[LuxAerterna]

Problem with Nursing is growth. You start out with a great salary right out of school, 30 years later you're making maybe 25-30K more, your back is shot and your feet hurt all the time.

Another big problem I've seen is the expectation to work all types of oddball hours - night, weekends, holidays or whenever. 2 of my daughters friends have mothers that are nurses and I can tell you that their job schedule has virtually destroyed their family life.

[BnBlFlag]

“........the expectation to work all types of oddball hours-nights.weekends holidays........”
The problem is hospitals have to operate 24/7/365.

[Diplomat]

Exactly. If you work a lower paying doctors office nurse job, you can get regular hours. Otherwise you work 12 hour shifts.

The problem with nursing isn't how the hospital treats you, it's how the patients AND their families treat you. The arrogance and sense of entitlement they feel often manifests itself in demands that the hospital treat them like they're all staying in a 5-star hotel. The nasty disposition of the patients and their families towards the nursing staff will shock you once you start to witness enough of it and see how easily that patient changes from total asshole to kind, worshiper once the doctor comes by the room for a 2 minute visit.

After listening to all the stories of the crap my wife and her coworkers get to put up with, I'm frankly losing my ability to be empathetic towards sick people.

EXCEPTION: WWII participants. These people are the always polite and respectful with an extraodinary desire to do things for themselves. Which is why my wife has to always remind them that she is there to assist them, and to not do certain things on their own.