At the end of my rope...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Ortho/Uro/Peds/Research/PH/Insur/Travel.

Okay, I am DONE with bedside nursing. D-O-N-E, DONE! I am tired of being treated like a waiter (one with a master's degree in infectious diseases and microbiology!) and it will only get worse as Medicaid and Medicare funding is linked to patient satisfaction survey results. Um, I'm sorry that your food isn't palatable, but Wolfgang Puck wasn't available! I feel like a 12-hour shift cannot go by without a patient or family member being upset because they had to wait 10 minutes for pain meds or the room is too small or the hospital down the road has flat screen TVs or... The sense of entitlement is astonishing!

I am trying to secure an infection control position, but, while I am landing interviews with large facilities, I am not being hired because I lack formal experience (I know this because I recently received an e-mail message from the Director of Epidemiology that was intended for the Medical Director). How am I supposed to get experience if no one will give me a chance?

I just needed to vent. Thanks for listening!

Keep applying. And good luck. I hate hospital nursing.

Specializes in Ortho/Uro/Peds/Research/PH/Insur/Travel.

I was asked to interview for an infection control position in the New York City area. However, the e-mail the director accidentally sent to me stated that s/he felt that I didn't possess the necessary experience. I am tempted to ask this individual if s/he would be willing to conduct a telephone or video interview. While I reside in Upstate New York, the interview would require an overnight stay (or a VERY long 18-hour day). Thoughts?

Although assertive behavior like that would normally be discouraged, you have already had your resume put in the circular file. Can't hurt..probably won't change anything either. It would be put in the "what do you have to gain by it" category. If you feel you could change the person's mind, you could try it.

Being male would help. Men aren't seen as negatively when asserting themselves.

Specializes in Ortho/Uro/Peds/Research/PH/Insur/Travel.

I am working on the suggested two interview dates. So, I suggested a slightly later date as well as either a phone or video interview and they were agreeable to the later date. While I have no formal infection control experience, I will interview and put my best foot forward. It's disappointing knowing in advance that they probably aren't REALLY going to consider me, but I have to drive nearly four hours each way.

I have long thought I was a registered waitress.. after all it is the food and amenities that patients can understand.

As far as the fact that you just saved their life (for whatever reason).. they cant comprehend THAT factor.

Wolfgang... **snicker** I love it.

Good luck in your efforts to get away from the bedside.

Pretty soon .. more nurses will catch on... and the shortage will be astounding!

And you with more relevant edu than most in infectious disease.

Maybe it is important to connect with the medical director directly and be sure to highlight your education.

I have to tell you that, I do well when I get to interview with doctors directly. They tend to highly regard my previous non-nursing degree/college/career, and totally don't give a rats behind that I am an ADN in my nursing edu. I would go so far as to say that the nursing edu, is not weighted as heavily.

They want a brain that has had proven ability to jump through a hoop or two. Do it, you'll see if you can face to face.

Specializes in Oncology,Orthopeadics,LTC.

You are absolutely right! I see more and more RN's with advanced degrees providing hands on patient care; and they HATE it! In our area this is due to the hospitals phasing out LPNs and replacing them with RNs. Now they have highly educated nurses, which is what they wanted, that dont care anything about patient care. Best of luck I hope you can find what you are looking for.

Specializes in Ortho/Uro/Peds/Research/PH/Insur/Travel.

I currently work as a travel nurse because I couldn't justify earning $20 an hour when someone will pay me $40. It pains me to be paying $1,200 a month in student loans and still "running errands" for patients.I actually scored this interview because of a friend of a friend of a friend. I didn't even apply online.

Ugh, I know how you feel. I love the intellectual aspects of emergency medicine, I love the skills I get to practice, I love when I'm able to provide emotional support and/or really make a difference for someone going through a terrible time. But I am really burnt out on the mundane, day to day waitressing crap that really seems to make up the bulk of nursing. I need a break from the bedside for a while, if there is any hope of restoring my enthusiasm for nursing.

It's really tough sometimes to be the empathetic nurse when you've literally just walked out of the trauma bay after a bad trauma, broken hearted family members weeping at the bedside, only to have a not-very-sick patient or their family complaining about the wait, how they haven't eaten all day, how cold it is in the room, or that the TV volume doesn't work. If people ever wonder why ED nurses seem so cold and callous sometimes, that is one reason why.

Some days, I can't stand the thought of even one more second in that place, and I have NEVER wanted to have that kind of job or be that kind of nurse. As much as I love trauma, resuscitation, and critical care, it's the other BS that goes along with it all that has made me the kind of nurse I never wanted to be.

I'm thinking of switching to something in ambulatory care or community health, where people don't really expect meal trays or warm blankets or extra pillows to be part of the experience, and where the focus is on the interactions and relationships with the patients and their families, not necessarily on the pillow-fluffing stuff.

I think I would really enjoy patient education, but the job opportunities there are few and far between.

So, I think I know how you feel.

Specializes in Ortho/Uro/Peds/Research/PH/Insur/Travel.

I thought about switching to the ED so that I wouldn't have to spend SO much time with patients. It's a combination of entitled patients and families AND the lack of adequate staffing. I floated to an oncology unit a couple of nights ago and I had 8 patients and received an admission as I was getting report. The sad thing is that this 25-bed unit often runs with 2 RNs and 2 LPNs from 11-7p. 13:1?! HECK NO!!!

It's a combination of entitled patients and families AND the lack of adequate staffing.

We have that in the ED, too.

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