Is anybody here a nurse?

[Sequoia]

Okay. Simple question. Who here is a nurse? And how much do you enjoy your job? What are the specifics? *is considering going into nursing*

I'm really honestly considering going back to school for training in a medical field. . . and nursing seems to make the most sense, ne? A bit less time than a doctor, but in the end, I've heard that you spend more time with the patients anyway. (heavens knows I see the nurses more often than the doctors. -_-;; Doctors ignore me.) But I'd really like to be able to help people, in a hands-on kind of way. Especially babies and children.

So, just. . . vote away!

edited to note: if you're not a nurse, no need to vote! ;)

[Semele]

Well I voted but I think you know I am a female nurse already. Yes I love my job and of course I would recommend nursing to anyone. It is a great field with excellent benefits and you can always find a job even during the most stressful economic times,but it is tough as well. You have to be able to work hard and face some rough emotional ups and downs.

I work in pediatrics so I get my fill of babies and children. Lots of people say they could never do pediatric nursing, but for me it is the only way to go. It is tougher because they don't tell you what is bothering them, so your assessment skills have to be sharp, but on the other hand that keeps them from complaining to much about nothing like some adult patients do!! My favorite group of patients is my CF patients. We see them from the time they are born until the time they pass on and we get to form some awesome bonds with them. It is like watching them grow up and you get to go through all the major milestones with them from the first tooth to the first date etc. Fortunately we are getting to see them grow much older these days and form their own families.

As for the financial end of it, nursing is a decent living. No, it wont make you rich, but it pays the bills usually. The education process is tough but for good reason. The real learning takes place once you get out of school and start the hands on experience. The boards are tough, but not impossible like some would have you believe!

I am not sure what kind of info you wanted so feel free to ask away. I think there are several other nurses here as well! Good luck!

[Xander67]

I am not a nurse, but I do help out in the community,
I worked in a hospital for 3 years as a radiology assistant, I transported the Patients from thier rooms down to x-ray, ct scan, ultra sound, etc.... it was a good job to have. Even today when Im at work at cvs, I see some of the DR's come in that I used to work with, and they remember me...

one thing I have learned , you are not remembered if you just do your job, it is always the good ones and the bad ones that are remembered... and it always gives me a sense of pride in myself to know that people remember me as someone who took the extra step... and went the extra mile...

it isnt for everyone, however, myself inclusive, hence my no longer working there, seeing an 8 year old DOA from a motor vehicle accident in december, that did it for me, that broke my heart.. it was then that i realised i was meant to serve in other areas ...

my advice for anyone who is thinking about going into the medical field, is to volunteer at a hospital, they are always looking for volunteers, and infact some schools require internships... it is a great way to test the waters , so to speak... good luck!

[Sequoia]

wow, that's some great info so far. . . (yes, Semele, I knew you were already :) *huggles*) I'm thinking of it because, while office work is easy and I can be good at it, it isn't really a challenge. . . and I'd really love to get back to school. (besides, if you know me personally, you know I"m not quite up to working right now, but school would be a wonderful 'diversion') And I have always loved helping others, I feel like it is my calling. I enjoy the work with my friends, even when it is heartbreaking. Heck, my strongest experience to date with any sort of god, religion, deity, etc was a healing goddess who pretty much wrenched me around and dragged me in her direction (ahh, Norse deities). So I'm figuring it is probably my path. ;)

[Noressa]

I used to work in a nursing home, as well as at Res-care which is a home that cares for mentally ill people in an actual house. It included giving meds, taking temperatures, charting behaviours... It was some of the most rewarding work I've ever done, but I never even made CNA. (The companies I worked at wouldn't give you all the classes you needed to be certified.) That and I made minimum wage, and got no benefits turned me off to it. Other then that, it was wonderful work. :)

[kblackthorne]

I am not a nurse, but most of the rest of my family are nurses.

My aunt may well have her doctorate in nursing by now. My mother recently graduated with a Bachelor's in nursing. One cousin started "Vocational training" out of high school and has been a nurse every since. Another cousin went to college after she got out of high school, like for any other degree.

This last cousin works in a neo-natal unit. It's great: She loves working with "her" babies, and takes an especial glee in teaching new fathers to change a diaper... and then making them do it. (And has some really funny stories on this theme.)

Remember: In a hospital (where you find the most nurses), there is not usually a doctor on duty except in ER. It is the nurses who have primary charge of patient-care. Doctors come once a day to make rounds, but it is the nurses who make the majority of the decisions.

So with quick-and-easy access to 4 current nurses and 2 former nurses in my family, I can tell you that all these women loved their job.


Also, you're in California. California is about to suffer an even bigger nursing shortage than the rest of the country, because of some new laws regarding nurse/patient ratio for hospitals. What this means is that once you graduate, you will probably be able to find work fairly quickly.

[Xander67]

And let me tell you, as one who has made many a bed here, lol

those nurses take great pride in thier work, and if you dare take thier patient anywhere, without first signing the book at the desk and letting the nurse know....

its curtains for you pal ,...... :shaker:

funny story, no lie, I was eating lunch in the cafeteria, and you know how in hospitals co-workers like to eat lunch together, OMG,

I was just haveing my coffee, like i did every day after I put my tray away, lol
and here comes Mary, the nurse from 3w, (3 west the geriatrics ward) yelling and screaming at me for not letting her know I took her elderly PT to x-ray, she thought he had wandered off...

I felt so bad, I scared the poor nurse, I brought her flowers the next day to appologise and gave them to her while she was haveing lunch with HER CO-workers......:mad: showed her a thing or to about buggin me on my lunch break I did! :T

[Sequoia]

LMAO oh, I love you guys *big hugs*

I'm really starting to think this is a good idea.

See, I've been miserable sick lately with my bipolar, and I've missed SO much work that it pulls up an anxiety attack just thinking about going back. . . and I really want to go back to school. So today I'm going to the county to apply for help with health care and stuff for my bipolar, etc. . . and I'm going to go back to school. I'm going to do it. I choose to. Whether I end up here or in Phoenix at school, I'm not sure. But I want to go back to school.

Anybody think a Nurse Puma would be good? ;)

[Xander67]

Polar Shmolar, :mad:

everyone at teh hospital knew i was nutz....

the Ultrasound Tech, Ken, his daughter came to work with him, it was mother daughter day lol
she went with me to get one of her dad;s patients, and she thought it would be fun to play, "Wheel the old lady around the nurses station" while i was signing her out...

working in a hospital gave me a sense of community... and although I was there only 3 years, I still have that same spirit of community... when you give of yourself you get it back... that is how love works, the shareing , and the careing...

Puma, I think you will be an excellent Nurse, Jedi make good nurses :)

[Purrcatnip]

I am a nurse in training.. does that count? :(
I love it so far.. but im not that far into training.. still waiting to get into the good stuff, in the school. :)

[Semele]

I think you would be a great nurse Puma! Lots of great advice here. One thing stnads out though. You said you aren't quite up to working yet, well hun nursing school was some of the toughest work I have ever done. It takes a lot of dedication and effort. It is not impossible but I wouldn't be honest if I told you it was all smooth sailing. There are cases where the instructors are trying to weed out the weak ones from the programs. I started with sixty something people and only 43 graduated from that class. It is hard to struggle day to day with these freinds and then see them not make it. Several women got divorced in the process because it takes so much time and effort that everything else suffers. You really need a good support group to get through it. So it will be a little more then a diversion for a while! But I know you can do it.

Usually you have several pre-requisite classes to get through before you can even apply to a nursing program so that will give you a good idea of how it will flow for you! Good luck girl!

[Xander67]

oh yeah, there is chemistry, anatomy, physics, GAH,
no wonder i never went to nurseing school, I was too busy goofing off in the mall after work lol

[Sequoia]

Oh yes. . . I was just speaking with my aunt on the phone, the one who's a nurse.

I really need to catch up my math first. ^^;; I still have yet to pass algebra. . . not that I can't do it, just that I havn't gotten around to doing so yet. . . I have a few classes to take first *smiles*

. . . thank you for all this support!! *hugs* I love all of you guys

[Autumn]

Algebra is important but it isn't crucial to dosege calc, trust me:hehehehe: I am the queen of bass akwards math!

It is important to have a mental health clinician you can talk to and to have your symptoms in good contol because you may encounter instructors who will think that it's ok to attack because of your "psych history" and they will NEVER admit it. some of these people are masters of hiding discriminatory practices!

You can do this if you want this. But be sure you want this bad enough to stick it out. Keep telling yourself that nursing school is like boot camp and 100 years ago it was as much about turning "working class" women into "ladies" as it was about training clinicians. many programs still have this flavor and it can be seen in rigid dress codes and strict rules about what you can be seen doing while wearing your clinical uniform. My school didn't want you to go anywhere in that uniform but the hospital or other clinical sites, not even the grocery store! heaven help you if you were seen in a bar in that goofy blue shirt! My sanity saver was to remind myself that this was only two years of my life and I can now look with pride at my cap safely stored in a ziplock bag! I did this! I earned that!:graduate: When you are done and working for a while you will be able to laugh:lol: and some of the sillier rules and things you will see!