Would you suggest nursing as a career to someone considering it?

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 2, 2011

Wow, what a shame all these No posts. I really hope those of you who are so miserable with nursing will consider finding another nursing position or another career. Imo it is too difficult of a profession to grin and bear it.

If that happened, there would truly be a critical nursing shortage...

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

run away. far and fast

arelle68 · Jul 2, 2011

I would have posted "No, don't do it" if I had been asked about 2 months ago. I had been in LTC from the time I graduated until then. I have worked 8 hours without getting to eat drink, or go to the bathroom. I have carried a load of 28 patients, some of them acutely ill, with state in the building. I have been abused in all kinds of ways from all different directions: staff, patients, facility. I can't count the times I cried myself to sleep over things I couldn't do for my patients. I have been perpetually understaffed to the point where I could not ensure that my patients were being changed and fed. I have been frightened that my enormous, ridiculously rushed med-passes could not possibly be safe for my patients or my license. I have been sick with stress, and felt like my nerves were wrecked.

Thank God, after years of praying for deliverance, I have a job with a state hospital. It is very, very different form working for a for-profit corporation. The care is about the patients instead of about money. It is a different world. I could do psychiatric nursing for the rest of my life, and love it.

Argo · Jul 2, 2011

It depends on who's asking me but overall I would say YES. I actually love my job. The pay is great, jobs are available all the time all over the country in my specialty and it keeps me moving all day. Im happy to be gainfully employees, make great money, be able to move around when/if I want and be in some great a/c all day.... maybe some of you should work in a warehouse, digging ditches, moving furniture or other harder jobs for $7/hr for a reality check... go to school, give it your best sit and enjoy your life while at work and while away from it.... you will be just fine.

Peole just want something to complain about... if they really, truely didn't like nursing they would do something else. Since they don't, I classify them.as the whiners of the profession. There are some you could hand a gold ring and they would complain that its not platinum....

suanna · Jul 2, 2011

It depends on how much I disliked them at the time.

pale_pilsen · Jul 2, 2011

It depends on who's asking me but overall I would say YES. I actually love my job. The pay is great, jobs are available all the time all over the country in my specialty and it keeps me moving all day. Im happy to be gainfully employees, make great money, be able to move around when/if I want and be in some great a/c all day.... maybe some of you should work in a warehouse, digging ditches, moving furniture or other harder jobs for $7/hr for a reality check... go to school, give it your best sit and enjoy your life while at work and while away from it.... you will be just fine.
Peole just want something to complain about... if they really, truely didn't like nursing they would do something else. Since they don't, I classify them.as the whiners of the profession. There are some you could hand a gold ring and they would complain that its not platinum....

I hope you're not comparing these jobs to nursing because they're not profession. Reality check, compare nursing to physical therapist or nutritionist, those jobs are less stressful than what we do. Its ok to complain. I dont see the problem with venting because it allows others a chance to release their stress from work and warn others of what they dont know. Seriously, we are not whiners. We are just telling the truth and the truth hurts sometimes.

anjana balan · Jul 2, 2011

exactly

Ambitiouz · Jul 2, 2011

No I would not recommend nursing to someone I really cared about. It's an abusive profession period.

beckster_01, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

Last week my 14 year old cousin told me that she wants to be an ED nurse I'm afraid at that moment I wasn't thrilled with my job so I didn't really encourage her like I should've. The fact is is that she is very bright, keeps her life as stressful and busy as a 14 year old can, and has had a lot of experience being in hospitals and watching nurses doing their job between my grandpa and her father being sick recently. So I think she would probably make a great nurse, however since she is so young I just didn't say much at all because a lot can change in 4 (or 8) years. I guess I would un-enthusiastically encourage people lol

86toronado, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

Wow, so much negativity. I have worked in jobs where I was overworked, underpaid, and not respected. Believe me, nursing is a walk in the park compared to most of my previous jobs. I guess it's all what you are comparing it to. If you compare it to a physical therapist let's say, yeah I guess you would be disappointed. But when you compare it to other jobs with the similar minimum education requirements (Respiratory Therapy, Rad tech, Dental Hygiene) I think it's really a matter of preference. I prefer to not spend that much time dealing with people's teeth and sputum, and I don't think I'd really care to look at x-rays all day, so for me nursing was a clear winner.

diva rn, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

Well, I've done both. I am a licensed Dental Hygienist and a Registered Nurse.

Both pay about the same. Hygiene is a walk in the park compared to nursing BUT BORING beyond words. I did it for many years before I became a RN.

But I am one of the ones that would not recommend nursing now.

(Dental Hygiene has it's own set of drawbacks and problems)

qwertyf · Jul 2, 2011

N-O, wouldn't recommend it. If I could do it over again I'd go into PT or OT. Although nowadays you need a Master's or a PhD for either of those. Ran into some OT's w/ 20+ years behind their belt. They just have a Bachelor's, were shocked at the education requirements for OT's now. Really couldn't genuinely recommend nursing to any hopefuls. If you can get a great job in your chosen field, then nursing's great. If you're stuck jobless or scraping the bottom of the barrel and accept an atrocious nursing position out of sheer desperation, nursing sucks.