Would you be a nurse if you knew then, what you know now?

lungurn · Oct 9, 2009

absolutely. there isn't anything else i love to do more, and beleive me it is not always peaches and creme, but i love it and it is all worth it even if you save one or help one patient

YogaloverRN · Oct 9, 2009

Well, I would still be a nurse! I had probably 10 different jobs before I went to nursing school, I started out as an LPN and then got a hospital sponsored scholarship for AD RN. Personally, I love people and I love nursing. I suppose if my situation had been different at the time, I was a single mother raising 2 small sons, and so I was not able to go for the BSN. The school I attended did not offer a BSN program only the Associate program. I currently work in home health and I love going to see the little old folks! My job is hard and stressful, yet every nursing job is! I love direct patient care and can't imagine doing anything else. Except maybe Advanced practice RN but for now, I will just keep doing what I love.

getitstraight · Oct 9, 2009

After spending my first year on a med-surg floor I would honestly say that I would not be a nurse if I knew then what I know now. I applaud all bed-side/floor nurses who truly enjoy their work and are committed to their profession. Thankfully there are many avenues a nurse can purse in this profession that allows individuals the opportunity to find their niche.

snuffyRN · Oct 10, 2009

Yup, I would but I would have gone back to school much sooner! Was a CNA for 17 yrs, LPN for 1 yr and now an RN for 2 yrs. Been working LTC but would like to get in to ER or ICU or hospice. Only other things I would change would be the families! They can really bring a person down!

yanmah · Oct 10, 2009

Yes, yes, yes. I have been a nurse 9 years. Maybe we are lucky in Australia, but in our hospital nurses are treated well (kinda). Have usually worked with good pt ratios. . Yes its frustrating sometimes, but the privilege of helping families (and they are 99.9% nice in Australia if that helps.) and its a cliche but giving comfort, advice, and reassurance makes it worthwhile. The nurses I have worked with all pull in together (minus 1-2 in every place). Maybe if u read some of the stories of our nursing has changed people life on the site. However if you are in a bad workplace, I can understand wanting to get out

susanthomas1954 · Oct 10, 2009

That question really made me think! Yes, yes I would be a nurse. 35 years ago, I wanted to be a doctor. My grades were good in high school, but there just was no money for school. My dad told me that I would be a nurse, and my sister had me apply for an ADRN program in a town whose entire population was less than the graduating class of my high school. A few years later, watching some residents and interns at a large teaching hospital in Kansas City, Mo., I realized: I WOULD HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE DOCTOR! Nursing has taught me to be a good person. If we are truly living our lives to learn, the best career in the world is nursing.

I have attended a number of colleges, gotten a Master's in Religion, and made a fantastic living all my life. I can still look ahead in my career, as well. There are always new mountains to climb in nursing, and you don't have to have a BSN to have your dream career. Those of you who think that ADRN's are only bedside nurses are very wrong. I have supervised in every job I have had. I now make my own hours, and demand a top salary, and find myself turning down DON job offers every year. I am a very good nurse, with good communication skills.

In the end, everyone who knows me knows I am a nurse, and they can put "She was a nurse" on my urn. I am a wife, a mother, a writer, a teacher and a minister, but in the end I think I was born to be a nurse.

lungurn · Oct 10, 2009

don't give up on nursing, youjust work in the wrong place. There are good places out there that appreciate you. And do not let those mean old nurse spit you out,call them out on it. There are rewards to this profession, just look for it in the right place. Spend more time with your patients just chatting and leave those meannies at the desk.

SoundofMusic · Oct 10, 2009

Yes and No. I sometimes wish I would have gone into physical therapy, or speech therapy -- because those jobs are plenty and they definitely have what seems to be a more humane work environment.

I'm also tired of the disrespect. That has to be the number ONE negative. You have a bachelors degree, you were admitted into a selective program for it -- yet you come to the job and are treated LIKE AN IMBECILE -- mostly by the management. Why does it continue? Why are techs who probably barely passed high school treated with more respect than us?

And the lack of breaks. I don't mind the heavy duty work -- I enjoy it -- but I need breaks. I need FOOD. I need a few minutes of peace everyday, but I don't get it. It's getting worse and our ratios seem to be creeping up.

We are also responsible for waaaaaay too much in relation to our pay. We should honestly be paid double for what we're held accountable for.

It just seems to continue and never changes. I've grown a LOT as a person -- intellectually and spiritually, as a nurse. I wouldn't trade back any of that -- but the job is the pitts at times.

I'd have to say no. I would not have gone into nursing based on what I know now. I think I would have saved myself a lot of years of aging and stress. Sorry to say.

I'm into it now, though, and plan to make the best of it -- but I'm getting the heck OUT of bedside nursing as soon as possible. As an older new grad, my body, mind, and psyche could not withstand it for the long term. I really think it's better for a younger person to start in.

ru4rns · Oct 10, 2009

No one said that nursing was going to be a GLAMOROUS job!!!!!!!! The thing with nursing is you either have it or you don't. A nurse cannot decide midstream that they hate their job and decide that it was a mistake. And thus continue to nurse the ill. Because the one that will suffer will be the patient. That is why there are all the problems that are going on with the quality of patient care. I am not saying that the nursing field is perfect, but one must make a decision as soon as possible before the patient suffers. I completely understand that caring for the ill is very stressful but we must somehow put ourselves in their place. Would you like to have someone that HATES their job caring for you when you are at the lowest point in your life? I have read a few scarey things on this post that has me concerned for the well being of the patients, despite all of the logistical problems that happen within the hospital system. If you HATE your job as a NURSE that bad then just leave. The patients would be better off without you. Otherwise suck it up, say a prayer for stregnth, and try to remember why you became a NURSE to begin with.

"When dissapointment weighs on you like a rock, you can either let it press you down until you become discouraged or you can use it as a stepping-stone to better things." - Joyce Meyer -

mustlovepoodles, RN · Oct 10, 2009

No one said that nursing was going to be a GLAMOROUS job!!!!!!!! The thing with nursing is you either have it or you don't. A nurse cannot decide midstream that they hate their job and decide that it was a mistake. And thus continue to nurse the ill. Because the one that will suffer will be the patient. That is why there are all the problems that are going on with the quality of patient care. I am not saying that the nursing field is perfect, but one must make a decision as soon as possible before the patient suffers. I completely understand that caring for the ill is very stressful but we must somehow put ourselves in their place. Would you like to have someone that HATES their job caring for you when you are at the lowest point in your life? I have read a few scarey things on this post that has me concerned for the well being of the patients, despite all of the logistical problems that happen within the hospital system. If you HATE your job as a NURSE that bad then just leave. The patients would be better off without you. Otherwise suck it up, say a prayer for stregnth, and try to remember why you became a NURSE to begin with.

Point taken. But I'd like to point out that nurses CAN decide mainstream that the hate their job and use those feelings as a catalyst to propel them into a different field. It's not a failure on the part of our character if we decide that nursing no longer suits us. Just because we got a degree and spent some time working in the field dosen't mean we're married to nursing for life! Teachers change their minds all the time. So do graphic designers, chefs, architects, and even doctors! I, for one, am tired of nursing. It has been good to me in the past, but it is no longer good to me. Instead of giving me a sense of accomplishment and pride, all I feel is a sense of doom and chaos. That doesn't make me a bad person, and sucking it up isn't going to fix this. I became a nurse because I wanted to be able to support myself and I like to help people. I can accomplish those ends through other means.

Nurselacey · Oct 10, 2009

Just because a nurse does not feel satisfied in her job any longer does not mean that she cannot provide quality compassionate care..I am disappointed in the nursing profession as a whole. I am so bogged down by paper work and meetings etc..I am unable to be with my patients as much as in my opinion a nurse should be...At the first opportunity, I will look for work in another field..However I am an excellent caring nurse..I just do not care for what has become the role of the nurse...It is much to litigious and political...

jessiern, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2009

Just because a nurse does not feel satisfied in her job any longer does not mean that she cannot provide quality compassionate care..I am disappointed in the nursing profession as a whole. I am so bogged down by paper work and meetings etc..I am unable to be with my patients as much as in my opinion a nurse should be...At the first opportunity, I will look for work in another field..However I am an excellent caring nurse..I just do not care for what has become the role of the nurse...It is much to litigious and political...

Agreed. I may not get the same joy I once got from nursing, but my patients are still cared for very well. I consantly have nurses tell me I'm a wonderful nurse, and other nurses love to work with me because I am always willing to help others. I still care for the patients, I just don't enjoy the job because of the above mentioned points and the often overwhelming aquity of patient I am assigned.