Would you recommend nursing?

bassandtea · Sep 17, 2007

I am in the process of a career change to nursing and have seen the same list of cons come up constantly and am curious to know how many people have worked in other industries/jobs?

Why? Because they are the same things I've seen complaints about in almost every industry/career/job I've known people to work in. Sure there's some differences (sometimes it's the shift work, sometimes something else), but so often from job to job, career to career and industry to industry it's don't do this job because of some combination of what Braggy mentioned.

nyapa, RN · Sep 17, 2007

Exposing nursing students to the joys of our profession in the first year, lets see what the drop out rate will be ?

Good point; they will know whether they like it or not.

Its interesting that Howard has been talked down from making the course a three year programme "equivalent to a nursing degree" (yeah right!) to a one year course for enrolled nurses.

As a previous enrolled nurse I hope the ANF will support them in retaining their method of study. It seems that enrolled nurses are easy game for the government as they do not have their own representative body; although there is the ENSIG within the ANF.

Why? Because they are the same things I've seen complaints about in almost every industry/career/job I've known people to work in.

I don't think it is quite the same. Ppl are leaving nursing for a reason. The govt itself has recognised this by:

1. making HECS payments for nursing remain at pre: 2005 levels because it is recognised as a 'crisis' profession

2. this attempt at moving nurses into hospital based training

There are not many other professions who regularly put up with verbal abuse and sometimes physical assault. I'm not denying the police, security guards and prison officers experience it as well

Pay - nurses are poorly paid for what we do. We do literally have ppls lives in our hands, and we are legally responsible for what we do or don't do. A relative of mine who is also a hands on worker in the building industry earns 50 dollars an hour. Thats fair?

I don't mind getting my hands dirty - if I did, I wouldn't have become a nurse. Shift work suits me. I chose this profession and I don't think, despite the bad things, that I would do anything else; because of the good things that you experience.

But please, don't say that our complaints are the same as every other profession.

bassandtea · Sep 17, 2007

I don't think it is quite the same. Ppl are leaving nursing for a reason. The govt itself has recognised this by:
1. making HECS payments for nursing remain at pre: 2005 levels because it is recognised as a 'crisis' profession
2. this attempt at moving nurses into hospital based training
There are not many other professions who regularly put up with verbal abuse and sometimes physical assault. I'm not denying the police, security guards and prison officers experience it as well
Pay - nurses are poorly paid for what we do. We do literally have ppls lives in our hands, and we are legally responsible for what we do or don't do. A relative of mine who is also a hands on worker in the building industry earns 50 dollars an hour. Thats fair?
I don't mind getting my hands dirty - if I did, I wouldn't have become a nurse. Shift work suits me. I chose this profession and I don't think, despite the bad things, that I would do anything else; because of the good things that you experience.
But please, don't say that our complaints are the same as every other profession.

Just by saying that the complaints are the same ones that I have seen and heard from industry to industry doesn't make them any less valid or real. It also doesn't mean these complaints need greater attention and action taken in nursing than they might do in other professions.

And some of it is probably coloured by experiences that a lot of people I've know have had in other professions where I had a lot of contact with unions and saw some of the ugliest disputes between employers and employees.

veritas · Sep 18, 2007

I think nursing requires certain personal and moral charateristics pertaining to the job. You can't come in to nursing thinking you will make good money or easy money or have a cushy job. I have seen many people fail with such thinking. Most definitely, patience, altruism, kindness, advocacy, tolerance, etc etc is imperative to your survival in this profession.

Cheers!

:balloons: :idea:

nyapa, RN · Sep 18, 2007

Just by saying that the complaints are the same ones that I have seen and heard from industry to industry doesn't make them any less valid or real. It also doesn't mean these complaints need greater attention and action taken in nursing than they might do in other professions.
And some of it is probably coloured by experiences that a lot of people I've know have had in other professions where I had a lot of contact with unions and saw some of the ugliest disputes between employers and employees.

You mention you have seen the problems / disputes between employers and employees. I agree - no form of abuse should be allowed. But the nurse has to deal with ppl/patients, some of who can be abusive. There is no desk to hide behind. I have also suffered physical abuse, and I am definitely sure I'm not the only one. The solution of the employer is, fill out this form, then that form, then write it in the notes of the patient who was aggressive. You don't feel supported at all.

Nurses probably accept this too much.

I think you will find that most ppl on this forum have worked in other industries, to get themselves through uni.

But would I recommend nursing? Yes, because there is something special about watching ppl go home, in control of their situation whether they are well, or have a chronic illness or are palliative. I have been working in paeds recently, and have really enjoyed building up skills with relationships with the children, having none myself. I'm going to miss them.

BRAGGY · Sep 18, 2007

I am in the process of a career change to nursing and have seen the same list of cons come up constantly and am curious to know how many people have worked in other industries/jobs?
Why? Because they are the same things I've seen complaints about in almost every industry/career/job I've known people to work in. Sure there's some differences (sometimes it's the shift work, sometimes something else), but so often from job to job, career to career and industry to industry it's don't do this job because of some combination of what Braggy mentioned.

I am sure there are other industries with difficult industrial issues to face as well, but lets focuss on nursing. It is a fact that there is a chronic shortage of nurses. The nursing students who do graduate are not staying in the profession, many are either leaving for other jobs, or studying to get out of nursing, or are at least considering it. As you will find out once you graduate nursing is such a highly regulated profession. What I mean by this is that the free market powers of demand and supply do not apply to nursing, nurses remmuneration is regulated by the governing nurses award. Once you go through a negotiation process with the government you will know what I mean. The nurses award is in place to keep the nurses wages well below true market value, inturn private hospitals rely on the government negotiators to keep their wage bill low and profits high.

All the federal and or state governments need to do, to address the nursing shortage and stop the exodus from the profession is make nursing an attractive career choice. It is not that hard, allow market forces to determine the value of nurses. 95% of RN's are L1 and once you reach your max in years normally 9 your wages stop increasing. More career opportunites are required and friendlier family working conditions. Penalty rates need to be increased, 50% loading for Saturdays and 75% for Sundays in not enough, 20% loading for night shift and rapid rotation onto nights, is it any wonder that nurses are leaving and potential students are turned away and are just not interested in commiting to a career that has no valued in the community. When I talk about value I am not talking about appreciation of patients or families that you are caring for I am referring to value reflected by society in terms of the perceived value of a nurses determined by their remmuneration and working conditions for the nursing profession.

By the way, good luck with your chosen profession.

Regards

Braggy

Grace Oz · Sep 19, 2007

To answer the title question: Yes.