<p>My wife (RN - 2-year-degree), relatively new grad, sees only one patient at a time. Never works nights. Never works shifts. Goes to the gym after work almost every day. Works one weekend a month, planned well in advance. Service schedules her visits in consultation with her, but it is essentially an independent practice, with huge amounts of autonomy. Virtually never sees a doc; virtually never receives an order from a doc. Recommends med changes and other procedures to docs who virtually never see her patients. Never works in a hospital. Has an office only for purposes of doing paperwork (most of which she does at home, while watching tv), and an occasional meeting. </p>
<p>I’m sure there are nurses (especially who work in hospitals) with quality-of-life issues, but we’ve never seen them. Simply choice of specialty.</p>