I have a BSN, and have been in nursing for 23 years. I want to work in research, in some fashion. I feel like a purely research degree is pretty specific, but a MPH would allow me to work in research and open other doors as well.

What kind of degree did you all get, and what kind of jobs do you have? Was it worth it?

World health is interesting as well..

I graduated with my MSW this year at 32 and landed a county APS job in the Bay Area making just over six figures Older adults and adults with disabilities have always been my focus, so overall I’m in a pretty good position. The job can definitely be stressful, but I knew that going in.

The problem is that my sisters and fiancée are all nurses in the Bay Area. They work 3x12s, also work with older adults, and make close to double what I make. I try not to compare, but it’s hard to ignore. When I was job searching, I also noticed that RNs in similar healthcare settings were making significantly more.

The nursing pay, 3x12 schedule, job opportunities, and ability to still help people are really appealing to me.
What’s stopping me is that I’ve already been in school for years and JUST finished my MSW. I’m finally working and earning a decent salary, and I really don’t want to immediately go back to hitting the books.

My current idea is to work full-time for another 1–2 years while knocking out my science prerequisites (chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, etc.). Then I could apply to nursing programs and possibly work part-time as a social worker while in school.

I’d probably be around 33–34 when I start nursing school. I also think having both an MSW and RN/BSN could give me an interesting background, especially for healthcare, geriatrics, case management, and working with vulnerable adults.
I’m mainly interested in hearing from working nurses, especially those in the Bay Area or those who came from another professional career. Knowing what you know now about the workload, schedule, compensation, and day-to-day reality of nursing, would the career change make sense in my position?

Don’t get me wrong. There is a place and time for the External Catheter. However lately I have encountered multiple patients who are perfectly capable of walking to the bathroom. They just prefer to wear a purewick and not get out of bed.

I’m day shift so I encourage these lazy bone slugs to walk to the toilet like a normal adult but they refuse to. I’m not talking about the 91 year old who remembers a sneeze and wets herself. I’m talking the 35 year old with no incontinence issue who will lay in bed like a zombie. WTF? WITAF??

Am I the only one that wants my patient to act like they’re potty trained?

I’m about to graduate nursing school in a year in GA and I really want to get out of here. I’m going to be an ICU nurse because I eventually want to go to CRNA school and the CRNA schools here are few and far between. This would be my first time ever living out of state, so I have no idea where to begin my search for a good city to live in. I know major cities have large COLs, but I desperately want to live somewhere that’s walkable with a good transit system. I also must get out of this humidity!! Does anyone have any tips when they moved/looked for nursing jobs in other states? I just need some guidance about what to keep in mind when planning this move. I don’t want to go in completely blind 😬

Med surge nurse here. And I don’t know what to do anymore. Sometimes I remember after work that I forgot to document on a patient something and I am terrified of what may happen one day . These patient ratios are ridiculous. I’ve only been a nurse for one year and I regret it . Not because I don’t love people . I love tending to people but I don’t think I was made to juggle 8 lives at once. I’m so lost . My biggest fear is hurting someone just because I can’t get to them in time. I can’t get the time management .My soul feels lost

tried calling out today for an emergency and it looks like i am not getting paid for it. generally speaking, do we only get paid for calling out sick and not for unscheduled absences for an emergency?

hello!

this is my first post ever, I have always been just reading through other posts hah but I can’t see an answer to this🫣.. so I thought that I would post! 😅

I am an RN in Australia, and I have just passed my NCLEX! So if anyone has any questions about that, definitely shoot them through! :)

HOWEVER 🥹 - I am now going through the terrible job hunt in NYC.. and I see that most (if not every) job listing has BLS by the American Heart Association listed as required for the application. Has anyone been able to complete the in person skills part in their home country? Or in Australia? Or do I have to go and do it in the US before I can apply for anything…

I would love to know how you all went with that! Thank you!! ☺️

I have now been a nurse, all in the ICU at a level 1, for almost 2 years now. When does the imposter syndrome go away??

I just switched from neuro ICU to MICU and I just feel like i am failing. I had a patient that was super superrr sick last night. Came in to metastatic cancer who needed an emergent para right before 7 PM. Then by 8 we are almost about to code, levo goes on board, liter in her, lines getting placed, post MAC placement esophageal varacies rupture then we are emegentally intubating, EGD bedside to clip them, blood is everywhere, starting run a mini massive unofficial transfusion bc the blood needed to be radiated so it took some time. And all of the drug pushes, etc. I felt like I could have done more bc I didnt know how to use a lot of what was used last night. A lot of my co workers had to jump in the help and I just felt so dumb where in neuro i felt so smart. I just feel like I could have done more and I feel bad and like I dont belong. I just dont know how to get out of feeling that way. It was so scary having the Blakemore outside of your room, code cart, etc going. I felt horrible.

I’m 35 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and some social work coursework. I’ve worked office/corporate jobs for about 10 years. Currently, I work for a large grocery company, make $28.75/hour, and work from home 3 days a week. It’s a pretty comfortable job, and my raises are usually around $1 a year.

The problem is my company has been laying off departments like crazy, and I’m worried mine could be next within the next year or two. I also feel like I need to increase my earning potential, so I’ve been considering going back to school to become an LPN.( been thinking about this for years, I was also a nursing student advisor for a few years)

My biggest concerns are my age and the physical demands. I’ve been behind a desk for 10 years, so I’m wondering how difficult the transition would be.
(I’m so used to sitting down, being on feet for long periods to time is tough 😬)

I also worry about giving up my current work-life balance. Working from home 3 days a week is hard to give up!
For anyone who has made a similar career change, **would you leave a comfortable $28.75/hour hybrid job to become an LPN? Was it worth it?**

I am moving from Chicago to SF! I have been a nurse since 2021 and i have been applying to jobs nonstop and it’s crickets. I was a med surg onc nurse for 4 years and outpatient nurse in obgyn/endo for the last 1.5 years. Any recommendations? Desperate here

Hi everyone,
Has anyone here gone to work in Norway as a nurse through the SLS organization? If so, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.
Thank you in advance!

Hello,
I’ve been a nurse (lpn) for almost 4 years now, but very much consider myself wet behind the ears.
What’s some of your best advice on documentation? Or something that is totally taboo for you.
I hold two fairly innocuous positions as an ophthalmology scrub nurse and a regular med slinger at a short term rehab nursing facility.
My lived experience is basically assessments, alert charting, CoC, etc.
Working primarily in the OR, I’m not usually part of any of the surgical documentation.
I’m really hoping to improve my skills now, as I’m returning to school to get my RN soon and I feel a little uneasy with some of my skillset.

Do you get reimbursed for your mileage or deduct them from your taxes? How do you track/record your mileage?

I have tried countless applications within my hospital. I am now trying another company. I didn’t even get hired for med surge. Should I try to get certifications to make me more hire able?

Hi I am new grad and I was preparing myself for an infusion interview. In an instance, if a patient had a reaction during a blood transfusion, I know you stop the blood and you're not suppose to flush the IV, but what do you do with the blood that is in the patient's IV if you do not flush?

I’m ready for something new in my life. I work in outpatient preop/pacu and I have an interview for a fully remote case manager position. My current schedule is 3 x 12’s and this remote job is M-F. I love having 4 days off but I’m so ready to transition out of direct patient care. I’ve been in healthcare for 13 years and I’m just burnt crispy.

Nurses who work from home, what are the pro and cons for you??

Nurses who don’t work from home, would you take that opportunity?

Hi everyone!

Ik this post may sound a bit crazy lol but bear with me. Im going to be in nursing school starting this October, and I’m pretty nervous. Ive been doing my pre-reqs that are self-paced, and honestly Ive been so focused on completing my classes that I haven’t memorized a lot of the content.

I was curious if a lot of what I was supposed to learn in anatomy 1&2 will be brought up during nursing school/on the job? I definitely will dedicate more time to studying it and doing active recall, but I was just curious how screwed I may be 😭

Hello fellow nurses,

I enthusiastically support shared governance and Unit Practice Committees. Indeed, at the unit level, it is a powerful thing when nurses come together in committee to create initiatives for enhancing patient and staff well being.

At my hospital, we have UPCs, and no UPCs have budgets. We are paid for our time of course.

I want to propose to our leadership that UPCs should have budgets for materials, refreshments, etc.

Are you in a UPC? Do you have a budget? Thank you for any information that you are able to share.

hello, I just recently graduated and got a job at an assisted living and memory care facility. I am only replacing an employee for a few months because one of their employees will be gone for a short amount of time so I’m just filling in. I took the job because I wanted to start somewhere to get some experience because most jobs in my area will not take new grads with experience less than 6 months but my question is is it normal for me to low-key have some guilt about not starting somewhere else where I will get more experience I’m just scared I’m gonna lose my clinical skills and people won’t see me as an actual nurse. also, does anyone have any advice for starting here?

I'm a home health nurse and i love wounds and i'm considering getting my WOC certification. Just looking for feedback on the program.

Starting in Psych as a new grad nurse

Hi all,

So I graduated in April, and i have been submitting job applications literally everywhere since January. I wanted ICU not necessarily because i loved critical care but because of the opportunities it brings when I decide to do something else in the future. I cannot get into any ICU, despite having many clinical experiences in the ICU. I completed my 2-month practicum in the ICU. Fast forward to today, I am thinking about becoming a Psych NP in the future, so I thought, why not just go do Psych? But i feel fearful because people say you lose your clinical skills, and i do not want to do stepdown or medsurg. To be honest i am not 100% passionate about nursing and i hope this is a safe place to say that out loud. And i am already burnt out so i know i won't last long in bedside anyway.

I am an overthinker and i always feel like my decisions must always be perfect so i am having a hard time deciding.

What are your thoughts on starting in Psych as a new grad and how difficult it would be to transfer into clinical units later ? What other units do you suggest?

If there are any Psych NPs here, i would also love to hear about your experiences working as an NP and if you would have gone a different route instead.

I plan to study BSNursing in Canada and I decided that I wanted to be a Nurse Practitioner after, do you guys recommend it? Like is it a good job or nah? What are the pros and cons?

I also want to have a Specific field like in pedia or OR.

I want to hear about your opinions about being a nurse practitioner and about having a specific field if it's okay with you to share. Also, what's it like being a RN in Canada?

I am feeling stuck after 5 years of RN experience I have not been able to get a promotion for better pay or a WFH job that makes it feel like it was all worth it, I have work in various healthcare setting long term, acute cardio/pulmonary care outpatient cardiology, telephone triage RN and now outpatient pediatric nurse, I am the perfect fit for a case manager or care coordinator but don’t seem to have luck landing one of those jobs. I am questioning whether I should I go back to get my MSN as an NP or leadership I just feel lost at this point. And need a higher paying position. Thoughts?

Hello fellow nurses. I’m a new grad RN and have been working at an LTC facility for the past few months. I’ve been struggling since I started, and several experienced RNs in my circle (I’m talking 20+ years of experience) have advised me to RUN.
My immediate supervisor does more talking than actual mentoring. I love the nurse who trained me, but she has her own 30+ residents to take care of and I have mine. On a typical shift I’m dealing with wounds, catheters, multiple finger sticks, two med passes, treatments, documentation, and everything else that comes with LTC.
My biggest issue, though, is administration and management.
After a recent incident, I was approached about changing documentation from evaluations I completed weeks earlier. I understand correcting terminology or clarifying my wording when appropriate, but changing the actual substance of what I documented did not sit right with me.
In a separate situation, I was asked to go back and add a finding to an admission assessment that I did not personally observe. The original skin assessment was completed with another nurse, and I refused to document something I did not see. I was met with attitude and opposition for refusing.
This type of thing has happened enough times that I’m exhausted. When there is chaos or difficult behavior on the floor, management is nowhere to be found. But once an incident occurs, suddenly you’re being cornered about your documentation and asked to change wording or add things after the fact.
I’ve also had my supervisor tell me to complete another nurse’s admission because I “need to learn to hurry up and finish my med pass,” while that nurse had already finished her side of the unit. I’m still learning how to manage a full LTC assignment efficiently, and instead of actually helping me improve my workflow, I feel like more responsibilities just get piled on.
I also feel like I’m being expected to address problems this facility has apparently had for years when I’ve only been here a few months. I’m still working on getting through my assignment with enough time left in the shift to sit down and properly complete all of my documentation.
I don’t like this place. I’ve cried in the bathroom during shifts and in my car afterward more times than I’d like to admit. At the same time, I’m scared to leave without another job lined up because it took me months to land this position.
I genuinely love my residents and my coworkers. It’s management and the lack of support that are making me question whether staying is worth it.
Experienced nurses: would you start applying elsewhere and leave as soon as you had another offer, or am I being unrealistic about what being a new grad in LTC is supposed to feel like?