Would you do it all over again?

goldilocksrn · Jan 11, 2001

I am concerned for those that are leaving nursing for teaching and teaching for nursing. They are truly frighteningly similar. You can't get the appropriate services for you customers/students/patients, you have too many patients/students, the pay isn't too hot for a college graduate, no reimbursement for educational requirements. I see this as leaving one bad profession for another.

[This message has been edited by goldilocksrn (edited January 11, 2001).]

nurskelli · Jan 11, 2001

Hi KatieD

I have enjoyed reading the stream that your original question began. It is almost 3AM and I got off of my 3-11PM shift at 2AM, I am usually too wound up to go to bed right away. I work with Medicare pts. I love my job. I never dreamed that I would work with this population, but I am quite into it. The baby boomers parents are aging and together we face the situation of our aging parents, oh the pathos of it all. as I read the posts so many things came to mind. First of all, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started nursing school. It was some childhood dream. When I was two years into college I decided that I didn't want to be a "professional" but rather a full time mom, and bagged the whole thing. I enjoyed "mothering" to the fullest, even homeschooled for 5 years. it was great. I had the kind of teens that made you wish you had more (only had 3). I was always a little wistful about nursing, then I realized that at 44 I could go back to school and be an RN in 3 years, now I've been a nurse for 3 years.

I wouldn't have done it any differently, those wonderful years with my kids were the best, and they went by so fast. And now I am a nurse, but I really had no idea what a nurse was. I only knew I wanted to help people, and this was the "helping" job I was attracted to.

The posts you have read tell the whole story so well. It is frustrating. It is hard. There is politics. And there is never enough money and staff to do the quality job that "State" requires you to do. But you keep on because if you don't who will meet the need? Who will give the meds, who will hold the hand, change the IV, catheter, dressing. Who will be there for the family when the end is near. Who will say, "hearing is the last to go, tell them what they need to hear, and that you love them."

Somedays I feel like a failure, somedays I feel like a nurse.

One last thing, this applies to the work we all do as teacher or nurse. When I went into nursing I was most frightened by the responsibility I would carry. I have become facinated with the word "courage". It takes so much courage to make a society. To fly planes, design bridges, protect society from danger, to teach the children, and to be there to give the meds, to assess the patient, to call the doctor when needed. In this society we all play a part, but some of us lay our lives down. We cope with our fears and frustrations and serve. And we are amazing. Gosh I love being me, I am so glad I do what I do and that I have chosen to give what God gave me to others. Hey Katie, seize the day, and give what you have to things that last, like your little guy. Please be the most "there" mom you can be.

Originally posted by KatieD:
El, Thanks for the thoughts. I like the idea of the gratitude journal.

In an earlier post, someone asked what exactly I dislike about teaching... I found something in my e-mail that I think is a nice answer to the question:

Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning.

Not only that, I'm to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, behaviorally modify disruptive behavior, and observe them for signs of abuse, drugs, and T-shirt messages. I am to fight the war on drugs and
sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for guns and raise their
self-esteem.

I'm to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair
play, how and where to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook and how to apply for a job, but I am never to ask if they are in this country illegally.

I am to check their heads occasionally for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of potential antisocial behavior, offer
advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for the cultural diversity of others, and oh yeah, teach, always making
sure that I give the girls in my class fifty percent of my attention.

I'm required by my contract to be working, on my own time, summer and evenings and at my own expense towards additional certification, advance certification and a master's degree, to sponsor the cheerleaders or the sophomore class and after school I am to attend committee and faculty meetings and participate in staff development training to maintain my current certification and employment status.

I am to collect data and maintain all records to support and document our building's progress in the selected state mandated program to "assess and upgrade educational excellence in the public schools."

I am to be a paragon of virtue larger than life, such that my very presence will awe my students into being obedient and respectful of authority. I am to pledge allegiance to supporting family values, a return to the
basics, and my current administration.

I am to incorporate technology into the learning, but monitor all web sites for appropriateness while providing a personal one-on-one relationship with each student. I am to decide who might be potentially
dangerous and/or liable to commit crimes in school or who is possibly being abused and I can be sent to jail for not mentioning these
suspicions to those in authority.

I am to make sure ALL students pass the state and federally mandated testing and all classes, whether or not they attend school on a regular basis or complete any of the work assigned. I am to communicate frequently with each student's parent by
letter, phone, newsletter, and grade card.

I'm to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a 45 minute or less plan time, and a big smile on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps in many
states.

Is that all?

And you want me to do all of this and expect me to do it without
praying?

hahn80 · Jan 11, 2001

It's amazing to see all the insightful comments about nursing. It inspired me in many ways. To KATIE, I just want to tell u "GOOD LUCK" with your decision. I don't have much to say since I'm only a student myself in a BSN program.

I didn't know much about nursing when I first began but I thought of it as a noble profession and I was very excited about being in a nursing school. But I'm afraid I can't say that now as I go in to my third semester. After learning, hearing, and experiencing the behind stories,I'm having ambivalent feelings about the career more and more.

Everyday, I think about other profession I COULD BE in. We all know for a fact that there are better paying jobs for equal amount of education. But in the end, I come back to nursing as THE one because despite the hours, politics and low pay, I figured it's the best way to fulfill my dream of helping people and making a difference.

I don't know if I'll be ever confident about my choice to be in this field. Like many of you, I hope I can someday confidently say that "I'll do this again in a heartbeat".

KatieD · Jan 11, 2001

NurseKelli,

Thanks for your response. I wish we could afford for me to take the time off and be an at-home mom, but unfortunately, that's beyond possibility. Lots of people post about rotten hours. I have no idea what your situation is like, but the place where I am planning to go works three 12-hour shifts per week. This would allow me to be with my family a lot more than I am right now. Even if I put in overtime, I'd have 3 days off a week. As it is now, I have hardly any time with them due to the fact that my teaching contract has been violated and I am not allotted the planning time I'm supposed to. So, I do all that at home. There is a class-action that the Teacher's union filed, partly on my behalf, because of all the violations (that's only one very small corner of this iceburg).

SO, to say that I know nothing of working many hours and not seeing my family would be false. Also, I have no idea what the pay situation is where you all are, but I can tell you that what I'd be paid hourly as an RN would be so much more than I'm getting now. Right now, I work 10 hour days, and also put in countless hours on weekends/weeknights once I'm home. However, I'm only paid for 6 3/4 hours of work.

To actually be paid for the time I put in would be such an enormous improvement. Also, with the nursing shortage, people are saying how they're doing the job of 2 people.... I feel your pain. I was hired into my current position to replace two full-time teachers. I was flat out apologized to by the Asst. Superintendent today, who is the person who oversees my position, and I was told there won't be any changes next year because of the budget. Not only that, because of the way the proficiency testing is going, and the fact that people who know nothing of education are making all the laws, the persons in my position may all be forced into other jobs before too long.

I am sure that politics plays a part in every profession. I don't expect that to change. I do, however, expect that I will be paid for the hours I put in. It would also be nice to have the instruments I'd need to do my job, because right now, I'm not provided with those.

I have been asked by many people to stay in teaching... so I have decided to go to work for the local hospital sometime soon, and see what I think of it. I may do VERY part-time for right now (which means 12 hour shifts on my weekends).... and if nothing else, it will help pay the bills, and maybe even give me money to pay for more courses (regardless what field they're in). I guess this way I'll have some idea, however small, of what's out there, and I can make up my mind about next year with a more informed decision.

shannab · Jan 12, 2001

From the frying pan into the fire?

Goldilocksrn expressed concern about the exodus from teacher to RN and vice versa. I've wondered about it too. Someone else earlier talked about how our country seemed to place such low value on the "noble" professions while sports figures/hollywood types got such huge rewards. I've thought that too for years.

Katie made another good point: materials. I'm assuming that once I'm a nurse and I'm told to start an IV, that I'll actually be provided with the equipment I'll need? If starting IV's were part of a teacher's job, that teacher would be expected to supply the needles and lines out of her own pocket!

Hahn - I do hope you find contentment in nursing. At least with nursing I feel that we will have so many options of what/where to work. So if you get out there and really dislike your job - do it for awhile - and look elsewhere. The possibilities are endless. Especially with the nursing shortage - we do have choices!

KatieD · Jan 13, 2001

I agree, Shanna. In my current position, I have taken over the positions of two full-time people from last year. The district had to pay for it, so they hired one person to replace two. Both persons were in their positions for long periods of time (the shortest being 15 years), so most of the materials were their own personal belongings.... which leaves me with almost nothing to teach from.

However, my job depends on whether, with no materials, I'm able to get the lowest kids in class (who don't yet have IEP's, but most are on the list waiting to get one) to pass proficiency testing at the same rate as the average students in class. What an amazing feat that would be, if it were possible. It may be possible with the proper teaching tools.... too bad they aren't provided.

I'm not sure, because I've only been in one profession, but I would imagine they're all stressful. My quest has been to find out whether people in the nursing profession would do it all over again. So far, the only people who don't seem like they would, are people on this board. Perhaps I am lucky to live where I do... because I've spent time around many nurses in the past 8 months.... and, as I said before, all but one would do it again. The 1, I never asked, because I wished she hadn't done it in the first place.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll be one of the ones who says "I wish I hadn't done this"... but I sincerely think I will enjoy nursing, and helping people in that manner. I'd like my work to be judged on how well I do my job WITH the required materials. I'd also like to be paid for the hours I put in.

Who knows.... I just hope for the best for you and I both, Shanna... we don't live too far from each other, with you in KY and me in OH.... perhaps we're stuck in the teaching cesspools. I wish you the best as you pursue your nursing degree. I haven't started on mine yet, and I'm going to wait until I talk to someone at the hospital before I do. Hopefully this turns out much better than what I'm presently doing.

Jenny P · Jan 14, 2001

Would I do it all over again? Yes, I am one of those people who answer "in a heartbeat." The hours may be bad, the work hard, the politics; etc.; but nursing is the best thing I have ever done. Both of my kids have ADHD; I could work evenings and my husband has a day job, so the kids didn't have to be in daycare. Looking back on it, maybe nights would have been better when the kids were in junior high (my son got into the whole drug scene), but I didn't realize that until later. I now work nights and my daughter is a senior, I think about working days once she, too has "left the nest" and I don't think I will switch just yet. I work an 8-12 mix of hours so I work only every third weekend and my weekend shifts are the 12 hour ones. I don't work full time, and when my kids (and I!) were young, I spent lots of time in the elementary school as a volunteer and had fun doing it. I was raised by a teacher, and when I recently asked my Aunt (who raised me) why none of the 6 of us were encouraged to be teachers, she said I was "too slow" and had already made up my mind to be a nurse. She didn't think the rest of us had the right personality to be a teacher either. I chose a field I love and have never looked back.

shannab · Jan 15, 2001

Katie

Thanks for your encouragement and well wishes. I wish you the same as you make your decision.

I've applied for a 2 yr program which would start in the FAll. I will know if I am accepted by Mar. There are around 120 applicants but only 30 spots so the odds are high. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

It would be a big pay cut - but even if I don't make the program this year, I'm not going to teach another year. I thought I'd try to get work at a hospital in the meantime.

Thanks to all the nurses who shared +'s and -'s here! I think it is good to know what -'s to expect. I recently had surgery and (like Katie) asked nearly every nurse I met questions about their jobs. Most were quite positive.

Surprisingly - the only negative comments came from my doctor. He said he felt like nursing was extremely hard - emotionally and physically. He admitted that he did not think he'd be able to work such hours! He's a cool doc - don't ya think!

ShannonB25 · Jan 15, 2001

ShannaB and Katie,

Just wanted to wish you the very best. Good luck with getting into the program. We need more nurses like you! Please keep us posted as to your progress, ok?

Best wishes,

Shannon

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"The highest reward for man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it."-Johan Ruskin