Registered: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 9

i'm in my 3rd semester of an r.n. program and i will tell you the "only" area of nursing i'm interested in is E.R. (i use to be an E.R. tech & loved it).
if e.r. doesn't work out for me for whatever reason, then i'll probably stay 1yr. to get experience and move on to office nursing, because med/surg nursing is pitiful!!!!!
i HATE my med/surg clinicals & if that was the only area of nursing i would quit right now!!
.....i don't know for sure, but i think "most" of the nurses posting are med/surg r.n.'s.......although i'm sure any area can have issues due to staffing, ect.

good luck to you!

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 5

I'm considering going into nursing as well. Currently I'm in IT - as a Network Admin. I hate it for a million reasons, and find the nursing complaints very discouraging.

Have you ever considered the possiblity (er.....likelihood) that happy nurses don't talk on "I hate my job" forums?

I hate, hate, hate being in IT, but that doesn't mean that millions of people wouldn't love it. It's just not for me.

So thinking about this, wouldn't we be better off reading about nursing in on www.ilovemyjob.com?

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 9

<<<<I hate it for a million reasons, and find the nursing complaints very discouraging>>>>>

this is NOT a positive forum by any means and i only stumbled on to it yesterday, but i will say that MANY nursing students are disillusioned when they enter the r.n. program. decide they hate it and quit (after doing all their pre-reqs) or stick w/ it cuz they are stuck & have no choice because of bills, loans, ect.

so, if you want to be sure nursing is for you (or kinda sure at least), then i suggest shadowing an aid on a med/surg floor, becoming an aid, or volunteering, but don't go through all the pre-reqs, ect. just to find out it's not for you!.... and don't think you won't be doing the duties of an aid when you're in school, because i'm here to tell you "you will"!....baths, wiping rear ends, cleaning puke, you name it you'll be doing it. soooooo, w/ that being said, i am telling you the truth, not trying to discourage you!

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 5

Thanks for the reply dijmart.

I've spent quite a few hours volunteering in the ER. I still can't say I really appreciate or know the ins an outs of nursing. I do see them running around a lot.

Let's take it one step further. What's the consensus on advance-practice nursing; nurse-practioner or nurse-anesthetist, for example?

I greatly appreciate any thoughts you have.

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 9

first, being an aid or shadowing one on a med/surg floor (not e.r.) will give you a better understanding of what r.n. school has to offer.
now w/ that being said....if you can handle 6-7 yrs. at least of school full-time, then being a advanced practice nurse would be much better all around in my opinion, than being a staff nurse (4 yrs. for a bsn, then 2-3 yrs. to get the msn).

an advanced nurse practioner can diagnose, treat, and has prescriptive authority, so they can funtion much like a dr. in many areas.
unfortunately, i can not tolerate that much more school at 36 yrs. of age & also i have a hard time w/ a full-time school load, so for me that option is out (although i did consider it).

nurse-anesthetist is a totally different arena.....there are only a few schools for this depending on where you live, you must have a bsn to get into a program. you also need 1-2 yrs. of critical care (icu) experience to get into the program and have grades that are impecable! but if you can achieve all that and get through the program, you will be making more $ than any other r.n. ($90,000/yr easy) .....but that's because you'll have HUGE responsibilty.

anyway, i feel that for myself, it may only be a matter of finding my niche. hopefully E.R. will be it , if not, i'll move to maternity, icu, office, ect. until i find something i like or can tolerate, because i have to continue (bills) ..... but, i know i won't be on a med/surg floor....NO WAY!!!

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 5

I'm in Chicago. We've got a couple schools that offer Master for Non-nursing majors. So basically I could enter the masters program without any additional schooling. I already have the pre-reqs. I'm 37.

I realize I'm going to start with the same pay and status as a new graduate from any other program, including those with an associate's degree, but I'd already have my masters making the prosses of getting to an advanced level much faster.

Additionally, the same program does offer nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetists. Realizing I'd have to take several years off to meet the requirements of having X years of ICU or general RN experience, I could return to the program and finish.

What I don't know is whether I will have the desire for that additional schooling after I get out, or whether I'll even be admitted. I'm known for understanding/learning the material, but I don't necessarily get A's. I don't know.

What I do know is that I hate being in IT. It's a dead field. Since the bubble burst in 2000, there's nothing in this area for me.

I've considered a lot of other careers, but most of those didn't work out (not qualified, etc.).

Now, some people have recommended I look into becoming a medical/surgical assistant (NOT a technician), which requires 1 year experience as an RN, and then additional schooling after that.

Got any advice on being med/surg assistant???

I really appreciate your thoughts.

Regards!

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 9

are you referring to registered nurse first assistant (RNFA) in the O.R.? or are you referring to surgical assistant in the O.R.? they are two VERY different things.

-RNFA is an assistant to the surgeon, they have to be an r.n. & then go on to a "first assist" surgical program, become certified and actually help the surgeon DO/perform the surgeries (cutting, stitching, ect.) and i don't know if you need prior o.r. experience?

-SURGICAL ASSISTANT is basically a "scrub nurse" (they hand off instruments to the surgeon, but don't perform any of the sugery) & the qualifications for a scrub nurse are either lpn, r.n. or certified though a 2 yr. surgical assistant program (not a nurse, but a "surgical assistant" performing a scrub nurse role). but, if you're r.n. they usually want you to be able to perform scrub or circulator nurse roles depending on the day which is more complicated.

yes, o.r. is another area that is NOT like med/surg, r.n.'s that work in o.r. are usually called "perioperative r.n.'s".....the only thing is that it can be difficult to get a job there w/ out floor experience (it depends). r.n.'s that work surgery will be put on any given day where they need you....pre-op, scrub nurse, circulator nurse, post-op (pacu).......so, they usually want experienced nurses, because there's a huge learning curve.

did that help?
regards, from cleveland....

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 9

.....well,
it just came to me that you may mean "medical assistant" which is only 6-9 mos. of school, but very low pay $9/hr. , but surgical assistant is one of the things i already mentioned- two yr. degree (not a nurse) "like" a scrub nurse position...

OR do you mean a physician assistant.....LOL...haha
cuz that is something all together different also.....

ooohhhhkay, ready???
physician assistant is now a 4 yr. program (use to be 2 yr.) and has NOTHING to do w/ nursing, you would not enter a nursing program, but a physician assistant program & i here it pays well. it is the equivelent to being a nurse practioner, but by-passing the "nursing" part. that's the best way i can describe it....


regards...

Last edited by dijmart on 09-09-2006 at 09:26 PM

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 5

Hi. I had to take a few days off to take the GRE. I'm back.

I'm totally confused. Suprised?

I think I was talking about RNFA - an RN first and then additional training.

I will have to look at the Physician Assistant program. I was definitely not talking about the low paying 6-9 month program. Orignally I was basically talking about RNFA. I'll have to look at Physician Assistant.

I think what I've decided is that if I decide to go the nursing route, it would be with the understanding that I would be a staff nurse only for as long as I had to be, and then follow that with more schooling. I have decided I definitely don't want to remain a staff nurse. Now all I have to do is decide whether I can tolerate the schooling, whether I can afford it, and if it's likely to happen. I'm the only one that can answer that.

I looked at doing this several years ago, but never followed through. It's all coming back now. I would definitely have to be an advanced-practice nurse. Or another advanced or degreed Allied Health professional.

I just have to put it all together and find out what's the easiest/surest route.

Thanks for all your posts and info.

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Registered: Feb 2007
Location: clt
Posts: 2

Nursing not for me2

Im New Grad from 05...worked my #ss off in school, much harder class work as compaired to my engineering degree in aviation. I spent 25+ years in the airline buz...maintenance and flying...all the time working for corp airline scumbags that wanted to wrench another 2 cents from labor and the customer. I thought nursing would be a breath of fresh air caring for people, making a diffrence, helping...BOY I sure was a sap. Nursing is run by the same corp scumbags as the airlines. I shouldnt #itch too much, hell now I only have to worry about killing 1 person unlike the airline industry where 1 mistake kills 100's. After I graduated in 05 I found employment at a large health care provider in the carolina area.
My first job was in the ER... had to pass a extensive advanced pharm /med tests, acls& pals...all for a whopping $19.10 a hour and the chance to stay on 3rd shift for 20 years. Resigned after 9 months or so. I think nursing is a fine craft and skill, it hasnt advanced to the level of pay and perks that should be the standard for the job skills. Yes there are many pathes to go down in nursing.. almost all have the same core troubles...pay and perks. If you know anyone that wants to become a nurse tell them to find another field of work...perhaps nursing will come to terms with some of its intrisic flaws sometime in the future...perhaps 2057.

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Registered: Feb 2008
Location:
Posts: 15

I've worked as a R.N. for 5 years and when I was in the middle of the nursing program, I felt exactly as you wrote about yourself. I wish I had changed my major even at that point because it would have saved me a lot of time, effort, and disappointment.

The truth as I see it is that the nursing/medical field is like the military. It is very regimented and there are many nasty people who treat subordinates and peers like dirt, yelling at them, trying to sabotage them, etc. The majority of female nurses act like teenage girls and form nasty little cliques on each unit. Those nurses who have more sense usually go along with these cliques to preserve their jobs. There is no such thing as creativity and individuality in the nursing field. As a creative person and avid writer myself, I find this kind of work extremely depressing, frustrating, and unfulfilling. That is why I finally got out of nursing and took a little less money in exchange for a lot more peace of mind.

I would try to temper making a living with being true to yourself. But remember that there are no compromises in nursing, and if you are not cut out for it, it just might eat you alive.

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