpn) that has two weeks of class and two weeks on the unit. those girls graduated and work rings around many of the other new grads, because they were used to it by then...only having to adjust to a particular facility. many nursing programs years ago in my area focused that way as well.
i assume this happened because of the non-competitive wages of clinical instructors (amoung other things) that slowed this down. a student that was deluded to think that life is that easy with their two or three patients are suddenly slammed with as many as 12 on a med-surg floor (this is what is happening with the rns in my hospital). and, along with dealing with the apathy of the senior nurses, they are being confronted with "what did you learn in school??". our education is far different than theirs and it shows in many cases the minute you hit the floor. i felt that i knew nothing!! it took my own critical thinking skills to survive. sure, i see many nurses seeking for plush conditions to work in because i think that some of them are deluded.
i graduated from a 4 yr program. totally unprepared for floor nursing-- so unbelievably unprepared. clinicals were a joke-- we got one patient to take care of! one! no experience giving shots, much less starting ivs-- that was against policy. and i will admit after all this time, i am still very uneasy about giving ims. no picture in a book can prepare you for all the different size/shape behinds you see in real life. after i was hired, though i kept asking for help, i never really learned to my satisfaction. it seemed everyone did it differently and i just didn't know who to believe. thank goodness those aren't ordered much. (i usually go for the vastus lateralis.)
critical thinking-- this patient is complaining of this, when should i be worried?, planning your work to make sure you get 10 patients care organized-- who do you see first? fresh hip/knee, fresh open chole, fresh hyster, chfer, cva, chest pain? -- that would have been a great class. not care plans, not nursing theory. what's that fluid coming out of that abdominal incision? out of that drain? is that normal? how come it hurts here? we get hit with all these questions the physicians don't have time to hear much less take time to answer. but we don't learn that stuff in school- we learn how to write absolutely worthless care plans.
i know this is off my original question of why people go into nursing-- just couldn't help it.
thanks so much to all who've responded so far. interesting reading. :)
Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
well, they aren't letting incompetents graduate at my school. of the original 50 who began with me in level one, only 23 made it through and graduated. they really tried to kill us with logical and analytical thinking, especially in the third level. that's where many failed out. the 2nd and 3rd levels were designed to weed out all but the most die-hard students. and the nclex does fail people. i passed after 75 questions. i also graduated 2nd in my class. i've always been a very scientific thinker and love critical thinking (although you wouldn't have heard me admit it back in the third level.) anyway, the nclex has evolved more than you know. i realize that a while back it used to be divided into different sections and on different days, which is tough also. but this generation's nclex is composed differently. besides all the regular questions, it also has those "alternate format" questions. in these, you have to either select all that apply, click on the appropriate area of anatomy, drag and drop items, etc. and it's computer adaptive testing, which evaluates more efficiently which level of ability you are functioning on by adjusting the questions to suit how you answered the previous ones. it was not easy. i don't know how the people you describe are getting into nursing, but i am sorry it is happening. good luck!
thank you for that kind "i am sorry and good luck."
it is good to hear that your program sounds challenging.
i wonder if i would be able to pass the nclex if i took it now?
I am sadly disappointed by the caliber of some of the nurses. I've been working over 10 years in the hospital setting and I still feel I don't understand so much and someone with 1 year experience acts like they know it all. So what is in their head? I think taking care of sick people is a huge responsibility. So much to be on top off. Just being aware of what changes to be concerned about-- you know, when someone is going bad. Much responsibility. This is a serious business, nursing and most go to work to socialize. It makes me so angry.
dear i hate med-surg,
i totally agree with you when it comes to the issue of people not really taking nursing seriously, there does seem to be alot of nurses out there who are into things other than the pt at hand. However i must say that as a new RN i have experinced uncaring behavior from BOTH experinced and unexperinced nurses. As a nursing student i, a many times was paired with a experinced nurse who openly showed distain for not only me but for being a nurse. Famous saying that i heard often was" why in the world are you going to school to be a nurse, if I had it to do over i wouldn't!" These same nurses would admit to being a nurse for 20 or 30 years. Before finishing nursing school, i was a CNA for 14 years and i loved evry moment of it!(Even very bad times, they taught me humility), I am not knocking neither old or us new school nurses, i think that we all can stand to learn from each other and for the ones who don't want to be in the field they need to step aside and find something else to do!
Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
i don't see it as being one way or the other. you can care about patients and want to make a good living. we work very hard and i don't think we are paid enough for all we do. i don't like the mindset that just because we help people for a living that we shouldn't be interested in the money.
really i didn't mean that nurses shouldn't be interested in the money. you got my mindset wrong. please, we all need to eat and have a roof over our heads, not to mention clothes and vehicles! as a matter of fact, i think (great) nurses should be paid more. i mean when i work shifts like the ones i just finished, double time is deserved i think. my point was that i am seeing nurses who just don't seem to want to take care of patients but are still coming to work-- so why? because the pay must be good-- why else?
i have co-workers who are consistently in bad, awful moods when they come in, don't want to hear my report, say out loud how they don't want to be there... but they're there-- so it's the pay that keeps them coming back?
but crazy enough these co-workers who i know don't take care or care about their patients as much as they should are the ones getting recognized for wonderful charting!!! it makes me shake my head in disbelief. stars for great charting but their report to me about each patient is one sentence. they spend their time on their behinds at the computer and don't try to learn about the patient but yet they have excellent paperwork.
Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
i am sadly disappointed by the caliber of some of the nurses. i've been working over 10 years in the hospital setting and i still feel i don't understand so much and someone with 1 year experience acts like they know it all. so what is in their head? i think taking care of sick people is a huge responsibility. so much to be on top off. just being aware of what changes to be concerned about-- you know, when someone is going bad. much responsibility. this is a serious business, nursing and most go to work to socialize. it makes me so angry.
dear i hate med-surg,
i totally agree with you when it comes to the issue of people not really taking nursing seriously, there does seem to be alot of nurses out there who are into things other than the pt at hand. however i must say that as a new rn i have experinced uncaring behavior from both experinced and unexperinced nurses. as a nursing student i, a many times was paired with a experinced nurse who openly showed distain for not only me but for being a nurse. famous saying that i heard often was" why in the world are you going to school to be a nurse, if i had it to do over i wouldn't!" these same nurses would admit to being a nurse for 20 or 30 years. before finishing nursing school, i was a cna for 14 years and i loved evry moment of it!(even very bad times, they taught me humility), i am not knocking neither old or us new school nurses, i think that we all can stand to learn from each other and for the ones who don't want to be in the field they need to step aside and find something else to do!
thank you nursebabygirl. (congratulations if you're a new mom!)
the uncaring behavior is both from newer and older nurses. i'm glad to hear how you loved every moment of being a cna. i do agree that those unhappy in nursing should find something else to do. maybe management? well, that's another thread. :)
I can tell you that where I work all of our new grads passed the NCLEX. I have a hard time believing it's 'harder' than the 2 full days of testing that was the norm in years past. (OK, dark ages!). What I am seeing though, is nurses that can't start IVs, can't mix IV meds, mix up drugs, hook up a simple 3 lead EKG monitor wrong, have no idea about foley care, etc. etc. etc. Even worse, some of them don't ask, but 'pretend' to know- and this can be a very dangerous situation. We have had to let several new grads go due to what management called "incompetence"- passing the boards does not a nurse make. Good preceptor programs are a must, but if the basics aren't learned in school new grads are at a disadvantage w/out that solid foundation. I would advise any new grad to take an EKG class, IV cert. class, and whatever else your hospital offers- this is far more useful than the socialization I'm seeing around the nurses station lately!! There seems to be a lack of seriousness about the profession - too much joking/levity- - this is the time to learn- ask questions- research, school may be over, but working is where the real learning begins!!
First off let me start by saying that i LOVE nursing and there is nothing better than having a "old-school" nurse giving you advice. Experinced nurses are a wealth of information and i have nothing but the upmost respect for them.The one thing i dislike though is how SOME experinced nurses show no respect for what new nurses have to offer. Medicine and nursing changes everyday and things that you might have done 1,5,or even 10 years ago are no longer correct(nursing-based research). However when approroaching some experienced nurses, with updated facts they tend to blow new nurses off and make statements like "well i've done it this way for years and it works",not looking at the big picture. we have to come together.
I get what you are saying , but be careful not to assume that "all" new nurses are that way.... i myself came from a very intense 2 year program. They "dropped" alot of people if you did not pass your labs. Every school is not the same, i feel like where i came from prepared me for what was to come; Learning does not stop once you finish school, it is a career-long process. As far as what goes on around the nursing station, that is a direct reflection of your nursing leadership. Where is the manager? There is nothing wrong with taking time out of your day to speak to your fellow co-workers or even share a joke, but the time used standing around the nursing station can be used to shave the man down the hall who has'nt been shaved in three days, or combing the lady's hair who has had a stroke and can't comb it herself, and has always been particular about her looks. I dunno maybe my head is in the clouds, but i have always felt as though nursing is about more than being able to qoute facts and figures or trying to learn everything over night... that's impossible. ( i know that not all older nurses are this way) but instead of "clumping" everybody in the same boat, or passing judgement, lean down and offer your help, don't be critical we all can "learn" from each other.
thank you nursebabygirl. (congratulations if you're a new mom!)
the uncaring behavior is both from newer and older nurses. i'm glad to hear how you loved every moment of being a cna. i do agree that those unhappy in nursing should find something else to do. maybe management? well, that's another thread. :)
hey that's a good one.. i believe that is where they go!!!
As children, as we grow up and mature our parents tell us "Go to school, get good grades so you can get into a good college." Then as college approaches it changes to "Study hard in college so you can get your degree and get a good job." Then as college starts we are told "Pick your major wisely so you can have a solid career when you finish." Then as college graduation nears it becomes "start job hunting now because competition will be fierce come May. You want a good job with great pay..." Basically all our lives we are prepped for our lifelong jobs, with a definite emphasis on MONEY. It would be very hard for someone NOT to consider a certain career's income generating potential when weighing their options. I guess I don't fully understand why this continues to be up for debate. Going into nursing for job stability, money, or flexibility does not make one a bad nurse. It makes one a wise planner in my opinion.
I love nursing. I keep leaving and somehow find my way back. I love nursing so much in fact that my DH and I are currently taking a special class so we can accept a medically fragile foster child into our home. Then I get to "nurse" 24 hours a day. :redpinkhe But I guarantee you this: I would not be a nurse if I could not make my schedule around my family, make a decent wage, and have some level of job satisfaction. I have no shame in saying that, and I dare someone to call me a bad nurse for admitting that money plays a large part in me doing what I do. I have six children in my house right now. They can't eat on compassion alone.
Specializes in Im interested in ob,L&D, crna, and np.
Not a nurse yet, but going to nursing school. Everyone is not in it for the money. There are some people who just love to care for others. To be honest, Im going into nursing for the care of patients and the money. Im not totally focused just on the money, but I have a future and a son to think about. If you really want to make it in this lifetime, you have to choose a good profession. Times are so hard and there getting harder and harder. As they get harder, I want to have a good career to support my family because I want one or two more children later in life when Im married. Don't get me wrong , but I love to help people and care for them. It really makes me feel good when I can help a person.
zoo*moon, BSN, RN
66 Posts
that's really nice, volunteering on an oncology floor, missing patients. sounds like you have a good heart. the world needs more like you. but here's my thought on that-- being a nurse actually gives you very very little time for your patients. it is 90% (if not more!) filling out every form management can think of to show we are doing our job. sign this, initial this-- to prove we did something. and we end up rushing through being in the room with the patient because we need time to do the charting.
i start feeling nervous if i am with a patient for more than 5 minutes at the beginning of a shift-- i am there for a quick look to make sure they are breathing, alive, not bleeding, iv not swollen like a baseball, not in any trouble. on to the next 7 to 9 patients- by then if report finished at 7:30 and it really took just 5 minutes per patients, it is already almost 8:30. and that is if i didn't see a puffy iv, 2 or 3 people didn't need to go to the bathroom (techs are going around doing vitals so they can't be bothered), someone needs pain medicine, someone's having chest pain... at 8:30 i go back again to do assessments and meds. and by the time i've seen everyone, sometimes it is after 10- or 11pm! like this weekend before i got to my 7th patient. but i left him for last because he didn't have 9pm meds. thank goodness.
so sad because for instance, there are so many elderly patients who just want to chat. well i don't have time for that! okay, i make time, but really i don't have time! maybe after my shift is over.
thanks for your reply. best wishes to you!