Nursing Questions

[txgirl]

I'm planning on going into nursing and have a couple questions for you guys:

1) What do you like and dislike about your job?

2) Can I go into travel nursing right after I graduate? If so, how much do you think I'll be making? If not, how many yrs of experience is required for a travel nurse? Is it true that you can make up to $2,500/week as a travel nurse?

3) Is it easy to go into an administrative position with a B.S. degree in Nursing and Business Administration and a few years experience as a Nurse?

Thank you in advance for your help.

txgirl

[ICUnowOHN]

I love my job. I started out on Med/Surg 10 yrs ago, then to Neuro ICU, and stepdown. I now work as an Occupational nurse at an auto component mfr. I would never have tried this specialty without having at least a couple of years under your belt. I have been in my current job for 9 years, and only had 2 1/2 in M/S, and every ICU where I worked. I still rely heavily on my hospital-based experience. If it was me starting out, knowing what I know, and having the experience I do, I would still do it the same way. I think it would be wiser to get some time in. Nursing school doesn't end at graduation. I gain new experiences and knowledge every day. As far as the Admin position: better you than me. Been there, done that. I like being an Indian, not a chief.
Good Luck

[medi]

Hi txgirl,
Welcome to the nursing forums! Ok, I'll try to give you some answers from my perspective at any rate.

1. I like ER nursing better than any other specialty I've worked in, including teaching and being the director of nurses at one point. I suppose I like it the best because I have more of a "cure" attitude than a "care" attitude. Everyone in my family are MD's and they wanted me to go to medical school, and two doctors I've worked with offered to pay my way through med school, so I guess that says I don't have the personality type that is happy waiting on patients hand & foot, changing beds, or calling for orders for tylenol... ha... I'd have made a terrible floor nurse, but I am a great ER nurse. I love seeing the patients, being able to triage, stabilize, basically start to treat , be involved intimately with urgent care cases such as major traumas, and either admit them or send them home. I LIKE trauma, I really like gunshot wounds, stabbings, and MVA's the best. In the army I could see patients, send them for tests, order consults, suture, cast & get prescriptions for them handle them in conjunction with the ER doc. There's more autonomy in the ER and a whole lot of adreniline rush and satisfaction at the end of the day knowing you've actually accomplished something meaningful.

2) I believe most travel nursing companies require a minimum of one year current clinical experience before they will consider a nurse for a travel nurse position. What you make (at that time) is going to depend on the type of assignment you are qualified for and accept. You will make more money if you work in a highly skilled specialty area such as critical care, surgery, nurse anesthesia, or neonatal intensive care for example than you would if you work a med surg floor, and you will make more money if your assignment is with some hospital in some place where they are willing to pay high rates to get nurses to come to work etc... it all varies. I've had phone calls offering $5,000 per week to $10,000 per week.

3) Again, whether you can move into a management or administrative role wherever you go to work will depend a great deal upon the needs of your employer at the time, so it's hard to say. Bear in mind that the BsN degree is rapidly becomming the entry level degree for professional nursing (though there will continue to be a severe shortage of RN's and especially BsN RN's for a long time to come).
So, is it easy? I would never say it's "easy". Like any other management or administrative position in any other career field you will be judged by your leadership abilities as well as by your educational preparation. In other words, much depends upon the needs of your employer as well as upon your own abilities in addition to your degree, so the best I can say is prepare yourself the best you can and go into the job as a nurse prepared to keep learning all that you can and do the best job that you can do. You never lose by being the best you can be.

Hope that helps some... when do you start college?
Sara

[txgirl]

Hi Sarah

Thank you so much for answering my questions. I am planning on applying for fall of 2005. I'm glad you talked about loving ER, and not seeing yourself as a floor nurse. One of the concerns my family has about my going into nursing is, they don't see me as a very "caring" (for lack of a better word) person. I know, eh? How unsupportive is that? They can't see me cleaning up after patients, helping them shower and all that. And to be honest, I don't see myself being too good at those things either. I've talked to my mother, who is a nurse, about it, and she said that there are areas in nursing where I don't have to deal with poop and vomit (blood I have no problem with, poop and vomit will take a little getting used to), such as OR and ER. I would really love to have a job where I need to be constantly thinking anyway, and not just doing menial tasks. The reason I'm leaving my field (accounting) is it's not challenging enough for me, and at the end of the day why does it really matter if an account is balanced, you know?

Thanks again for the info.

txgirl

[txgirl]

btw, could you tell me what area in nursing and where the assignment was that offered you $10,000/wk pay?! I know nurses can make a lot of money, but I didn't they could make THAT much!

[Tonya B.]

This is just my opinion.......I started out in the medical profession as a nursing assistant. If you can do that and like it then nursing is your thing. If you can't handle it...you seriously need to re-think your career move to nursing. I am not trying to sound negative, but in just about any field of nursing, you are going to have to help a patient with their daily routines in some shape or form at some time or another. Being a nursing assistant first also made me realize how important they are in this profession--which makes getting along with the folks that DO the majority of the cleaning butts and showering a whole heap better. Hope this sheds some light on the thought and good luck with what ever you decide!!!