why does medsurg nursing have to be like this?

[pale_pilsen]

i got off work today 2 hours past my clock out time to chart. I am so burned out. I was literally on my feet the whole entire 12 hour shift. Doing this doing that. call lights here call light there. Family complains, md orders, blah blah blah. Seriously, I feel sorry for myself for becoming a nurse. In school, I have 3.7 GPA. Since I started nursing, I feel like I wasted all all this to become a CERTIFIED, GLORIFIED MAID for the patient and MDs. I should have taken a degree on something where I will feel appreciated and respected. Not like working my a*s off and not getting something back in return. Whenever I see student nurses in our unit, esp in private schools, I feel sorry for them cause they have no idea what they're getting into (plus all that school loans they have to pay for). If I could only take back time, I wish I have taken a different route than nursing. I didn't know then thats why im here and i hate it.

PS: If only the economy is better, I would have quit nursing and get a lower paying job that i can say im truly happy. Sucks!

[SweetheartRN]

Okay, I don't mean to be nitpicky, but yes, this is about prioritization. Take this scenario:

Rm. 101 is puking everywhere and needs something for nausea.

Rm. 102 is requesting pain medication.

Rm. 103 just pooped the bed.

Rm. 104 is climbing out of bed.

In the meantime, you're behind on your med pass, have 2 patients on TPN and insulin gtts, haven't done a lick of charting, and you need to call the MD for a change in patient condition (the LOL in Rm. 105 is satting 85% on RA and c/o sharp chest pain). Your bladder is about to burst, and you feel like you're about to pass out from hypoglycemia. A family member is hovering in the doorway glaring at you with their arms folded. Your CNA just went on break. The family members in 106 just brought some damn french fries onto the unit and the smell is driving you nuts!

Are you sure you weren't on my floor last thursday watching me drown in this scenario>>>

[netglow, ASN, RN]

I really, really hope you have the guts to leave nursing and are not just venting. I work with too many nurses like you, who hate their work, who are always complaining about the patient, the family, the mean doctor, the aide who isn't helping enough or not right there so you have to get off your own behind, of the other nurses/shifts who leave you stuff to do. Your whiny type makes for a long and frustrating day. I'm betting many of your coworkers look at who is on that day and are depressed from seeing your name, especially if you're down the same hall. Please- find another job, or go work an office for some doctor. Acute care needs better people, people who don't reminisce about their GPA. Wow actual work is more than reading Beowulf, who knew.

Mike, pretty sure you are not a nurse. You'd have to do some pretty fast convincing for me to believe you were.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

I really, really hope you have the guts to leave nursing and are not just venting. I work with too many nurses like you, who hate their work, who are always complaining about the patient, the family, the mean doctor, the aide who isn't helping enough or not right there so you have to get off your own behind, of the other nurses/shifts who leave you stuff to do. Your whiny type makes for a long and frustrating day. I'm betting many of your coworkers look at who is on that day and are depressed from seeing your name, especially if you're down the same hall. Please- find another job, or go work an office for some doctor. Acute care needs better people, people who don't reminisce about their GPA. Wow actual work is more than reading Beowulf, who knew.

***** are you in the op's shoes? I doubt it, mR holier than thou. There is no where in the op's post stating he/she sits on their butt all day. Why dont you tell us all about your current work culture- omg it must be soooo awesome to work with you...

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

OP, i feel for you. I go through this on a daily basis. I know how to prioritize. But I still HATE when visitors and patients think I am a bad nurse because I took too long to get someone a coke.That is the type of feedback managment will get back. Not that I picked up on a slight change in another patient's assessment that led to a transfer to ICU and stat gen surg consult, which if ignored could have had a disasterous outcome. YES I was sitting at the desk, paging a doctor about something more concerning, or stat paging rt to the floor.... I guess at the end of the day you have to know that you did the right thing. You have to prioritize and the public is too ignorant to understand that.