Any LVN'S or RN'S here?

[cindy0721]

Just curious if we have any LVN'S or RN'S here...just wanted to get some feedback on your high's and low's of your job, and why you decided on this career? Is it worth all the stress?

[RowdysMom]

I'm an RN (33 years) and I have known that I wanted to be a nurse ever since I can remember and no one in my family was in the medical field - so I'm unsure of how I came to be so enthralled with it.

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE nursing. I have spent most of my career teaching and working parttime in the hospital to keep up my skills. Now however, I teach exclusively (in a doctoral program so I don't have to keep up my skills) and I do research which I absolutely adore.

There are many things that I love about nursing, but one thing that I think is important is that there are so many things that you can do - hospital, clinic, public health, home health, hospice, teaching and other settings, and then within each setting there are so many different things that you can do, adults, geriatrics, pediatrics, maternity, direct patient care, management, or upper administration - you can ALWAYS find something that is interesting and rewarding!

Of course, there are "down" sides to anything. Nurses carry a tremendous responsibility. Those that work in acute care settings can easily cause major harm or death to patients, if they make a mistake. That is a tremendous responsibilty. Hospital nursing is also very physically taxing. However, the rewards are so worth the risks and responsibility. Assisting someone to learn to live fully within the restraints of illness is just the BEST.

Even with the "downs", there is nothing else in the world that I would want to be doing.

[MAN]

I am currently an RN student (have one year left) but I have spent the last 11 years working as an Emergency Medical Technician. I can not wait til I can work as a nurse. All I can tell you is if you're considering the RN program, better get used to feeling like you neglect a lot of stuff. It is very time consuming but it will be well worth it....ROCK ON NURSES!!!!

[xtine]

I'm currently an LVN and an RN Student..

I've mainly worked in nursing homes with geriatrics and did some time working with children in the subacute setting.

like all jobs it has it's highs and lows.. but the most rewarding thing for me is when a Patient that i'm caring for tells me how much they appreciate the work i do, etc.. and how i've made them happy.. i love to hear that i made someone happy.. it makes all the small petty things in life go away.

I don't regret being a nurse at all.. I Love it

[LilLexieLu]

I'm an LPN. I worked as a charge nurse at a nursing home for 3 + years. I left the field a few months ago. I liked nursing but I felt more like a babysitter than anything else. The facility I was working for was full of politics and the DON is not very easy to work for. If I could've nursed the way I wanted to nurse with focus on the patient and family member support I would've been much happier. I'm not sure about everywhere else but there's been so many changes made lately with Medicare and the State that the patient is actually kind of forgotten. That's odd and sad b/c it's called "Resident Centered Concept" but they're the ones who end up with less nurse/patient time b/c all the nurse has time for is passing meds and charting. I don't know how much sense I'm making. If my nursing home got a new DON and a different administrator I'd probably go back and be very happy. Morale is very low in GA and I was having anxiety issues brought on by workplace stress. I doubt I'm a good one to listen to b/c I'm sure my issues with nursing are all about where I was working. Lots of good nurses are leaving the field to pursue other interests from my facility and the higher ups can't seem to figure out why. It's a great field though. Tons of avenues to pursue. It's just not for everyeone. Good luck!

[Sugar's Mom]

I took early retirement from being an R.N. i entered the field at forty years old when a severe shortage was on, money to be made. i always had a full time job and worked also for various agencies during those years for the extra money. i got burnt out long before I retired. Twelve hour night shifts with anywhere from eight to 12 patients was too much of a load to do proper nursing care. i got into it for the same reason many others do. because of my compassion and my desire to be a great nurse and make a difference in people's lifes. there is no time to do that. you are lucky to be able to rush in the room, introduce yourself and give medicine and all the crap you take from doctors who think they are a gift to the world and don't you dare cross them. i would NEVER recommend anyone to go into nursing these days UNLESS it is away from bedside nursing and there are plenty of those jobs. the part I loved the best other than the patients were the stints i did as a truama/ER nurse. Loved the adrenilin rush from that. sorry to paint such a bleak picture but you asked.

[PuppyLovinNurse]

I'm a RNA (Registered Nurse's Aide) and I'm in school for a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing to be an RN.

I told my Mom when I was 2 that I wanted to be a nurse and it always stuck. I used to fix up my dolls & teddy bears

I love everything medical and plan to work as an RN in the ER. I enjoy learning about body processes and Anatomy is pretty much my favourite thing.

I work Med/Surg for clinicals 2 12 hour shifts per week and I absolutely love it. There's nothing else I would want to do.

As a bonus, the pay in Canada is fantastic (though I don't think it's that great in the States, but it's not bad that's for sure.) It's also very flexible and easy for people raising kids.

Good luck!!! Be prepared for a TON of work, though. You won't have a life while you're in school. I take my books everywhere.

GO NURSES & NURSLINGS!

[PuppyLovinNurse]

Originally Posted by Sugar's Mom

I took early retirement from being an R.N. i entered the field at forty years old when a severe shortage was on, money to be made. i always had a full time job and worked also for various agencies during those years for the extra money. i got burnt out long before I retired. Twelve hour night shifts with anywhere from eight to 12 patients was too much of a load to do proper nursing care. i got into it for the same reason many others do. because of my compassion and my desire to be a great nurse and make a difference in people's lifes. there is no time to do that. you are lucky to be able to rush in the room, introduce yourself and give medicine and all the crap you take from doctors who think they are a gift to the world and don't you dare cross them. i would NEVER recommend anyone to go into nursing these days UNLESS it is away from bedside nursing and there are plenty of those jobs. the part I loved the best other than the patients were the stints i did as a truama/ER nurse. Loved the adrenilin rush from that. sorry to paint such a bleak picture but you asked.

It all depends where you work...don't forget you can always move around to different departments to see what's right for you. You can also move around to different parts of the world.

I know the States don't treat their nurses very well compared to other areas in the world.

I haven't worked anywhere else so I can only speak for Canada, but Canada is nothing like the above description. I know that many places in the US are exactly like that, though. Both my parents worked as RNs in North Carolina and they thought the exact same things there. Though, they had both worked in Canada before & work here now that we've moved back, too.

In Ontario, both of my parents make over $100,000/year with excellent benefits & nurses are treated very well here.

[PuppyLovinNurse]

Originally Posted by LilLexieLu

I'm an LPN. I worked as a charge nurse at a nursing home for 3 + years. I left the field a few months ago. I liked nursing but I felt more like a babysitter than anything else. The facility I was working for was full of politics and the DON is not very easy to work for. If I could've nursed the way I wanted to nurse with focus on the patient and family member support I would've been much happier. I'm not sure about everywhere else but there's been so many changes made lately with Medicare and the State that the patient is actually kind of forgotten. That's odd and sad b/c it's called "Resident Centered Concept" but they're the ones who end up with less nurse/patient time b/c all the nurse has time for is passing meds and charting. I don't know how much sense I'm making. If my nursing home got a new DON and a different administrator I'd probably go back and be very happy. Morale is very low in GA and I was having anxiety issues brought on by workplace stress. I doubt I'm a good one to listen to b/c I'm sure my issues with nursing are all about where I was working. Lots of good nurses are leaving the field to pursue other interests from my facility and the higher ups can't seem to figure out why. It's a great field though. Tons of avenues to pursue. It's just not for everyeone. Good luck!

I didn't last long in the nursing home...that's a very tough job. It's hard to watch all those people suffer when you know it's not necessary.

The place I worked was terrible, but it was privately-owned not government-owned so they made their own policies.

It's since been reported by a family member of a resident & taken over by the government. Now it's a great place, from what I hear.

[cindy0721]

thanks everyone for your input. I am entering in the ADN program and hope to one day be accepted in the RN program, but I just wanted to get some real life experience from real life people on this career and it's up and downs.. As far as the pay goes I think it is pretty decent to start but my main concern was the workload and yes how difficult some doctors may be.

[nvnvgirl]

I worked as an ICU RN for 25 years. I LOVED it most of the time, but there's always things that will be less desireable about any job. The great thing about nursing is, that even if you want to do something else, you can still go back and get a job almost anywhere. And there's such a diverse range of specialties. The jobs I had while I was still working were : ICU staff nurse, charge nurse, working in a combination ICU/CCU, a staff nurse and senior staff nurse, relief charge nurse in a cardiac surgery ICU, working with transplants, pediatric heart surgery and general heart surgery, Critical Care Instructor for a medical ICU, surgical ICU, CCU, and cardiac surgical ICU; Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cardiac Electrophysiology, and director of a Cardiac Rehab. I also worked part time in a hospital based weight and lifestyle change program, and taught aerobics and got my personal fitness certification; which having my RN, goes a long way toward my credibility. I also worked as a medical-legal nurse consultant for an expert witness in injury causation and death. And I was asked to work for the Datascope company as a regional trainer for their intra-aortic balloon pumps.
So, you can see that even specializing in cardiac related fields, there was a lot of different things to do. There's just so many different types of nursing and thank goodness, some nurses hate ICU, some would rather work with cancer patients....to each his/her own!
Working with the doctors is really one of the best parts of being a nurse. You can learn so much from a lot of them. Sure, there are jerks; but if you take the time to learn from them and do the very best you can to really know what you're doing and why you're doing it, you will have the respect and admiration of people who went to school for much longer than you will. That's a good feeling I think. I can't say enough about nursing. It's not exactly the way it used to be, but it's still a good feeling to help people who need it.
And one other thing is the camaraderie of working as a team wherever you work. When I look back on it now, it's like the people you work with and the MD's you work with on a day to day basis are all in the trenches together, trying to achieve the same goal, and that's to improve each patient's life in whatever way they can. It's the best job in the world, I think

[PuppyLovinNurse]

Originally Posted by cindy0721

thanks everyone for your input. I am entering in the ADN program and hope to one day be accepted in the RN program, but I just wanted to get some real life experience from real life people on this career and it's up and downs.. As far as the pay goes I think it is pretty decent to start but my main concern was the workload and yes how difficult some doctors may be.

The workload totally depends on where you work. You really need to experiment and find out what's right for you. Personally, I like the fast pace of the ER.

A lot of doctors think their you-know-what doesn't stink because they are "better" than us. You just have to let it slide. Honestly, though, I think I've met more biotchy old nurses than doctors.

I don't know what the starting pay is where you are, but I can't imagine it's less than $20 which, to me, is definitely decent to start. And one good thing about nursing is how fast you gain seniority (and move up the pay scale). Plus with the massive nursing shortage, you can really negotiate & get what you want.

Wishing you the best!

PS What's the ADN program!?

[Wylie's Mom]

I'm a BSN RN, but not currently nursing. I would def. recommend you get your BSN if you're even thinking about going into the business or industry side of nursing; or, if you want to advance to mgmt. eventually.

The BEST part of nursing is caring for people, which you don't always get to do in the way you'd want to.

About 2 years after graduating, I went into industry - worked for a pacemaker/defib company for 7 years. I had about a 2-3 hour territory and had to be present for every pacer/defib implant surgery - and help the surgeons/cardiologists/electrophysiologist through the surgery. The pressure was IMMENSE bc there was a ton of life/death responsibilty placed in your hands - both bc of the way I had to test/stress/temporarily stop the patients heart AND bc sometimes, I knew more than the doc and basically had to WALK them through the surgery.

I was on call for every hospital, ER, cardiologist, and clinic in my area - almost 24/7. VERY stressful.

Learned more than I ever thought possible - but there are no words for how demanding and draining this job was. I also had to do follow-up clinics for all the patients in my territory. Also had to educate the docs, staff etc. on new pacer/defib technology and proved CEUs.

I then moved up to Corporate HQ and worked in global education, program marketing, and finally VIP Physician Relations (in Heart Failure).

So, there are a LOT of areas you could work in w/ a nursing degree - not just conventional hospital nursing.

[PuppyLovinNurse]

Originally Posted by nvnvgirl

I worked as an ICU RN for 25 years. I LOVED it most of the time, but there's always things that will be less desireable about any job. The great thing about nursing is, that even if you want to do something else, you can still go back and get a job almost anywhere. And there's such a diverse range of specialties. The jobs I had while I was still working were : ICU staff nurse, charge nurse, working in a combination ICU/CCU, a staff nurse and senior staff nurse, relief charge nurse in a cardiac surgery ICU, working with transplants, pediatric heart surgery and general heart surgery, Critical Care Instructor for a medical ICU, surgical ICU, CCU, and cardiac surgical ICU; Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cardiac Electrophysiology, and director of a Cardiac Rehab. I also worked part time in a hospital based weight and lifestyle change program, and taught aerobics and got my personal fitness certification; which having my RN, goes a long way toward my credibility. I also worked as a medical-legal nurse consultant for an expert witness in injury causation and death. And I was asked to work for the Datascope company as a regional trainer for their intra-aortic balloon pumps.
So, you can see that even specializing in cardiac related fields, there was a lot of different things to do. There's just so many different types of nursing and thank goodness, some nurses hate ICU, some would rather work with cancer patients....to each his/her own!
Working with the doctors is really one of the best parts of being a nurse. You can learn so much from a lot of them. Sure, there are jerks; but if you take the time to learn from them and do the very best you can to really know what you're doing and why you're doing it, you will have the respect and admiration of people who went to school for much longer than you will. That's a good feeling I think. I can't say enough about nursing. It's not exactly the way it used to be, but it's still a good feeling to help people who need it.
And one other thing is the camaraderie of working as a team wherever you work. When I look back on it now, it's like the people you work with and the MD's you work with on a day to day basis are all in the trenches together, trying to achieve the same goal, and that's to improve each patient's life in whatever way they can. It's the best job in the world, I think

I agree with this. There was one girl in my clinical group this past semester who was asked to help out a doctor & she declined (don't ask me why? ). The doctor was very upset, he was trying to take time out of his busy day to help her learn about a procedure. He went to our clinical supervisor and told her about it. The girl got reamed and that particular doctor never asked any of us to help again.

I've learned a lot about different procedures while in clinicals from doctors. Our clinical supervisors (who have BScN degrees) tend to teach us how to do the procedure & why we do it, but doctors teach us more on a cellular basis of WHAT we're actually doing when we perform the procedure.

[LilLexieLu]

The facility I was at is well maintained. It's very clean and we always score very highly on resident/family satisfaction surveys. Unfortunately, the owners (privately owned) cater more to the administrative employees who sit in offices all day. I always felt like a 2nd class citizen as a nurse. The nursing staff (LPNs and CNAs) are basically ignored and treated as if we aren't intelligent enough to formulate an opinion about patient care. Duh, we ARE the ones providing patient care. We are the ones who are WITH the patient 8 + hrs a day. Meanwhile, the people whose opinions are taken into consideration probably don't even know a patient by name/face. Sad. Around my area that's pretty typical. And as someone else said, there isn't time to nurse a patient anymore. I always felt like I was throwing pills at them and hurrying to the next room. I had 27 patients and 2 CNAs to supervise daily. On top of that I sat on the QA committee and was a "neighborhood representative" which basically meant I was the head nurse on my shift for 2 halls. I had very little time to sit and chat with a resident and get that rewarding smile/hug/laugh/thank you or the oh so coveted "I LOVE YOU!!" I miss my residents but not the politics and frustration. I've often thought I should be an activities director or an Ombudsman so I would be rewarded for seeing the resident as a person, not a chart. I learned in school that my first job was to be a patient advocate. Too bad that seems to be so frowned upon these days. My boyfriend is the maintenance supervisor, among other things, at this facility. He's been there for about 20 years (he's 15 years older than I am). He said it's gone downhill so badly. He has visited many other facilities in our region of GA and he said it's pretty much the same. I loved the nursing home, just not the B.S. that goes with it. Unfortunately, it was the only aspect of nursing I was interested in. I should stop rambling