Woah!

martymoose, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2012

It is nice to hear that some people do have positive experiences in nursing. maybe it's because there are 1/10 decent facilities that employ nurses ; the rest make the job completely unbearable , and a rediculous liability.Those who do like their jobs are very lucky indeed. I do wonder if it's regional too. Most of the people I work with think their job sucks also, but they stay cause you could go somewhere else, but its still same bleep, different facility.

mustlovepoodles, RN · Mar 7, 2012

I have been an RN almost 35 years and it has definitely been an interesting ride. Best thing i ever did was leave hospital nursing for school nursing. Now I look forward to going to work. I get to work with the nicest people in a positive atmosphere. They tell me(and show me!) their appreciation every day. The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I make a difference in these little lives. Many of our students live in terrible circumstances: homelessness, poverty, broken families,hunger, drugs, gangs, guns, all a part of their everyday existence. For our kids, school is a little oasis in their chaotic lives. I love that i can advocate for these kids. I watch over their eyes, their ears and their teeth. I look after their immunizations, school lunches, and ADHD meds. I help kids with diabetes and asthma learn to become independent with their illnesses. I stand up for kids whose parents abuse and neglect them. And i hand out bandaids and ice packs for all their seen and unseen boo-boos.

I am 55 and i will never work in a hospital again. :w00t:

momof2guys · Mar 7, 2012

I love my job because I care sooo deeply for people. When people are sick or injured their most vunerable. They need some one to care and look out for them and that my dear friends is the nurses (our) domain.....no matter what u do, ur a nurse and that's the most important thang. sooo be proud where ur at and just know that ur the most important care giver that your facility has. :) enjoy your job

jbluehorseh · Mar 7, 2012

i do love my, as with all jobs there always certain aspect of one's job you ether like or dislike. for some this is a safe place to vent. the things we see and do in a shift can take its toll on ones sanity. i hate the management at my hospital, but the reason i say and thrive is because of the amazing people i work with. i do not mean this in a negative matter; can you honestly say that all your shifts have been sunshine and roses. we have good days and bad, it can be fast or famine, it can be a day from hell or a day of spiritual revival. i call it another day in the life of a nurse. it is what we do . kudos to all nurses.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Mar 7, 2012

I've been on both the extreme ends of the love-hate relationship with nursing, and I have to say I really like the middle ground best. :) That is to say, I'm not in love with nursing as I was when I was new, but I'm past the burnout I've experienced in the past and I do appreciate the enormous personal and professional growth that have happened in the course of my career. I've learned that I really can endure a lot more than I thought I could, and that the only limits to the human spirit are those which we place on ourselves.

I also enjoy the standard of living to which my family and I have become accustomed; the upward mobility I've been able to achieve even in the absence of an advanced degree; the camaraderie of literally hundreds of other nurses in the places I've worked (not to mention here at AN!!); the ceaseless quest for learning; the power to touch lives for the better. That is HUGE. There are few things in life more rewarding than to bump into someone you nursed years ago and have them greet you with a big hug and something along the lines of "Oh, I know you! You were my nurse when I had my surgery, the one I told everybody about because you took such great care of me." Yes........that's what still puts a smile on my face after fifteen years, and makes it worth getting out of a nice warm bed in the morning.