I started as a CNA too and completed my BSN 3 years ago. There are often times that I feel like I was hit by a truck but I still could not see me doing anything else at this point. I still enjoy what I do and when you don't that is when you should look for a new career. Nursing doesn't pay enough to do it if you don't enjoy the job anymore. Do you precept new nurses or students? We have four RN schools that rotate through our floor and I precept often. Most of my students are great and enjoy learning and getting different experiences. Occasionally I have an obnoxios student but I find they are rude at everything they do and it is not the fault of the nursing program. As far as new nursing pay anytime our hospital raises the GN rate the same raise is given across the board. That way if the GN rate goes up a dollar so does everyone else and it does not close in the gap. I've found the best raises are to work somewhere a year or two and then go to a different company. The annual raise may only be 50 cents but getting hired somewhere else can get you 2-4 dollars. That is crazy and stupid but it is how it seems to work.

Saw your text and had to reply. We recently had a bunch of fourth-year senior BSN students on our floor. All they did was pass out meds! They were supposed to manage four patients each, doing full care. They never looked at the doctor's orders, charts, or their patients for that matter. All they did was pass out meds.....but talk about an air of superiority! I had to discharge two patients for my student, plus he gave a "now order" 4 hrs. later than it was ordered. He didn't have a clue about anything. But I got yelled at by the doctor because a patient wanted pain medicine and the student couldn't seem to get around to getting for her. I would rather not be responsible for any patients attended to by students, but at my hospital we are not given a choice. I had a patient with numerous stage 4 decubitus with difficult dressing changes; the student who also had that patient never even looked at them, nor did she bother to help me change them. They seem to think they don't have to bathe or clean poop. What are they telling students in nursing school?