I'm almost done with RN school and am thinking about the next step

Nurses General Nursing

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All of my RN coursework has been finished. Nice 3.76 index. Now I'm waiting for the date for my clincal (i.e. dealing with actual patients) test date. It's a three day ordeal down in Albany. I will probably test sometime in late April/early May.

While I have some studying to do for this, and then for the boards, I'm really pretty much done. I'll be continuing on online probably in an RN to MSN program, but that's a little away.

I aplied for a job at the first place that hired - and fired - me. They were glad to get my resume - they're looking for a nurse who can program and haven't gotten a single applicant with the required skill set. Hand raisey smiley! Even if it doesn't pay well - and it'll probably not - it will be a) Monday - Friday, normal business hours, b) 1.5 miles away so I can walk it and with gas at $3.40 a gallon here I really don't want o commute 65 miles a day even with a 4-cylinder car, and c) I hate being a nurse. I love the patients but nursing is the hardest, most catty thing I've ever done. And I don't want life and death responsibility for less than I made as a word processor.

I'm just kind of musing here, and a little sad and wistful. Nursing is so different from what I had imagined. I feel like a trained chimpanzee who is expected to do the impossible for an incredibly high acuity group of patients without offering any input. I started reading "Nursing against the odds" but put it down because it was too true and depressing.

So I will go on and get an advanced nursing degree solely so that I can advance so far away from the bedside that I'm immune to clinical scapegoating, and because I'm finally close to a degree, with I am guessing over the requirements for a bachelors' already. But I am too old with too much invested to change academic direction again.

That is, of course, this week. 180's are at the discretion of the poster.

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You know, when I graduated and started working, my days became very dark. There were some things that I loved about nursing, but for the most part I found that I hated my job. And I now know that what I hated the most about it was, you know - all of the catty staff, the gossip, rumors, getting dumped on, etc, etc.

I felt like it was me. That maybe I was the problem. Maybe I am not cut our for medicine, etc, etc. When I was at my lowest point, I came to the forum and started reading a 20 + pager thread about other nurses going through the same thing -miserable because of staff (mainly). Reading it actually helped me, it helped me because I realized it wasn't ME, it was them.....and as morbid as this may sound....it helped me go to work every morning knowing that hundereds, if not thouands, of other nurses were, too, getting ready for a job they hated. The latter gave me hope because eventually, this problem will get recognized and rectified.

But until then, I am also aiming for higher education. Been thinking about Speech Therapy a lot....would love to work with autistic children with normal hours.

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I don't see a culture change coming anytome soon, particulrly with the increasing patient and paper loads, and the incredible rudeness of family members. I am really tired of being supervised by a day care worker who barges into a situation of gowned and masked people doing a sterile dressing change on her husband's incision - gotta make sure we're competent. :rolleyes: And I can't say, pointedly, "Excuse me. Please leave. You are not clean, and we are trying to keep this as sterile as possible." I'd get into trouble.

Pffft.

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And a 20-pager of misery - so it isn't me. Big deal. It shouldn't be an entire profession!

I'm sorry, because I know you want to make me feel better. It's just that these are pathetic comforts.

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Specializes in SICU, MICU, CCU, Rehab.

I'm only speaking for myself when I say this....One "Thank-you" from a patient, one hug, one shoulder cried on during a 12 hour shift from hell or even in 3 months worth of 12 hour shifts from hell makes all the BS worth putting up with in this crazy career. I'm sad to hear that you no longer want to work at the bedside. I hope you will reconsider and give it a try. I feel like a sentimental fool when saying this, but making a difference in someone's life--being there for them at what may be their darkest hour--at that moment you forget about all the reasons you hate your job and remember why you are still doing it. Good luck and God Bless!

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Sue, I hear you loud and clear. That job sounds sweet... good luck my friend *hugs*

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Specializes in trauma, ortho, burns, plastic surgery.

Sue, our disapointments are big when our expectantions are high...so what do you expected to find in? Stories from ER movie or some handsom doctors training a smart and sexy new nurse?

Honey, real life is not a dream! Is like it is, and to be nurse is not fun by definition, YOU ONLY YOU, could change your life and make to like or to hate where you work.

Ok let me to tell you aout Zuzi style to think and work (may be help you or may be not, or may be will help somebody else, and belive me Zuzi is like that in real life also!)

So let's refolmulate your words...

" I don't see a culture change coming anytome soon, particulrly with the increasing patient and paper loads, and the incredible rudeness of family members. I am really tired of being supervised by a day care worker who barges into a situation of gowned and masked people doing a sterile dressing change on her husband's incision - gotta make sure we're competent. :rolleyes: And I can't say, pointedly, "Excuse me. Please leave. You are not clean, and we are trying to keep this as sterile as possible." I'd get into trouble.

Pffft. "

Each day is a new day an it need to be lived. Enjoy! Many papers, ok......I can do that, I am sooooooo woanderfull, beautifull, full of qualities, and much more intelligent, to be able to deal with these papers loooool, let't do it!

Relatives....of yes, they are so scarried, my mom would be also if she will be in the same case, of course yes, let them to talk and me to listen, is nice to communicate with people, dosen't matter what type of people are, is a challange...I can do it!

I am not tired and if I am, I could drink again a coffe, and is so nice to learn from people, they know much more than me, is a privilege for me to listen them.

yupiiiiiiii, a new day, a new life!

Saw your life positive, you could do it! huuuuuuuuuuuugs!

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Specializes in med-surg.

One of the things that our professors have taught us about dealing with families is to pick and choose your battles. We are the advocates of the patients and have to do with what is best for them.

I'll be graduating in May and it really hit me that school is almost done. As tough as it has been, I also know that the first year out will be a whole new ball game. The saying in our class is that nursing school teaches us how to take tests, then we'll go out into the real world and learn what it is that we'll actually be doing.

I agree with you on the cattiness factor--I've always worked in primarily male-dominated professions (technical sales, research, environmental work) because men are just plain easier to work with. Starting nursing school was like revisiting high school--any time you get 50 women together, problems start. I have been letting it get me down, but then I realized something this weekend...I can start returning to the life I had before I went back to school. So it suddenly doesn't matter anymore. I know it will still be out in the workplace, but not the degree that it has been in nursing school.

Walking to the beat of your own drum can be a real drag sometimes, but being true to yourself is priceless!

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

I'm somewhat confused on how you have decided that you hate being a nurse when you haven't actually worked as a nurse yet. You are just finishing school, trust me the real world is soooo much different than school! I can't imagine going through nursing school and not working as a nurse.

I've been an RN for a long time,.I've been at the same hospital for almost 10years,.now I agree that I haven't always been happy with the unit or the people I work with,.but it really is what you make of it. I am currently working with a great group of nurses, techs, doctors, US techs, radiology techs etc. We work our tails off and yes sometimes the pt's are rude, sometimes families are uninformed and nasty,.but sometimes my team saves lives! Somtimes my team calms a frightened child, or comforts a worried grandma. Sometimes we are the first kind words, or gentle touch a lonely old man has experienced in a long time.

My nights aren't always "feel good, wow we made a difference, don't I feel great" experiences, but I would hate to think I gave up those nights just because I had some bad nights! I can honestly say I love my job. Yes, I take care of pts that are mean and nasty and don't understand or appreciate what I'm doing for them. I have to deal with angry parents that treat me like a second class citizen. But there are jerks everywhere,.these same people are just as nasty to the clerk at the bank and the kid that delivers their newspaper. Any job is what you make of it. If you don't like one place move on until you find your niche! I hate to see you give up because of some really bad experiences as a student. Good luck in whatever you decide to do,.but please remember that we don't all hate our jobs,.we don't all feel over worked and under appreciated,.some of us are doing what we've always wanted to do, helping people, even the mean ones.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Just to clarify, Susquatch is an LPN who just completed the LPN to RN program so she is definitely a nurse.

Sue - I'm sorry you have had such a negative experience as a nurse. However, I can assure you that there are better places. I too was an LPN to RN grad and found it not to my liking (I worked LTC at the time). However, once I went to the ICU, I really loved it. Then...when we moved, I took an ER position and absolutely found my niche.

As to an advanced degree getting you far from the bedside, for some positions that may be true. However, for others it is more responsibility.

I wish you peace with your decision.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Hey Sue, thanks for the update! I'm 100% behind you, whatever you end up doing. Nursing will eat you alive if you let it, everyone has a different pain tolerance level.

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Sue I am happy to see that you looked elsewhere to use your skills and training. Some people just stick with bedside nursing and hate it. I have worked a number of nursing jobs and not every perfect job remains perfect. We change as do our needs and family needs also. I agree that the catty behavior is annoying but you find that in any profession (ever check out teen retail clothing stores you could scrape their sweat and sell it as a hormone replacement) It takes a couple of years of experience and proving yourself for patients, co-workers and management to respect you as a nurse. It takes at least that in any other area too.

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