Worth it?

[gbpack]

Hi- I've been working at a hospital in southern WI for the past few years. I'm very close to graduating as a RN however, I beginning have doubts about the nursing field. The stress, patients, MD's, family members and other problems that nursing deal with on a daily basis really seem to burn people out after while. I feel like nursing staff is a "shock absorber" for the patients and all the many complaints they have in a day. I disappoints me to see the lack of appreciation nurses get. I just want opinions- its this career worth it.... do the good days outweight the bad? I'm young and don't want to dread my job everyday. any comments are appreciated! Thanks!!

[42pines]

Indeed, nurses can be a shock absorber for the patients and for family, though the complaints should not be directed at them, and nurses can do quite a lot to help patients and family cope. If the workload is appropriate dealing with issues that frustrate your patients and their family can actually be rewarding. Yes, a few patients or family can "kill the messenger," but I have not found that common.

And many patients, family and places give appropriate appreciation so my question here is why is there no sense of appreciation where you are working? There are good places, and horrid places to work depending upon quite a lot of factors. Find a good place and yes, most days are rewarding, and yes, some days will be not so good, and some terrible, about the same as any job.

But there are places that are run poorly, where understaffing and support lacks. It would be easy to say: "well, just quit--find another job." But in reality these days doing so is not always so easy.

I enjoy my job as an Occupational Health Nurse. I enjoyed it as a Med/Surg nurse, and I loved it as an ICU RN until my preceptor was changed and then it turned horrid--forcing me to quit. A job you love is great, and a job you hate is good too-- because you'll quit. It's the inbetween, not so good, but not terrible jobs that I think ar the worse.

Nursing is like a huge city, if you don't like one neighborhood move. There are so many directions that a person can go in the trick is to find out what you like and then find a job where they like you enough to treat you properly.

[gbpack]

Thanks for your response! It makes a lot of sense and is encouraging to know that someone likes their job as a nurse. The hospital that I work at is very large and is respected from the outside community, however internal management, staffing and protocols need a severe overhaul. Thanks again for the response!

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

I like nursing, I'm not a stay in the same job forever kind of gal....and I love that nursing allows me opportunities to really expand my knowledge and challenges continually. It may not be for you, but i like my job. (and all of the nursing jobs i have had.)