Burned out and hate nursing

Nurses Stress 101

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Since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a nurse. I wanted to help people. I wanted to heal. Now 4 years out of nursing school, I HATE nursing with a passion. I am a med/surg nurse with a BSN.

Reasons I hate nurses (in no particular order)

1. Most days I feel like a pill-pusher. I don't feel like I make a difference.

2. Doctors feel they are perfect.

3. Patient satisfaction scores.

4. Patient sense of entitlement. (see #3)

5. Family at the bedside dictating what they want...like I am their personal servant. I have to comply (see #3).

6. Lack of appreciation mized with how much more work can they give us.

7. Nights, weekends, and holiday. I don't want to give everything I've got only to see no return in work satisfaction.

I don't want to be a case manager. I don't want home health nursing. I really want to be outside of the hospital. Quite honestly, I want to be away from people. I would be quite content to work on a computer and have email interactions. Preferably work from home. Any suggestions?

I know this post is old. But I feel the exact same way. I've only been a nurse about 3 years, I just moved to the ICU about a year ago. I thought everything would change when I moved to ICU, but it hasn't. It has gotten better but I still hate being a nurse. I hate the patients and the atmosphere- I don't believe in any of the care I'm doing. Most of the time I'm just carrying out orders for people that end up dieing any way. I'm so burnt out on nursing. I feel angry and depressed all at the same time. I make great money and have awesome benefits- I work in one the most sought after units in a great teaching hospital, but I can't help but drive home every single day hating my job. Thinking about going back to work every day makes me so angry. Sorry I just really needed to vent.

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I see this post is a little old as well, but figured I'd put in my two cents. I wanted to post this mainly for those planning on being a nurse, & current nursing students. I became an LPN in '08. I wanted to be a nurse because I loved anatomy/medical stuff, and the idea of helping people. Plus, it would be a job where I made good money.

I hated clinicals in nursing school though (didn't really care much for the hands on stuff, even though I was good at it.) There were stressful days in nursing school... There were many days I thought about bolting towards the elevator on the med-surg floor I did clinicals on and never coming back. I didn't care much for my 28 year old (yes, I said 28 year old) smart a** nursing instructor who hadn't been an RN-BSN that long as well. Plus, the older RNs & LPNs on the floor were anything but nice to us student nurses. It was a very dramatic, "catty" atmosphere. I thought maybe it was just where we were students. I thought it would get better after I got my license and started working.

However, after working at and leaving several clinic positions, I realized I actually hated being a nurse. One of the last jobs I worked at as an LPN was at a private practice for two grouchy doctors with horrible OCD. While there, I worked at the desk quite a bit doing phone triage, & calling in medications for patients, as well as computer charting. I loved working at the desk, but hated when it was time for me to get back on the floor and do stuff around the clinic. I think it was that job that made me realize I hated the "hands on" part of nursing. I quit that job with no regrets and never looked back. I currently work very PRN as a health screener nurse (low stress), but even dread the days I am scheduled to work for my current job. I recently changed my major to medical coding, and hope to be an LPN, CPC soon. I felt the world lift off of my shoulders when I realized I might actually be able to apply for a non-nursing job in the next couple of years! I love my online coding classes, and looking forward to a possible career change.

I did not post this to discourage anyone from nursing. Nursing can be a very rewarding career that pays well, and some people love it! I just think that if you are having serious doubts about nursing early on, think hard about it. I wish I could go back and change my major, or would have listened to the little inner voice telling me years ago, this career might not be for you. I sure would have saved a lot of time and money. I hope my LPN may help me land some type of chart auditor/medical coding position in the future though... I also am glad I have my LPN as a fall back career if needed...

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Like all the others on here I am going through something similar...I am actively seeking something outside of the hospital setting that is not 12 hr shifts & all the other things that go along w/it. I left hospital nursing in 2009, decided to return about 6 months ago - I knew immediately I had made a mistake but told myself to just give it some time. It's only gotten worse..especially my overall attitude. My cowokers are nice, helpful but we run short staffed chronically, no techs, no secretary & the 3 patient ratio is non-existent - I know many on here identify with what I'm saying. My spouse thinks I'm making a mistake finding something outside the hospital..everything from "you won't make as much money" to " I like us having days off during the week" but here's the rub - my spouse works 12 hr rotating nights - has done this for decades, is a night owl by nature & his job isn't in healthcare. Even on my days off during the week my spouse will sleep until noon, much later if it's a work night so what's the difference if I'm working a day job vs sitting at home?

I have worked a hospital setting more than a non-one hospital job for 20 yrs. I'm tired of the 12 hr shifts (which are more like 13-14 as most on here know), tired of patient care being rushed so boxes can be checked off on the computer documentation, tired of carrying a phone around so I can be called if not right at the nurses station (which is ridiculous considering the unit is 16 beds). I can honestly say the hospital I work at, though good, tries to compete too much w/the others in the area which escalates the stress on nursing staff to the point we ALL are concerned about making mistakes - either in patient care or documentaiton ..nursing is not what it use to be - the focus - as others have pointed out - has shifted from patient care/education to...documenting for the insurance companies, survey team & whomever else. I don't expect a M-F position to come w/o stress & I realize there is something to be said for having a day off during the week, but I'd much rather be home at a decent hour, not stressing out about having to go back the next day or whenever & have weekends/holidays off -even it means less pay. Those who are not in nursing don't understand - from the outside looking in many think nursing is a dream job - it's not all negative but I sure wouldn't choose this path again knowing what I do now. Guess I needed to vent too.:mad:

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just had to comment on this; it's my 3rd night in a row (my schedule sucks) and guess what? 3rd night of no charge RN, break nurse being taken off break duty and given a patient assignment cause of staffing issues, 3rd straight night of no break or lunc due to lack of coverage. Just absolutely terrible. Healthcare is being passed off as service with a smile, when in reality, a majority of us (speaking from experience and words from coworkers) dont want to be hassled with call lights, bed pans, bed baths, etc because we have to ensure our charting is complete. Otherwise, "the hospital doesn't get paid" or "we won't pass survey". And heaven forbid we stay overtime to finish charting, "or else we'll have to justify our overtime". Ridiculous. What makes it worse is that the patients don't even realize they're not getting as much attention as they should because the patient care shortfalls are being covered with the following statement: "Is there anything else I can get you?"

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Its been almost 2 years since I made that post! I did get a position as a school nurse that same year. This past school year, I was assigned specifically to 5 diabetic students and now I have a strong desire to pursue being a diabetes educator. I know this will be a challenge! How is your career progressing?

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Hello cece400,

Just start applying to insurance companies. Sounds like you would have enough experience to do a position like medical review. In my r�sum� I made it a point to highlight the specialties I have worked to show my varied work experience that would benefit them in the medical review dept.

I wish you the best!

Its been almost 2 years since I made that post! I did get a position as a school nurse that same year. This past school year, I was assigned specifically to 5 diabetic students and now I have a strong desire to pursue being a diabetes educator. I know this will be a challenge! How is your career progressing?

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Im attending school also. I returned to healthcare recently after a 16 year hiatus to work in business. I know I want to work in healthcare but not nursing. They are servants and pushed to give more and more. As another poster said on another post I cannot justify a profession that will not let you take care of yourself first. You are pushed consistently to work 12 hour shifts short staffed and take no breaks etc. I am no longer pursuing nursing and choose therapy. Work life balance and job satisfaction is more important to me than jumping from one horrible nursing job to another.

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Specializes in Telemetry, NICU.

Yea i agree find another nursing job, especially now that you have experience, youll get hired in a second, dont do anything extra Then your job description, they will take advantage of you, thats crazy

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I feel for ya !!

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RE: "Its hard for new nursing grads to get jobs in Nevada. Come to Texas"

highly true! There are soooo many nursing college's you'd think there was one on every corner. What with all the "for profit" nursing programs asking absolutely INSANE tuitions like 3x what it takes for a bsn, and just for a AAS nursing. It just takes so much advantage of so many misdirected desparate people who think the only way they can have "job security" and make more than $10 hr.

Its just turned into one big scam outfit, at least here in northern nevada. People are making Big Bucks opening these for profit nursing mills, and it just stinksl

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I don't have an advanced degree and I was told about the position that was posted on Monster. I do phase 1 clinical drug trials. I'm sure phase 2 and up you would probably need experience though. I'm actually considering a research degree now instead of getting my BSN. It would be a whole heck of a lot cheaper to go that route than to continue my education with the for-profit school I went to for my ADN..

I'm confused. What kind of "research degree" are you talking about? My understanding is research is around a particular speciality area, and I have never heard of a nursing research speciality outside of going for a MSN or higher.

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No. Not from Michigan.

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