Would you advise anyone to get into nursing?

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I'm going to make the most of my license, but I have faced the facts. My advice: Run far the other way.

I say run far away from this field! CNA for 2 years, LPN for a year and a half, hopefully RN sometime within the next year. I am taking a break from work right now because I am so burnt out already. Maybe itll get better with my RN. I wished I had become a history teacher instead :(

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I guess I will ask again, what exactly is it that you dislike about nursing?

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It IS better for some people than what they were doing before. There are a lot of different personality types up there, some love a busy high-stress job and have a need to be "needed."

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No. Actually, I would feel horrible if I did. Nursing as a profession really is in a sucky place right now. What about 4-6 years from now? Nope. In ten years? who knows, maybe that's enough time for some kind of change, I hope for the better.

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I say run far away from this field! CNA for 2 years, LPN for a year and a half, hopefully RN sometime within the next year. I am taking a break from work right now because I am so burnt out already. Maybe itll get better with my RN. I wished I had become a history teacher instead :(

Well, then why are you pursuing a degree as an RN if you think others should run away from it?

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Thanks NamasteNurse. I just got admission into nursing school and all the negativity was starting to weigh me down and make me re-think my decision. I have a pretty decent job which pays well but nursing is something which I've always wanted to do. Im also older (in my 30s) and I've held many postiions and I know no job is easy. You have to earn your paycheck. No hand holding. So I dont think its anyone's position to discourage others from pursuing what they want to just because they hate "WORK"!. If you really dislike it that much you could try to do something different ...like trained to be a history teacher or something. Thanks NamasteNurse

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

I love being a nurse! For me, the decision to change careers to nursing was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.

I am a relatively new nurse too. I spent a year and a half as a bedside nurse in a pediatric hospital, and have now switched to public health nursing, which I've been doing for about 9 months so far.

The adjustment from student nurse to working bedside nurse was definitely a difficult one, and for the first few months there were definitely moments when I didn't like my job (as someone else said, all jobs have those moments!), but it got better, and by and large I really enjoyed bedside nursing.

The reason I didn't stick with bedside nursing is because working hospital hours -- even after I was lucky enough to switch from evening shift to day shift -- didn't work very well for me as a single mom of a school-aged child. I've now switched to public health nursing, and am loving this job too -- on most days that is. There are definitely aspects of my current job I don't enjoy, but on balance there are more things I like than dislike about it. I enjoy working with kids and their families (I'm now working with foster kids and their caregivers), but don't enjoy the mounds of paperwork I sometimes am buried under. All in all though, I think both my previous job and my current job are great -- good pay, good benefits, a job that feels worthwhile to me, and most days interesting and fun too.

Would I advise others to go into nursing? I would never presume to know what career is the right choice for another person, so no, I would never advise either for or against nursing as a choice for someone else. What I try to do when asked is to present an accurate portrayal of my own experience, including caveats about the negatives (e.g. disabusing people of the notion that RN = guaranteed job -- we all know that's not true but many members of the general public still believe this myth).

I think it's great that those of you who are unhappy with nursing are sharing your experiences too -- hearing from people on all sides of this issue presents a more balanced picture. As others have suggested, I think it would be more informative to others considering the field if you shared specifics about why you don't like nursing.

And as someone who spent far too many years working in a (non-nursing) field which I didn't like before making the big switch all I can say is, if you really don't like nursing and don't see that changing, then think about what you'd rather be doing and do what it takes to make the switch!

Just my $0.02 !

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Specializes in They know this too!.

I say yes and no. If you have the money to pay for schooling then go for it. No, if you are taking out a loan and can't find a job fast. I mean when I graduated I already had a job, before I even took my boards that is how easy it was. Miss those days.

As for the job itself, to me it is stressful depending on where you work, but time flies. Well if it is an 8 hour shift. You definitely have to learn as you go. Not anything like nursing school.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Interesting thread.

Being that I'm coming up on 5 years (which seems incredible to me) and newer nurses are now looking to me for guidance and support (which I really love...I hope to teach someday) I've been thinking about my own thoughts regarding nursing lately. At first I got into nursing for 3 reasons:

I wanted a profession where I could make a decent amount of money without having to be in school for 6+ years (I already had my BA when I went to get my AAS in nursing).

I wanted a profession that allowed me to move and/or travel all over the world and work in many different capacities.

I wanted the assurance that even if, somewhere down the line, I decided to switch careers or not work for a while I could always have something to "fall back on."

While I struggled with my decision my first 18 months or so out of nursing school, I don't regret my decision. I still maintain that the money is very good, the profession is extremely portable, and while many of my friends have gotten laid off or been unable to find work I've gotten a steady paycheck.

Do I do it just for these reasons? No, of course not. I think I would be miserable. But, while it is incredibly physically demanding and emotionally taxing it also has some incredible rewards. And the beauty of it is that, even though I'm beginning to feel burned out, I'm applying to grad school so I can advance my career and work in a different nursing capacity. I don't think any other career offers so much flexibility.

I don't try to "sell" nursing to anyone. As a previous poster said, everyone is unique and I can presume to know whether or not a certain career choice is good for one person or another. I do give my opinions and say things like "have you considered nursing" or "I'm not sure you'd be a good fit for nursing."

But just as all work environments are different, people are different as well.

What is it you don't like about nursing? Perhaps it's something that could be changed by working in a different environment.

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

There are some people I would advise to go into nursing- It depends on how much I dislike them. When I got out, nursing got marginal pay, no respect, and we were just starting to demand our rights in the workplace. Now, after almost 30 years on the job, our pay is a little better, our level of respect is worse, and instead of a brighter future that we all saw in the practice of nursing, there is a black hole that our best and brightest are fleeing after only a few years in practice. No one wants to be a "staff nurse" anymore. Advance practice, CNS, CRNA, Nurse Prac..... All escape shoots to "get away from the bedside". There are a few good nurses left at the bedside, but with the pool draining of the staff with the drive, brains, and committment to get an advance practice degree- the ones left at the bedside are not seen as important, nor are being treated with any kind of respect. With that in mind- knowing to have any future in Nursing you are going to need a MS or better, can anyone say they would advise a high school senior to look to nursing? There are a lot of more intresting Masters degree based career paths to consider.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Would I recommend it? Yes. I like what I do. It is often stressfull and infuriating, but I hear those compliants from anyone who works for a wage for someone else. It isn't for everyone, but those who like taking care of people while using all their thinking and scientific skills, YEAH, I would recommend it.

After 30+ years, I would do it again. I went back for an advanced degree after 20 years of it. I teach it now, parttime, while staying at the bedside. I do good work, which is personally satisfying. I make a difference in what I do (as opposed to work that seems insignificant, not that most jobs are....), which is professionally satisfying.

I am proud to say that I am a nurse.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
There are some people I would advise to go into nursing- It depends on how much I dislike them. When I got out, nursing got marginal pay, no respect, and we were just starting to demand our rights in the workplace. Now, after almost 30 years on the job, our pay is a little better, our level of respect is worse, and instead of a brighter future that we all saw in the practice of nursing, there is a black hole that our best and brightest are fleeing after only a few years in practice. No one wants to be a "staff nurse" anymore. Advance practice, CNS, CRNA, Nurse Prac..... All escape shoots to "get away from the bedside". There are a few good nurses left at the bedside, but with the pool draining of the staff with the drive, brains, and committment to get an advance practice degree- the ones left at the bedside are not seen as important, nor are being treated with any kind of respect. With that in mind- knowing to have any future in Nursing you are going to need a MS or better, can anyone say they would advise a high school senior to look to nursing? There are a lot of more intresting Masters degree based career paths to consider.

Agree

However nursing is still better then a lot of other career choices

If we compare the opportunity and conditions to those of 20 yrs ago to present ....then nursing is not as good as it used to be.

Fewer jobs

It is less portable

It is less flexible - harder to change specialties

We receive less respect

We will never have those golden years back.

It seems obvious an advance degree helps to lift one out of the drudgery bedside nursing has become

However I note those roles often doesn't offer much more money - if any.

Poignant reminder of the lack of respect. The prospect of no weekends /nights/holidays is supposed to be my reward for completing a masters degree.

Crumbs.........

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