WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE BECOMING A NURSE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming A Nurse. In today’s Video we will discuss just that! I’ll go over the reality of nursing, the good, the bad, and everything in between. The reality of a nurses schedule. What its like working nights, holidays, and weekends. The pro’s and cons of the schedule. Mandating as a nurse, mandatory overtime. Is being a nurse gross? And more. Hope it helps clarify if you are thinking of becoming a nurse but aren’t sure what it would really be like!
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I have been homeless for 16 years and I am sick of it. I have been offered help by a nice couple and I'm taking it. I am becoming a nurse. Nothing will stop me.
Appreciated 🎉
Good for you! How is your journey going?
Congratulations! Never give up!
I wish you nothing but the best. Don’t forget how you felt when you started, you are so capable. Stay strong and good luck
omg! please go for it and don't stop at nothing. God bless you...!
I am just worried that I will become a nurse and not like it after having already invested so much time, money, and effort towards it 😬🥺
I totally get that. One thing here is there are SO many types of nursing jobs. So if you hated what you initially did there are other options. But it’s certainly not for everyone!
I was told that there was so many different nursing jobs and that I'll find a place I'll like. Except I haven't. Because it's just not for me. But it's really hard to know that without trying it. Id say, think about it at a basic level. Do you like taking care of others? Do you like being around sick people? Do you like serving sick people? Don't ignore warning signs that this profession might not be for you.
I totally feel you. My advice for you is to invest time for yourself to figure out what you really want. Try to get your feet wet first, talk to nurses, consider shadowing a nurse or volunteering at a hospital to learn more about yourself.
i definitely understand that and that's my biggest fear as I am nearing the end of my nursing program but nursing has so many options that you will definitely find where you fit in. You can work from home if you dont like interacting with people, you can be a nurse consultant, cosmetic nurse, babysit some rich family's baby lol. A friend of mine was a live-in nanny making $2000 a week and got to travel with the family a few times a year. Mind you there was nothing wrong with the child. They just felt safer hiring someone that's a nurse. Then there's forensic nursing, IT, sales, insurance companies etc. If literally none of those options excite you then nursing truly is not for you but try to really be sure of it before you put all that money and all those sleepless nights to waste
Nurse Liz hey I’m just scared that I won’t get sufficient sleep and I’m scared because my friends have told me nurses don’t get paid well they get literally squished like a sponge and what I mean about that is that they literally warn them out and at the end they get so tired thoughts?
I am most worried about feeling incompetent and being bullied for asking questions!
I totally get that. When you are interviewing for jobs try to scope out the unit and see if it seems supportive of new nurses and questions. makes ALL the difference. Also, usually nights is awesome for this.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME..... nurses eat their young sadly
Bullies exist in every profession, not just nursing. Fortunately, I had an extremely supportive group of seasoned RNs and Physicians working in the critical access Emergency Department where I had the privilege of ‘growing up.’ Never feel embarrassed to ask a question. You will find your groove. You will also find your ‘go to person/people.’ I actually feel sorry for the bullies - there’s usually a reason for their nastiness...and it has NOTHING to do with you. It’s the same with our clients - when they’re rude/hateful, it’s often because they’re in pain/scared/feeling like their needs aren’t being met/etc.
Candi Leftwich i agree, I work in an emergency room and my crew is just BAD TO THE bone but sooooo much help supporting me in my new life as a nurse. I’m a tech now and will graduate as my second career as an RN in JULY. They go out of their way to train me on what to expect as a nurse, not just treating me as their “grunt” they appreciate anything I do for them and it makes me feel like I really want to stay, instead of job hinting at the end!
It’s such an issue. They don’t say that nurses eat their young without reason!
I'm only a student but I was truly shocked how you can touch someone's life by such simple things, you can make a person's day by just talking to them, or getting them a extra blanket.
Sarah Flick literally when I remember the excite in a patient after I literally walked all the floors looking for ginger ale after I told her our floor was out she was so grateful for something that seemed so insignificant!
It's so so true!
From my experience as a patient blanket and heatpacks are viewed as nurses carrying gifts from the gods
Yeah but you don’t have time for that due to all your critical patients and doctors calling you. If only I could actually spend time with my patients.
I remember seeing my brother's nurses and they were so great and it was so obvious they loved doing what they were doing and wanted to see him get better! Pediatric nurses are the best!
This is one of the best and most realistic videos about what it's like to be a nurse. No sugarcoating but not discouraging either. We are not angels, we are compassionate HUMANS that want to care for people in all walks of life. But rude people are still rude, and poop is still smelly! lol
Exactly!! Thanks🙂
Me too! Im too grown to get bullied...not sure how I would react to obvious intimidation besides HR
I am sick of being FORCED FED this BULLSHIT / POLITICAL OPINION that nurses and doctors have "stressful" jobs or are "heroes".
If their jobs were so "hard", WTF are so many of them BREEDERS? Why do so many of them have CHILDREN?
And they CHOOSE to make their jobs more "stressful", because they don't have enough stress, they need to ADD more stress
and make their jobs harder by not solving patients' billing problems FIRST.
I really DO think of doctors and nurses as just DUMB TOOLS to be used & then discarded when no longer useful.
Sorry if this political opinion offends anyone.
The Ultimate Reductionist you’re truly a sick person
@@theultimatereductionist7592 The dumbest thing I have read all day.. Why don't you walk in a nurses shoes instead of running your mouth.. PS it made no sense? breeders? patients billing problems? Please educate yourself
I’m worried that I’d become a nurse then get hit with the realization that I didn’t really want to do that with my life once it’s too late.
that's definitely hard. If you have any opportunity to shadow that would be so helpful
Yeah. I should really look into it. Thanks!
@@kiaracooper407 you could also volunteer in a local hospital or LTC and see what the nurse's do. What's great about YT is that you get a lot of day in my life videos, this could be a great resource too
Jackie Who? Yeah. I planned to do that in the summer coming up. I saw it on my local hospital’s website.
That was pretty much the situation i was in. I didn't study nursing though, i done Occupational Therapy. Realised it wasnt for me after i graduated and went and done a masters in another area instead. You will always have options when you have a good degree like nursing
Really all I want in life is the financial stability to be able to get Starbucks most times I go to Target
Well you shouldn’t do it for the money
@@angelcake3710 We'd all be volunteers if that were the case. Let's be realistic. I could see it if you had said one shouldn't do it for money only when you don't even like people, have no interest in healthcare, etc. You work to pay bills. You choose your career based on how you will feel most helpful based on who you are and of those, you choose the path you love most. Otherwise, work will be h3ll.
talking taco if that’s the mindset I see no financial stability future lol know how much money you could save if you didn’t buy Starbucks lol
Teresa Rice lmfao right i see your point like @talking taco stfu
lmao i said this to my partner yesterday, the ability to get to just go to starbucks without actively checking my bank account lol
To answer the question of the day, the thing that shocked me the most about nursing that I wish I had known would be....how much it changed how I view the process of aging and death. There are things I totally stood for, opinions if you will, that I really wholeheartedly believed in, until I watched someone go through it and it just rocked my world. I always viewed aging and death as simple and sad, that we don't get a choice and that it was selfish to want to end your life without thinking about your family wanting you to be alive and around. I came to realize, dying is so beautiful and so complicated, it's incredibly intimate, and your end of life decisions should be that, yours. We will all have to go through it, but if there is something that could make it less difficult I would love to know, because I haven't found that yet. I've held too many hands of people who have family that didn't show up for them. I've also comforted many family members who WERE there, watching daughters lay in bed with mothers knowing it was time and just savoring every last breath, trying to squeeze every bit of joy and love left out of those moments. It will never be simple again for me, and it will not always be sad. :)
This was so well said ❤️
stacie wilson I’m an RN and this made me cry
stacie wilson Im pretty familiar with it already and I’ve watched a few of my favorite residents pass away back when I was a caregiver and that’s how I knew I could be a nurse. I handled it fairly well. It’s definitely not for everyone
I think you just convinced me I should be a nurse 💜
Dying knowing Jesus is the best thing ❤
I love having weekdays off. Parks, beaches, hiking trails, etc. are way less crowded and there’s just something nice about waking up on a Tuesday with nothing to do at all
I am a Nursing Student graduating in May with my LPN. (I will be advancing to BSN after) I am most frightened that I will not be "good enough" or be able to think as fast as a nurse would in an emergent situation.
I absolutely felt like that too. Fortunately there will be others with you in those emergent situations and you can heavily lean on them! I didn't act smoothly or competently in an emergency for a looong time.
Your LPN skills will put you head and shoulders above the pack. You won't be alone in the beginning. Love an RN who is going through it!
Awesome
I did the same thing, the LPN training prepares you incredibly for the BSN RN training (Clinicals and exams) and real life experiences as an RN
Would you recommend the LPN first ?
I am a retired RN, so some of us do go through it all and come out the other side! Hope that is encouraging.
A few things that were not mentioned: Hospital politics is its own kind of crazy-making experience. Most hospitals that I worked in had the "administration" which was the official leadership, but who really had the power were the doctors, some of whom were wonderful, and some of whom thought that they were close to the level of God. Some delighted in collaborating with the nurses in patient care. The God-complex ones delighted in humiliating anyone that they could, especially in front of the patients. Self-confidence is essential to endure the ones like that.
Another issue that I believe is important is to recognize whether you have the physical constitution to be on your feet for 9-12 hours a day, repeatedly. I ended up having to retire early because of my back, legs, etc because my body just couldn't do it anymore.
The last thing that I will mention is that I worked at a hospital which never required us to work extra, beyond our 8 hour shifts. They would ask us, but it was not a requirement. We also had specific patterns to the days we worked, so we could plan ahead.
The worst part of our working schedule came as we nurses had our children, because we had to share holidays on and my daughter never could count on me having a certain holiday off, so she never got a sense of being with the family for a specific holiday. To this day, she does not have the feeling of family holidays because I usually had to work.
Best wishes to those considering nursing. It is an honored profession.
Amen Nurse Jan ! " Self- confidence" is essential in it ALL; even if you have to ask a question of colleagues. Never be afraid to say "I don't know but I will do my best to find out". No one knows it all. And when u think you do, along comes that one patient that changes the rule book. (I'll never forget a 70 ish YO patient that remained conscious and alert fully in V-tach about 30 minutes even as an external pacer was inserted ! ) And especially with doctors who humiliate nurses. In my hospital they had a Code where all the nurses on the unit could come and quietly surround a nurse being humiliated this way ! Nursing is so rewarding and such a wealth of knowledge. I'm not practicing currently after 20+ years though my license is active, but I pray for all those Nursing Heroes sacrificing and being challenged during this COVID experience.
That's what I was worried about. The rude micro managing, or ego boost policing that OTHER nurses & doctors would get off on to make themselves look/feel better. As if your OWN degree means nothing.
Hi Jan that happen in so many careers, trust me, I am accountant working 14 horas daily for several years, I missed so many things with my children, I didn't want it but my job always had projects, the schedule 9 to 5 doesn't exist for a competent accountant, and like that happen in so many different careers, doesn't belong only to nurses, you did your best, I do mine, and my children now they say they understand what I did, best
I recently completed a 41 career as an RN and I feel so lucky to have done something with my life that was so incredibly meaningful!
Thank you for confirming, happy New Year.
As I'm watching this and reading the comments, I recognize that having doubts and fears about entering nursing is common and I am NOT alone. This is such a relief! I just started my first semester of nursing school, and I'm loving it so far. It's been challenging, but I know I'm moving towards something I've worked so hard for. Thank you for providing honest and considerate insight!
I am so nervous to move forward with this career i’m only doing the pre courses needed to take the test to see if your able to take nursing classes, but I really hope you succeed
@@ejmartinez9096 That is so kind, thank you! I truly hope you succeed too. I'm in my last year of school now, and it's amazing. I've loved every minute. Keep your head up and work hard!
Hey how its going now?
I’m scared that I’m not gonna be smart enough when the doctor ask me questions I don’t kno how will I survive the embarrassment of tht !!
Samee!! I’m a sophomore student in my second semester of nursing school and I’m honestly terrified for clinicals and not being smart enough. The only thing that really gets me through it is to remember that if I wasn’t ready for this then I wouldn’t have passed any of my curriculums. If I made it this far then I can keep going because the only person who can limit me is myself.
@@Tyleehere honestly, just know what’s going on with your patient. Being smart has nothing to do with it. Honestly, you can hire anyone off the street with common sense to be a nurse. You get orders and you follow them. What separates is when you can put two and two together confidently and be able to relay it to a physician. Doctors will ask have they eaten today and how much, what treatments have been carried out and the outcome, or little things regarding the patient. Read your notes (h&p) and you’ll know what’s up.
I’m 14 and I really want to be a neonatal nurse!!
Lmao sameee
Go for it! Best area of nursing in my opinion! You will have to work weekends and holidays but if you don't mind that, it is so rewarding working with the babies!!
a mc for sure! I’ll probably miss the weekends and holidays but yeah I think it’s totally worth it
Omg same!!! I'm 15 and dream job is to be a NICU nurse😊
@@guchaechae3612 I’m 15 as well
Even with all the “downsides” stated, I feel like those compassionate and heart-felt moments would make up for all of that. The only worry I have is me having some social anxiety and knowing I have to interact with patients. Not knowing if patients can get aggressive or difficult to manage. I hope I get enough training so I can be prepared for that lol I know it’s just my own personal worry, but still.
I feel that way too
It gets better over time with the social anxiety. I was extremely socially anxious before working, and after I worked for about 3 months it just felt very normal and super easy to communicate.
My social anxiety has me worried about my cowokers more than patients
I used to absolutely love working evening and nights. The reason I loved evenings is you could get up at a normal tome and get all your chores and shopping done without the crazy lines. I felt like I wasn’t missing a lot and the shift dif is always helpful
That totally makes sense!
“I got to get Starbucks when I went to target most of the time” 🤣🤣🤣 dying!!! Thanks for the laugh ♥️
my life goals are obviously lofty haha
@@NurseLiz what kind of medical care did you want to specialize in and why did you choose that field? Get back soon
Newly licensed nurse here 🙋🏻♀️ Today is my first day on the floor with my preceptor and I’m so nervous! Awesome video btw
Congratulations on your new job!! Hope it went well!!
I’m the 5th generation of nurse in my family. 1.My great grandfather was a nurse
2.My grandma was a nurse
3.My mother was a nurse and she retired in 2013
4.my sister is currently a nurse and I’m in my second year of nursing school. ❤️
That's awesome!! Such a wonderful legacy to be part of! And many interesting conversations around the dinner table I'm sure 😂😂
I’m a sophomore in high school and I feel like this completely changed my view of nursing and it sounds like a wonderful job to work at and I can’t wait until I study it and become one as good as you! Thank you so much! 😊 I’ll come back when I’m a nurse :)
any update???
Yess pls updates, do you still wanna be a nurse? I'm a sophomore actually
I’m still a high school student, but I really want to make sure I’m dead set on this. I do love the collaborative aspect of being a nurse, and I aspire to be someone who can be there for a patient and give them piece of mind. Not only that, but if they do open up and we get to talk, I will know what the best way to go for them will be and be able to work with their doctor and the rest of the team to create a plan that the patient will be more comfortable with!
I was in the same situation as you. I was in high school and had doubts about going into nursing. I had an emotional breakdown because my entire life I knew what I wanted to do, then out of the blue my senior year I freaked out. I decided to put a hold on my nursing career and became a certified nurse aide. I have now been a certified nurse aide for almost a year and have decided to go back to nursing school. I needed to become a nurse aide before an RN to make sure its what I wanted to do, I have now built an amazing support group through the nurses I have met, and I am now 100% sure its what I want to do. I would highly recommend becoming a nurse aide before a nurse if you're having any doubts.
I've been a nurse for 20 years and I have to say that one of the things I really enjoy is helping support my patients. I love to see them relax knowing that I am their nurse and they can trust that I know what is needed for quality care.
Same story here about teaching! I started out in nursing and then did one semester on the elementary Ed side and just knew 100% I needed to go back to nursing.
liz i loved evenings ( 2-10 or 3- 11) is because i was going to school another thing is i didnt have to get up early . you get to go to appointments and do errands, car repairs, dentist, meetings. You forget working mids never interfered with holidays cause your gonna do xmas in the morning anyways , you can do thanksgiving at 12p , you are going to get off at 10pm for new years eve and not have to wake up early for new years day ( and you still got 4-5 hrs of differential pay )
I dont have kids but i know some people like only having to pay for a baby sitter for 3 hrs and if the kids were old enough they would sit in the break room for 2-3 hrs doing homework until the other parent came .
And about nursing having a day off in the middle of the week, it's nice to get stuff done and go to movies and pay bills etc etc. ALot of times your weekend is blown getting stuff done anyways...
Thats a super good point!!
Thank you so much Ms.Liz!!! I’m currently a sophomore in High School and I’ve been interested in Nursing since I heard and learned about it my 8th grade year. People look at me funny because I’m a male and typically males aren’t viewed as nurses, but helping people brightens my soul, and nurses brighten so many in one day. Your video provided me real context on what being a “Nurse” really is and I thank you so much for that!!! I always kept my eye open on other careers but I’m positive on saying that I think I found my dream career. Thank you so much, your videos are such a blessing🙏🏾!!!
Aaron! Next year I highly recommend you seek out a volunteer program in a hospital near you to get some hands-on experience. I volunteered once a week in my junior and senior years and it definitely helped me feel much more confident in my career choice.
The schedule cons were all pros for me. I am a night owl, I have worked weekends and holidays before in a corporate setting, and my boys go to their dads every other weekend. I dont like crowds and I'm more of an introvert so weekdays off are a dream. This just makes me more excited. :D
The benefit to evenings is you get to sleep in and stay up late. You have a normal sleep schedule. Byt thats about it 😂
sleep is an excellent benefit though
Yes!! You don't have to get up to the sound of an alarm. Sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast and lunch, go to work, and come home and get a good night's sleep. It's all about the sleep!!
Until you get mandated for noc shifts
I am 38, and nursing has always been on my mind (on and off) since in my early 30s; I was a personal trainer for 10 years and loved helping people reach their fitness goals, but I wanted more and also wanted a challenge plus a career that guarantees stability.
So, now here I am in my last year of the BN program and just the thought of being on the floor on my own scares me. I actually enjoy the "not so glamorous stuff" e.g. wound care, there was this patient who had an unstageable pressure ulcer, it was "wow" lol.
Thank you, Liz, for the video!!! it was really helpful :)
I'm 37 and looking to start a nursing career...It's a big career change, and a bit scary to go into a new field at this age. Good for you for going for it! You may have inspired me to follow in your footsteps! :)
I’m 35 male and I’m thinking of doing nurse too and I’m a truck driver lol I think I need a change
Me too, 38 and Thinking of beginning nursing school from October :) my motivation - stability
Thank you SO MUCH for being this brutally honest about the pros and cons of being a nurse. I think you were very fair in your assessment and you've helped me decide that this isn't the right career path for me, at the moment. I have two kids, with a baby on the way, a cop husband and no family support to help with my children. I have been debating multiple career paths for awhile, and as much as I love the IDEA of nursing, I can tell that it's just not for me right now. I have a meeting to look into an accelerated BSN program for $90,000 and I don't want to put myself in that kind of debt, especially when our house cost us $150,000. For now, I think I will go to school for medical assisting, until my kids are older and don't need my full attention. I appreciate you SO SO MUCH Nurse Liz!!! ♥️
Teaching small children wasn’t for me either. It’s taken me 17 years to finally come to terms with that. I want to be a nurse. Thanks for being so awesome.
I am so glad I got my CNA just before COVID. We’re making $40-$60
I'm planning on getting ny CNA. How challenging was schooling? And the pay is worth it?
40-60?!?! Is thatc40k-60k per year or 40-60 per hour?
lovefortruth That is $40/hour and $60/hour on weekends.
@@fitnessbabe7958 where do you live? I live in NJ. How come your getting paid a lot?
Ahhhh....ok...makes a little more sense...but it's still a huge jump from the average...a bit more than I remember. But if you toss some over-time in along with the weekend rate, it would make more sense. CNA's are at the bottom of the payroll totem poll in nursing, so to make that kind of money as a CNA seems a bit of a stretch if you don't include a ton of overtime.
I want to be a mental health nurse because that's my passion. I'm in school for medical assistant and hope to go to nursing school.
That's awesome! You're gonna rock your program! Also, we can't have too many people focused on metal health, so thank you!
I'm not sure why I'm watching this when I'm 13 (almost 14, my b-day is in 5 days!!) but recently in my school they made us see a guidance counselor to discover what we wanna be when older. I'm in 8th grade. I said either cosmetology or nursing so now I'm researching both and I'm leaning towards nursing. Ever since I was like 8 all I knew was I wanted to be someone who helped others. Watching this really made me realize that I wanna shadow a nurse, I'm scared I'll make the wrong choice, job wise. My family wants me to become one for the money, which is a bonus, but they don't believe I can actually do it. They call me selfish a lot and said I could never deal with other peoples sickness/problems. I just wanted to say thank you for making this video because it made me realize that I think, I could actually do it. Night shift wouldn't be a real problem because I was diagnosed with insomnia so like, no problem staying up. I'm scared of the gross stuff but I think I'll grow out of it, and that's it. Then again, I'm a littttttle young so yea. Thanks for the amazing video!
Good luck as you figure it out!! So many awesome options out there
I relate to you 😭 I keep seeing these Type of nursing videos is I would be able to handle all of these stuff when you become a nurse !
okay we have way to much in common...i just turned 14, i want to be a nurse, i have insomnia, my name is rylee....weird lmao
You seem like a mature younger person. I am a Retired RN. I enjoyed it- worked 40 years full time. Think about becoming a Nurse.
-I could never - 1. Being on the feet for longer then 12 hours. Done it didn’t like it. As a CNA. But then again I was and RDA and CNA all in one. I quit the CNA and stayed for RDA now I’m planning to be a hygienist ☺️. Don’t do it for the money do it for loving 🥰 it. My freind is actually a nurse and loves it and I have another freind who hates it and she quit and became an esthetician. Your so you g so I hope you find your passion. ❤️
What I wish I knew before becoming a nurse? That not all nursing is bedside, and even if you HATE bedside, you can still be an awesome nurse who loves your job. I think most schools touch on the fact that there are other avenues to explore aside from acute care, but there is almost no exposure to it when you're in the educational phase. School will prepare you to become a nurse generalist, and then once you're out, real life starts. There are SO many other things you can do as a nurse. One of the best options, in my opinion, is to work in the outpatient setting. I never even considered it an option because I was so indoctrinated into the mindset of acute care being the gold standard for nurses to aspire to. And that's simply not the case. Acute care is great, but other kinds of nursing are great, too. I started my career in dermatology, which admittedly, is a difficult specialty to break into as a new grad. I consider myself fortunate that I was able to work alongside one of the premier derm surgeons in the country, but it was a career path I never could have imagined before I became a nurse. And I for sure couldn't imagine it when I was in the midst of school, crying every day during my med/surg rotation because I hated it so much, wondering why I'd chosen this life for myself. So, if anyone is watching this video because you think you want to go into nursing, but you're terrified that you'll start and find that it's not for you, after putting in all that time, effort, and expense; or you're already in school and you hate it; or you've graduated and you're floundering; take heart. Not all nursing is acute care. Not all nursing is even patient care. There's a very good chance that you can find something that suits you - you just have to be brave enough to look.
thank you so much for this. i just started my nursing pre-reqs and my biggest fear in life is death. im terrified of it and im wondering if this career is really for me but then again its the degree your getting the career is what you make of it. getting a degree in nursing opens so many paths up for you and thats what i keep holding onto...
Thank you for giving me this courage!! Im ready!!
This was extremely helpful and comforting, thank you SO much for writing this. I've been so worried if I should go into the field and this helped in my decision a lot!
Girl I love my time I have been thinking long and hard about it. Evening shift is always short staffed and less management breathing down your neck. At this point I’m focused on my own business I’m working building someone else dream while I am more than capable to build my own wealth
that's awesome!
I am a teacher who just finished nursing school and started working. I feel a bit bad because it took 6 years of university and two degrees to become a classroom teacher, and I love parts of it, but I was struggling with some parts of teaching. For my 6 years of university, I was
paid $60k CAD. From that, after taxes I was paying $800 a month in union dues and mandatory pension contributions. I also spent about 5k a year on classroom supplies. It ends up meaning that I really only brought home $2800 a month. Now, I did get 6 weeks off in the summer, and 2 weeks at Christmas. All of the other school holidays teachers are working. This sounds great, but for 10 months a year, with teaching, planning, grading, supervision, I was at school 10-12 hours a day Monday-Friday and bringing home another 8 hours of work for the weekend. I had no work life balance. All personal time in July, no personal time the rest of the year.
I’m really liking nursing. It has most of the same soft skills as teaching, and I’m much more intellectually satisfied. There is also significantly more opportunity for lifelong learning here. I’m making significantly more money and the only thing I have to supply myself is clothing, shoes and my stethoscope. And I like evenings. My natural rhythm is to sleep from 4am to 12pm and working 3-11pm allows me to do that. I’m on a rotations of days, evening, nights, but evening are my favourite
what an awesome background to go into nursing with!
I am a LPN currently in school for my RN and I can't tell you how awesome it would have been to see this before starting into the field! I just discovered your channel and I love your videos!
I agree been an LPN for 15 years and am now thinking about my RN
Currently applying to nursing school and this has given me such a good perspective on what it is like to be a nurse.
I’m so glad! Best of luck With your applications!
This video is so helpful
I have been a teacher for 11 years and am starting my 2 year nursing degree. I appreciate hearing you talk about the impact you can make an impact (the part I love about teaching.) Thank you so much for sharing.
You will make an amazing nurse with all of that teaching experience!
I salute you....I went to nursing school and taught at the same time, my program was at night but it was hard. My bedside manner was great because having patients was critical. Lots of patients complimented me how I am so patient...so I salute you
@@dva2876 thank you!! I appreciate that. I am almost half done and LOVING it
You got this! ❤
I was so burnt out as a bedside nurse. I switched to Registry and now I make my own shedule. Registry saved my career. Its not for everybody but as far as work/home life balance registry is amazing. I work as much or as little as I want.
What is registry?
I've always lowkey wanted to be a nurse, but when I was younger I was so in love with the thought of becoming a veterinarian that I never pursued becoming a nurse. My baby is gonna be four months old, and after having a not so good experience at his first ER visit I decided that I want to start studying to become a nurse. I want to help be that change in the medical field, so I am so appreciative of you and your channel so I can know what I'm really going to be walking into!
Did you start with your nursing program? I am always curious about when people w kids go back to school//change careers...I have 4 kids and I have toyed with the idea of nursing school...
I work evening shift and I love it! It’s way less exhausting than working 12’s. The scheduling is much harder but overall, I’d say my quality of life has improved.
Quality of life is huge!
I am applying to nursing school in spring. I find myself stressed over every single test because the entrance is so competitive. How did you manage your time, stay focused and positive and not suffer burn out from over thinking everything in school.
I tried not to overthink it! Also I told myself that I was going to do my best and if it was supposed to happen it would. And let it be. Otherwise it was too stressfull!
The thing about nights/weekends/holidays really resonated with me. I was the same, like "yeah yeah it'll be fine" in nursing school. But now I'm three months into my first nursing job and I'm like "wait this is worst than I expected." I also have to rotate, so I do 7a-7p for two weeks and then 7p-7a for two weeks and so on. I feel jet lagged constantly. My coworkers are all so great and supportive so I feel really guilty for already wishing I could go work in a clinic with more normal business hours when I've only been a bedside nurse for three months.
You do what you need to do! It’s not worth being totally miserable. Rotating schedules are so hard. I’d did that for one year and it was the worst. Always felt so jet lagged like you said
Hi! I'm planning to apply for nursing school soon. How are things going nursing wise?
Thank you for the video Liz. Bed side nursing is difficult no one really knows what its like until they finish school and do it for at least 6 months. I have some videos about bed side nursing to help people understand what its like! Video is wonderful!!
👍👍
I loved swing shift (evening) when I was a CNA. It was nice because you had your mornings and your nights! The downfall is that it was so so busy.
that is the craziest shift! i'm sure they flew by
Me knowing imma study nursing and I have a non existing social life 😆so I’ll be able to work weekends fine
I like evenings (3-11) because I can get things done earlier in the day, and work til around the time I'd normally go to bed
This was amazingly helpful. Thank you so much! I’m applying to nursing schools and finishing up my last prereqs right now (micro & developmental psych). I’m most worried about working nights, weekends, and holidays while still finding time to spend with my family. However I know it probably won’t last forever and will be worth the sacrifice in the end!
I think knowing it won't last forever is so so helpful. Also I hope micro is going well! That class and I struggled haha
Nurse Liz thank you! I have an A in the class so far!...but we’re only halfway through the semester so anything is still possible 😂🤞🏼
As a CNA, I really liked the 3-11 shift. It was a bit slower pace than the day shift, though it was plenty busy. I was just so overwhelmed on the day shift, and there wasn't nearly as much teamwork as there was in the evening shift. I liked getting home late, getting my shower and having the TV to myself abd the house quiet so I could relax and unwind before bed. I would typiccally be asleep by 3 am, wake up at 9 am after a solid 6 hours of sleep, and have time to get some daily chores and tasks done before work at 3. I'd much rather get dailies down before running around work than having it hanging over my head when I got home. Now I'm in bed early and up anywhere between 1-5 am lol.
Hello, i'm interested in nursing, do you think it's possible for a nurse to have hobbies? I'm interested in nursing but i also have an interest in ballet. Do you think it would be possible for me to pursue ballet if i become a nurse? Please let me know, it would be very helpful for me, thank you.
I haven't even graduated high school and I'm worrying that I won't be able to become a pediatrician. I want this so badly, but I fear I can't pay for college to get to where I want to be in life. I also don't know enough at all to become one and I'm overthinking things at 15 years old. Thank you for helping me by putting this video out here. You put my mind to ease a little bit.
same im 15 and im looking at nursing cuz my parents used to be doctors!
@@xxpuffykittenxx8947 I wish the best luck to you! We're both young, but we have the spirit to do this! My brother had cancer for a bit so that pushed me to want to help kids like him.
I liked evening as a PCT! You have (half) the perks of night shift but don’t ruin your life by having to stay up all night/sleep all day the next day. You have from when you wake up - 2pm to do things :)
i feel like a lot of these things are things that i've been dealing with for years coming from food service and retail so i think i'll have a very slight advantage in that regard
yes!! I found my background in food service to be INSANELY helpful in nursing
This has made me feel very relieved. Most of my work history prior to nursing school is in retail/food service
jessie bessonette hospitality, especially hotels and restaurants are incredible teachers for multitasking and people skills 🙌🏼
Thanks Nurse Liz 😊 it's nice to have a bigger sister who will serve as a guide on what to expect and accept in Nursing field. ❤ I hear you. With all the good and bad things about Nursing. I will still choose to nurse people 😊
Glad I got out three semesters before I took the NCLEX. I felt like a total failure but deep down I knew that I didn't wanted to be a nurse and that I had to get out before I wasted anymore of my time and everyone's else's.
I'm glad you were able to make the decision that was best for you!
I currently live in Spain, me and my husband are planning to move to the Uk and I want to go to university to study to become a pediatric nurse, I'm 20 next month (I've been so conflicted in what I want to do with my life) and I hope this is who I'm truly meant to become. 💜
This was so helpful! I'm currently studying to be a social worker but I've been having doubts and I was very interested in nursing.
Hope you find that clarity soon! Both are great fields with their own challenges.
I am 38 and a dental assistant. Going into to this job I hated needles and blood but after years of doing this job I am no longer grossed out by blood and needles. I am getting ready to go to Nursing school.
To be honest I’m lost in what direction I’m going in..I’m a freshman at a junior college and I honestly feel like I’m wasting my time...I just wish I had someone to help me understand what I’m doing
Did you ever find a path? Kinda in the same boat but I’m a juinor
I honestly was starting to get scared and have some form of fear about nursing but I continue to find happiness and encouragement about it. This definitely helps me see nursing is for me.
hope you find clarity in your choice!
I loved working evenings. We usually only had to do one meal and we were in charge of getting everyone into bed and comfortable. Its still really busy and the time goes by really fast but you have some down time to rest. Day shift doesn't have a lot of down time and night shift has too much down time.
I made the shift from nights to days and it was much easier on my body, but of course the management and amount of busy-ness on the unit is much harder than nights
I am a nurse of 30yrs and I appreciate this info so much! I think it's so important to know these things going into nursing and they are not talked about nearly enough. I feel bad for new nurses these days because I feel like they didn't get this information and are highly disillusioned when they start their career. So thank you. And, I found you because I am 55 years old and am considering going back to school to get a AGPCNP license. So again, thank you for sharing your experience. It has been helpful to me. 💐
Hello, i'm interested in nursing but i would like to know if it's possible for nurses to pursue hobbies. I have a passion for ballet and i want to know if i can pursue that while being a nurse. Please let me know if you can, it would be very helpful for me, thank you.
Thank you for this video! I work day/eves! For me it’s nice having that variety. When I have busy days at home it’s nice knowing that sometimes my next shift back isn’t until 3pm. Then I can sleep until 8 am, see my kids in the morning, bring them to school, and relax at home before I get to work. 😁
That's such a good point!
When I first became a bedside RN I was put on nights and did enjoy having less people in my space, but never slept well. I did enjoy working PMs because I could wake up when my body was ready, go run errands, go to the gym and breathe before going into work. As for gross things ~ yes wear a mask...I carry essential oils. They are a life savor!
I love this! Finishing my first year of nursing school and can already attest to the life-changing nature of becoming a nurse.
Hello
A real eye opener. As a student, the initial costs associated with starting Nursing school was very surprising to me and it became even more important to ensured that I was successful. I work as a prn Resident Assistant at an Assisted Living facility and it was there that I learned to love caring for persons. I started out as a career change and needed something that would offer me a job after school and that would offer some stability with good pay and in my research, nursing seemed to be the one. This video is totally eye opening. Thank you very much!
Nurse for over 15 yrs..... burn out...... finally able to retire from ER.... currently PACU nurse...... training in OR....... very challenging...... blessed to have this gift
Hi Lizzy! I burnt out as well. Always put yourself first otherwise you can't continue caring! Stay safe!
This is EXACTLY the kind of video I wad looking for. Thank you! It’s so much food for thought. I’ve been trying to make up my mind about healthcare sector jobs, so this is great! Better to know everything about the profession before going into one.
Hey Nurse Liz. I'm a guy who's about to start my last two years of a BSN, and this video really helped. I've not yet experienced much more than theory and textbooks, so I'm really excited to get into the blood and guts of it. Thank you!!
I'm gonna start doing prerequisites for the nursing program at my school and I'm so excited to start everything but I'm also nervous? I know this is what I want to go into but im not very confident
I'm scared I'm gonna fail literally everything ahaaa
Anahi Morales I’m also thinking bout going into nursing and I want to start my pre requisites too, do you know how long it typically takes to finish them and get into the actual nursing program?
@@brianaziemke6092 Depends on the specific nursing school. At the bare minimum, if you're going to school year-round, you will take a year worth of prerequisites. Most schools require Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Psychology, and potentially math courses.
My personal experience went something like this:
Semester 1: Biology and general psychology
Semester2: Anatomy and microbiology and developmental psychology
Semester 3: Chemistry and math
Semester 4: Anatomy 2 and chemistry 2
You could do all this in less than four semesters of course. It depends on you, your time available, stress coping, etc.
I personally recommend you go ahead and get CNA training before your prerequisites or in the early stages of them. If your school requires CNA training. It gives you bedside experience, you make some money, and that extra experience in a healthcare setting will look great on nursing school applications. I work PRN and it goes fine with school! If not, try volunteering some to get that application boost. Good luck!
@@brianaziemke6092 You have to take Microbiology, Chemistry, Lifespan, Anatomy and Physiology at the minimum.
I’m so excited to become a nurse. I’m a senior in high school and volunteer at the hospital. I am gonna try to go to trade school and become a CNA while going to college at the same time. Wish me luck :)
good luck! you got this!
I have to tell you, this was great! I have been a nurse since 1982, by the way. I spent 17 years as an Emergency Department nurse, then went and did IT for 8 years in a hospital, then spent 12 years traveling to various hospitals to do IT work with those facilities...now I'm back at my home hospital (where I grew up) and I'm the nurse who does the nursing orientation. I think nursing is fabulous! Especially the fact that there are so many great careers possible for nurses! I would suggest to anyone who thinks they want to do nursing that they shadow...and not just once....several different places, with different people.
I loved this! so helpful, especially agree with the stuff you said about calling the shots, we should all be thankful we don't have the final say and be respectful throughout The whole process...its TEAM WORK! (Im only a CNA now, but in school for Nursing
I’m so thankful for this video! I just got accepted into an accelerated nursing program and am ready to enter the medical field. I shadowed a bit and have an idea of what I’m getting into. I think I’m more nervous about is rude & crude patients/family members
How has it been?, I also got accepted for bsn in October
⭐I just wanna say thank you so so much for all what you've said in this video, i watched like more than 30 videos for people talking about nursing and they barely talked about half of what you said
I'm so grateful for you 💎✨
Becoming a nurse requires having a caring passionate mindset, which starts at a very young age, possibly 3-5 years old!! The best nursing job is working at a Veterans Affairs, Outpatient Clinic. Monday-Friday, 7:00 am to 4:30 pm. Weekends and Holidays Off! Life as a nurse does not have to be that horrible, Unless you want to work at the Hospital, then everything you are saying applies at the Veterans Affairs Hospital, All of them in the US. Being a Nurse is more Rewarding!! Continue being caring, passionate, empathetic!! Great tutorial video!! Love your job!! God Bless!!❤❤❤❤❤
Loved this. The only thing I would add would be the amount of rude and nasty patients
Truth. Fortunately there’s some great ones sprinkled in. But I for sure didn’t realize how many rude people I’d care for
Trust me , you'll find them even in other types of settings other than medical . Clients and co-workers and even partners .
I loved working evenings. I didn't have to wake up really early to work the day shift, I could schedule a doctors appointment or other appointment during the early part of the day prior to work. The other aspect of enjoying working evenings was the units I worked on in long-term care were less hectic on the evenings as opposed to days. In long-term care the day shift was heavily staffed with providers, nurses, admistration, OT, PT, etc. There was just a lot of chaos or at least it felt that way to me. Evenings seemed more orderly at times. I never liked night shift because I like to sleep at night with the rest of the world. Despite the fact I would get home late from the evening shift, I still got to sleep at night and I didn't have to wake up early. Those were the things I liked about evenings.
Thank you for this honest video. I am taking my prerequisite courses and I am excited about the journey. I enjoyed the part where you spoke about thinking education was your field and then it was not. I have been in education for 5 years and I realized it was not for me. So it was nice to be able to relate to this. Thank you again.
You will make such a phenomenal nurse with your background in education!
Loving your channel! You are a fabulous teacher, with deep perspectives. I can totally see you being a ray of light and hope for the “sick care system”.
I have wavered back and forth, considering becoming a nurse for over 20 years. 12 years ago I went into alternative healing-was a practicing massage therapist with my own business, studied wellness coaching, still teaching Yoga, adding in meditation and sound healing.
Sometimes I get super bummed that I don’t make a lot of money…It’s a solid income with a partner-no kids & a minimalistic lifestyle.
It’s a bummer holistic modalities aren’t more covered by insurance and hospitals. Integrative health care is optimal for patients healing outcomes.
Nursing is attractive mostly because of the money and flexible hours. However coming out of a post pandemic burnout, that I am healing from. I think I’m too old at 40, to take on that level of stress.
I would make more money being an RN, but I think my mental and physical health would sell out 🤑
Thank you for your channel! You are helping many people see 360*…I see great success for you, in nursing- or whatever you decide is next along your path as a healer and teacher.
Evenings are great! You get to sleep in and feel rested/be able to think without being so tiered from 6-2s or nights! And your weekends feel a bit longer :))
That’s very true!
“Yes, you have to do gross things.” My ex likes evenings because he can still see the kids during the day, and still get decent sleep over night with some of the chill of night shift, without total lack of sleep. I’m going to nursing school Jan 2020.
I loved this video so much! I graduate with my BSN in May, so I am in the home stretch of nursing school, and this video was so touching. Even just in my clinical hours I have witnessed and heard about a lot of the topics you've spoken about. The stories at the end that you shared about why nursing is so worth it made me tear up. Nothing compares to the gratitude of a patient and/or their family member because of your care. Also this video was so balanced! The silver linings helped ease my anxiety I have had about some of the topics you mentioned. Thank you so much for this video! I have been worried about scheduling and you finding the silver linings helped me a lot. :)
I agree about the wonderful feeling of patients appreciating care! And I'm so glad this video helped!
My dream job is a nurse and I’m so ready for everything, good and bad
awesome!
I am SO EXCITED to be a nurse. I'm graduating high school in June... getting there! :)
Not overwhelming at all, I need all the info! Thank you
I start my OR job in 3 weeks and I am so excited. You will always like OR better than baseline. I was at baseline for way too long but I had a great member and seniority so I stayed. I am working 6-3pm no weekends because we have a person dedicated to on call weekends and no holidays. I am hopeful❤❤❤
When I become a registered nurse, I am interested in cardiology and surgery. I want to learn injections. But I also love health and nutrition.
Awesome!
after a ton of research trying to figure out if college and the money spent is worth it, this is hands down the most helpful video i've found. i know it's long, but there was no rambling, everything was so useful and easy to listen to
Glad it was helpful!
I start nursing school on Monday and I just love watching your videos. They have really motivated and excited me for what's ahead! This one was awesome! Thank you Liz!
Hope tomorrow goes well!!
i honestly LOVE working night shifts! its awesome!!
The humans are the best for sure!
Just found your vid, im thinking of going into nursing! Just for the fact that I can work at nights. I have always been a night person, that's when I do my schooling and everything. I sleep most of the day, and do everything at night. Thats just how I am, I don't like day time, Lol!
Hi, I started as a bedside nurse (Belgium) and now I work as an outpatient psychiatric nurse. I left bedside nursing, because I missed the time to be there for the patiënts. Due to the fact we were shortstaffed. I had to work for 13 patiënts. So, nowadays, in my current job, that improved a lot. And I am still able to combine somatic and mental care. Love my job❤
Just discovered your videos yesterday and I love them. You’re so down to earth.
Aww thanks! Welcome to the channel!
Hi Ms. Liz,
I am currently a middle school teacher wanting to pursue nursing. I am leaving the education field due to the unrealistic standards and expectations of the educators in our state. This career shift is a scary one as I am afraid that nursing will bring me the same negatives that I am leaving as a teacher. Thank you for your video as your nursing positives have continuously motivated me and now I have one pre-req left before applying to nursing school. Thank you!
If you can teach middle schoolers you can do anything. Just saying. Best of luck wrapping up your pre-reqs!
Thanks for this. I've been a LPN for 28 years and planning to get my RN in the next 2 years. I've worked several areas and I'm appalled at the number of nurses to come into the profession believing their nursing experience will be just just like that nurse they saw on the internet or the patients and non-medical staff think everyday you are to be running all over the building saving patients like the latest medical TV drama they saw last week. 😂
I love your videos because you actually say what you feel and don’t make anything sweeter or worse than it is. You are REAL
I know I'm late to party, just some scattered thoughts after retiring from 27 years as an RN, mostly at the bedside (whether the bed was a med/surg, telemetry, or ICU bed). The big city hospitals pay the highest + best benefits. New RNs should take advantage of 401k/403b's, you get to defer a significant amount of your pay and save for your retirement (invest in broadly diversified stock index funds). Believe me you will want to retire at some point and do something different and more pleasant, and pensions are a thing of the past. If you don't want to be mandated to stay past your end of shift, when the inevitable happens, don't work for government institutions (county or federal), they don't pay as well either. Evening and night shifts pay differentials, the larger hospitals pay the highest diffs. If your on the west coast or NE coast you may be working at a facility in which a union will be representing you and your co-workers, join, participate and learn. There is strength in numbers and the more solid committed numbers you have the better labor contracts you will be able to negotiate. This will mean nothing to you at this point, you will learn different. As a young (or new) RN one tends to look at their new profession with rose-colored glasses, you will learn to be practical with your limited energy. Try to separate your work life from your personal life, there's a reason. There are many other things small and large that you will need to know, cultivate friendships with kind, experienced, older RNs (they do exist), they are a wealth of needed knowledge for someone starting out.
i am a care worker but you are SO right about night shift! the teams really are the best, with the best vibe. i love nights at my home.
btw i also work evenings and i will tell you why i like them: i can sleep in (i hate waking up early, it is torture to me, even when im used to it) but also i can get back and spend the night with my partner (he is a night owl). also more chill than days. good shift, works for me.
Nurse Liz, thank you so much for doing videos like these. I am not in nursing school yet. I must take some pre-requisites before taking the TEAS. I appreciate the knowledge you are giving and I’m still going for it. I am turning 42 this month. Just being older is a bit scary, but I’m considering what you said in your other video that I have some life experiences that can work to my advantage. I just made sure to follow you on IG as well. Thank you again!