Why are you REALLY going into nursing? Honest answers please.

MandyInMS · May 24, 2004

The original reason I went into nursing was my son..he had asthma in his earlier years and it terrified me..I wanted to make sure I could care for him properly...soooo nursing it was..thank heavens he grew out of it :) ...others reasons..I wanted a respectable profession that I enjoyed and could make a living at.

peachyintenn · May 24, 2004

Ok, I'm a bit frustrated with all of these posts telling us that we shouldn't go into nursing because we need a job and steady income. Sure, I do like to help people, but I need a steady job even more. So, I decided to post a poll to see if we can get some honest answers.

Well, the money will be okay, but I already make 30,000 a year, with benefits. So that ISN"T the reason. I am just beginning, so I hope that in a year it is still what I want to do. I juggled nursing or teaching, but money was definitely the reason for choosing nursing out of the two...

I want to help humanity, work hard, and have 4 days off a week.

peachyintenn · May 24, 2004

I know it sounds sappy, butI wanted a job that was not JUST A JOB, something that I could identifiy myself with. I want to be able to say at the end of the day that I touched someone's life and I made it a little better. We all have to have a way to make money, I am just thankful that I found one where I can give as much(if not quite a bit more) than I get. :chuckle

Not sappy at all, I liked your reason A Lot!:)

Megsd, BSN, RN · May 24, 2004

OOoooh it's medical mondays on TLC tonight:) I love those 2 channels.

I almost forgot about Medical Mondays. I get the impression that TLC has changed into The Trading Spaces Channel -- there's hardly anything else on anymore! Hopefully Medical Mondays will make my mourning the Discovery Health channel a little easier. :crying2:

Meghan

Truly_Blessed · May 25, 2004

I almost forgot about Medical Mondays. I get the impression that TLC has changed into The Trading Spaces Channel -- there's hardly anything else on anymore! Hopefully Medical Mondays will make my mourning the Discovery Health channel a little easier.
Meghan

No kidding...I am Trading Spaced out...I don't get it...it's the learning channel, but all that you can learn about is interior design...and some of it is quite abysmal. yuck.

HyperRNRachel · May 25, 2004

I hate to get off topic but......I hate trading spaces. At first the show was o.k., but then Hildie and Doug went into "let's screw the home owners" mode and it has been down hill from there. And the only thing worse than some of Hildies attempts at design is the fact the host acts like the design is absolutely beautiful. :nono: :nono: On the flip side is ...Ty's new show is so completely awe inspiring. He appears to have a heart as big as those stunning biceps. :)

mariedoreen · May 25, 2004

I have a genuine interest in and love for people. I have worked in the medical field since high school. The first 10 years in a pathology lab, and then when we moved I worked as a certified pharmacy tech and then (after I'd already gone back to school and was working on nursing pre-reqs) I was offered a job working for an insurance company and I thought, you know, I've never worked anything but health care... maybe I just think I love it because it's all I know. So I took on the insurance company rep position to see what it was like to do something different. The day I realized that my favorite part of the job was visiting with our customers and hearing about all their medical problems was the day I quit worrying about what my "calling" was.

Now, that said, I ALSO choose nursing because of the incredible diversity and opportunity that's available. I choose it for the challenge and the skill that's required, I choose it for the job-stability, and I most definitely choose it for the money.

LittleCatB · May 25, 2004

I must admit, I probably would be choosing a different profession if the job security and flexibility wasn't there. Also the idea of a living wage!!! I've never had a reliable job that made more than 8.50 an hour. (except for a few waitressing jobs- but yuck) The idea of entering an ADN program, and being done in 2 years was also a big draw. As a mom I had to consider all of that.

and I love the idea of working 3 days a week.. and having flexible hours, and the possiblility of overtime if I want it. the thought of working the occasional Christmas doesn't upset me.

and, not to sound cheesy, I wanted a job that would help humanity... What I was going to school for before seemed like a totally selfish choice, and I really struggled with that.

I work in a group home now and I feel really good every day with what I do, making those ladies lives a little better. It would be really nice to be paid a living wage to do it. :)

I also see nursing as a noble profession, it will be a proud day when I can call myself a nurse. But I wouldn't be doing it if the other benefits weren't there. We hafta eat. :chuckle

Bethany

HisTreasure, BSN, RN · May 25, 2004

- My favorite channel on television for the year we had digital cable was the Discovery Health Channel. I love the surgery shows, the Diagnosis Unknown where the CDC gets to help track down epidemics, Impact, where they show awesome diagrams of exactly what happened and all the neato technology that goes into making them better, etc. I think it's absolutely fascinating. I think after the fifty bazillionth time my fiance said "Geez, you watch that channel so much you should just go to nursing school or something" kind of clicked.
Meghan

Discovery Health rocks! (I don't feel like such a "nerd" anymore!) My husband will be downstairs watchin the history channel, I would be upstairs watching 512 (Discovery Health!). I love the Paramedics show, Diagnosis Unknown, and Lifeline. Discovery Health used to have a nurses show, but I believe it may have been cancelled? I also love The Residents that comes on TLC.

manna, BSN, RN · May 25, 2004

I think they must have only taped a couple of episodes of that Nurses show. I love Discovery Health too, but don't watch it anymore since I don't have cable/satellite.

My reasons are similar to most of the others - job prospects, decent pay, tremendous variety of opportunities, and the fact that I'm fascinated by the human body/healthcare in general.

I didn't receive the divine calling (or whatever you'd like to call it) that so many seem compelled to the field of nursing by. I agree that I don't think this makes one any less of a compassionate nurse.

Truly_Blessed · May 25, 2004

Discovery Health rocks! (I don't feel like such a "nerd" anymore!) My husband will be downstairs watchin the history channel, I would be upstairs watching 512 (Discovery Health!). I love the Paramedics show, Diagnosis Unknown, and Lifeline. Discovery Health used to have a nurses show, but I believe it may have been cancelled? I also love The Residents that comes on TLC.

I was looking through the TV guide, and it seems that nurses airs at like 2 in the morning. What a joke! I am totally bummed about that.

NursePru · May 25, 2004

My reasons in random order are: I want a job that is flexible, challenging, rewarding, that pays well and has various opportunities. I also like the idea of having the knowledge to make sure that my loved ones get good healthcare. I like helping people in general and LOVE the idea of wearing scrubs to work. I work in an office environment now and hate having to put together different outfits for the week and trying to make sure I don't repeat. I think I would enjoy fashion a lot more if I didn't have to worry about it everyday.

I like the idea that with nursing you can continue to grow and learn in a new area or be happy where you are and grow there. Its actually very flexible despite the fact that sometimes you have to work holidays.

The pay scale to me is decent because I don't make that much money now. I know the type of work I do now is easy in comparison, but I'm willing to work hard....Just pay me so I can afford to live on my own! I don't expect a 6 figure salary EVER, but I would like to be able to support myself and maybe a family someday.