Any RN's?

I have about 6 years left before I retire and have decided to pursue an Associates Degree in nursing. I want to clear up any misconceptions I may have and was hoping there are some RN's on this website that can tell me if I'm on the right track.
The reasons I think this would suit me best is:
-I hate a work environment that stays the same. By that I mean that I execute the same duties, with the same people, day in and day out, with no problem solving required. I can't do that.
-It gives me the opportunity to do something that doesn't serve the sole purpose of making money for someone else ie working in retail and busting my hump so the owner makes better profits. I'm not anti-capitalist by any stretch. I'm anti-greed.

Please, let me know if I'm in the ballpark with this stuff and what your experiences are, good or bad. I want to hear the bad stuff just as much as the good. Hours, prick Docs, etc.

MarineTpartier said:

I have about 6 years left before I retire and have decided to pursue an Associates Degree in nursing. I want to clear up any misconceptions I may have and was hoping there are some RN's on this website that can tell me if I'm on the right track.
The reasons I think this would suit me best is:
-I hate a work environment that stays the same. By that I mean that I execute the same duties, with the same people, day in and day out, with no problem solving required. I can't do that.
-It gives me the opportunity to do something that doesn't serve the sole purpose of making money for someone else ie working in retail and busting my hump so the owner makes better profits. I'm not anti-capitalist by any stretch. I'm anti-greed.

Please, let me know if I'm in the ballpark with this stuff and what your experiences are, good or bad. I want to hear the bad stuff just as much as the good. Hours, prick Docs, etc.

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I've been an RN since 1984, and I can tell you that it is a very difficult job, unless you are willing and able to put up with a ton of crap, from all sides. It can be mentally stressing, as the decisions you have to make can be life and death. The documentation is ridiculously cumbersome, staying organized and getting your work done can be very challenging. Prioritizing causes conflicts at times, and it's hard to keep a good attitude. That being said, I stay in it, because there are some things about the job which I like. I am on my feet and moving alot. I don't like to sit in an office cubicle, as it would bore me to tears. I like what I learn about people and humanity, and there are actually some satisfying moments that make you feel like you actually matter to someone's wellbeing. It will make you a better person, if you don't let yourself become hard and cold. It's extremely challenging, and it will make you crazy at times. Dealing with doctors used to be the worst part of it. Now, it's dealing with a certain portion of patients and/or their families, as we have become a society who is generally unappreciative, and think we are "owed" something. You will be dealing with alot of psychological dysfunction that will make you shake your head, and you will get frustrated at how some people will treat you.
I could go on and on with this, but you would become bored.

If you can put up with a ton of crap, put your ego aside and be willing to be treated as a lesser human, if you are pro-active, well-organized with your time, and can think critically, and on your feet, you can do the job.

As an aside, just a little anecdote. I currently work with a wonderful young woman who has the brains and the energy for the job. When I first met her about 4 years ago, she was an aide on the unit that I work on (orthopedics and pediatrics). She decided to go to nursing school. She is now an RN, and she's is getting a taste of the real world. When she first started school, I told her that this was a tough job, and asked her repeatedly if she REALLY wanted to do it, and she thought I was kidding. She's been a nurse for about 6 months now, and several times, she has told me "This job sucks. Why didn't you tell me?", to which I always reply "I did tell you- over and over and over". :lol: (but she's an excellent nurse, and her pay scale has gone way up )

lizzie said:

I've been an RN since 1984, and I can tell you that it is a very difficult job, unless you are willing and able to put up with a ton of crap, from all sides. It can be mentally stressing, as the decisions you have to make can be life and death. The documentation is ridiculously cumbersome, staying organized and getting your work done can be very challenging. Prioritizing causes conflicts at times, and it's hard to keep a good attitude. That being said, I stay in it, because there are some things about the job which I like. I am on my feet and moving alot. I don't like to sit in an office cubicle, as it would bore me to tears. I like what I learn about people and humanity, and there are actually some satisfying moments that make you feel like you actually matter to someone's wellbeing. It will make you a better person, if you don't let yourself become hard and cold. It's extremely challenging, and it will make you crazy at times. Dealing with doctors used to be the worst part of it. Now, it's dealing with a certain portion of patients and/or their families, as we have become a society who is generally unappreciative, and think we are "owed" something. You will be dealing with alot of psychological dysfunction that will make you shake your head, and you will get frustrated at how some people will treat you.
I could go on and on with this, but you would become bored.

If you can put up with a ton of crap, put your ego aside and be willing to be treated as a lesser human, if you are pro-active, well-organized with your time, and can think critically, and on your feet, you can do the job.

As an aside, just a little anecdote. I currently work with a wonderful young woman who has the brains and the energy for the job. When I first met her about 4 years ago, she was an aide on the unit that I work on (orthopedics and pediatrics). She decided to go to nursing school. She is now an RN, and she's is getting a taste of the real world. When she first started school, I told her that this was a tough job, and asked her repeatedly if she REALLY wanted to do it, and she thought I was kidding. She's been a nurse for about 6 months now, and several times, she has told me "This job sucks. Why didn't you tell me?", to which I always reply "I did tell you- over and over and over". :lol: (but she's an excellent nurse, and her pay scale has gone way up )

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Are you an RN in an Emergency Room, ICU, etc? I hear horror stories of back stabbing, politics, etc. The stress? Meh. I was a Drill Instructor for 3 1/2 years working 16 hour days and having to act like a person I wasn't (a total prick) for about 14 of those hours. I can deal with the hours, pressure, etc. The stress level is actually one of the reasons I picked the RN field believe it or not lol. I guess I'm some sort of sadist. I hear about A LOT of guys who retire from the military and die within 10 years because their body doesn't know how to respond to the lack of stress. However, I do know that the type of stress associated with nursing can't be simulated. We're talking life and death, not the training of a recruit.
Not to discount the level of crap you mention, can you give me a run down of a typical shift for you? I know that may be asking a lot but I would appreciate it. Also, have you ever seen a nurse screw something up that resulted in the injury or death of a patient? What happens with that person?

MarineTpartier said:

Are you an RN in an Emergency Room, ICU, etc?

Not to discount the level of crap you mention, can you give me a run down of a typical shift for you? I know that may be asking a lot but I would appreciate it. Also, have you ever seen a nurse screw something up that resulted in the injury or death of a patient? What happens with that person?

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I work on an orthopedic/ post-op, and pediatric unit.
Typical day:
Arrive at 0700, take report from off-going nurse. Usual patient load is 6 patients. Review orders, medications, lab results for today, to make sure everyone's labs look at least acceptable, and there are no orders that the previous nurse forgot to tell me about. Review medications for all the patients, and take them out of the Pyxis (computerized storage for patient medications). Organize them all in separate drawers. Make out a list of medications/times for entire shift for each patient. Get routine supplies together, and start medication pass and initial shift nursing assessments. This usually takes a couple of hours, depending on unexpected events. Around 1000 or 1030, sit down at the computer to begin charting. Get nursing assessments and other required documentation entered. 1130 or 1200 insulin administration after glucometer checks for diabetics. Lunch if I have time. 1300-1400 early afternoon medication pass and chart again on IV sites and pain management of patients. 1500-1630, occasionally some free time, if you don't have any discharges to do, but that is rare, because the docs have made their rounds, and entered new orders. Sometimes those orders are for patient discharge, which takes awhile to do, and sometimes they are orders for new/changed medications. 1700- re-check patient glucose for diabetics and administer insulin as needed, then it's dinner-time. 1800-1900 finish up all the loose ends, pass any end-of shift medications, and get ready for reporting to oncoming nurse. Add to these routine tasks, that IV's come out, and have to be restarted, catheters have to be inserted or discontinued, patients need help up to the bathroom or bedside commode, or are incontinent and you spend time cleaning wet/dirty bottoms and changing out linens, and bathing people. Patients sometimes request pain medications often. You have to discharge patients, which means that you will be admitting new patients as well. This requires much computer documentation, and initiating care and new orders.

It's a pretty demanding job, and if you want to do it, I commend you, but beware, it's probably different from what you envision.

The generalities of nursing sound similar to this side of the pond! Without being too specific, if a Doc screws up, they tend to stick together. If a nurse does it, they're not only on their own, They're shunned by their colleagues.
I used to hang out at a US nursing site a while back, there are dozens of sections, including a newbie area. Nursing Community for Nurses and Nursing Students

Manc Skipper said:

The generalities of nursing sound similar to this side of the pond! Without being too specific, if a Doc screws up, they tend to stick together. If a nurse does it, they're not only on their own, They're shunned by their colleagues.
I used to hang out at a US nursing site a while back, there are dozens of sections, including a newbie area. Nursing Community for Nurses and Nursing Students

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Thanks for the link man. I appreciate it.

MarineTpartier said:

Thanks for the link man. I appreciate it.

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Yeah- that's a good idea. Probably a good way to get a general idea of how nurses think, and what their frustrations are. Personally, I get enough nurse-talk on the job, that I don't discuss it once my Sunday shift is over, until the next Saturday when I work again. That's something I forgot to mention as an upside. Scheduling flexibility. It seems to be rare, but some hospitals offer a weekend plan where you can work two twelve-hour shifts, and get paid full time plus bennies. I lucked into one of those deals, and since I don't have kids at home, weekend work is perfect for me, and it leaves me alot of free time at home during the week, which I love.

lizzie said:

Yeah- that's a good idea. Probably a good way to get a general idea of how nurses think, and what their frustrations are. Personally, I get enough nurse-talk on the job, that I don't discuss it once my Sunday shift is over, until the next Saturday when I work again. That's something I forgot to mention as an upside. Scheduling flexibility. It seems to be rare, but some hospitals offer a weekend plan where you can work two twelve-hour shifts, and get paid full time plus bennies. I lucked into one of those deals, and since I don't have kids at home, weekend work is perfect for me, and it leaves me alot of free time at home during the week, which I love.

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Yeah, the hours is something that I would definitely enjoy. I've noticed that the hospital near my hometown offers mostly 12 hours shifts. I'm all about working 3 days a week.

MarineTpartier said:

Yeah, the hours is something that I would definitely enjoy. I've noticed that the hospital near my hometown offers mostly 12 hours shifts. I'm all about working 3 days a week.

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I did that for years, and if I hadn't kind of had this job fall into my lap, would still be doing it.

My wife is an RN and I work in healthcare in physical therapy, so we know the industry well. It's like real estate "location, location, location" It all depends on what unit you work on and who your employer is. The experiences will vary greatly. My wife works in neuro-trauma ICU, and it's a tough job, but she never has more than two patients due to their critical status. She just accepted a job at the VA)starts in a month) which doesn't have a trauma floor, so she'll likely have more patients but less critical care to give. I did some rotations in ortho-post op, worked PRN in LTACH, and currently work in skilled nursing setting.

You are a Marine though, you'll be fine if you can handle working with a bunch of civilian pukes....

WI Crippler said:

My wife is an RN and I work in healthcare in physical therapy, so we know the industry well. It's like real estate "location, location, location" It all depends on what unit you work on and who your employer is. The experiences will vary greatly. My wife works in neuro-trauma ICU, and it's a tough job, but she never has more than two patients due to their critical status. She just accepted a job at the VA)starts in a month) which doesn't have a trauma floor, so she'll likely have more patients but less critical care to give. I did some rotations in ortho-post op, worked PRN in LTACH, and currently work in skilled nursing setting.

You are a Marine though, you'll be fine if you can handle working with a bunch of civilian pukes....

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I THINK (lol) I'd be fine working with civilians. I'm sure the nursing field is similar to the Marine Corps in that there are some who are driven to succeed, the majority are just there, and then there are the 10% that really suck and you wonder how they function. I may have an issue with working with a lot of women. Not that I'm sexist, its just that I've never had to work with women in my career and I hope that my being nice to them will not make a few of them take me the wrong way. I have no issue with a woman telling me what to do though so that won't be a concern.
How are the hours for your wife? Does she do the 3 12 hour shift thing or 8 hour shifts? Is it rough on you?
Are you a physical therapist or an assistant?

lizzie said:

I did that for years, and if I hadn't kind of had this job fall into my lap, would still be doing it.

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Do you see a lot of new nurses get hired on? I've been looking on a few job websites just to get a feel for what's out there and I see a lot of places requiring at least 1-2 years experience. Everyone can't have experience.

MarineTpartier said:

Do you see a lot of new nurses get hired on? I've been looking on a few job websites just to get a feel for what's out there and I see a lot of places requiring at least 1-2 years experience. Everyone can't have experience.

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Your best bet (imo), is to work as a patient care tech (aide) or unit secretary while you are in school, and just get transitioned into a new position in the same hospital when you graduate. I lucked into my first job, just because I was in the right place, at the right time, but if you're already working for a particular hospital while you're in school, it's pretty likely that the unit manager will want to keep you as a nurse, assuming that he/she thinks you are a good employee. Nursing is a very fluid field. New RN's have a pretty high attrition rate, last I read. Somewhere in the range of 50% of new graduate RN's, don't stay in the field of nursing past 5 years.

MarineTpartier said:

I THINK (lol) I'd be fine working with civilians. I'm sure the nursing field is similar to the Marine Corps in that there are some who are driven to succeed, the majority are just there, and then there are the 10% that really suck and you wonder how they function. I may have an issue with working with a lot of women. Not that I'm sexist, its just that I've never had to work with women in my career and I hope that my being nice to them will not make a few of them take me the wrong way. I have no issue with a woman telling me what to do though so that won't be a concern.
How are the hours for your wife? Does she do the 3 12 hour shift thing or 8 hour shifts? Is it rough on you?
Are you a physical therapist or an assistant?

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Assistant. Hours are good for her, helps us keep daycare costs down as she works weekends. Don't worry about working with the women. They only ever make things difficult for other women at work.

lizzie said:

Your best bet (imo), is to work as a patient care tech (aide) or unit secretary while you are in school, and just get transitioned into a new position in the same hospital when you graduate. I lucked into my first job, just because I was in the right place, at the right time, but if you're already working for a particular hospital while you're in school, it's pretty likely that the unit manager will want to keep you as a nurse, assuming that he/she thinks you are a good employee. Nursing is a very fluid field. New RN's have a pretty high attrition rate, last I read. Somewhere in the range of 50% of new graduate RN's, don't stay in the field of nursing past 5 years.

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Wow. It's hard to imagine that many people paying good money to go to school and then just quitting. Idiots lol.

WI Crippler said:

Assistant. Hours are good for her, helps us keep daycare costs down as she works weekends. Don't worry about working with the women. They only ever make things difficult for other women at work.

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LOL, alright man. Thanks for the replies. I appreciate it.

MarineTpartier said:

Wow. It's hard to imagine that many people paying good money to go to school and then just quitting. Idiots lol.

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Once you are in it, you'll probably understand why. :lol:

lizzie said:

Once you are in it, you'll probably understand why. :lol:

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Nah, I worked hard for my GI Bill. I'll suck it up lol. I'd imagine it's easy to quit something when most new grads don't have a family to support as well. Thanks for the encouragement though :doh

WI Crippler said:

Assistant. Hours are good for her, helps us keep daycare costs down as she works weekends. Don't worry about working with the women. They only ever make things difficult for other women at work.

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They abuse other women emotionally, but they abuse men physically. :lol:
Seriously, though, male nurses need to be aware that some (not all) female nurses will take advantage of a man's physical strength and willingness to help with all the heavy lifting. Sad, but true. I don't think it's a conscious effort, but it happens alot. Men tend to get taken advantage of for that reason. You have to learn how to just say no, and take care of your own work first, then help out everyone else when you can.

lizzie said:

They abuse other women emotionally, but they abuse men physically. :lol:
Seriously, though, male nurses need to be aware that some (not all) female nurses will take advantage of a man's physical strength and willingness to help with all the heavy lifting. Sad, but true. I don't think it's a conscious effort, but it happens alot. Men tend to get taken advantage of for that reason. You have to learn how to just say no, and take care of your own work first, then help out everyone else when you can.

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That's everywhere. My other therapists are supposed to know how to properly transfer patients using good body mechanics, and they still come ask me and the other guy to move the heavies. CNA's and nurses are pretty bad for asking too, but I think they just want to look at my ass.

I'm not an RN or any type of nurse, but I have worked in healthcare for almost 3 years now in pharmacy and I'm currently a PharmD student in a program that has some collaboration with nursing students from our school. I've interacted with many nurses at my jobs and clinical rotation sites. I also know several nurses and nursing students but I'll weigh in on your questions from someone coming from another prospective that works with and sees nurses on the job.

The field of nursing is probably the most flexible field in all of healthcare. If you want more responsibility and a change of pace you can always go back to school to further educate yourself through the various fields within the nursing profession. There is a wide range of areas that you can work and large variety of responsibilities you can take on based on board certifications and education, you can start off with your ASN, later go on to get your BSN and further go on to become a CRNA or get the MSN (which I believe is changing to the DNP in 2015). As an RN You can work within a hospital within various clinical settings, you may be in the ER, OR, ICU, oncology ward/infusion center, general floor nurse, outpatient nurse, and other areas. If you work within a physician office you will most likely have a more routine job where you get vitals and record a general history of the patients while assisting the physician and doing some clinical procedures like drawing blood and giving shots. The area I have interacted with nurses the most is in the pharmacy. Most of the time the physician gives the nurse a prescription order and they are the ones that call in the prescription to a pharmacy (or send it electronically), if the nurse is a NP they will work under contract with a physician and write prescriptions under their protocol. In a hospital setting there is more of a collaboration (which can vary by hospital). Typically the pharmacy will receive the orders which are entered in by the physician or given to the nurse to enter in and the nurses will pick up the meds or have the meds delivered to them by a technician/tube system (depends on the hospital). The pharmacy will have instructions and warnings on how to administer the drug (although most nurses after a while get very familiar with the dosage forms and know it all by heart). Patients will have side affects and adverse reactions while on medications and typically the nurse calls pharmacy to discuss what the issue is and both will report to the attending physician/primary care physician with what is going on. As a nurse you will be interacting with pretty much everybody in healthcare. You will work alongside physicians, pharmacists, technicians and others and will get to experience a wide variety of things. You will also be able to work for poison control or a triage center that handles phone calls and provides clinical advice.

If you want to work in a hospital things vary largely by the institutional practices, state laws and the scopes of practice that hospitals issue out to different healthcare workers. Your hours and shifts may be flexible. I know many nurses that work 14 hour days and get in 40 hours per week. Some work a 7 dayson 5 days off type shift (pharmacists usually do the same). Those shifts can be VERY tiring, but you get your hours in quickly and get extra days off as a result. If you work in a physician office you will likely have an 8 hour workday routinely.

Now It's time for my rant regarding prick Docs and others. This just baffles me, but you are going to see A TON of arrogance within healthcare more so than any other field in my opinion. The sector that exists to heal people and should be one of the most humble is one of the most arrogant and proud (this is my pet peeve). You will (and I have interacted with) some physicians who have a god-like complex and believe themselves to know everything and be above everyone else. You will meet some pharmacists that have the same attitude and some other RNs that feel the same way. I know some doctors that view every other member of the healthcare team as their "slaves." Pharmacists may belittle the doctors and nurses, especially when it comes to drug selection and therapy. Some people will degrade you and your profession and treat you like you know absolutely nothing. You will meet others that work with you, appreciate what you do as well as valuing your input and clinical judgments. You will also be locked up within the politics of healthcare. Every state has it's own board of pharmacy, nursing, and medicine and they all have different laws. What you can do will vary based on those laws. If you work for the VA or any other federal institution things are different since they are largely not governed by state laws. Depending on your credentials and hospital standing orders you may be able to administer some drugs without physician approval and write prescriptions under a contract (if you are an NP). You may work with pharmacists that see patients and write prescriptions (at the VA, clinical pharmacists that did residency or any pharmacist that has a contract like an NP or PA does). You will frequently get spammed by your organization about the laws and proposals impacting your profession (ANA for nurses, AMA for physicians, APHA for pharmacists). Basically, prick Docs and pricks in general will be everywhere and there will always be scope of practice battles, belittling of professions, insurance issues, and hospital policies. However, there are many many rewarding aspects like seeing your patients recover, working along side those that value you, actively being a part of the treatment process and forging a relationship with your patients and rejoicing with them when the recover while showing sympathy and support when they do not. From someone who works along side nurses in healthcare I can say that it's an incredible profession with the most diversity and flexibility within healthcare. I would recommend shadowing nurses in various settings as well. Be prepared to be in a profession where you should never complain on the job or show it if you are having a bad day. You will be serving the sick and interacting with them and most likely they will be having a day that is far worse than you. Treat others with humility and compassion, take pride in your work and be strong for those who are relying on you (patients and healthcare staff).

Sorry for my massive wall of text :mrgreen: