Is it just me or does everyone hate nursing?

[kristen312]

All of the experienced nurses on here really seem to hate their job, and it is disheartening.

Students will express concern over the severity of certain clinicals, and so many people say we've signed up for the wrong career, or we need to get over it. We're students, we aren't nurses yet. Everyone also always assumes we will be a staff nurse in a hospital. What if we're a nurse in a doctor's office, or clinic? What is we were doing administrative duties, or want to be a school nurse?

And honestly, twelve hour shifts aren't the worst things in the world. I think half these nurses who complain so much probably never had another job before nursing. Many jobs can require 15 hour shifts with no breaks.

I just think nurses who post in the nursing student forums should be a little more supportive.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Just wanted to add my thoughts as I have been an RN for five years and I love being a nurse. I have worked in various inpatient areas and truly love the different pt populations I can work with. I am always learning something new at work and love not having to work five days a week. In the past I have gotten stressed when I worked in facilities that did not seem to value or appreciate nurses. However, now that I work in a Magnet facility that has safe nurse to pt ratios, promotes continuing your education, and sticks up for nurses, I could not be happier.

Many times when I see posts on here where nurses are unhappy I find myself thinking that they may not have found their niche in nursing.

[RamblingSN]

I think nursing is just like any other job/career choice. At times, you are really going to dislike it. Other times you are going to love. People tend to talk more about the dislikes. Why? Because it feels good to vent it all out. At least, that is how I view it.

[EaglesWings21, ASN, RN]

I am going into nursing because I eventually want to be an MD/Surgeon.. I was a pre-med student and then took a wrong turn for a year. Now I am in an ASN program at a communty college... I don't think I could be a nurse forever.. but it will prepare me well for my future endeavors. BTW a lot of nurses on my clinical rotation are cussing and complaining all day long. It doesn't cause me to be disheartened; I just wish they would see things in a different light. Even in past jobs I have been so busy at times you would not even begin to understand how crazy it was but you just have to pull through. Remember why you got in to health care (probably because you wanted to help people). SO do that.. Don't get on a high horse and think you are riding off into the sunset bc here on Earth, it doesn't happen like that..LOL;)

[kristen312]

I understand venting, I get that. I'm talking about stressed and worried students posting things only to have current nurses telling them nursing is a terrible field or they're not cut out for it because after being in school for a short time are afraid of a pt coding.

[kristen312]

It is, however, good too know many of you like your jobs.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I loved my first job, in a PACU. I loved my second job, in a fabulous ICU. I pretty much liked my third job, as a day charge for an ICU/CCU/Stepdown-Tele unit. I loved teaching students, but disliked some of the administrators I worked for. I loved being a clinical specialist, until I didn't when they cut our department. I learned to love field case management in work comp, and now I love being a legal nurse consultant. I loved camp nursing. I loved risk management.

Attitude is everything. Sure, I hated some of the other things I did, but overall, I have loved being able to do so many nifty things with a nursing education. If you play your cards right, you can have a world of flexibility and choices.

Don't limit your horizons by taking the short/cheap/"easy" way in education, because your grandmother was right: You really do get what you pay for (in time, work, and treasure), and anything worth having (like a great career) is worth working for.

[loriangel14, RN]

Oh yeah you hit the nail on the head.Attitude IS everything. I went to school with a girl that has been a job hopper ever since graduation.She complained all the way through school and has hated every job she has ever had.She also warned me when I got my current job because she had worked there and according to her they were all B*****s.I love my coworkers.

If you expect to be unhappy then you will be.

[hodgieRN]

Just as a select few come on here to vent, a select few of students come here to voice second thoughts or low confidence levels. Many of the posts that I have seen where students say they aren't sure about being a nurse or say they cry everyday after clinicals are here to get honest guidance or opinions.

Most of the students I see at work are very sure about what they want to do. The happy students are silent on here, so we see tons of posts from people wanting attention. For those who aren't sure, we are warning them to make the best decision for themselves. From our perspective, we see a lot of posts where students declare going to school in order to make their parents happy, or they go because, hey...why not...my mom's a nurse, so I guess I can do that...seems easy enough. I hear people say all the time "I don't know what I want to do. I tried business and flunked out...I'm gonna try something else and if that doesn't work out, I'll just go to nursing school." We are trying to say it's not that easy and offer wisdom.

When you say that nurses tell students that they might not be cut out for this, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. For the most part, I usually see nurses give encouraging words and tell them to stick it out... it will get better..don't worry, i had the same experience. I have told people to really think about nursing school but that's after I see a post like "I'm FREAKING out! I don't know if I can handle this! I cry everyday and I'm not sure this is what I want. My instructor was mad at me today and I'm gonna say something to the dean. Please help me, I can't take this much longer!" So, yes, I will tell them to think about where they are or suck it up. There's many posts where I think students just want attention. Some students have multiple posts asking for sympathy over and over. They get encouraging words and then they are back a week later "I'm so sad. No one loves me."

I know when someone is venting, had a really bad day, scared, or is strictly looking for sympathy. So, yeah, stop being so sensitive. Nurses that are super emotional don't last long or they end up killing someone. Someone who freaks out all the time can put the whole floor on edge. So, if someone writes a post that they cry all the time or they are depressed (that's my favorite) because someone helped them change a bed sheet and now, the student thinks they she's failure because she couldn't do it by herself. That's where I have no sympathy b/c it's just childish. I understand having an emotional experience or having something really bad happen. That I feel for. But, if someone cries all the time, encouraging words on the internet isn't the problem.

And why come on here and say our words are disheartening and we need to be supportive, yet you tell us to stop complaining because 12 hr shift aren't that bad? Where are these 15 hr jobs with no breaks? Sweat shops? I didn't know there were many jobs of this kind. How do you know that 12 hr nursing shifts aren't that bad when you're still a student? And, you want us to be more supportive? Half the nurses complain about the hrs because they've never had another job. So, now we are entitled and naive? Your assumptions are a bit hypocritical considering your complaining and you telling us who we are or what we should do. We are supportive to many posters. So, you know what...suck it up.

[lmccrn62, MSN, RN]

I have been a nurse for 30 years and I love being a nurse and have never regretted my decision. Yes there are many that are miserable in the job and that is often because they feel the need to stay where they are and then there are those that would be miserable anywhere they are and no matter the profession. The field is so diverse there is much to experience. Grow yourself and experience everything nursing has to offer. While it is considered by some as a thankless profession it is and can be so fulfilling and rewarding.

[Tonks57]

It is really a bummer to me as well.. Almost everyone I know that is a RN hates it. Or they are probably just the super big complainers. At my school, everyone moans and groans about the exams, how difficult everything is... It gets irritating, but then I think that they are probably going to be the complainers once we are nurses. I know that I will not be a bedside nurse for long, I will definitely continue education. All of my instructors LOVE nursing. But they tell us about the job they had on med surg that made them go home crying everyday, etc. So, just go into it with a positive attitude, don't listen to everyone who is so burnt out/calloused, and just know that you picked a great career where you can always advance and go further in your education. That is what I tell myself everyday :)

[lmccrn62, MSN, RN]

Don't listen to students. Yes most students are miserable because of the work involved. School is not a walk in the park nor should it be. This profession requires us being often the eyes and ears of the physician. Patients depend on us. So the choice is either keep quiet and do it or quit! Don't make everyone around you miserable.

[kristen312]

Thanks everyone! I feel so.much better now! But no....a lot of jobs have very long shifts. Manual labor, restaurants, teaching, etc. Not sweat shops....