Tired of it all

jrbl77, RN · Nov 28, 2012

I'm right there with alot of you. 56 y/o old, RN for 35 yrs. I have a diploma in nsg and do not plan to go back to school at this point in my life. I work 2 - 12 hr shifts per week and that is what I can handle. Some days are better than others. What I seem to find, is there isn't the accountability or ownership of pt care that existed when we all worked 8 hr shifts. Then you would have the same pts 3 or 4 days in a row. Now you have the pt one day and may never see them again. So what if I don't change the IV site, some one else will. So what if I don't get these meds renewed, someone else will. I seem to pick up many pieces when I am working. I catch those littlel things that get over looked by others. One of the biggest changes and the one that I have the hardest time with is all the hosptial scores. It is like schools teaching for tests. We need to prep our pts to say that we give excellant care or always do this or that. A wise nsg administrator once told us that the 80's and 90's were the glory days and someday we would look back and long for those days. A PS for someone that commented that hospice could be low key. I worked for a hospice group for 18 mos. Between call, going to unsafe area- gunfire, drive by shootings and many miles per day, it was a hard job. I was left to hang out and dry when a family complained. Thought it would be my job for the rest of my life. Wrong. Back to med surg and just hanging in there as best I can.

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2012

I think Nursing Elders (meant with total respect as in "Seniority") ought to be given the position of higher respect during a shift, than "just one of the players on a team. Think about, every other Profession gets better with time, Educators have Tenure, Law and Military have ranks, Even the Post Office treats their Elder Employees with status for time spent with the USPS!

Please don't misrepresent what I am saying when I say I don't expect a 55 year old women to be able to lift a 200lb patient off the floor, or restrain a 6ft combative patient (though there are 60somethings working circles around me.) What they offer is soooooo much more than braun! Things that scare me on a EKG, they have dreamed about more times than I have seen it, many more could have auscultated the ar/dys-rhytmias!! It just doesn't seem fair to expect them to do the same when they could offer much more valuable things to the incoming and younger nurses.

They have put in their time in the trenches, most sacrificing their good backs, knees, and posture in the mix. Where is their real tangible reward for all that work, all those years of advancing technology they kept up with, they ushered in the computer to healthcare that was waiting on us, better equipment, and don't even get me started on what I've learned they put up with- so we wouldn't have to.

If their only reward is trying to keep up with the influx of 20somethings willing to take any opening out there, and returning salaries to base, higher ratios, and longer workdays plus Overtime Requirements without the stature, tenure, and respect they so honestly deserve- what have we to look forward too? What will our post look like in 20 more years?

So, I know it's really lousy, and worth truly nothing- but thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everything I love about my job, RN being part of my "Identity," and the modest paycheck is all you guys!! It really ought to be different!!!

Also, for all the "Nurses eat their young," I have yet to come across a post stating, "Nursing throws their Elders under the bus," That says something about your character, strength, and poise.

I am totally unworthy, but I "know" that. I hope one day to aspire to your value, knowledge base, and maybe if I'm lucky even join the "Crusty Bat Society," or the "Upper Crust" may be a better name:)

marystwin · Nov 28, 2012

Oh, my fellow colleagues - I feel your pain. I have been a nurse for 40 years, 38 of those years in the operating room. I know the feeling of one step forward, three steps backward when trying to deliver quality care in a compassionate and caring manner. You are right that the times are changing and to quote some smart person: "the only thing constant in life is change". If you are truly still interested in nursing, try reinventing yourself. Do you like the personal, one on one approach to patients? Try Home Health nursing - you can sign up with an agency and get paid per case - I tried this and loved it but needed to do alot of reading to catch up on my clinical skills but found it rewarding. Do you like to teach? Just this past year, a periop educator position opened up in my hospital and after 38 years as a team leader in an OR @ the ripe old age of 62, I took the position - so far, so good. If you like to teach but want to stay clinical, try looking into the many LPN/LVN schools that are popping up all over. The bottom line is not to get tied up in the minutiae - recognize that we can't change many things in healthcare but we can change our outlook, our attitude and how we react to situations - takes a lot of work and sometimes you have to leave your old thoughts behind in order to put yourself in a better place mentally. In the words of Dr. Phil - ask yourself "how's that working for me?". If it's not, don't be a victim - life is too short to be consumed by your job. Good luck!

mustlovepoodles, RN · Nov 28, 2012

I soooo understand. I've been an RN for 35 years and I can attest that hospital nursing is not the same as it used to be. There was a day when I could actually sit down and talk with a patient, give them a back rub, and calm their fears before they were rushed to surgery. I gave up hospital nursing 5 years ago and went into school nursing. I can't even describe the relief I feel! School nursing has its own issues--mainly, that you're working with people who have no idea what you do but they think they can do it better than you. My pay isn't great, but my stress level is at an all time low. No call, no nights or holidays. I get lunch every day and I clock out at 2:30 and hang up the keys. I plan to retire in about 6 years, so I have no use for an advanced degree.

I'm 56 yrs old and I will NEVER go back to the hospital. If I have to work at the grocery store and live in an RV! Recently I did a little teaching for a non-profit agency who needed some caregiver education for a boy with severe developmental disabilities. They liked it so much, they offered me a part-time job! I will be auditing charts, doing some teaching, and generally doing nursing oversight for their dependent clients and I couldn't be more thrilled. No uniforms, work from home, occasional travel to other parts of the state. Paid what I'm work, mileage paid every time I step out my front door to go to work. What's not to like?!

anotherone, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2012

I typed up a post for this thread but I think I deleted it before it was posted. To the op and many others on this thread WORKING IN NURSING FOR 20+ years. Running on fumes after almost 30 years??? OMG am I impressed. Seriously. Two years in and sometimes I wonder how much longer I can do it! Very inspiring that there are people who have done it so long.

DoeRN · Nov 29, 2012

I typed up a post for this thread but I think I deleted it before it was posted. To the op and many others on this thread WORKING IN NURSING FOR 20+ years. Running on fumes after almost 30 years??? OMG am I impressed. Seriously. Two years in and sometimes I wonder how much longer I can do it! Very inspiring that there are people who have done it so long.

You have to remember nursing was a lot different back then. I've been in healthcare for 11 years and have seen changes. Drastic changes actually.

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2012

Nursing was just in a "Quality vs. Quantity Phase" for a decade, that has really hurt itself. You get what you pay for:)

Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN · Jul 9, 2017

I know this thread is a bit old, but it sure is all about how I'm feeling today. Would ambulatory surgical center be the same as same day surgery?

tmayes · Jan 12, 2018

I have been an ER nurse for 19 years. I am VERY good at what I do. I am also absolutely burned out! I know that the recent flu issue is making a huge impact. I feel like I have PTSD going to work each day. I want to get out of the ED because I feel I am in survival mode. I have tried the Legal Nurse thing for almost 2 years without success. I don't know where to go from here as I need the benefits. I have had an amazing career and have really enjoyed nursing when I could actually take care of patients. We call it "chasing the red" these days as the "to do's" are in red. It's not good care and it is not the way it is supposed to be.

pmdcjg · May 7, 2019

I am so very tired of nursing and healthcare in general. I have worked in pre-hospital as a paramedic for over 28 years and went through a bridge RN program for LPNs and Paramedic and got my ASN. Passed NCLEX first time and went straight to work in a local ED that I brought patients to routinely as a medic on the ambulance. This was a best fit for me into the world of nursing.

I have only been a nurse for 5 years now and have worked in the ED full time and currently in the OR full time. I quickly became burned out of the ED. Just too much volume and high acquities. We ran a 1 nurse to 4 rooms (sometimes there might be more than one patient in your room such as a family from MVC with minor injuries). The ED is truly like a war zone and function via a very proprietary culture as well. I transitioned to the OR hoping to get away from the chaos.

Well, that sure was wrong thought process. It did get me away from having to witness death on a daily basis and dealing with families and the aftermath of tragedy. I'm sorry but I got so tired of holding it together and no outlet until I was alone and could release the dam, only to have to return in a few hours for another long shift that never ended on time.

The OR was a break from that particular situation. At first it was great. Probably just the fact that it was new and learning something different. Surgery is itself comprised of unique and proprietary culture too. The primary focus it seems to me is catering to the surgeons and moving at the speed of light. Well, common sense tells me that when you mix a fast paced pace in a highly critical and vulnerable area of nursing you will surely spell out DANGEROUS. In my opinion moving at the quick pace they want you to move in surgery (despite that management constantly talks about keeping our patients safe) is not a safe thing to do. We are questioned any time we are in the room late, regardless of why. It is always the nurse that is asked and looked upon for anything that happens in the OR room. They have even asked me why do anesthesia do that? Well, why don't you go ask anesthesia. Not cool since it is a team in the room with shared responsibilities, each having our own parts to play.

I am the weekend circulator and work the Fri, Sat, Sun 12 hour shifts. Not too bad right. Well, not only do I circulate, I am their weekend charge nurse (without the charge nurse pay), OR coordinator, OR scheduler, OR secretary, OR Pre-Op nurse, OR Liaison, and anything else that they come up with. I have to circulate the cases, and then all the other stuff that is normally done by several other people during the normal workweek. There is only me and the scrub tech there. There is 1 PACU nurse there for us to take the patient to and they have to call in their other PACU nurse before we bring patient to PACU. OR on the weekends runs the same type cases they do during the week and then add in a few emergency cases that end up having to wait for an elective to be completed before we can do it. Really puts me in a bad spot and nursing license on the line every time I go to work.

I've asked management for help and voiced my concerns about how unsafe it is for just the one nurse to function is so many different roles during a single case. Too many distractions and too many opportunities for errors to occur. But all they do is keep shifting the responsibility to others and then they still end up back in my lap of responsibility.

Therefore I began to look into another area of nursing - employee health - occupational health. I took an employee health job with another large hospital system. This is an area that so far seems to be so much more relaxed and even quite interesting. I know there is a least a 10 point drop in my blood pressure when I am working at the employee health job as opposed to the OR. It is busy and seems to be more of administrative type work/nursing mixed with a little hands on. I really like it. The only problem so far is that it is only part time and I would like it full time so I can leave the OR all together and focus on this new area of nursing that I seem to like better now.

Are there any other nurses out there with similar experiences of ED, OR, employee health? What are your feelings and opinions? Would really like to hear from you and any suggestions.

shona5514 · May 7, 2019

Woek from home as a nurse and get a good paying laid back role like Nurse Consultant, Claim auditor, Clinical Appeals..the jobs are endless. You can find these positions with every healthcare insurance company, hopsiptal, dr offices etc