? Why are people saying that nursing is tough? i dont understand whats so hard about

bagladyrn, RN · Sep 21, 2008

thanks tweety...
Ehm... is their anyway i can sign up somewhere to "shadow" registered nurses on weekends to see how it is in first person ... to get a better description..
And what did your nursing program require when yall tryed to sign up for the program(as in grades and such..)
because wow 500 people reply and only 70 people get accepted.. no wonder their are nurse shortages.. Its bs..
my grades in highschool are the following
Freshmen year GPA 83
Sophmore year GPA 60
Junior year GPA 84
Senior year GPA 82
^ Overall..........
and i have no clubs/sports that i am in...
Should i start looking for other careers because their may be a chance that i may not get accepted into any nursing program?

What you may want to do, to help you be accepted in whatever field you decide upon, is to sign up for your general ed courses (English, math, etc) and concentrate on really "acing" them your first year. If you do this you will be able to show that you are serious and have matured since your sophmore "goof-off" year, and are motivated enough to put out the effort.

NurseyPoo7 · Sep 21, 2008

..... i tried doing research but i am not really finding anything. i just get a brief paragraph of what rn's do. the best thing of my research taht i did was finding this site..... so can you guys plz help me so i dont make a big mistake.
what do you yall do daily as an RN.

Call your local hospital and ask about shadowing a nurse for a day!!! You will follow her (or him!) around for a day and you will see exactly what she does!!!

Also, have her take you to other units, like ICU, ER, Pediatrics, etc.... You will see a LOT more than just taking pulses.

And you will see us being responsible for more tubes, drains, IVs, etc than you could ever imagine would fit on a persons body!!!

KyPinkRN · Sep 21, 2008

thanks tweety...
Ehm... is their anyway i can sign up somewhere to "shadow" registered nurses on weekends to see how it is in first person ... to get a better description..
And what did your nursing program require when yall tryed to sign up for the program(as in grades and such..)
because wow 500 people reply and only 70 people get accepted.. no wonder their are nurse shortages.. Its bs..
my grades in highschool are the following
Freshmen year GPA 83
Sophmore year GPA 60
Junior year GPA 84
Senior year GPA 82
^ Overall..........
and i have no clubs/sports that i am in...
Should i start looking for other careers because their may be a chance that i may not get accepted into any nursing program?

This may not be what you are looking for, but think about taking some classes part time and working as an EMT for a while. I think it really did help me when it came time to get into nursing school. You will also get valuable experience in relating to patients and assessment skills that are the toughest part to learn when starting your career. It's not exactly the same as being a nurse, but it will help you in the long run. Plus you can have most of your prerequisites knocked out by the time you get in. Most EMT classes are six months, then you take a test in the same format as the NCLEX and you are lisenced by your state. You could also take a CNA class if emergency isn't for you... then you will see up close what nurses do on a daily basis. These are both good places to start for someone your age who isn't sure about nursing. The plus side is you can make money doing both things and find out if nursing is right for you. Any questions feel free to PM me.

alyx · Sep 21, 2008

:chuckle

Ah...ignorance IS bliss afterall. No offence intended.

RNgonewild · Sep 21, 2008

Why don't you go volunteer at your local hospital or nursing home? Then you will see what nurses do. Good luck.

casi, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2008

I'm with everyone else. Go take a nursing assistant class, volunteer in a hospital or nursing home, or check out some of your local hospitals to see if they have shadowing oppertunities.

I would also suggest reading around on this message board for real stories from real nurses.

pinksugar · Sep 21, 2008

and i didnt think rn's can be responsible for peoples lives. i thought they just treat little injuries. like broken fingers/burns/take ur pulse and such..

:chuckle Uh, no. I have never treated a little injury, actually. The last patient I took care of was a young man in his late 20's. He had congenital kidney problems and was in acute renal failure, sepsis, severe congestive heart failure, and he also had endocarditis. He was on continuous renal replacement therapy and every drip known to man and his blood pressure was still dropping like a brick. He was dying, and is dead now. That is the typical patient that I care for. You think that is an easy job? You think you can look a dying person in the eyes everyday and go home thinking life is balloons and roses? Think again. Ask any ICU nurse - I guarantee you that he/she can tell you an equally sad story about any one of their own patients.

Babs0512 · Sep 21, 2008

No dear, nurses have people's lives in their hands every day. It is the nurse who spends time with the patients, the doc make their rounds and then they are gone, usually until the next time they have to make rounds.

It is up to the nurse to assess the patients, recognize potential deterioration, follow their labs, xrays, ultra sound results, etc... and put it all together. After doing so, hopefully the nurse will be able to make an accurate judgment as to whether or not the patient is stable or potentially unstable.

I am ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) certified and PALS (pediatric advanced life support) certified. I have run many cardiac arrests or "codes" by myself over the years, when there was no doctor available. I gave or ordered meds, would tell others to continue chest compressions, monitor Respiratory therapy and how the patients airway was, order labs, etc...

The primary purpose of the nurse is to advocate for their patients, to be their go between with the doctors, to speak for them when they cannot speak for themselves. Sometimes that means saying to the doctor "I don't think raising their Morphine will help, I really think the patient needs ........." or saying to the doctor "are you SURE you want to order 50 units of Humlin R insulin? That's a pretty hefty dose?" or calling the doctor and saying "John Does vital signs are stable, lungs are clear, however I've noticed they are beginning to third space (fluids seeping into places it shoulden't, between body cells in extremeties, the lungs, or abdomen) I'd like to slow down on the IVF, get some labs, perhaps give some lasix as his urine output is poor..."

The doctor isn't with the patient, so he/she has to depend upon the nurse and the nurses assessment. It is teamwork with every patient. Nurses work with Physical therapy, respiratory therapy, MDs, speech therapy, etc... as the patients spokesperson, to make sure the patient is getting whatever they need to get better.

It's a VERY, VERY difficulty job, physically hard work, mentally hard work, but as rewarding as it is exhausting.

If you really want to be a nurse, then go for it. To be honest, I wouldn't encourage young people into the profession. Nurses are taken advantage of, have little to no representation, little job security. Your manager will be glad to let you know you are replaceable. You can make a decent wage for a 2 year grad - but believe me, you will WORK for every cent you make.

Good luck to you

Blessings

Jelet · Sep 21, 2008

What does EMT stand for? And how do i go on about taking classes for this. And what part time job can i do as a EMT while i am in highschool/college?

And thanks for all the replies guys.

P.s. Dam.. i really dont think i can get like a 90 and above in all of my pre requist classes on my first year of college... Grrr. i really want to help people and make a good living. but this is bs. that its so hard to get into a nursing program. I really dont know what to be now/study in college. Are their any other similar careers that make a decent living that arent so hard to get into?

And i serously want to help.. Im not one of those people that just want the money.. I volunteered at my animal shelter over the summer last year . I am a caring person... And i will do the work.. As long as its explained to me correctly.

And ok sure the nurses deal with peoples lives.. But if you studyed and know about the pills that you give them/iv's and all that. Then you should be fine when you are well educated..

blueheaven · Sep 21, 2008

What is so tough about being a nurse?
i am thinking about being a registered nurse and it seems like a great career. but alot of people complain that its hard and such.. whats hard bout it?

:uhoh3: :lol2: :roll:smackingf

Read through the forums here and educate yourself. Ask to do a shadow day or two at your local hospital.

This job is not like what you see portrayed on TV or in the movies. It's long hours, stressful situations dealing with patients, families and other members of the healthcare team. Dealing with smells, odors and not pleasant visual stimuli (like person with weeping, open wounds. It was sometimes not being home with my kids on holidays. Afterall hospital nursing is 24-7. Nursing is many, many things but it isn't easy. It has also given me many things that are positive too. Can't see myself doing anything else.

I :redbeathe my job...most days...lol.

Jelet · Sep 21, 2008

and i forgot to add. I volunteered at a animal shelter last year during the summer... I witnessed some of the animals being put to sleep. I wasn't their when they were euthanized.... But , i walked the dogs and i sort of bonded with some of them and then a co-worker said its been a month and this dog hasnt been adapted and they were going to euthanize it.. And i missed them and felt bad. But i can deal with it.. i understand.. so yea.... not sure if this will help u with nursing..

Babs0512 · Sep 21, 2008

EMT stands for Emergency Medical Technician. They are they men and women who work on an ambulance and respond to emergency calls.

They're are varying degrees of EMT's, basic, EMTIII, Paramedic.

They are the "first responders" to accidents or home 911 calls. My husband is an EMTIII.

Best wishes

Babs