2 things...1)no matter how well prepared you are to graduate from nursing school, and no matter how well your professors attempted to tell you about what "real nursing" entails, hundreds graduate every year without a clue. And a lot of them don't make it in the work world. Nursing is marvelous but it is also mostly thankless and dirty with too much paperwork, and too little hands-on care. I graduated with my BSN 5 years ago and was scared to death, but jumped in with both feet.Days go by without questioning my choices, and then weeks go by when I constantly question my choices. Nursing is NOT glamorous. Nursing is NOT about finding a doctor for a spouse. And most certainly nursing is NOT financially rewarding when compared to the level of decision-making that many of us do on a minute-to-minute basis.
Nursing is " caring". Nursing is " making the best with what you have to work with" Nursing is coming up with ways to make what seem to be mundane tasks more interesting and efficient. Nursing is teaching. But most of all Nursing is what we make it!!!! And I've decided that in spite of the powers that be, the negative attitudes, the lack of retention and the limitless government paperwork, that I can still be the kind of nurse I want to be. Granted, with less hands-on than I had intended, but enough that I can make my residents smile and make them feel as though the facility is their home. And most of all one "Thank You" from a patient or family member can make all the other bad things go away.
The 2nd thing: " Nurses eat their young." Don't understand the concept at all but damnit, teach these new students and grad nurses, don't blow them off. I don't know about you, but I would rather impart my knowlege to them gently and know that somehow I have gotten through to them and that I would be pleased that they be the ones to care for me when the time comes. Think about it!!!