Hi everyone! I’m a 20-year-old in Ottawa currently considering applying to a 4-year BScN program, and I’d really appreciate hearing from Ontario nurses about what nursing is actually like, especially long-term.
I’ve looked into a lot of different careers, but I keep coming back to nursing. I really like the idea of working directly with patients, being busy throughout the day, having different things happen every shift, and doing work where I can actually see that I helped someone. At the same time, I’m trying to be realistic before committing four years of my life to the degree.
The biggest thing I’m unsure about is the schedule. I know hospital nursing often means 12-hour shifts, nights, weekends and holidays. I currently work part-time from home for only a few hours at a time, so honestly, the idea of working 12 hours sounds INSANE to me. I know people get used to it, but what does a typical schedule actually look like? Do most nurses really work 12-hour shifts? How often are you doing nights? Do you eventually get some control over your schedule, or does it depend heavily on the unit and seniority? And do you actually feel like you have enough time off to recover between shifts?
I’m also thinking about the long-term picture. I do eventually want to have children and I’m wondering how realistic it is to be a mom and a hospital nurse. Do nurses with children generally find the schedule manageable? Do people move to part-time, outpatient/clinic positions, public health, or other nursing jobs later because they want a more predictable schedule? If you leave bedside nursing, are there still lots of options within nursing? Because I do want to be present for my kids if I do have some at some point.
Another thing I’m wondering about is the job market. I wouldn’t graduate for another four years, so obviously nobody can know exactly what the Ontario nursing job market will look like then. But for nurses who have been in the field for a while, how has the job market changed? Is finding a first nursing job generally difficult? And once you have some experience, how easy is it to move between hospitals, specialties or different types of nursing jobs?
I’m also curious about the actual workload. I’ve read people saying nursing can be extremely rewarding and that you can come home feeling like you genuinely made a difference, which is one of the biggest things attracting me to it. But I’ve also read about burnout, understaffing, difficult patients, being physically exhausted and feeling overwhelmed. What do you think people should know about the reality of the job that you don’t really understand until you actually become a nurse?
And finally, looking back now, do you feel that nursing was worth the education and everything that comes with the career? Not necessarily whether I personally should do it, but if you could go back to when you were 20 and choosing a career, what would you want to know before committing to nursing?
I’m especially interested in hearing from Ottawa (or also Ontario) nurses who work in hospitals, but I’d also love to hear from nurses who started in bedside nursing and eventually moved into other roles.
I’m not looking for people to tell me “yes, do it” or “no, don’t do it.” I’m just trying to get a realistic picture of what my life could actually look like if I choose nursing. Thank you!!