Nurses

I’m thinking of getting my BSN taking an accelerated program which will have me done in a year. Salary and hours are a big draw. I’ve been considering it for years but now I’m a sahm and considering my next lot in life after my youngest goes to school. I just ordered my official college transcript because I need to see what science prerequisites I would need to take at the local community college before applying.

Please tell me what you love about your job and what you hate about it?

Thanks so much.

Nurses

I work in medicine in psychiatry, not as an RN but in clinical in behavior analyst and I work in a hospital. I work in a state hospital, in psychiatry, it’s pretty cut throat everyone just cares about their seniority and their hours. I think it’s just the state culture because my husband is also a state employee and experiences the same. I know psychiatry is it’s own breed of employees where I work so I can’t speak for the hospital as a whole but I know any nurses that come into my hospital all start on the overnight shift so if you are looking to get into Stony Brook, which is where I am, no matter the department you will work overnights on the weekends. My friends that are nurses at LIJ, they have a similar experience of working nights when starting. You also have to accept you will work thanksgiving, Christmas, Miss things at school, etc. The pay is actually more at LIJ than stony Brook for new nurses but all staff get a state pension and lifetime health insurance with stony Brook so it’s worth it. You have to enjoy medicine. I see so many nurses that just can’t be bothered and want to do the bare minimum. In medicine, regardless of our roles if there is a code you MUST respond. So from a psych point many nurses are scared to intervene in violent behavior but you have to, you are there to work with ALL patients. On the flip side if you cannot deal with someone possibly coding and stop breathing on your watch, it’s not for you. I work from a clinics point but I’ve seen people code and it’s not fun, participated in CPR and the emotional toll is a lot I also work 1/2 my time in pediatric psych and I have a hard time working with peds and separating my emotions from my own kids. You really have to keep that wall up. I think medicine is a great job and if you love to help people and are invested in learning about medicine, I think you will be happy and succsssful. If you can get past the “cons” I think that’s what makes people great in their field

Nurses

I have a lot of friends who did this and don’t regret their decision at all.

And both of them have jobs working days so it doesn’t necessarily need to be an evening (one is in a hospital, the other in a private practice).