10 years or longer in nursing?

LilyBlue · Feb 23, 2009

I have been a nurse for ten years and honestly, most of it has been hell. I have plans to leave bedside nursing within the next two years. I basically feel that nursing has become an impossible feat. Between acutely ill patients, demanding family members, uncaring employers and the very real dangers that nurses face...I wouldn't choose this profession again. My understanding is that nursing is a lot better in some parts of the country, though.

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

Yes still happy with my choice...but I am very involved RN. I found a speciality that I love but I have always been a self starter and educate myself. I have always enjoyed learning and must have a profession that allows me to continue to challege myself and learn or I will not be happy. I stay current and read research and work to apply it to my clinical practice and also work to chage existing policy. I have been very effective in doing this in my current practice, I still wish nurses were treated with more respect as I see this has an ongoing problem in our profession

jmgrn65, RN · Feb 23, 2009

I have been in nursing for over 16 years, have changed specialities a few times. But I am very happy and never regretted the choice. There are so many choices in nursing.

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

i've been a nurse 24 years now and yes, it is very hard work. i still love it !!

tryingtohaveitall · Feb 23, 2009

In June I'll have been a nurse for 20 years and I couldn't be more pleased with my choice of profession. I have friends tell me frequently that they wish they'd become a nurse for the salary and flexibility of hours.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

I have been a nurse for 32 years and still love it. When you feel burned out it is time to find a new nursing specialty and re invent yourself.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 23, 2009

I've got 12 years in and have been very pleased with the variety of options nursing has given me, even with only an associate's degree. I've done acute care, LTC, SNF, assisted living, and consulting; I've been a floor nurse, then a care manager, then a DON, and now am back on the floor again. There are very few occupations that offer that sort of flexibility and career mobility. Even knowing how hard it can be, I'd still choose nursing if I had it to do over again.

talaxandra · Feb 23, 2009

In June I, like tryingtohaveitall, will celebrate my twentieth year of nursing - full time, at the same hospital, on the same ward. I work at an acute tertiary referral hospital, so the patients grow ever more acute, and over the years we've changed many staff (but there are half a dozen or more that have been there longer than me) and specialties, which keeps me on my toes.

Medicine is changing so quickly that there's always something new - drugs, conditions, best practice guidelines. To keep myself focused I also do external study - after a grad dip and a couple of masters I'm working on a PhD - but you probably don't want to think about more school at this stage!

There is no doubt in my mind that deciding to train as a nurse was the best decision I've made - I became more confident, competent and out-going, and have found a niche where I'm both comfortable and sufficiently stretched.

I think it's considerably harder for young nurses than it was when I started out - the patients are sicker, and have more comorbidities, ICU stays are shorter, there are more interventions, and more demands on time and energy. I've had time to adjust, but I'm not surprised that those who have a sharply steeper learning curve are daunted by the prospect.

Remember that hospital nursing isn't everything there is - I think that there's a niche like mine (only, obviously, different!) for everyone: home care, policy development, hyperbaric medicine, Doctors Without Borders, set nurse for films and TV, public health, phone advice, clinical nurse practitionerships, midwifery, ICU, psych and agency work while travelling overseas are just a couple of things my friends are doing now.

And keep in mind that for many of us AN is the only place we can vent, secure in the knowledge that at least some of our fellow members will know where we're coming from and not frespond to the statement that every single one of our patients today should have received High Velocity Intracranial Lead Therapy with "but they're sick! I though nurses were meant to be nice." It's not all bad for all of us all the time!

Good luck with your plans :)

prmenrs, RN · Feb 23, 2009

I'm happy--there sure isn't anything else I ever wanted to do, and that's just as true now as it was way back when.

Lots of times, day to day life bites big time. Do you like your patients? Would you be happier w/different group of pts?

Do you laugh and smile @ work? I wouldn't be able to do any job if I didn't have that. Do you like your co-workers? Do they like you?

Find a specialty you value, and a work environment w/@ least SOME positives, and try to cope w/the rest of it.

Also, if you have signs of clinical depression, get it taken care of--and make sure there are no other physical issues. If you feel like Sysiphus (http://members.bellatlantic.net/~samg2/sysiphus.html), try to get your situation changed.

I'll be thinking of you--best wishes!

JessicRN · Feb 23, 2009

Even despite the kind of day I just wrote about, I still love what I do after 30 years. Sure there are days I want to pull my hair out and swear I won't come back. But I always do and do not regret it.

athena55, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

Been an active, working nurse since graduation 1975.

Most of that time has been spent in critical care nursing except for ten years spent in Hospice Palliative care.

Went back and did some time at the VA working in telemetry and intensive care.

Sure there are days that s*** but I have never, ever thought about quitting. As a prior poster stated this is one of those professions where you can practically re-invent yourself. If you have the qualifications you could write your own job description

I would advocate being a professional nurse to anyone (anyone who has entertained the idea and are serious about the sacrifices that being in nursing school entail)

athena