Is there a tribe for Registered Nurses?

[MayBaby2007]

I found my calling and will be going back to school in January to complete my pre-req's and will hopefully be starting the nursing program summer 2011.

Would love to chat with other MDC RN's.

I'm a SA survivor. The worst part for me, as a very young child, was being held down by my mom, doc's and nurses for the exams. I have hated doc's and nurses all of my life. I've been terrified of hospitals. I ended up having a much unwanted CS in 2007. I had birth trauma and was diagnosed with PTSD. Therapy has helped me so much!

I'm 27 and had no career goal in life. My only passion was being a mom. If I could be a SAHM, I would be in heaven. But, I'm a single mom and I can't wait around for prince charming to come and support me. So, I kept wondering what I could do with my life? I simply love being a mother. I thought about fostering....but that concerns me having a young daughter at home. (Because you don't know what kind of kids you're going to get--behavior problems, etc I may foster when my child is grown up/out of the house...but not while she is little).

Anyway, one day the answer came to me. I believe God spoke to me. I'm going to be an RN and specialize in Ped's. I can care for those scared children, give them that mother's touch and give them the compassion and respect that I didn't have when I was a child. All my life, I have despised the medical community for what they did to me and how they treated me....and now I feel my calling is to do this. I never thought I would ever get into the medical field, but here I go.

I'm concerned about the clinicals I will have to do in school though. It is my understanding that we will have clinicals in every specialty...is that correct? I'm worried about if I have to have L&D clinical. I don't believe in standard hospital births and I'm not sure if I could handle seeing a birth very well. I'm also afraid they will make me witness a circumcision which I do. not. want to do.

If there are any RN's here, could you tell me a bit about your school experience? The clinicals you did? Whether you were able to refuse to watch a circumcision? I'm prepared to do all the things I don't want to do, in order to get to my goal of working in the ped's unit....but at this point I'm slightly freaked out. I'm hoping that when the clinical's come, I will have come further with my progress in therapy and will be able to handle it easier.

TIA and looking forward to talking to any and all MDC RN's

[Nitenites]

I'm looking toward going back to school in the summer of 2010 to get my ASN and become an RN. I have the same worries you do - I don't want to have anything to do with OB nursing, and I SO DO NOT want to witness a circ.

I earned a BS in Secondary Ed in 1997, but the teaching field is soooo flooded (at least here, in the Midwest) that it is very difficult to find a teaching job. Now that I have children, I want a job that will enable me to continue to spend the bulk of my time at home. (I have 4 children, and we're homeschoolers.) Though I am married, my income can really make a difference in our quality of life. Without me working, we're just scraping by. If I could pull down a decent salary working part-time, that would be ideal. So that's where I'm at.

Looking forward to hearing from any RN mamas!

[Sharon, RN]

I was able to refuse to witness a circumcision when I was in school. Before school started, I met with the director of the nursing program and simply explained I had a philosophical objection to routine infant circumcision and I did not want to assist/witness any. She was totally fine with it. She just said I needed to inform my clinical instructor when my OB rotation started.

Well, I did that, privately, after our first clinical. It turned out my OB clinical instructor was a sorta-crunchy midwife, and she was totally on board. So it was never as issue.

However... you must be prepared to witness very medicalized births and CS. You will need to be able to handle that, and while I was happy to express my opinion privately with my instructor and more "publicly" with written assignments and such, I knew I wasn't going to turn Major Teaching Hospital into Birth Bliss Haven during my short time there. lol In other words, you DO NOT want to alienate your instructors or, even worse, the nurses who are helping you. Keep your eyes open, ask questions, learn all you can, but do not go in guns blazing, IFYKWIM.

And, for the record, my favorite clinical ever was in post-partum, when a new mom needed help breastfeeding, and my instructor knew I had experience in that area. I was able to spend a few hours 1-on-1 helping her, and I felt very confident!

Good luck mamas!

[an_aurora]

Hi there! I am starting nursing school January 11! I already work in a hospital, in the post-partum unit, so unfortunately I have had to assist with tons of circ's I'm planning on switching to Peds once I get my RN.

I am a bit freaked out about the time commitment; DH is in school full time as well and works on the weekends, I will be in school & working 2 night shifts a week, oh and we have three small children whom I would love to unschool. Unfortunately I'm afraid I might have to send my 4yo to kindy next year because I'm not sure how else we would manage child care for her. My mom is planning on moving up in March and if she does, she is totally on board with unschooling and that would be so utterly fabulous!

[almadianna]

moved this to the working and student parents forum.

[Drummer's Wife]

I just wanted to say somewhere there is a thread for RN's, pre-req takers, and nursing students - so you might do a search to get more info and maybe find answers to your questions.

I am considering nursing school (I go back and forth, and have for years!) and would only need to re-take the CNA course and Anatomy before starting (no wait list as long as I can handle the commute to a further school).

anyhow, best of luck!

[leahmn12]

Congratulations on your decision to become a nurse! It can be a richly rewarding profession, and I think that your personal history will make you that much more compassionate, as you understand the preciousness and fragility of the human spirit more than most. That knowledge will serve you and your patients well.

I concur with the previous poster that you must be prepared to witness/participate in hospitalized births, as well as other situations which you may find especially challenging. Remember that in any situation, the single most helpful/healing thing you can offer to a patient or their family is unconditional positive regard, a.k.a., compassion. It will go a long way to support your patients AND yourself. Yes, nursing is in some ways a very "technical" occupation, but the greatest reward to you and your patients comes when you can transcend the physical aspect of your duties, and connect with the spirit of those who are receiving your care. Picture this: You're a typical first-time mother in the throes of labor in a hospital bed, connected to tubes and machines, and lying exposed and frightened under bright clinical lights. Imagine how grateful you would be for the calming presence of a nurse who believed in the ability of a woman to bring forth life naturally, and not one who is convinced of the necessity of medical intervention at the drop of a hat. A nurse like that could possibly turn a potentially-traumatic experience into a beautiful one, even under those clinical circumstances. That nurse, through her confidence and support in the process of birth may even be able to influence whether or not that mother ends up having a CS! You never know where you will be able to bring light to others in this profession!

By the way, I had no opinion one way or the other about circumcision when I was in nursing school, until I had the opportunity to witness one. The physician who performed it, as she was doing it, told me that she considers the procedure barbaric, and that she hates to do it. Yet there she was, performing a procedure she didn't believe in, and she was doing it with compassion in her heart for the child, and as much gentleness as she could under the circumstances. That really made an impression on me. And, no surprise here, I didn't circumcise my son when the time came for me to make that decision.

Best of luck to you!

[gothnurse3]

Hate to be Ms. Negativity... but I was an nurse for 16 years. I have been blessed that I was able to walk away because it's not as great as you think. Nobody talks about the politics, the long hours with no breaks, missed holidays and weekends. All you hear is what great job security and good pay. Tell that to the pregnant girl taking care of the patient who is taking care of the patient who has bad pneumonia that turns out to be TB or the gunshot wound patient who goes into DIC and is bleeding EVERYWHERE and you find out 3 days later that he's newly diagnosed HIV and Hep C. It is scary... gloves and universal precautions only protect so much.

[marilynmama]

I'm just going to be honest.

I'm an RN and have been in peds for over 2 years now. I worked in the pediatric ICU and now in adol. psych (as well as floated to NICU and gen peds floor). If I had to do it over again, I would not be a nurse and I don't recommend the profession to anyone unless they know what they are getting into. Ovioulsy I'm not afraid to work hard, but there is only so much I can do. My job was affecting my family life and my own health (went on anti anxiety pills and was getting depressed).

I would recommend you work as a CNA or some sort of aide in the hospital first. Nursing has a HUGE turnover, and its for a reason. If you work as an aide you will have a much better idea of what nursing is really all about which I think will benefit you and help you decide if it is really something you want to do before spending a few thousand dollars and your time invested in nursing school.

Nursing school is a lot of hard work but it was fun overall and I enjoyed it

I have a job now that most nurses would kill for....because the stress is low, I know how lucky I am and how hard to get and rare my job is. I am 36 years old and nursing was not my first job by any means. I wasn't new to work politics, etc.

After having said that, there ARE good nursing jobs out there, but they are competitive and hard to get because so many want out of hospital nursing. Have you been to allnurses.com? Its an excellent resource.

[Latte Mama]

I have to say that the last 2 posts bring a fresh breath of reality, thanks posters. Now this is NOT to say OP, that you should'nt go to nursing school or be an RN but to look at all sides. I cannot tell you how many people tell me that they want to be an RN and work in Peds or Maternity, ALWAYS. Peds is not always about hugging away the hurt. You see some heavy, crazy stuff sometimes. You may deal with abused kids who have been burned and want nothing to do with your compassion. Or try getting a 5 year old to take meds that are saving her life and she absolutely refuses, even for her parents, and nothing, I mean nothing works. Or taking care of a 6 year old burn victim whose mother hasn't visited in the 3 nights that you've worked and the child still asks you every hour "to call her mommy" yet the phone just rings with no answer. Heartbreaking stuff and not everyone is cut out to deal with it.

Again, I don't say this to discourage you but I have seen so many wonderful people burn out from my profession because they ran into it with rose colored glasses on. Nursing can be a great career but don't be disillusioned to think that any area is puppies and sunshine. Peds will break your heart.

ETA: I think it is a fabulous idea to work as a CNA first or even a unit clerk (that's what I did) to get a feel for the job. The great thing about nursing is you can always find your niche.

[Peony]

Originally Posted by Latte Mama

I have to say that the last 2 posts bring a fresh breath of reality, thanks posters. Now this is NOT to say OP, that you should'nt go to nursing school or be an RN but to look at all sides. I cannot tell you how many people tell me that they want to be an RN and work in Peds or Maternity, ALWAYS. Peds is not always about hugging away the hurt. You see some heavy, crazy stuff sometimes. You may deal with abused kids who have been burned and want nothing to do with your compassion. Or try getting a 5 year old to take meds that are saving her life and she absolutely refuses, even for her parents, and nothing, I mean nothing works. Or taking care of a 6 year old burn victim whose mother hasn't visited in the 3 nights that you've worked and the child still asks you every hour "to call her mommy" yet the phone just rings with no answer. Heartbreaking stuff and not everyone is cut out to deal with it.

Again, I don't say this to discourage you but I have seen so many wonderful people burn out from my profession because they ran into it with rose colored glasses on. Nursing can be a great career but don't be disillusioned to think that any area is puppies and sunshine. Peds will break your heart.

ETA: I think it is a fabulous idea to work as a CNA first or even a unit clerk (that's what I did) to get a feel for the job. The great thing about nursing is you can always find your niche.

I agree with the last couple posts. I am an RN and while I found my niche, it still doesn't mean that it isn't a job that isn't emotionally draining. IMO, people who are drawn to nursing do it because they want to help others, caring for others isn't a easy job. One of the wonderful aspects of nursing is that you can do so much, I've worked on ortho, peds, lactation, and now am accepting a job with WIC doing breastfeeding support. I have to say that I couldn't do peds, the 4 year who had been in there for 3 days and the parents had not come in once and I couldn't find them, I couldn't do it. I'd go home at night and couldn't stop thinking about that child. Nurses are often guilty of caring too much, that can be a bad thing, it can lead to burn out. I don't discourage people from going into nursing, you just need to do it with your eyes wide open.

[Latte Mama]

Originally Posted by Peony

I agree with the last couple posts. I am an RN and while I found my niche, it still doesn't mean that it isn't a job that isn't emotionally draining. IMO, people who are drawn to nursing do it because they want to help others, caring for others isn't a easy job. One of the wonderful aspects of nursing is that you can do so much, I've worked on ortho, peds, lactation, and now am accepting a job with WIC doing breastfeeding support. I have to say that I couldn't do peds, the 4 year who had been in there for 3 days and the parents had not come in once and I couldn't find them, I couldn't do it. I'd go home at night and couldn't stop thinking about that child. Nurses are often guilty of caring too much, that can be a bad thing, it can lead to burn out. I don't discourage people from going into nursing, you just need to do it with your eyes wide open.

Yes, it is hard sometimes to go home because these patients do stay on your mind. Another thing I forgot to mention in regards to Peds is the parents. Here on MDC there is frequent discussion about mainstream parenting practices and such. An RN working in Peds will have to interact with many different types of people who may parent in ways that make one want to scream . You have to put your personal views WAY, way aside and be preofessional. It can be tough. Working in Peds is all about dealing with parents.

Now after saying all of that, 13 years of being an RN has been very rewarding to me. I am now in a job that is flexible and I miss little of my son's day. I couldn't ask for much more!

[geekgolightly]

I'm glad I became a nurse, but I'll be really happy when I can get out of nursing all together. Nursing has afforded me interesting experiences, some of which have been very rewarding and soul enriching, but it has always been tempered with painful experiences. I have often driven home crying my eyes out for my patients or just decompressing from the day or series of days working 12-15 hours with only a small break to eat, if that, on my feet worrying myself to death over how I can keep my patient(s) alive.

The big thing I want for you to walk away with is that you are there for the patient. The patient is not there to listen to your opinions. If the patient wants a circ for her child, or wants to FF, or is ignoring her child because she has more "pressing" things to do such as her hair and nails, you must be there to support her. If she's dangerous, hotline her, but otherwise, you have to respect people's choices about their own lives.

I don't work around kids for good reason.

Still, even in ICU there are nurses who grapple with the free will of the patient. If a patient is an alcoholic and continually visits the MICU r/t esophageal varices, you still need to have huge amounts of compassion, or you aren't giving good care. Get them over the hump, treat them with dignity and talk with them about the option to quit, but if they don't want the help, it is not your place to judge them.

[an_aurora]

Thanks for the input.

I work as a CNA/HUC in the maternity center. I've assisted with c/sections and circs, and seen all kinds of crazy circumstances. It's definitely an eye-opening experience. The politics at work were really hard for me to deal with at first. I'm so glad I took this job before starting nursing school.

[MayBaby2007]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the responses!!! The good, the bad, the ugly or the otherwise "truthful" posts. Thank you.

I have considered how hard it would be. To have my first sexual abuse patient. To have a kid dying, to have missing parents, etc. I know it won't be easy.

I do have one small advantage. I'm able to disassociate very well. Maybe too easily. Because of my emotionally abusive mother (and her family) and sexually abusive father and other things....I have this "switch" I can turn on and off, as far as emotions go. I know I won't be able to turn it off completely while being a nurse....but I do have the ability to make it easier. If that makes any sense?

I'm a single mom. I've been working at the same dead-end job making $8.40/hour for 4 (5?) years. It's a small company--no advancement, no bonuses, no vacation pay, no holidays off, open 24 hours, no benefits. I've been so lost as to what I want to do. The only thing I have a passion for is being a mother. That's it. At one time, I wanted to be a police officer and I still have passion for that---but I'm a single mom, yk? DD's dad is a police officer. I think it would be extremely unfair and unsafe to have both parents as a police officer.

If I don't go to school for nursing, I will rot at this job for who knows how long. The only advantage with my job is that it's office work. I'm at work now typing this. I have "free time" at work to do whatever I want......like homework. Without this job, I wouldn't be able to go to school.

I'm not getting into nursing for the money or for the benefits or anything like that (though, that's a huge bonus!). I just really feel like it's my calling. It's what I'm meant to do.

I've hated doc's and nurses all my life. And I mean hate. Deep hate. Seems like I always had the rotten people. The medical staff who WERE there for the money---or anything other than the PERSON. Never any compassion.

My CS ruined me. The entire experience was horrible....but the rotten nurses only made it worse. I remember one very nice nurse. She was the OR anesthesiologist. I remember her face. I remember her talking so kindly to me.....while everyone else was treating me like a piece of meat. She was the only person (out of at least a dozen nurses through the whole thing) that I have any "calm" memories of.

The CS that ruined me.....has also changed me for the better, thanks to therapy. Memories of my CS used to be off-the-scale bad. Two + years of therapy and treatment for PTSD has brought my CS memories down to a.......6 (10 being the worse).

My mom was in nursing. I pretty much hate my mom. (Well.....I'm liking her a little bit lately, but that's subject to change based on her mood). The last thing on earth I want to do is follow my mother's foot steps. Yet, here I am.

I'd also rather remove all my toe nails than do math! I'm horrible at math and hate it! There is a lot of math in nursing/school.

This is going to be hard on so many levels. School, OB rotation, seeing kids die, parents abandoning them, burn victims, etc. I believe (hope) all the hard work and challenges will make it that much more rewarding? Being a cop would be easier--I only need 5 classes to finish that degree! That's not what I'm supposed to do though. I really believe God wants me to do this.

Otherwise, I'm a 27 year old single mother working a dead end job making pennies to support us. Aside from nursing.....nothing else comes to mind.

[lorijds]

I'm always so sad when I hear nurses say they would not recommend their profession. I don't know what brings someone to that point, to paint the entire profession in a negative light, and I'm sorry they are in that space. If you go to allnurses.com you see it there, too. It's so discouraging.

Nursing can be a WONDERFUL profession. I personally LOVE my job. Yes, it is physically and emotionally difficult. So is being a parent, you know? ANY meaningful job is going to be draining. If I wanted a job that wasn't life and death, I would work in a coffee shop (not putting down coffee shop workers--I seriously would be a barrista, I love that type of work). I *want* the responsibility, but I understand that with the responsibility comes a certain burden. I can deal. I have a healthy work environment, and a healthy home environment. That totally helps.

I work on a medical floor that is well staffed, with coworkers I very much enjoy, and I feel my pay is adequate. Sure, I'd like to make more. But we're doing just fine financially, so I can't complain.

I think working as an aide, preferably in an acute care setting like a hospital, is essential in learning not only the ins and outs of nursing, but in getting an honest look at the profession, warts and all. You learn time management, you learn to roll up your sleeves and get dirty, you learn to deal with complex patients and complex family dynamics, you learn the politics of an institution, and you learn how stressful it is. It IS stressful--how can dealing with people's lives every day NOT be stressful? On my floor, if you screw up, worse case scenario is that you kill your patient. Not a lot of room for error, you know?

However, I wouldn't trade this job for the world. I encourage others to join our ranks. If one position doesn't fit you, if you aren't happy, DON'T STAY THERE. One of the other wonderful aspects of this job is the ability to move laterally. Don't like peds? There are many other areas in the hospital to work. Don't like floor care, but want to stay in the hospital/acute care setting? Try dialysis, radiology, same day surgery or OR, cath lab, IV therapy, etc. Are small hospitals too provincial and sub acute for you? Go to a big teaching hospital that employs 5000+ people. Don't like the big setting? Go to a small town hospital, where you know everyone and do a little bit of everything. Don't like the hospital setting? What about a doctor's office, home health, public health, parish nursing, psych nursing/counseling, school nursing, teaching, phone triage (ask-a-nurse), insurance company nursing, the list is literally innumerable.


In short, I love my job. The hours are great (yes, I'm working Christmas, someone has to. If I need to go to the hospital, I want it to be staffed, you know? It's part of the job). I could never work 5 days a week, I'm too spoiled now. I love the mix of a physically demanding job with an intellectually challenging job.

Good luck!

[MayBaby2007]

Originally Posted by lorijds

I'm always so sad when I hear nurses say they would not recommend their profession. I don't know what brings someone to that point, to paint the entire profession in a negative light, and I'm sorry they are in that space. If you go to allnurses.com you see it there, too. It's so discouraging.

Nursing can be a WONDERFUL profession. I personally LOVE my job. Yes, it is physically and emotionally difficult. So is being a parent, you know? ANY meaningful job is going to be draining. If I wanted a job that wasn't life and death, I would work in a coffee shop (not putting down coffee shop workers--I seriously would be a barrista, I love that type of work). I *want* the responsibility, but I understand that with the responsibility comes a certain burden. I can deal. I have a healthy work environment, and a healthy home environment. That totally helps.

I work on a medical floor that is well staffed, with coworkers I very much enjoy, and I feel my pay is adequate. Sure, I'd like to make more. But we're doing just fine financially, so I can't complain.

I think working as an aide, preferably in an acute care setting like a hospital, is essential in learning not only the ins and outs of nursing, but in getting an honest look at the profession, warts and all. You learn time management, you learn to roll up your sleeves and get dirty, you learn to deal with complex patients and complex family dynamics, you learn the politics of an institution, and you learn how stressful it is. It IS stressful--how can dealing with people's lives every day NOT be stressful? On my floor, if you screw up, worse case scenario is that you kill your patient. Not a lot of room for error, you know?

However, I wouldn't trade this job for the world. I encourage others to join our ranks. If one position doesn't fit you, if you aren't happy, DON'T STAY THERE. One of the other wonderful aspects of this job is the ability to move laterally. Don't like peds? There are many other areas in the hospital to work. Don't like floor care, but want to stay in the hospital/acute care setting? Try dialysis, radiology, same day surgery or OR, cath lab, IV therapy, etc. Are small hospitals too provincial and sub acute for you? Go to a big teaching hospital that employs 5000+ people. Don't like the big setting? Go to a small town hospital, where you know everyone and do a little bit of everything. Don't like the hospital setting? What about a doctor's office, home health, public health, parish nursing, psych nursing/counseling, school nursing, teaching, phone triage (ask-a-nurse), insurance company nursing, the list is literally innumerable.


In short, I love my job. The hours are great (yes, I'm working Christmas, someone has to. If I need to go to the hospital, I want it to be staffed, you know? It's part of the job). I could never work 5 days a week, I'm too spoiled now. I love the mix of a physically demanding job with an intellectually challenging job.

Good luck!

Excellent post


My two cents:

1.) I think a lot of people get into nursing/health care for the wrong reasons--"the money". Everyone talks about the money, it's the first thing I hear from someone thinking of nursing. Money is last on my list. I'm following a calling. I think that will help to keep me focused on what the job IS about.

2.) People get burned out. It happens. It could happen to me in my nursing career. Like you suggested, try other areas of health care and try a change of pace.

I've never (and I mean never) had a job where I didn't work holidays. I've typically chosen 24/7 jobs. My dream job would be off holidays....but like you, I realize that while I may not enjoy working Christmas, there will be a patient who won't want to be stuck in a hospital bed even more. And I will be there to tend to them. Really, what an honor. Life is what you make it and how you look at it. My days off this year happen to fall on all the major holidays, so that's great....but we rearrange holiday plans if I do have to work.

It's my understanding that holiday's are in rotation in nursing careers. Is that what you've experienced? If you work Christmas this year, you'll be off next year? It's really not a major concern....just curious.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by MayBaby2007

It's my understanding that holiday's are in rotation in nursing careers. Is that what you've experienced? If you work Christmas this year, you'll be off next year? It's really not a major concern....just curious.

Yup. My mom worked as an RN my entire childhood, and she would generally work every other Christmas. It really wasn't that bad at all (and it helped that we would spend every other Christmas with my dad). And actually, as we got older, she often had other nurses cover for her so she could be off (there will be RN's who don't have family, or who want the extra $$$ for working holidays) then, by the time we were teens my mom was the nurse manager for mother and baby, so it was rare for her to work holidays at all (and she worked a more traditional 8-5 day at that point). Now, she is a CNM, so babies come when babies come, and between the other two midwives in her practice, they schedule what works best for everyone. This year, she happens to be the one on-call on Christmas, but her kids are grown - whereas one MW has a brand new baby and a toddler.

[Ceinwen]

I'm a trauma/emerg RN - and I love it. It's literally my passion.

Aside from that, the money is amazing. The benefits and pension are fantastic too. Vacation/holiday schedule sucks - I'm a junior nurse, so I do work every other Christmas (I'm working it this year 23/24/25) and summer holidays are non-existent.

The twelve hour shifts are good for me though. I typically work three or four in a row, then I'm off for four or five days. Plus, there are lots of call-ins, so I can pick up time when I need the extra money.

All in all, I would NEVER do anything other than trauma nursing - it's a rush.

[MeadowSong_]

So glad to see this post! I just recently decided to go back into nursing to get my RN also. I am 28 with 4 little boys at home and will be starting (or should I say redoing) my pre-reqs here in January also. Since it's been 5 years since I got my LPN, I need to redo my pre-reqs for the college I want to attend.

I took the NLN mobility exam and am now waiting to hear if I will be accepted or not. Will not know until April!! Ack!! The waiting is stressing me out.

I've been out of work for 6 years now, staying home with my boys and just made up my first resume today. Next week I plan on picking up some applications to hopefully obtain a weekend nursing position......somewhere. I just hope me being out of nursing for 6 years (I have kept my CEU's and license current) will not be to detrimental to me finding a job.

Anyways, I will always recommend nursing to others............but will always warn people it is not for everyone. I whole heartedly agree that the best way to test the waters is to work as a CNA for a few months and while your going to nursing school. Not only gives you a taste of what nursing will be like, but it will really help things click while your in school. IMO, it will give you a huge advantage.