When will being an RN stop sucking?

Nurses General Nursing

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Why does it suck to be an RN these days, it is everywhere, in every area, I am so tired of being treated like dirt! We nurses do most of the work and the docs and big hospital systems treat us like peons. When did we lose the professionalism? WHen did being an RN become a negative profession? Where did all the jobs go?

p.s.

The docs at my hospital absolutely rock.....

Some of the nicest, kindest most loving people I have ever met.....

Specializes in Cath Lab/ ICU.

Change specialities!

I love my doctors, my supervisors, my team-mates, my patients and my job.

Could do withouth all the call though!

But I am busy, respected, and treated right. What I do, and how well I do it, can mean the difference between life and death. Every second counts.

I'm cool with that...

I have to agree with the non medical people being placed in leader ship roles.. I dislike the private owners of our facility and the way they talk down to us as if they've been through any training or program.. Sometimes they do our in services and I'm like uhhh do you even know/have had to do/are allowed to do any of this stuff? I would like to thank them for our cheap supplies and having to beg for a tube of calmo when I'm running low lol.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Three years in for me, 3 different hospitals, and I don't think being an RN sucks at all. Quite the contrary, in fact.

That said, it's just a job, and it has its problems, but so have most of the jobs I've ever had.

I've been a nurse for 21 years in both ER and ICU. I have worked both small, rural hospitals and large level 1 centers. When I begin to hate nursing, I find that I need to continue my education. Learning keeps me interested. When we stagnate in this profession it becomes daunting. Take a vacation and reinvest yourself. Good luck. Nursing offers many options and when one doesn't work, you owe it to yourselff and your patients to try another.

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing expecting to somehow get different results. If you are unhappy, make a change. Of course it is not the same everywhere and of course not all nurses hate being a nurse. I certainly don't. You have the power to change your situation. Do it. No job is worth being miserable for.

Specializes in General Surgery.

Maybe try getting into pre-hospital/EMS? That's where my heart is (eventually becoming a flight nurse)! I keep hearing about all of this relative autonomy which I like the sound of :) Like the above poster said, that's the beauty of nursing, you can change your situation and probably with more ease since you're experienced! Best of luck to you!

Specializes in geriatrics.

Sounds like maybe you need a change of scenery, a vacation, or a different nursing focus. Think about where your interest lie, and where or how you might incorporate them into nursing. I hope it gets better for you :)

Why do we tie nursing to our identity so much? You are not obligated to be a nurse indefinitely; there are other career options. If you do want to remain in the field, I agree with the others; maybe a different environment or field of nursing will work out better for you. I know how you feel though. When you work hard, you want and deserve respect from you co-workers, superiors, the organization, and your patients - that's not asking much. I tried stomping my feet (figuratively) and protesting and demanding change and resisting giving into the status quo in the past, but it turns out one person can't change an entire organizational culture. I hope things change for you in a positive way. Advice from lessons learned: don't make an a#@ of yourself; maintain a positive & professional attitude & just move on when it's time.

The entire medical field is difficult. Every position has to deal with arrogant doctors, rude coworkers, long hours, high expectations, daily stress, etc.

Heck, I remember back in the 1970s (yes, I'm older LOL) when I worked as a medical transcriptionist at the largest hospital in my area. We worked in a gigantic room in the bowels of the hospital. It was a large, windowless, picture-less, cheerless room filled with row upon row of women sitting before IBM Selectric typewriters click clacking away, transcribing all day. It was like a sweatshop. We began typing at 7:00 am and stopped at 6:00 pm. We were allowed a 10 minute bathroom break in the morning and one in the afternoon. A half hour lunch.

Our manager sat at a desk facing us all day like a school teacher, watching over us. We were not allowed to EVER chat with a coworker, etc. Just keep the earphones in and type, type, type. Except for those moments when a doctor would storm in to take out his bad day on us.

Yes - nurses aren't the only ones getting beat up on. Doc has a bad day? Go down and scream at ALL the transcriptionists because of a punctuation error in your OP notes. We had some that would carry on, screaming at us all, for a minor error made by one, for 15 to 20 minutes. Once their frustrations were vented off they would go, their stress relieved and taken out on us.

BTW, my MIL is a physician and surgeon (retired) and she would be the first to say that being a doctor is not all glory and roses. Try living with the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head called malpractice suit every time you delivered a child. If the child wasn't born perfect many patients and their attorneys were just waiting for an excuse to sue.

Doctors live with a tremendous amount of stress. So do nurses. So do most healthcare workers. All suffer abuse from supervisors, coworkers, doctors. Problem patients. Stress. Long hours. Little appreciation. I think it's just the nature of the medical field in general.

Specializes in ICU.
Move then. I hated my job, moved hospitals and specialties and now I love what I do.

SO what do you do? I've been switching, but have not found happiness (I did like ICU, but can't do the hours due to family,) Please share, because i am sick of being miserable going to work everyday

Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.
15 years is a long time to be doing something you hate. Time to consider other options maybe? Different area, leave nursing, etc?

That is easier said then done. after years of schooling and racking up debt, it is hard to find a career that can pay what nursing can.

I personally HATE nursing at times. But then I remember or experience a blessing in it, then I hold on for 1 more day.

One of these days I will change careers, maybe become a truck driver, who knows. But until my kids are grown, I will make the best out of it.

It isn't really the patients for me, it is the drama, and the politics that drive me crazy.

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