I am so tired of bedside nursing!!!

Nurses General Nursing

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I am so absolutely tired of bedside nursing!! I have done critical care, med-surg, and orthopedics. Patients are so demanding, wanting pain meds all the time, dealing with the families who annoying. I am an RN and worked hard to get it and am so discouraged. Any advice? I live in a rural area and a good nursing job is hard to find.

Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.
In response to the comment regarding not having a heart, I have a tremendous amount of heart and love for the field of nursing. I am just tired of being treated mean and nasty from old nurses who need to get out of the business, tired of being disrespected by patients and families, and annoyed with taking care of people who you know are never going to make it out of the hospital. I think I am suffering from moral distress. I feel like I either don't do enough for my patients or the decisions that I make in judgement aren't respected. I have a job interview tommorrow in rehab nursing and hopefully this will help to get out of critical care.

Hey there pets4 -

Sorry you are having a tough time. Welcome to the epidemic. Not sure if there is a cure - or if it will claim all of us! :eek:

You are not alone - a lot of nurses feel the same way!

Wonder why there is a shortage at the bedside? I don't wonder! :thnkg:

I hope you find your cure. :trc:

I found mine (at least for now!). Thankfully, because I DO have the HEART, I knew when it was time to GO. :redbeathe: :redbeathe:

Options - are the nicest part of a profession that is not very NICE at times.

Good Luck!

Practice Safe!

;)

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
In response to the comment regarding not having a heart, I have a tremendous amount of heart and love for the field of nursing. I am just tired of being treated mean and nasty from old nurses who need to get out of the business, tired of being disrespected by patients and families, and annoyed with taking care of people who you know are never going to make it out of the hospital. I think I am suffering from moral distress. I feel like I either don't do enough for my patients or the decisions that I make in judgement aren't respected. I have a job interview tommorrow in rehab nursing and hopefully this will help to get out of critical care.

Oh,oh, I was with you until you said "being treated mean and nasty from old nurses who need to get of the the business". I was thinking maybe a vacation, a change of units, or just a change of shifts. But I am a"old nurse" ,I may be a little mean sometimes but I am sure not mean AND nasty! And I don't think my coworkers think I need to get out of the business. I am offered many more hours that I could ever work. I work most of times I am asked to fill in for someone plus change my scheduled days as things come up anyone. I help staff with IV starts, N/G ,foley's and any other procedures that help is needed. I do hope you can find the kind of nursing you are looking for and go back to enjoying nursing.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

I have a friend who was a former agency RN, BSN at a long term care facility who eventually became the DON. She didn't last a year due to the drama and demands put on her. After she left the nursing home she went back to working in a hospital as float. She has only been working at the hospital for about 2 months and is already burnt out. I of course am a LPN and told her I would give anything to have that RN, BSN behind my name. But she proceeded to tell me that it's not all its cracked up to be. The patients and administration suck the life out of you. Me being in a state that doesn't hire LPN's in the hospital actually found some relief in that because I've always wanted to work in the hospital, but now I guess I'm really not missing anything, except a different type of BS than I get in LTC and family practice. I think nursing in general can drain your heart and soul, especially if you give your all and save nothing for yourself. My friend is now going back to school to get her teaching degree and give up nursing alltogether. The nursing field is losing another nurse due to burnout and she's only been a nurse for 4 years. I'm now alittle more thankful that I did the LPN first, so in case I really become burnt out, I didn't go to school forever and then give it all up.

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Specializes in Community, Renal, OR.

I agree, Home Health is the best place to regain your sense of why you became a nurse. :redpinkhe

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I just started in adult nursing, and I have to say... adults are a whole lot more whinier and disrespectful and demanding than my previous pediatric patients or their families, for that matter. Don't know how long I'll last in adult nursing, I think it may be that population that contributes to burnout.

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I know a NP that works in one of the drugstore chain health clinics. She has quite a following. People love her and have high confidence in her. While I was waiting to see her myself, the others waiting said that for most things they will no longer go to their MDs, unless it becomes obvious that they should, or that she tells them that they should. This NP says this is true nursing to her, where you actually give the patient more than just abx for bronchitis, but tell them tricks of the trade in prevention/symptom management-what they need! She spends more time per patient than most MDs, and the patients leave smiling and relieved and content that they have been cared for, she gets a lot of hugs.

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Home Health, Geriatrics.
I am so absolutely tired of bedside nursing!! I have done critical care, med-surg, and orthopedics. Patients are so demanding, wanting pain meds all the time, dealing with the families who annoying. I am an RN and worked hard to get it and am so discouraged. Any advice? I live in a rural area and a good nursing job is hard to find.

I too got sick of it and of the childishness and games... Although it was difficult, I tightened my belt, worked part time/prn only, and went back to school to complete an MA. Am now a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern and have NEVER looked back. I used my discouragement and hatred of the way things were in nursing as an incentive to stay in school & that is how I finally finished. Although I still maintain my RN license, I pray that I never have to use it again but it will always be there if necessary.

From my present employment position I hope to help other nurses to better their circumstances in life, either as nurses or in some other field. Here in TX, that would mean helping establish a union for those who are interested in bettering their lot in life, as more nurses would stay in the profession if there were more respect/better treatment.

Ok ok I'll put up my soapbox for now.... ;-)

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This thread is from 2008. I guess not much has changed.

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