help! i think i hate nursing!

I hate that but it really felt good to get this off my chest.

I can relate. I feel the same way. I think I hate this whole field. I always dreamed of being a nurse and now that I am one, I hate it. I don't understand how I could have wanted this for so long and now I want to run as far away from it as I can go. For the most part, it is other nurses who have made me feel this way. I am a new nurse and it seems that more seasoned nurses hate us new nurses. I just want to get to a point where I am a "seasoned" nurse, but I have to start somewhere. I started my first day on the floor last week and every one was so nice that day, but my second day, a whole new crew acted as if i had a disease. They actually argued in front of me as to who had to be my preceptor. My feelings were hurt so bad and I was so upset by this that the rest of day was horrible. I couldn't concentrate on what I was supposed to do because I just knew all the other nurses were annoyed by my being there. All nurses start out the same way, fresh out of school with lots to learn. Please be considerate of the new nurses. We can learn a lot from you more seasoned nurses and we want to learn. Thanks to all who are more patient with us and take the time to teach us.

It's okay to hate nursing - or to decide that it's not for you - even if it means a pay cut or fewer job options. Because having lots of job options and good pay doesn't mean much if you seriously feel like quitting every day! Such options don't mean much if they aren't options that YOU want to take. Who is going to celebrate that that they have many job options to choose from that they'd hate?

For some, the hassles of nursing are just that... hassles that they can put up with. They will tell you it's not that bad. That the benefits outweight the negatives. But what's important here is how YOU, as unique individual, weight out your choices. YOU are the one who gets up every day and spends your time at work.

I have had that happen to me since getting out of school It's like they don't want to deal with you and will let you know it in a not so nice way. I understand how overwhelming their jobs are but if we can learn then we can lighten that load. I never have understood their thought process either. There are places that will assign you a preceptor and you work when he/she works, hopefully you get a good one and they are out there. I happen to live in an area where it's tough to find a place where people really work together and I have worked at several places. I hope it gets better for you. I want to say stick with it, and also want to say to all the hard to get along with nurses, stop it!! I have yet to do either...it has been a really rude awakening for me.

Know how you all feel about the other nurses. My job last night was NOT so bad. The patients were ok, the work was fine -- I was interested in it for the most part -- but dealing with the crew I was with was the worst part -- a bunch of clicky, giggling "girls" who just talked among themselves, never inviting me into their conversations, glaring, whispering -- having no idea if they were talking about ME or who the crap they were talking about. I mean -- it was just demorazizing to go through that for 12 hrs straight while being "precepted" by one of them. I had to call her everytime for help -- because she wasn't offering a whole lot. I can't even imagine if I'd had a BAD night off orientation and would have had to rely on this group for help. It would have been murder.

I've tried to like nursing also -- and I DO like some of it -- watching the docs treat certain conditions, seeing how it all fits together --but dealing with these types of moronic co-workers is what ruins it. These staffs could just be so supportive and there is potential for so much camraderie - but instead it's always silly gossip and exclusionary tactics. It sort of makes me hate working with all women and I want to make sure I never do again.

I am also disappointed I've put so much time into becoming a nurse when I could have been training for something else. I will, however, when I leave, try to translate this into extreme "attention to detail" experience, and remind myself of all the great skills and abilities i must have to be able to do it, to pass school successfully, and move on from there.

Be an MDS nurse..then you just flip through charts all day.

hi!
i am another person who has not found her niche in nursing yet. i have tried nursing home, hospital, and psych hospital and to all of these, i could not stay in any job for more than 5 months FULL-TIME. I got burnt out too quickly doing the same things, seeing the same patients, and hating the politics of the floor.

However, I think I found the perfect solution to anyone who dislikes nursing - Work two part-time or per diem jobs (or a part-time job and a per diem job). Now, I work two per diem jobs (one in a sub-acute facility, and one on a med/surg floor) and I can tolerate nursing so much better. I can schedule my own hours and because the two facilities are short-staffed, I find I have more than enough hours and then I just pay out of pocket for my own benefits. but, if you can find a place to give you benefits at 0.6 or something, that's great too. Working part-time or per diem is great because I am friendly to my co-workers but I don't have to get involved in politics (either with co-workers or patient's families) because I'm not around enough!

Also, just to comment on the workload of nursing homes, it is INSANE! I strongly believe that nursing homes need to be unionized. Take your 30 minute break and if you have to stay over finishing your work, then stay over and get paid the OT, and tell your DON (hopefully she's your advocate) that the workload is too much. If all the nurses keep staying overtime, and saying the same thing, they'll wake up and realize that with the money they spend on OT, they might as well hire an extra nurse for the floor (yeah, like they'll ever do that huh?)

What's an MDS nurse?

Sound of Music, so funny that we seem to read and reply to the same posts!! You write here as if you are looking to get out of nursing! Is it true? You also write like my own experience of EVERY NIGHT I'VE WORKED THESE PAST 3 WEEKS ON ORIENTATION!!! Oh hun, <<<<<<<<<<<<HUG>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Where are you located? Do you have options? I thought I'd read one of your replies stating you are already off orientation? What are you going to do?

How can I also get out of this rut and being awakened after only 4 hours of exausted sleep in anxiety attacks and with racing thoughts from a poor orientation and not knowing what I should do IF.....on my next shift?

And although anti-anxieties and anti-depressants may come to some minds who post here, I think there must be something else I can do to help myself since the chances of getting to a doc and finding a scrip for meds that don't kick in for 3-6 weeks is only part of the solution...

Help?

Chloe

RN-BSN, BA

I will undoubtedly get out of bedside nursing at least 2 years down the road. I just cannot handle it physically, emotionally, philosophically, or any other way. I don't regret getting the degree, but I do wish I'd really investigated this career before I started it.

I'm off orientation here in about 2 weeks, and I'm petrified. There is NO WAY I have the wherewithall to handle some of our patient assignments on my own yet, even after this long 16 week orientation. There is so much critical thinking, so much of everything -- I just know that the next six months even will be pure hell and now I'll be on my own, begging these wicked nurses to help me and it will be ridiculous. I just don't look forward to it at ALL.

The way orientation is run, there is just no way -- there is no consistency -- no clear path. You are just stuck with a different nurse everytime and it's up to HER/HIM whether or not you are going to really learn something, or just learn to do charts, round, and give meds. I actually had a "teacher" for a preceptor the other night and she was so awesome -- if I'd had her the entire time, perhaps I'd be ready -- but I didn't. I've had chart nazis, stress mongers, anal retentives, as well as total slackers. Some prepared me somewhat -- but it's just the inconsistency of it all.

Oh well -- I just say to myself what I say everyday: "If I can't do it, I guess they'll just kick me out and that will be it - (and that may not be so bad!" )

"Minimum Data Set"

Medicaid (or medicare?) requires a certain amount of charting per patient for the facility to get paid.

In a long term care setting, that means that there needs to be a coordinator (chart nazi) to make sure these charting requirements are met.

That's where the MDS nurse steps in. Believe it or not, it is a full time job. Most facilities are more than happy to have an MDS nurse because medicare/medicaid is their bread and butter.

I might be a bit off in the description, since I've never worked in the MDS field. I do remember that the MDS nurse at my old job didn't do a whole hell of a lot except flip through charts and give innoculations to the employees every now and then.

I've actually seen MDS positions open at local nursing homes in the help wanted ads. I don't think it matters if you are an LPN or an RN.