Who hates nursing, honestly????

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · May 11, 2009

Being unhappy with one's current work environment does not mean that they are not/cannot do a good job. It is pretty easy to be judgmental and say "you don't like it, go somewhere else". It is harder to be empathetic and realize that many people in this profession are single parents, or at least their income is necessary to make ends meet. They may also carry the insurance for the entire family, making it difficult to just quit and move on. Even if they don't have a family to support, few people can afford to quit without another job lined up, and nursing is no as recession-proof as some seem to think.

It really concerns me that there are some nurses who can, I assume, provide good patient care and empathize with the situation their patients are in, but when it comes to their fellow nurses, they completely lack empathy and lead with comments like "if you don't like it, get off the floor". That in itself if another reason why many nurses hate nursing.

squee-gee · May 11, 2009

Being unhappy with one's current work environment does not mean that they are not/cannot do a good job. It is pretty easy to be judgmental and say "you don't like it, go somewhere else". It is harder to be empathetic and realize that many people in this profession are single parents, or at least their income is necessary to make ends meet. They may also carry the insurance for the entire family, making it difficult to just quit and move on. Even if they don't have a family to support, few people can afford to quit without another job lined up, and nursing is no as recession-proof as some seem to think.
It really concerns me that there are some nurses who can, I assume, provide good patient care and empathize with the situation their patients are in, but when it comes to their fellow nurses, they completely lack empathy and lead with comments like "if you don't like it, get off the floor". That in itself if another reason why many nurses hate nursing.

Whoa! For pete's sake, I certainly empathize with the nurses I work with as well as with my patients! 90 % of the nurses I work with are fantastic, hard working people and I feel so fortunate to be associated with them. Of course you can be unhappy and still do a good job! My only issue is with the few who are not doing a good job, complain constantly about working in a hospital setting but don't do anything about it. Who ever said anything about quitting without finding a new position first, or taking a job that pays less or doesn't offer benefits?! What's so wrong about making the suggestion that if a person is unhappy they look into some other area of nursing???

blue note · May 11, 2009

What's so wrong about making the suggestion that if a person is unhappy they look into some other area of nursing???

Well, unless they are asking for your advice, or their unhappiness is affecting their ability to do the job competently, I think that such a suggestion is presumptuous, rude and none of anyone's business.

It really concerns me that there are some nurses who can, I assume, provide good patient care and empathize with the situation their patients are in, but when it comes to their fellow nurses, they completely lack empathy and lead with comments like "if you don't like it, get off the floor". That in itself if another reason why many nurses hate nursing.

So true. There are so many similar discussion threads where some nurses do come across as awfully judgmental about their fellow nurses, especially all the professed concern about nurses in it for the "wrong" reasons because they don't have "the calling" - spare me that concern in the guise of judgment!

showbizrn · May 12, 2009

exactly what the title says: who honestly hates nursing????

you're kidding?

right???

i guess not.

hate working short--staffed]???---yes!

hate abusive patients, families and staff???---yes!

hate nursing???---no!!!

it ain't perfect

but it's

the only profession

i care to work in

where

i can

reach out

and

touch somebody

and

make this world

a better place.

that's my :twocents:

showbizrn: from the heart::redbeathe

kcochrane · May 12, 2009

Whoa! For pete's sake, I certainly empathize with the nurses I work with as well as with my patients! 90 % of the nurses I work with are fantastic, hard working people and I feel so fortunate to be associated with them. Of course you can be unhappy and still do a good job! My only issue is with the few who are not doing a good job, complain constantly about working in a hospital setting but don't do anything about it. Who ever said anything about quitting without finding a new position first, or taking a job that pays less or doesn't offer benefits?! What's so wrong about making the suggestion that if a person is unhappy they look into some other area of nursing???

There is nothing wrong with it. There are so many different options for nursing, that is always worthwhile to see if something might be a better fit. Honestly it is something that I would say to anyone - not just a nurse that is unhappy with where they are. There are too many options in life to spend 40+ hours miserable. I had a CNA that was just unhappy all the time.

To the OP, the only thing I hate about my job is the endless paperwork that does not enhance my resident's life, the short staffing and the stupid rules set up by administrators that have never done bedside nursing. I love my patients - even the difficult ones. I feel everyday that I make a difference. But I can understand where people would not like nursing - its not for everyone.

squee-gee · May 12, 2009

There is nothing wrong with it. There are so many different options for nursing, that is always worthwhile to see if something might be a better fit. Honestly it is something that I would say to anyone - not just a nurse that is unhappy with where they are. There are too many options in life to spend 40+ hours miserable. I had a CNA that was just unhappy all the time.
Thank you!!! This is exactly the point I was trying to get across - obviously not very well, it seems!

squee-gee · May 12, 2009

Well, unless they are asking for your advice, or their unhappiness is affecting their ability to do the job competently, I think that such a suggestion is presumptuous, rude and none of anyone's business.
These ARE the nurses I'm talking about!! The ones that are so discontent it affects their patient care - and I would never give unsolicited advice to anyone!

dionnedillon · May 12, 2009

i would just say that if i had it to do all over again, i wouldn't:sniff:

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · May 12, 2009

Do I LOVE it? Sometimes.

-Like when I see an adoptive couple over the moon about the baby they get to take to their good, stable home.

-Like when the antepartum that nearly bled to death from a complete previa a few years ago sends us a recent picture of her family and the baby she worked so hard to keep, who is now almost 4.

- Or when I finally get the six-week-old miserable, withdrawing-from-drugs baby to sleep, and she smiles while she's dreaming.

Yeah, those things are priceless.

Do I hate it? Sometimes.

- Like when I'm taking care of a 12-year-old whose stepfather raped her and it resulted in a pregnancy.

- Like when mom has been trying for years to conceive, only to deliver her 16-weeker into my hands in the hospital bed.

- Like when a drunk driver crosses the center line and collides head-on with a 15yo girl traveling with her family who happens to be 39 weeks pregnant. She died as the OB resident dirty-sectioned her, and her baby died a couple days later.

Those days suck.

Mostly, though, I love taking care of patients. I hate JCAHO and paperwork crap, which seems to be filling more and more of our time and taking us away from actually taking care of people who need it.

dancer_meggs · May 12, 2009

I'm a CNA/HHA...I greatly dislike my current job somed days...other days it's a getaway...depends on the patient honestly. but I don't hate it...i merely put up with it.

My question is...what direction is nursing going in exactly? A lot of poster have said that they "don't like the direction nursing is going in. I don't personally know of any nurses that work at real hospitals (my aunt works in a psych unit...and my DON works in an office) so...really I'd like some more info about that.

TuTonka · May 12, 2009

Do I LOVE it? Sometimes.
-Like when I see an adoptive couple over the moon about the baby they get to take to their good, stable home.
-Like when the antepartum that nearly bled to death from a complete previa a few years ago sends us a recent picture of her family and the baby she worked so hard to keep, who is now almost 4.
- Or when I finally get the six-week-old miserable, withdrawing-from-drugs baby to sleep, and she smiles while she's dreaming.
Yeah, those things are priceless.
Do I hate it? Sometimes.
- Like when I'm taking care of a 12-year-old whose stepfather raped her and it resulted in a pregnancy.
- Like when mom has been trying for years to conceive, only to deliver her 16-weeker into my hands in the hospital bed.
- Like when a drunk driver crosses the center line and collides head-on with a 15yo girl traveling with her family who happens to be 39 weeks pregnant. She died as the OB resident dirty-sectioned her, and her baby died a couple days later.
Those days suck.
Mostly, though, I love taking care of patients. I hate JCAHO and paperwork crap, which seems to be filling more and more of our time and taking us away from actually taking care of people who need it.

I agree with your sentiment...Kudos on stating it.

TuTonka

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · May 12, 2009

I love nursing and I hope other's feel the same as me.
It's a stressful job, but very rewarding.
If there is someone that 'hates nursing' then IMHO, they
need to leave the profession. Sick people do not deserve
a nurse that hates nursing.

I would love to talk to you in twenty years and see if you have changed your opinion.

Many excellent, caring nurses love the ideal- what nursing is supposed to be, but hate the reality of it. That does not make them bad people or mean that they should be judged by a brand new nurse as needing to "leave the profession."

:nono: :smackingf