Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Thoughts.


Ever since I started nursing, many RNs have tried to discourage me into going into the field of nursing. They complain about having to work on Christmas, being injured/having a bad back, getting no respect from physicians, patients, or from the public, and working 12 hour shifts (especially night shifts). I have no idea how to respond.

And then I get the non-nursing people asking me: Why didn't you go into the medical profession? Are you planning to go to med school when you graduate? These are the type of people that think smart kids become physicians, less-smart physician-wannabes become nurses. I try to explain to them that medicine and nursing are really different fields, with entirely different approaches to care, but I don't think anyone really understands.

I'm really lucky to have a Mom that loves nursing. She never complains about her job, and always talks about the positive aspects of nursing. When she worked in labour and delivery, Mom voluntarily chose to work all nights. She always loved hard work, and never complained about doing 12 hour shifts. And when I was eighteen and told her I thought I was doing nursing, she was really supportive. She never tried to talk me out of my choice. And it's so nice to get advice, or to be able to practice with hospital equipment at home (especially the IV bags, and needles that she borrowed from work).

Negative attitudes about nursing from nurses definitely doesn't help recruitment or retention of new nurses. Nurses command respect from the government and the public, and yet they don't seem to have much respect toward their profession themselves. I hope when I am forty years old, and have twenty years of nursing down my belt, I'll have nothing but positive advice and things to say about my job to future nurses and nursing students.

14 days until preceptorship...I'm so excited/scared!!

2 comments:

  1. wow...is all i can say...if you can still feel this strong after everyone has tried to convince you otherwise...then...you will be a good nurse!

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  2. Good luck on your first day of preceptoring, you will probably enjoy it. I would've if not for my dumb back.

    And, it sounds like a lot of people are weinies. Except your mom, she's a dear. And...I would HATE to be a dr. and look at their divorce rates,no way!

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