Comments on: Why I Left Nursing

By: Jason R. Thrift, RN, BSN

Jason R. Thrift, RN, BSN — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:35:48 +0000

Although I do agree with some of the surreal facets of this post, I do have a problem with the whole PA being an advocate for RNs.

I don’t believe you sell the farm to plant more crops, its basically impossible. What that means, I don’t think you can be an advocate for nurses when you yourself no longer want to be one.

Believe me, I understand a lot of people’s reasons for wanting to leave nursing, and of course being a PA is a very interesting profession to enter into. But you also have to consider the logistics of RNs and PAs. Maintaining a PA job can be hard to do, for a man or a woman. RNs are pretty much always in demand and advanced practice RNs ranging from NPs, to Administrators, to Educators will always be in demand. Most PA’s do not make much more than a NP (in some cases less) and basically have similar responsibilities, so again why not stick with advanced practice nursing?

Nicki seemed to comeback at other posters about “attacking” the author’s choice of profession and overlooking the ideas they bring up. But the author’s ideas and choice of profession don’t seem to coincide, so that seems a very valid argument to focus on. If I wanted to be an advocate for nurses, I would do advanced practice nursing (which I am) and not something that stereotypically some people equate to being superior to the nursing profession, simply because it has the word Physician in it.

Nurses are always nurses no matter what level of education they complete within the scope of nursing practice. Anything else…is just a healthcare professional.

By: JD

JD — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:40:17 +0000

Short reply to Lisa63, I have been doing the prn thing for a few yrs. It has it’s pros and cons. Which I won’t go into detail on. I am just frustrated that the profession we chose to enter winds up being such a lousy experience for alot of people. You should’nt have to go into another line of work just because health care is in the shape it is in. We should be able to make it better as a group rather than letting other people exploit us, especially someone who has done absolutely no pt care and never intends to. Why do we allow so few to ride our coat tails and in return make us feel like they are doing us a favor by allowing us do all the work and taking on all the responsibilty, while making huge profits. Nurses are intelligent and capable people, but are pretty short sighted to allow this to continue by the constant infighting, etc, that we participate in. Pretty classic examples of devide and conquer, keep ‘em fighting amongst themselves while we pull the wool over their eyes . Sorry, this was meant to be a short reply and not a political rant, but I call ‘em like I see ‘em, and welcome debate if someone can convince me otherwise. Nurses could be the health care version of the Teamsters if they would apply the same principles. Anywho, Good luck with everything L63

By: Lisa63

Lisa63 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:51:51 +0000

JD- I am going back to school- community college. Computer Programing, Culinary Arts… I’m not sure exactly what, but I am short-selling the house and looking into only PRN work coupled w ‘Starbucks’ type job to have the experience of a day at work without all the horrors of nursing. I just want to be a regular person again- I never want to hear from someone new I just met again when I tell them what I do- “You’re a Nurse! Oh I could NEVER do what you do!”

By: JD

JD — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:26:26 +0000

Would have to agree with Lisa63 on her description of the nursing ” profession ” I have been an RN for ~ 17yrs, and have had similar experiences. Am also a male, so have probably had an extra dose of the negative experiences listed. It was hard getting the degree and license and then dealing with all the job issues mentioned has taken it’s toll. I have a pretty thick skin, but it gets old driving to work thru a “rat race” into a “dog fight” I am not sure what to do at this point, if anyone has any suggestions feel free to respond, but please no polly annish BS. I’m all for good pt care, but heard it all before, I think it is disingenuous, so please don’t bother if that is all you have to offer.

By: Lisa63

Lisa63 — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:36:11 +0000

I have been a RN for 15 years. I am finally in a good enough financial space that I can look into other jobs for a livelihood. I know the other nurses on this forum will want to get out the bazookas and shoot me, but, ‘nursing’ is not a career. Nursing is feeding a baby. There is NO “career” in nursing. What is the Hospital RN Job? Essentially, you are the Dr’s _____ – and you are accorded exactly that much respect. As hospitals have become more focused on liability mitigation, paperwork- now computerwok- has become a major drain on a nurse’s time. The patients need someone, but you have to fill out all the ever more numerous forms on paper or on screen. I see no value in playing the “Who can be the ‘Best Girl’ Game” I can hold my urine for 5 hours!!!! I can go without breaks and not complain, ever!!! I can take the most abuse from sleep-depraved Mds!!! And no administrator will ever stand up for me!! I can successfully navigate the office-politics of a bunch of bitter, hateful, back-stabbing phoney women!!! I can put up w psycho families better than anyone else!!! I can handle more critically ill patients than anyone else!!!! I can work my ass off from dawn to dusk and never complain that the equipment I use is often faulty- no problem, I will just run to another unit and grab a thermometer that works- no let the tech have his or her well-deserved break !!!
What a Joke ‘nursing’ is. The joke is on us. In these last 15 years I have only seen quality of life get WORSE for RNs. The ones that are able to go into administration, or get out.

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:02:29 +0000

Please read some or all of Suzanne Gordon’s
books. There are as well a rich source of articles related to “Bullying” – nurse to nurse
horizontal violence and physician behavior avail.
on the net esp. if “YAHOOED.” Good nurses are life savers. We, however, must address toxic
workplaces. In fact, the Joint Commission plans to do just so – you can read about this on their
web site. I am sorry when anyone leaves nursing
but, after 30 years of bedside practice in a
variety of environments – teaching, community,
etc., in critical care units I have found we
are far from being treated as “professionals”.
You will likely find many interesting articles
about this issue in a nuring library as well esp.,those journals devoted to nursing management.

By: Anne - nursing prof and NP

Anne - nursing prof and NP — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:55:52 +0000

If you really want to be a nursing faculty member, being a PA is not the way to go. Choosing to be a PA means choosing to always be in a role tat conceptually and legally means that you are subservient to physicians and will learn nothing about advanced practice nursing. And academic programs (except perhaps some AD programs with severe faculty shortages) will not hire you unless you have an advanced degree in NURSING. Further, if you think being a PA will allow you to bridge the divide b/t nursing and medicine, i worry that you have a rude awakening coming. I urge you to consider becoming a NP instead-faculty jobs will open to you and you will have the opportunity in many states to work independently of physician oppression or required oversight. Also, you will be in a position to work to affect change in a very different and more credible way. Good luck no matter what!

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:50:27 +0000

I don’t think that being a nursing educator with a PA degree will work out very well. As someone in NP school I value that all of my instructors have graduate degrees in advanced practice nursing. I would not want a PA ,PT, RT, OT, dietician, or anyone else for that matter, teaching me NP material. While it would be nice to have an insight as to what each of the fields do, if you are a PA, you need to teach PAs, bottom line.

By: rachelmarie62

rachelmarie62 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:30:03 +0000

I do like your idea of having the nursing follow md and the other way around. I Medical program in the area I work in does something like that.
We have med students with us, but only for a short time, even though it is a short time I think it is good that they expose them to what nurses do…I think this opens their eyes, of course we have some med student who already think they are better then us nurses but for the most part they are all great and very interested in what we do!!! Great idea!!!

By: alissa

alissa — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:00:09 +0000

i think that it would be great to have followed a doctor around for a day… to see where they go when they “disappear” from the unit… to see what kinds of things they deal with, and especially to see what kinds of information is important to pass along to a doctor… that would have been great and vice versa… it would be great to have a few of the residents see what we do all day and how their “few orders” translate into how i spend my time that day…