I cant take nursing anymore

AnnaMary · Mar 8, 2009

The thing about pharmacy is that they don't have to deal with the screaming abusive patients and relatives.

In England we discharge our patients with at least a weeks supply of their prescribed medicine provided by our hospital pharmacy. The pharmacy is overwhelmed with regular inpatient meds, restocking wards, and discharge drugs (DD's)

The senior doc will come around and tell the patient that he is discharged at 0900.

But he will leave his junior doc to actually write the discharge orders.

He won't release the junior doc from ward rounds until late in the day. Once the junior doc is able to write the discharge meds up, we have to leg it to pharmacy so that they can fill the order. Takes them more than 4 hours usually. We have to go back down there to get them. Our pharmacy is so overwhelmed they have stopped answering the phone so if I want to communicate with them I have to go down there. Patient has been sitting there dressed and packed up from 0905 onwards and is now really ****** off, screaming at the nurses for being made to wait for their dd's.

If we know someone may be discharged we start chasing the doctors up to write the dds as soon as possible but it is pretty low on their priority list.

Total chaotic mess.

If I have a lot of discharges I spend my shift chasing after junior docs and pharmacy for the dd's and getting screamed at by medically stable patients...all at the expense of the acute patients.

It makes me ill to think about.

Jean1313 · Mar 9, 2009

I think that Bugaloo and Ayvah did an excellent job of explaining the frustration so many of us feel. Couldn't have put it any better. Thanks for sticking up for us!

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 9, 2009

I say to look into other options, maybe a different floor, different hospital, setting, etc...but I hear your pain. My girlfriend and I were talking just today and we are both exploring other options other than nursing. I am an LPN, she is an RN, and we both are very dedicated nurses, but the system is destroying us. And, I believe this is everywhere. We are looking into earning our Bachelor's in Health Education. In fact, I plan to visit the school this week and see what this program has to offer and explore other options. It is to a point that our consciences are bothering us. Most of us did not go into this for the constant abuse.

I am not saying to jump ship just yet, but at least look into other alternatives because bottom line is that we do have to look out for ourselves when the ship is sinking.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 9, 2009

They pay more around here. Of course, when you remove the differentials it changes things a bit but again, around here, not much.
I got my job in informatics while an LPN at more than the hourly for a new grad RN and close to the hourly for the ADON in the SNF. I earn $3.50 an hour less - with her evening diff - than our PM RN.
And I still can't start an IV.
Nursing is bizarre.

My best friend and I were just saying the same thing ourselves. What absurdity nursing is...

Bugaloo · Mar 9, 2009

I say to look into other options, maybe a different floor, different hospital, setting, etc...but I hear your pain. My girlfriend and I were talking just today and we are both exploring other options other than nursing. I am an LPN, she is an RN, and we both are very dedicated nurses, but the system is destroying us. And, I believe this is everywhere. We are looking into earning our Bachelor's in Health Education. In fact, I plan to visit the school this week and see what this program has to offer and explore other options. It is to a point that our consciences are bothering us. Most of us did not go into this for the constant abuse.
I am not saying to jump ship just yet, but at least look into other alternatives because bottom line is that we do have to look out for ourselves when the ship is sinking.

A Bachelor's in Health Education? Cool! What could you do with that? AND...I agree, the system is destroying me too! My Hubs just tells me to suck it up, and just do my job. What he does not understand is that the system in place makes it impossible to do our job! :rolleyes:

acuariaRN · Mar 9, 2009

PICNICRN: "One day I was watching the girl at the GAP fold shirts with that cardboard thing and I thought.... wow how peaceful... I could do that!! Seriously, I can relate, as most of us can. I'm sorry you are having such a hard time! like others have said- maybe another department would be better. Or maybe an urgent care or docs office? Try and change it up..... and hang in there!:nurse:"

lmao - there was a story going around my unit when I was a new grad about a girl who came to us fresh out of nursing school and quit during orientation because it was so stressful... she left us to work at the GAP. :chuckle

LTC - LPN · Mar 9, 2009

As to the comment about supporting newbies I say, in nursing school they teach you how it should be....should be done, should be said...should be whatever. I say here in this forum, we should be able to state how it is. I think it's time school taught newbies exactly what they're in for in order for them to decide realisitically, if they're up for the challenge. I wish I'd been dealt a dose of reality prior to getting into down this 21 years. I'd have done it anyway, but I'd have felt a lot stronger just out of school. A tip of the hat, again, to all of you hospital RN's.

Mineee45 · Mar 9, 2009

wow, now im really nervous and unsure what to do. I'm a nursing student- I lurk on this forum a lot and i can't help it but to really see how bad nursing is from reading all these posts. I really wish I knew this before I started putting so much time and money into trying to do this. I'm almost half way done nursing school and I'm really thinking about just throwing in the towel now and finding something else to major in.

emmalou* · Mar 9, 2009

wow, now im really nervous and unsure what to do. I'm a nursing student- I lurk on this forum a lot and i can't help it but to really see how bad nursing is from reading all these posts. I really wish I knew this before I started putting so much time and money into trying to do this. I'm almost half way done nursing school and I'm really thinking about just throwing in the towel now and finding something else to major in.

Try to put things into perspective and take note of the advice given by these very experienced nurses. The main theme of the thread that I can see is that you should be realistic about your career choice, research different hospitals and areas and specialties of nursing, and be aware of the problems and how to deal with them.

Remember that any career you choose (particularly if its human service oriented) will be challenging and frustrating a lot of the time. Nursing is currently difficult certainly, but there is no doubt it is a career which also offers many choices and this is what you should be looking at.

Don't throw in the towel! All health occupations need skilled people and this will continue. My advice though, is to plan your career and think about what type of nursing you would like to do, rather than be stuck in a job you hate.

:flowersfo

LTC - LPN · Mar 9, 2009

Mineee45 - If your heart is in it for the right reason...if you're willing to make a difference, put up with all of what you read here, take comfort in knowing that the one "thank you" you get an hour is worth all of the trouble, then what you've started is worth the time. Never stop in mid stride of any journey and have to ask yourself..." what if? " Nursing opens a lot of doors to places you could never foresee, to people you'd otherwise have missed knowing, to challenges you can handle, or not, but think of what you'd do if you knew you'd never fail. My Mom once told me that nothing worth having is easy getting. You should be nervous, it's all new to you. Get your license, give yourself time, see what you can handle.

This is how we, as experienced nurses, feel about what hinders our perception of what we want to be as nurses, and we are entitled to that. In your own time, you will come to an opinion of what things affect you both negatively and positively, and weigh those things on their merit in YOUR life and career. Good luck to you, and remember, no one can stop you from touching someone's heart. That's who you are, not what license you hold.

sparketteinok · Mar 9, 2009

I can't help myself. Just have to put my two cents in.

I love what it is I'm supposed to be doing. That is, helping people get better or easing their transition "home". I, like so many of you, am on the verge of hating the pharmacy and lab fights, totally unsupportive mgmt, hateful pts, hateful docs, etc.

If I had known what I'm supposed to be doing and what I'm actually doing would be this far apart, I'm really not sure I would've gone to nursing school and made the plan I have, to go on to NP. I quit a $70k/year job as an electrician so I could go to nursing school. I troubleshot and fixed machines for 7 years. Even in the worst times, when I had the plant mgr standing over my shoulder asking me when will I get it running and the whole plant shut down because of me, NEVER have I been this stressed or worked this hard.

Now I make $15/hr to spend all day pleasing those who will never be pleased.

What have I gotten myself into?

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 9, 2009

A Bachelor's in Health Education? Cool! What could you do with that? AND...I agree, the system is destroying me too! My Hubs just tells me to suck it up, and just do my job. What he does not understand is that the system in place makes it impossible to do our job!

I'll tell you about it if you wish in a few days. I plan to go to the college tomorrow to speak to advisors. However, from what I see, many of them work for the Department of Health, hospitals (in fact, I have a friend that did it that I work with occasionally at health fairs where she does Asthma teaching and she works in the pediatrics clinic educating the mothers and children about asthma management). I read about the program on line a few years ago, and my nursing supervisor told me about it again last Friday. She knows that I have no interest in becoming an RN, but she strongly advised me to do this. She used to teach courses at the same school/program she recommended me to do and said this is tailor made for me. From what I read, it seems like it, and they may take many of my credits (I attended a community college LPN-RN bridge program where I earned many of the same credits as the RN students).

This is an interesting and coincidental thread because during the past few weeks, I was doing some real soul searching and I swear, the Universe brings you what you need. When I attended school to become an LPN, I always knew in the back of my head that I did not wish to become an RN, but I could not fully articulate why, and suddenly, it hit me...the reason why is that I do not want to take on more responsibility in this field when I saw with my own eyes that the horrible circumstances would still be the same everywhere I went, basically. No matter how high tech the facility is, most places are not really nurse friendly. Each time we walk in the door, we have to worry about changes in policy with no information disseminated to us that can get us into trouble. It seems to me that some nurses will allow a patient to die just to prove to another nurse that they don't plan to help her. No real mentorship, set ups all the time, insane rules, insane scopes of practice, abuse from the subordinates, collagues, supervisors, physicians, administrators, patients and families. Maybe I would be better off teaching people to advocate for themselves by educating them about their health, in a situation that is not as rushed, uncaring and just plain cut throat.

Now that I discovered the true feeling behind my resistance, I plan to do something about it and call it a day. It may take time, but I cannot see myself doing this for another 20+ years...my mind and body will be fried. I hope that this is the program I suspect it will be, because if it is, I am working to get out. I owe it to myself.