Hey Nurses

[mntbiker]

Need some information please.

What are some of the negatives with what you do?

What area do you specialize in and what area would you like to?

What are realistic salary expectations?

Why do I ask?

Since I wrote my first computer virus in 1984 I have worked in IT security for banks, large backbone providers among other companies. I am sick of it. I don't hate it I am just bored with it. I need a change and I keep coming back to nursing. Much about it appeals to me. The biggest problem would probably be the loss of income. My wife has not worked since we have been together (over 10 years) and she has just started her own business which of course will take a while before she realizes a profit. I don't know if we could get by on a reduced income. I am also one of those warped people that prefers to work at night so that would probably present it's own challenges. As I move closer to starting a program I need some input in case there are things I have missed.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[gijanet]

Hey, David!

Hey, David!

Hopefully, Niki will see this. Her hubby just graduated from nursing school last year and is out in the field working. Betty and Carolyn should be able to help, too.

I commend you. I nursed my sister during her last few months battling cervical cancer.............chemo, iv's, meds, routine care, etc., and after she died, I always toyed with the idea of going back, but could never bring myself to give up the paycheck full-time. Then along came my son, a divorce and singleparenting.........and well, life just got in the way of going back to school. God only knows that if I had known I had a Katie in my future, I would have found a way to go back..............sigh! It sure would have come in handy!

Anyway, I commend you in your effort. Please keep us posted and good luck. Hugs. J.

 

[Gnusgal]

Yes, my hubby did just finish nursing school a little over a year ago and has been working on a telemetry floor for all of that time.

Here are the positives I hear him talk about:

- Taking care of patients (and families) who are nice.
- Seeing "cool" stuff (ie: open wounds, etc.).
- 4 days or more off in a row (sometimes).
- Job security.
- Pay is good (hubby makes over $20/hour, plus overtime, and continues to get raises every so often. Nice starting salary, I should say.).
- Developing a warped sense of humor.
- Can talk about ANYTHING at the diner table and not get grossed out.
- Exposed to things most will never see.
- Every once in a while you get to make a difference in someone's life.
- Can arrange a schedule to fit in a vacation without taking vacation days (usually).
- If you're not happy where you are, you can change specialties. Lots of variety to chose from.

And some negatives:

- Crappy work hours/days (where he works, he's required to work every other weekend and he hates that. Plus, we never know his schedule until the beginning of the month. Making plans is very difficult).
- Working with crabby patients/families.
- Keep piling on more responsibilites to the nurses, but don't allow more time to do it.
- The PAPERWORK!!!
- Schooling is the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life! (That's directly from him. It was pretty tough.)
- Losing a patient you've gotten to know.
- Long work hours with constant activity. Very draining.

Keep in mind, this is only his experience (though he claims everyone would admit nursing school "sucks"). There are a lot of different fields of nursing and routes to take. Right now he's thinking about changing jobs at the end of his contract (December) to work in an EP lab where he will have more regular hours. And of course, working in a doctor's office would be even more different.

But do be aware that nursing school can be difficult. It will take up a minimum of 2 years of your life, and that's only if you already have all the pre-reqs (Biology, Anatomy and Physiology (I and II), Chemestry, etc.). It took Nathan 2 years to get those pre-reqs before he even started nursing school, which was another 2 years. So that was 4 years living on my salary alone. He tried to work part time while going to school and his grades suffered, so we agreed it would be better for him to concentrate just on school. Of course, there were some people who were able to do both, just not him. We managed. We built up quite a bit of debt, but were able to pay it off within 6 months of him starting his job, then build up enough savings in another 6 months to buy our first house (we just moved in a little over a week ago). It helps that we continue to live like we're just on my salary (though we do splurge now and then). Otherwise we'd probably not have so much in savings.

Hope this information helps! Good luck in your decision.

 

[Natanni]

Nursing is a fabulous career with endless opportunities!

I started in a nursing home for a few years (while we had our kids) in 1991. I wasn't a big fan of shift work, but it did work out well for us at the time. I loved hearing the stories the elderly had to tell our city in the early years. I then worked in a critical care step down unit-the hospital was undergoing layoffs at the time and it was an all around sad place to be with unhappy people. I worked Obstetrics/Pediatrics for a short while, but I really didn't like seeing sick kids. They would just break my heart. The nurses in those untils are priceless.

I was a surgical first assistant for the last 8 years in general surgery, and by far my favorite place to work. I enjoyed going to work and having something different to do everyday. We lost 2 surgeons to larger cities and now only have one full time with locums. Our days would be full of colonoscopies, gastroscopies, laproscopic procedures, breast bx, hernias, bowel resections, appys, etc.

Full-time I work for private practice Ophthalmologists in Cataract surgery and LASIK. I am bonafied Certified Ophthalmic Assistant now Not as exciting but definately secure, lol. If someone would have told me 17 years ago this is where I would be today I would have had a case of the giggles. I hated anything to do with eyes

I am still not confident that I will stay where I am. I don't see my husband ever making it to retirement and I would prefer to go back to school myself so that he can find a job that would be easier on his back (and heart). We are just beginning to talk of making some work changes but health insurance issues usually scare us away from the idea.

Good luck!

 

[bvdr]

I truly loved working in nursing and miss parts of it a great deal. I loved working with my patients and it really is a place that gives lots of opportunities to be of service and make a difference in someone else's life.

Depending to a degree on the setting, there is a bond that forms between members of a staff. I've seen things that most people will never see nor would want to. I never tired of learning new things and after working in orthopedics, telemetry, surgical intensive care, neuro intensive care, and cardiac intensive care I found the occupational love of my life...emergency nursing. Each area is different and nursing is practiced in so many settings. I have friends who are nurses in schools as well as in prisons. I also have friends who work in settings where they have all week-ends and holidays off but anywhere where 24/7 patient care is provided then everyone works many holidays and week-ends.

I started as an LPN and then went back to school for two more years and became a RN. I went back again part-time and got my BSN and then started work on my master's with becoming a nurse practitioner in mind but found, for me, it was going to end up more deeply involved in a career just when we had reached a financial position where I could go to working part-time and spend more time with my family. I did work a couple of years as a home care coordinator and wore heels and carried a briefcase but although it was more schedule friendly I really missed the ER.

When I started in nursing the pay was pretty pitiful but by about 1985 or so it started climbing. Now the pay scale is much better and still improving. There are many men in nursing and it is no longer seen as a woman's role. In ER I think we were pretty well divided.

Nursing is really interesting too. There is always something new to learn and to unlearn as well. You get used to finding out that there are new ways to do things and what you had carefully learned has become outdated. Then after a while the previous method may be re-adapted.

I always felt like there was good job security since people always get sick and there will probably always be jobs available in nursing although perhaps not in the area you would prefer.

I keep my registration active just in case I want to go back into it. Even though physically restricted now there are still jobs in nursing I could fill. There is a new heart hospital soon to be built a few minutes from my house and several people including my cardiologist have asked me if I would be interested. Part of me really would like to but I am really happy with my life as it is. At one time I taught EKGs and taught paramedics and EMTs and found that to be really rewarding. There are many many teaching positions in nursing and in many different settings.

There are nurses who work for insurance companies giving physicals to applicants. There are nurses who are on the road as reps for drug companies or in sales for medical devices. Nursing is a field that is wide open.

I would do it all over again and never regret the time I spent in nursing. I'll never forget some of my patients or some horrendous injuries I've observed. It just makes up some of the fabric of my life. I think many nurses feel that way. Even though not I'm not employed in nursing any longer I will forever remain a nurse. It is just something that is inside.

 

[Bina]

My daughter is an RN, she studied for 3 yrs in Quebec.
While she was still in school I suggested she take on a summer job related to her field....mostly to test the waters and make some conncections. She was hired at a federally owned hospital day center for seniors. It "clicked". Two months before her graduation they hired her full time in the hospital itself. She now works on shift from 2-10 pm. Yes, the schedule is all over the place, and she works every second weekend, but she LOVES what she does, and is making great money. If she continues her education and gets the BSN, she would have more opportunities in administration.
I wish I would have had the "stomach" for nursing.

 

[azpam]

Gnusgal basically hit many positives and negatives right on. I work home health-Have for years. Prior to that I was in the hospitals. Another negative is it is hard on the body. (Heavy lifting,turning,etc.) Good pay though. My home health jobs have usually been fairly flexable hrs which i love so i can tuck in the household errands i need to do during the day. Nursing has many facets to it so one can choose their "love" be it geriatrics,peds,home health,hospice,etc. Hope this helps!

 

[strawberry]

Hey Mtnbkr,

I am at the beginning of a career change to nursing. I found a local community college that offers a night/evening options. Clinicals are done on the weekends. So I'm working full-time and just started my nursing classes. I have a BS so had most of my prereqs done. I had to take anatomy and phys over since I took them so long ago and I had to take abnormal psych. Anyway, I start my clinical this weekend! I hope I like it after all this! I am currently in an enforcement career and am tired of being the bad guy.

 

[hensylee]

Nurse cousin loved nursing and retired from it when she reached her retirement age. The only thing I recall her fussing about was when patients were 'better', but demanding to the nth degree and being nasty about it.

 

[CathyK.]

I have always enjoyed nursing. I have worked in a hospital setting, Dr.'s office, director of nursing in a residential facility, and now am a school nurse. There is just so many options. I am pondering going back to school myself to get my ADN and my salary would double. Nursing has been a big topic of discusion lately. In the student's current health magazines there is an article stating that by 2014 we will need 1.5 million nurses for new and replacement nursing. Good job security!!! Go for it and good luck!!