I'm sick of taking care of people who don't care

[FireStarterRN]

I'm really feeling burnt out on taking care of people who are self destructive and have no interest in doing anything to make their lives and health better. I'm sick of a system that is like a big, enabling wet nurse to people who are going to go right back out and continue with all the bad habits again, only be back in the hospital to suck on more of the healthcare titty that puts them back together again so they can go out and continue to screw up their health some more. I'm sick of the total lack of responsibility I see every day I work.

I was talking to my stepbrother who is a chiropractor. His clients are a different group. They are interested in health maintenance and are motivated to improve their health through their own efforts. He's really doing something for people. I'm not. Sure, I have a good bedside manner and manage to connect with my patients and gain their trust. But basically I hate the American healthcare system totally and completely. At this point I'm a nurse only for the money.

[regularRN]

This is a very tricky issue... but without the wish to sound judgmental, it bothers me when pt.s state that they cannot afford to take responsibility for their own health by eating nutritiously and exercising because it is too expensive, yet they purchase cigarettes and alcohol on a regular basis, drive a couple of brand new cars, watch TV on a mega flat screen with at least a hundred channel choices, wear designer label clothes and have a house full of "mod cons"... huge gas fired BBQ, dishwasher, clothes drier, hot tub, swimming pool... etc. etc..

One can only wonder....

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

I'll be honest..that's one of the things I love about NICU. It's not the baby's fault they're there and they don't have a death wish..and they're not rude!

[rngolfer53]

I have seen posts on both sides of the issue that I agree with and I can say that I have felt as the OP does from time to time; having said that, even though I know people are going to make bad choices, just as I have at different points in my life, they still need/deserve my nursing care when they become my patient and no matter what my opinion of their health management system may be privately I need to be there for them. It is an intensely frustrating and challenging issue that more nurses than not have come up against, I would guess.

To me, being a patient advocate means not only insisting on doctors, etc doing the right thing by the Pt, but also telling the Pts the likely consequences of their choices.............good or bad.

That may, in the eyes of some, make me "judgmental." So be it. It doesn't detract from the quality of care I provide.

Of course, being a hospice nurse, with most of my Pts there is little reason to try to change their habits. I don't say anything, unless it's a safety issue, such as smoking and O2 use.

[lpnflorida]

I do not feel educating someone about the consequences of their actions is judgmental at all. It is a caring action to make the time to educate any patient.

Judgmental would be how you feel when they choose to continue the same lifestyle with no changes and then you become mad at them. I do not mean to sound preachy about it. I get frustrated also. I have to internally tell myself not to personalize it.

It is ultimately their choice in what they do with the information they are given. We do not have to like it, we do not have to agree with. We plod along continuing to do the best for our patients as we can. Ultimately we have no control of it. The only control we have is over ourselves and our own attitudes.

[ansspa]

maybe you should have really searched yourself before entering into an occupation where you need to be humble, and have tolerance and compassion for others.

[LilyBlue]

maybe you should have really searched yourself before entering into an occupation where you need to be humble, and have tolerance and compassion for others.

Maybe you should understand that nurses are people, too, complete with flaws and failings - and show the same tolerance for your fellow nurse that you do for your patients. Being holier-than-thou isn't helpful.

[Lorie P.]

maybe you should have really searched yourself before entering into an occupation where you need to be humble, and have tolerance and compassion for others.

firestarter is humble and compassionate, just burned out for a short time and needing to vent!

nurses are people too and there are days that we need to get things off our chest and out of our system so that we can remain humble, copassionate, etc, etc,.

i completely understand her frustration with people not taking responsibility, some how this seems to be the norm for this country.

when i was a bed-side nurse, i would get the same feeling that op talked about in the original post. how many times we would get the esrd pt on dialysis and they would whine and complain because they were on fluid restrictions, diet restrictions, etc, etc and as soon as the fluid was pulled off they would sign out ama and be right back the same night or next day cause they went out and did the same exact thing again, eat drink and be merry, get fluid oveload, sob and back they would come the hospital just to repeat the same thing over and over again.

yet, i also had pts that were doing everything right, yet they were also suffering because it was the disease that caused them to go down hill and what they were doing so to speak.

i totally do no agree that if one is burned out they should find a new job, sometimes we as nurses just need to have a temper-tamtrum and pity-party to release the stress that is building up before it gets the the point of making one sick!

firestarter vent all you want that is why we can come to an and know that others understand when we need too!

[tencat]

maybe you should have really searched yourself before entering into an occupation where you need to be humble, and have tolerance and compassion for others.

That was totally uncalled for. This board is a place to vent and to receive some support and 'compassion'. If we don't have it for eachother, we surely don't have it for our patients. I understand where FireStarter is coming from. It is disheartening to take care of someone who doesn't want to do anything to help themselves, and then to do it day after day gets REALLY old at times. There are many reasons nurses burn out readily from bedside nursing. This is one of them

[truern]

maybe you should have really searched yourself before entering into an occupation where you need to be humble, and have tolerance and compassion for others.

Maybe you should learn your audience before offering your opinion.

Let me guess...you're a student or thinking about nursing school.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

maybe you should have really searched yourself before entering into an occupation where you need to be humble, and have tolerance and compassion for others.

we need a negative thank you button too for judgemental posts like the above.

i totally do not agree that if one is burned out they should find a new job, sometimes we as nurses just need to have a temper-tamtrum and pity-party to release the stress that is building up before it gets the the point of making one sick!

thank you, nurse hobbit. thank you, thank you, thank you! not all of us can be ms. perfect nurse all the time. being human kind of gets in the way sometimes . . . .. . .

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

In addition, I love what I do. I should not be in another occupation, but sometimes I get fried. Oftentimes, the patients that don't think there are any consequences to their actions are the ones that think they should be allowed to do exactly as they please with regard to how they treat their caregivers. I'm a nurse. I'm not a punching bag. I'm not a robot.

The other thing is workplace BS like politics and working conditions don't help. If I only had the bs from the patients to deal with, I would be happy as a clam. But we all know that that's not the case. I can't be superwoman or a martyr, sorry . . . . .

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Maybe you should learn your audience before offering your opinion.

Let me guess...you're a student or thinking about nursing school.

just checked his/her other posts.....hasnt even started CNA course yet.........and has only been here five days!