Some perspective on nursing profession bashing

27 All,
I've been here a little over a month. Since that time I have read hundreds and hundreds of posts and have learned so very much from all of you. I've been cheered on, supported and given great advice. I've also been ridiculed, yelled at and called names. So, in the grand scheme of things, I think I've been baptized by fire into the whole AN community and all in all I'm glad to be here, even though I threated to quit several times!
Many of the posts directed either towards me or others in my position (applying to nursing schools) have given the advice to basically run as far away as you can from nursing. The downfalls of the profession (or labor as some call it), have been made crystal clear to me. In the advice given from some of the very unhappy nurses here have been to look into other health related careers. Go into OT, PT, SLP, anything other than nursing! So, respecting the opinions of the experiences nurses here, I started thinking about that and started visiting some OT, PT, SLP message boards to make sure that I was fully informed on what I was about to undertake.

And guess what...they all hate their jobs too! At least the ones posting do. The OT board had very unhappy people and many were telling potential OT students to get out, run and go into nursing! The PT board was better but still had people lamenting all the money they wasted on education to then have to be dealing with insurance companies - and I used to be a speech therapist (not masters level...basic speech therapist for people with disabilities) so I know how many people hate that. The friends I have in IT told their kids that they won't pay for college if their kids go into computers, etc....
It was great perspective for me to get because I needed to see that no profession is perfect ,and what is good for someone else may very well be horrible for someone different. I am SURE there are many OT's who love their jobs. Just as I'm SURE there are many nurses who love their jobs. I've come to realize that I need to take the negatives on here with a grain of salt. Sometimes it's just the same nurses posting about how horrible it is - it took me a while to put that altogether because I didn't pay attention to user names. That doesn't diminish their experience and I do take their experiences to heart along with the rest of the big picture. So I am grateful to have heard both sides...except that I much more often hear the negatives than the positives, and maybe that's just the nature of message boards. Regardless, I am glad to hear both sides.

So, while I am certainly not trying to offend ANYONE and I have tremendous respect for ALL of the nurses here whether I agree with them or not - I am posting this (trepidatiously) as simply an antectdotal bit of opinion that the grass is always greener on the other side. I needed that perspective, and maybe someone else can also use it to fortify their decision to go into nursing. Visiting the other sites really helped me to focus my heart and my wants and desires for my career, so for those of you who recommended that - I have to say thank you - although I'm pretty sure you expected a different outcome!
The secret is out. I love my job, I've had jobs I hated, people I didn't like, just plain crazy days, but I do love nursing. I love the fact that I"m not stuck at a desk all day, I love the fact that while there is paperwork, I get to run around and be hands-on. I like thinking about things and problem solving. We all vent, it's hard to know if you'd like nursing until you try it out. Different facilities can make a big difference. I'm sure if I worked on an understaffed unit, with ancient equipment and coworkers who hate their job and everyone else, I would hate it.

Hey, nursing is my second career and I love my job, even after bad shifts. Kudos to you--it is hard IMHO to keep from being negative on this site at times because the happy stuff never needs a vent!

Well, it has its good days and bad. Unfortunately, yesterday I had a bad day with a very manipulative patient. But, to balance that out I also took care of a double amputee pt who was very grateful for everything I did (pain management, fluid boluses to improve blood pressure, taking time to talk to him, educating him). Participated in dressing change with the vascular surgeon who took the time to explain some things to me. Also had another pt who came in with pneumonia and flash pulmonary edema. Took care of him from admit to discharge. I always love seeing how they improve over the course of their hospital stay. Lots of education and very thankful for all we did. So when things aren't going so well I focus on the positive aspects of my other patients. You have to or you will burn out. I've been doing this for 5 years and still I learned several new things yesterday. Sometimes you also just have to find the right place for you. I love where I work, the people I work with, and my manager. I've never been able to say that before.

IMHO any career is like that. I'm beginnging my 2nd career as an LPN - I'm graduating on Friday (YIPPEE!!) and I am entering this field with my eyes wide open.I currently work in customer service and let me tell you there are days when I literally want to just walk out the door because it just plain sucks! The way you have to look at it is that there are really good places to work and really bad places to work in whatever career you are in.

Quote from rn undisclosed nameWell, it has its good days and bad. Unfortunately, yesterday I had a bad day with a very manipulative patient. But, to balance that out I also took care of a double amputee pt who was very grateful for everything I did (pain management, fluid boluses to improve blood pressure, taking time to talk to him, educating him). Participated in dressing change with the vascular surgeon who took the time to explain some things to me. Also had another pt who came in with pneumonia and flash pulmonary edema. Took care of him from admit to discharge. I always love seeing how they improve over the course of their hospital stay. Lots of education and very thankful for all we did. So when things aren't going so well I focus on the positive aspects of my other patients. You have to or you will burn out. I've been doing this for 5 years and still I learned several new things yesterday. Sometimes you also just have to find the right place for you. I love where I work, the people I work with, and my manager. I've never been able to say that before.

I love my job as a public health nurse, and I enjoyed my job working in a pediatric hospital too -- except for the hours, which sucked for me as a single mom of a school aged child. I'm one of the lucky ones who was able to switch to a nursing job that is a better fit for me than my first nursing job.Good luck with nursing school, and with your nursing career!

So, respecting the opinions of the experiences nurses here, I started thinking about that and started visiting some OT, PT, SLP message boards to make sure that I was fully informed on what I was about to undertake.Would you mind sharing some of the links you found for OT and PT? My dtr is interested in those areas, so it would be helpful.I've been a nurse for 30 years . Some days are good, some days are bad. Some jobs are good; others aren't. It's important to know where your personal limits are because when they're reached--time to move on. It's also important to make nursing a part of your life-not your whole life. (that way you have other things to think about during those staff meetings, lol)You're right--perspective is the key

i have had jobs i just loved, with fabulous managers and colleagues, and some that weren't so hot for one reason or another. some were great fits, some not so much. i love what i do now, hope to do it until i retire (if i ever get to retire) and overall would do it all again in a heartbeat. well, except for one or two of those crummy ones. but even there, i learned some things.

op, that was a smart decision, to check out other professional bb's.i imagine it really would put everything in proper context.i wish you well.leslie

Quote from NanikRNSo, respecting the opinions of the experiences nurses here, I started thinking about that and started visiting some OT, PT, SLP message boards to make sure that I was fully informed on what I was about to undertake.Would you mind sharing some of the links you found for OT and PT? My dtr is interested in those areas, so it would be helpful.I've been a nurse for 30 years . Some days are good, some days are bad. Some jobs are good; others aren't. It's important to know where your personal limits are because when they're reached--time to move on. It's also important to make nursing a part of your life-not your whole life. (that way you have other things to think about during those staff meetings, lol)You're right--perspective is the key

You did your research and didn't take other people's word for something simply because they said so. Sounds like critical thinking to me Good job!

Quote from jlpsui started thinking about that and started visiting some ot, pt, slp message boards to make sure that i was fully informed on what i was about to undertake. and guess what...they all hate their jobs too! at least the ones posting do.