4 answers
4 answers
Updated
Karla’s Answer
Pros -flexible schedule, open job market,meet a wide range of interesting patients,if working in a hospital you may get training for all areas of care,you can travel and work all over the USA via healthcare agencies which pays a higher rate, in addition to providing housing..
Get ready for the.... CONS
-Short staffed
-heavy case load which is very dangerous and risky.
-work vs pay is not equal
-bad coworkers
-difficult unsatisfied patients
-difficult unsatisfied family who don't understand that a nurses hands are 100% tied down in most circumstances as far as treatment or plan of care is concerned and we don't act independently and everything we do is according to doctors orders but in most cases those doctors orders can be changed
-no benefits,no pension,no retirement plans.
Get ready for the.... CONS
-Short staffed
-heavy case load which is very dangerous and risky.
-work vs pay is not equal
-bad coworkers
-difficult unsatisfied patients
-difficult unsatisfied family who don't understand that a nurses hands are 100% tied down in most circumstances as far as treatment or plan of care is concerned and we don't act independently and everything we do is according to doctors orders but in most cases those doctors orders can be changed
-no benefits,no pension,no retirement plans.
Updated
John’s Answer
I'm not sure I can improve on Mukuka’s list above, but let me add some personal experiences for you. Working as a nurse allowed my wife and I to adjust our schedules so we didn't need to utilize daycare for our family. We are both nurses and we both worked part-time so we could each be home at different times to raise our family. We had years where she worked three 12-hour shifts a week and I worked two 12-hour shifts on the weekend, and we had times when I worked a full time job and a part time job right after our daughter was born so she could stay home for the first year. It has provided us a comfortable middle class lifestyle that did not require any significant student loans as we are both graduates of community college nursing programs. My wife has stayed at the bedside, moving from ICU to PACU, and did go back and obtain her BSN. I have moved around much more and worked in ER's, ICU's, a cardiology practice (great fun), and currently work in the disability insurance industry. The jobs are out there and so are the opportunities. If you're ever tired or bored in a job, you have untold options open to you.
I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question.
Daron
You are most welcome. Best of luck whatever you decide.
John Levesque
Updated
Mukuka’s Answer
Pros:
-High job security
-Variety of career paths
-High job satisfaction
-Flexible hours
-Opportunities for advancement
-Competitive salaries
Cons:
-Long hours
-Stressful and demanding work
-Exposure to illnesses and diseases
-Risk of injury
-Emotional strain
-Limited career growth potential
-less individualized time
-High job security
-Variety of career paths
-High job satisfaction
-Flexible hours
-Opportunities for advancement
-Competitive salaries
Cons:
-Long hours
-Stressful and demanding work
-Exposure to illnesses and diseases
-Risk of injury
-Emotional strain
-Limited career growth potential
-less individualized time
I appreciate your support, Mukuka
Daron
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
My mother's been a nurse for basically 52 years (yep, she started when she was 18 back in the day) and I'll give you the perspective from being the son of a nurse.
Pro's include employment for life, ability to move into different roles (she's been a nurse in every department under the sun), various work hours (she'd work nights for many years, she'd sleep while we were in school) and if you enjoy nursing it is one of the few professions that can pay off emotionally and mentally. She genuinely enjoys being an RN to this day (at the age of 70!)
Con's include having to answer to administrators that constantly change (having a different boss on a whim can be challenging), sometimes being around a lot of end of life situations, OT can become a part of life.
And one weird pro? Someone mentioned being around a lot of disease/illness. Well, whatever my mother brought home all those years gave me an ironclad immune system. I never get sick!
Pro's include employment for life, ability to move into different roles (she's been a nurse in every department under the sun), various work hours (she'd work nights for many years, she'd sleep while we were in school) and if you enjoy nursing it is one of the few professions that can pay off emotionally and mentally. She genuinely enjoys being an RN to this day (at the age of 70!)
Con's include having to answer to administrators that constantly change (having a different boss on a whim can be challenging), sometimes being around a lot of end of life situations, OT can become a part of life.
And one weird pro? Someone mentioned being around a lot of disease/illness. Well, whatever my mother brought home all those years gave me an ironclad immune system. I never get sick!
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Daron