Your Favorite thing about being a nurse? Least favorite?

Published

I have a friend thinking about becoming a nurse and I was wondering if you would mind sharing with me your favorite things about being a nurse and your least favorite? I know I might be opening up a can of worms, but it would be great to hear your insights.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in tele, oncology.

Favorites:

Always learning, opportunities to educate others, pays pretty well, able to set my own schedule, warm fuzzies from helping people get well (or not get well in the best way available, if that makes sense...like easing death for our end stage cancer patients), most of the other floor nurses I work with are awesome

Least favorites:

Missing holidays w/my kids, dealing with management, dealing w/crazy patients and families (not crazy as in mentally ill, although that may be a component, but crazy as in they think it's OK to verbally or physically assault me), dealing with a select few docs who just suck and seem to hate their jobs and take it out on me, paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

Favorite things-Making a difference in someone's life, never knowing when I clock in what the night will bring (it's never boring!), those hilarious moments that are completely random, using the skills and knowledge I have, and am still acquiring, to help my patients. The life lessons that I have learned, the challenges that have made me "step up" and be an advocate for my patient, listening to my patient's stories, the way this job reminds me ON A DAILY BASIS how fragile life is, and to let my family

know how much I love them.

Least Favorite- the stress, demanding patients and family members (they can be a trip),

no time for a bathroom run, condescending physicians, other nurses who are completely burned out, or just don't care. Physician orders you can't read. Total accountability with very little authority. The buck stops with me.

All that being said- I truly love nursing, and there's nothing else I want to do. It's the most rewarding, challenging, unpredictable, frustrating job, you name it, but: NURSES ROCK!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

POSITIVE is making a difference in someones life no matter how small or big.

NEGATIVE is the politics.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med-surg.

My number one favorite thing about being a nurse is taking care of people.I enjoy the direct contact with patients.

My least favorite thing about nursing is uncaring nurses.Nurses who are not there for the patients,nurses who came into the wrong profession.There are plenty of other things that I like about nursing and things that i dont but these are the my favorite.:nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Favorite thing about being a nurse:

Watching a patient progress from being really sick until they are stable enough to go to a general practice unit. I work in ICU and I've had some very, very sick patients and I've had the ones that look like they are not going to make it but do.

Least favorite thing about being a nurse:

I hate that hospital administrations want us to provide almost hotel-like care. I hate when people are impatient and rude and use swear words or loud obnoxious voices to get their way. It only furthers my need to ignore them. I hate when visitors come in and demand that I get them a soda...Uh sorry, not a waitress and the vending machine is on the first floor right outside the elevators. I hate that nurses in today's society are still mistreated by doctors and hospital corporations. I hate that we are not paid sufficiently for our amount of work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med surg-oncology-progressive care-Rehab.

The favorite thing to me about nursing is it's very versatile.

Least favorite= High stress

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Favorite Thing: Seeing someone I thought was going to die a month ago eating at Cracker Barrel with their family, having a normal day. He looked up, saw me, and came over and gave me a hug, and told my family I was an awesome nurse. He went back to his table, and I cried into my grits....

Least Favorite: Having a NM who concentrates on everything but what's important (we can't get supplies we need, but my GOD, the world comes to an end if we don't fill out the admission checklist within 24 hours -- not the actual documents we have to fill out, the NM's little form that keeps her from actually having to touch a chart).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

My favorite thing about being a nurse is seeing that pt who had a gun shot wound to the head, come up to the floor being close to death and then being extubated, eating, and moving everything. Still can't talk or follow commands, but seeing him progress from being near death to where he is now is nothing short of amazing. Having a patient asking me "Do you just work in the ICU?" "When I go to the floor will you go with me?" "I don't want to lose you as my nurse." Seeing someone who had a cereberal aneursym recover completely. Making a difference in someones life.

The things that I don't like, the constant stress of not having enough staff. The famlies who are totally crazy and unreasonable expecting hotel like experiences.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry.
F

Least favorite thing about being a nurse:

I hate that hospital administrations want us to provide almost hotel-like care. I hate when people are impatient and rude and use swear words or loud obnoxious voices to get their way. It only furthers my need to ignore them. I hate when visitors come in and demand that I get them a soda...Uh sorry, not a waitress and the vending machine is on the first floor right outside the elevators..

:yeah:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

Fave: Helping people...patient/family teaching...knowing I made a difference in someone's life or situation.

Least fave? Chunky vomit.

Blessings, Michelle

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion