[NurseWannaBe]

I am a 17 year old male, and I really want to become a nurse. I have spoken to my family about this and the first thing they said was, "Why don't you become a doctor". That really bothered me. Then my mom said "Nurses don't make a lot of money, how can you support your family if you are a nurses. You wont have a nice car, or a nice house if you are a nurse." So my question is....All of you who have a family, can you support them without any trouble, do you have nice things i.e house, car. I want to show her all of your replies so maybe she will encourage me and support me in becoming a nurse. Thanks

[nursinghumor]

That's not a difficult one.

Go to:
http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm

And print out the expected earnings for Registered Nurses:

"Median annual earnings of registered nurses were $48,090 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $40,140 and $57,490. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,970, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $69,670."

That's more than enough to raise an average family on.

With the Nursing Shortage getting worse, salaries can only go up for the next 15 years.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[Generation2]

You know, I just finished one of those shifts that make me agree with your mom. However, I just got done working for a summer camp for the MDA (Jerry's kids) and I worked with a doctor who wished he'd become a nurse. He said he was happier as a nurse's aide than he's been as a doctor. You can support a family on a nurse's salary. My dad did. I will. It's only going to get better for nurses (pay-wise). -Nathan Huhn LPN

[cassioo]

I'm not a male nurse but the traditional female nurse and I really do like my job. I'm married with 4 kids (only a 5 & 18 yr old still at home) My husband is retired from the Air Force so he gets a pension (talk about small pensions and bad pay try the US military)so he's a stay at home dad and has been since the 5 yr old was born. I have a house, maybe not the biggest and best but it's in a nice neighborhood. I have 2 cars (1 a 2003 Monte Carlo in competition yellow that my husband hates the color LOL) I just took my 3rd vacation this year for over a week at the beach. I have more clothes then I'll ever wear. I don't just eat bologna and peanut butter and I do have savings.
I guess it depends on what kinds of "nice" things you want how big of a house do you want? what kind of car do you want to drive? how many cars do you want? how much personal time do you want?
My husband used to tell me why don't you be a doctor you're smart enough. Answer: I don't want to be a doctor.
How much can you take with you when you die? All of those "nice things" nope someone else gets them. You have to decide in life what is it that you want.

[1mg.epi]

Like what do you call nice things? I support my wife. Have a good little dog. Small three bed. home in a nice area. I may not have a BMW, but I have a nice saturn. It gets me to and from work and places of enjoyment. I have my little "toys", Best buy is my toy store.

I may not have a $200,000 home, Corvet in the drive. No rec room with a pool table. This all things I wish I had, but I do not think I would be any happier with them. I think if I had them I would just wish bigger.

You can support a family, you can have love, you can be happy as a nurse.

[NurseWannaBe]

Well, like i said in my original post, my mom is the one who thinks that I won't have nice things if I an a nurse. My older brother screwed up in school and didn't go to college, and so I am the one who is supposed to make "it" I am the one who will have the nice house and drive a mercedes, because my parents want me to be an attorney, or a docotor(brain surgeon in fact). I always joke around and say that my parents tell me, "we will support you in whatever you want to do.....as long its become a doctor or an attorney."

[cassioo]

guess your mom is living through her kids sounds like she needs to get some hobbies.

[nursinghumor]

If you're going to go into nursing, do it be cause YOU want to do it, not for the money, not for your parents.

In the end, it's you who will be clocking in and out for the next 40 or so years. It would be a shame for you to go into a field and not like it to satisfy someone elses emotional needs.

Find a job you enjoy, and you'll forget its work

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com