Todays nursing in NHS, is it as bad as the media says?

I have applied for a diploma in adult nursing (eventually topping up to BSc) and I've recently recieved an interview date. Im excited, but worried. I believe it's a vital and worthwhile job, but every nurse that I tell im going into the profession, just look at me like im stupid, the negative daily media reports don't help either. It can't be this bad, can it? I've always wanted to be a community/district nurse. Honest replies please!

I have been a nurse for 17+ years and it is a fantastic job if you do it for the right reasons. If you want to be a nurse simply because you think that you will make a lot of money(and you can with the shortage) then you are going into it for the wrong reasons. I am a hospice nurse and I manage a hospice in a small town in MS. I deal with dying patients and their families everyday. I love what I do. It gives me the honor and privilege to assist people to live their last days on this earth with a sense of dignity. It gives much more to me than I give to it. The families call us their heroes and their angels. It is the other way around. If you truly want to nurse to help people then go for it. If not then choose another line of work.

Your practice will be what you make it. Please don't let others discourage you.

i'm a nurse. do it, it's worth it. the pay is good, flexible, you can work all over the world, you have employment for life. not to mention, you meet some really cool people!

I honestly don't know the answer.

Nurses are in demand, and will be even moreso in the future. The outlook is bright for nurses and nurses to be. The problem is that the system that nurses work in is utterly ridiculous.
Any nurse who has more than 5 patients is working wayyy too hard, and let me tell you...there are literally THOUSANDS of nurses who handle this many and more patients in a shift!!! That's insane, and we all deserve better.

It is absolutely not the nurse's fault..there just aren't enough of them to go around!!

Become a nurse. Be proud of yourself. You have chosen an honorable profession.

Follow your heart

I absolutely LOVE being a nurse. The nursing field has so many plusses right now.
+Nurses are in demand big time so don't even worry about not being able to get a job! The benefits are good as well, sign on bonuses, etc. what other profession consider these things normal when applying for a new job????
+The flexability is awesome. I wanted to die working a M-F 9-5, 5 days a week. 3 12's are great, plus all the over time I want at double time???
+I work in a faced paced, highly specialized area that carries a lot of respect with it. I have quite a bit of autonomy in the ICU.
+Get tired of working in one area? Move on. In this day and age in the nursing profession you have so many options. Nurses possess skills that employers want for all professions, that is why we see so many creative nursing jobs. You can do anything from: school nursing, Drs office, travel nurse, ICU nurse, peds, Land D, OR, teaching, occupational health nurse, you can work in almost any area of business, nurse practitioner, CRNA...goodness I could go on forever!

My point is if you hate bedside there is still a place for you in nursing. That is the best thing about it, there's something for everyone.
+Job security-well, it's pretty easy to say that we will always need nurses and as the baby boomers generation gets older we will need them even more, plus no matter where you go in the world there are hospitals.
+COmpanies recruit YOU not the other way around. Before I was a nurse I had a bachelors from a university and finding a job was so difficult and competitive. After getting my nursing degree I had so many options and everyone came seeking me!
+Did I mention flexability??? In a lot of places you can schedule yourself, trade days, work extra shifts, etc. you can actually have a life with 4 days off!

+I live for those small moments when my patients thank me or hold my hand. Its those moments that make bed pans worthwhile.