I feel like they should change the title of this site to "reasons why my job sucks"

Nurses Relations

Published

People on here need to realize that when you complain on here (and for some that all those individuals do) it really dissuades us new grads from continuing into the profession. First and most obvious question, Does anyone actually like being a Nurse? I mean granted I don't think anyone loves all aspects of their job, but does it seem like a nightmare every day? Secondly, name the best part of your area and your biggest pet peeve.

Sorry had to rant.

:snurse:

I'm a nursing student and graduate in May. I'm on here practically everyday. I actually don't mind the nurses venting. It gives me a realistic expectation of hospital life. It let's me know to toughen up a lil or I may get eaten alive lol. Just my thoughts though

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People on here need to realize that when you complain on here (and for some that all those individuals do) it really dissuades us new grads from continuing into the profession. First and most obvious question, Does anyone actually like being a Nurse? I mean granted I don't think anyone loves all aspects of their job, but does it seem like a nightmare every day? Secondly, name the best part of your area and your biggest pet peeve.

Sorry had to rant.

:snurse:

Ruas61 is why we need nurses like you. Keep your head up.

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See, the thing is, for any pre-nursing or current nursing student; you haven't experienced what a real meat grinder this occupation can be. You may (note the word "may" ) have an idealized vision of nursing developed from TV, movies, or your own romanticized daydreaming. The schools will rarely lay it on the line what you'll face as this may discourage enrollment which does nothing for their bottom line. People who write career articles are getting paid to write articles, NOT ​to know what they're talking about.The popular media has no interest in telling the truth about the job 'cause, well, that just wouldn't be any fun.

So, do you really want a website dedicated to cotton candy and singing kumbaya? Isn't it better to know the bad as well as the good? As others have pointed out, do you want to drop $50,000.00 on an education, then struggle for months to find a job, then after a couple weeks working the floor notice that you can't sleep, can't eat, your back muscles are tight as a banjo string and you spend your free time self medicating your nerves and wonder why nobody warned you?

Here's some friendly advice, take everything posted on an internet forum ( good/bad ) with a grain of salt. And remember, the attrition rate for new nurses is a tad bit on the high side. So, if something someone says here bursts your bubble and you bail on this particular education path, perhaps consider yourself lucky that this particular bubble has been burst.

There's an old saying worth considering, "To be forewarned is to be forearmed".

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Specializes in Pedi.
Dear new grads,

Nursing does suck. And honestly, why would we lie to make it seem like it's better than it is? What benefit do we get from new nurses entering the field? More competition and oversaturation of the market? More people entering for the perceived "easy money" who hate patient care?

So many people enter nursing for money and scheduling reasons - but you know what, once you're in the field, you realize that it's definately not worth it.

1. Money - Working in a hospital as a new grad will get you between 45-60K. Sounds great for a starting salary, right? But what about upward mobility? While your business friends are starting in the low 40s, they're getting yearly promotions and soon hit 80-100K. What about you? Still slaving at the bedside for a similar salary...doesn't seem so great anymore does it?

2. Schedule - 3 days of work per week!? Who wouldn't want that!? Sounds great..until you get into it. First, shifts are usually 12.5 hours - adding 30 minutes for report - but you get paid for 12 due to lunch. In addition, it's not a desk job where you can just run out the door when the clock strikes the golden hour. If a patient is coding, you're not leaving. If the nurse taking over for you is late, you're not leaving. Add another 30 minutes, on average, for that, and you've got 13 hour shifts...13 hours with one break for food, and rarely any time for anything else - you always have to run and find someone to cover your patients if you need a break/bathroom etc. It's like being in elementary again and asking the teacher for permission to pee. Also, 3 days a week sounds great in your head when you think "so I'll just work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and then get a 4 day weekend! Woo!" Wrong! It's ANY set up 12 hours. Sometimes you work every other day and don't really get any extended time off during a week...and then the next week you might work all night shifts and be too tired to enjoy your days off. Or maybe you will work only on weekends (common for new grads at bottom of the totem pole) and sure you'll have a 4 days off...but what will you do? All your friends will be working on your days off! The scheduling thing is the single worst thing about nursing. You never really know what days you will work and won't except a few weeks in advance. I miss the security of knowing I worked M-F, 9am to 5pm, and that it never varied.

3. Nurses are often treated like crap. Doctors can't fuss at patients when something goes wrong...so they fuss at nurses. Patients are often afraid to fuss at doctors...so they fuss at nurses. The nurse is the middle-man absorbing all of the abuse from both sides. Add on to that the fact that many other nurses (not all, I've worked with WONDERFUL nurses) are very catty/hard to get along with.

This. One year ago, I took a per diem job at a school with the thought that I would decrease my hours at the hospital and ease out by fall. One day at the school and I left thinking "I ate lunch, I left on time and no one yelled at me." That sealed my fate with the hospital and less than a month later, I was submitting my resignation.

I never thought I wanted a Mon-Fri gig mainly because I hate the public and hate doing things like grocery shopping on the weekends but, honestly, you couldn't pay me to go back. I technically worked 3 12s in the hospital but when you consider the fact that it took 2 buses to get to the hospital and I left my house at 5:50 am and was lucky to be home before 9 pm when working days... those shifts just destroy your life. I have very few nurse friends so almost all of my friends work a Mon-Fri schedule. I like knowing that I don't have to miss a Friday evening outing with friends simply because it's "my weekend." I like not worrying about having to think months in advance to change my schedule so I can attend my college roommate's wedding. I like that if I have a doctor's appointment now, I simply schedule it for first thing in the morning and go into work late rather than having to rearrange the whole week. I like that when I need a day off, I tell my work "I'm taking this day off" rather than having to fight for it and scramble to find someone to cover me. I like that 5am is not a part of my life anymore. I like that I don't have to deal with the horrible public transportation in my city (which I HAD to working in the hospital because it cost 4x as much as a subway pass to park in a garage 2 miles from the hospital and take a shuttle bus).

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This. One year ago, I took a per diem job at a school with the thought that I would decrease my hours at the hospital and ease out by fall. One day at the school and I left thinking "I ate lunch, I left on time and no one yelled at me." That sealed my fate with the hospital and less than a month later, I was submitting my resignation.

I never thought I wanted a Mon-Fri gig mainly because I hate the public and hate doing things like grocery shopping on the weekends but, honestly, you couldn't pay me to go back. I technically worked 3 12s in the hospital but when you consider the fact that it took 2 buses to get to the hospital and I left my house at 5:50 am and was lucky to be home before 9 pm when working days... those shifts just destroy your life. I have very few nurse friends so almost all of my friends work a Mon-Fri schedule. I like knowing that I don't have to miss a Friday evening outing with friends simply because it's "my weekend." I like not worrying about having to think months in advance to change my schedule so I can attend my college roommate's wedding. I like that if I have a doctor's appointment now, I simply schedule it for first thing in the morning and go into work late rather than having to rearrange the whole week. I like that when I need a day off, I tell my work "I'm taking this day off" rather than having to fight for it and scramble to find someone to cover me. I like that 5am is not a part of my life anymore. I like that I don't have to deal with the horrible public transportation in my city (which I HAD to working in the hospital because it cost 4x as much as a subway pass to park in a garage 2 miles from the hospital and take a shuttle bus).

Kel, you and I think the same way here for sure. I left the hospital for a M-F 9-5 job and I would NEVER ever go back to that horribleness. I too had quite to commute and woke up at around 4:30am and returned at about 9pm. I absolutely LOVE my schedule now, I love making plans EVERY WEEKEND, and I love not waking up until the time I was usually already at work.

What did you switch to btw? I moved to office work.

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.
Please, tell me more about what nursing is about. I assume that knowledge comes from the many years you've been practicing nursing?

Yes, I too would like to be told more about a subject I have already authored one book and four chapters in two textbooks (one of which I'm willing to bet my bottom doller you used in nursing school, lol) about. Enlighten me.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
People on here need to realize that when you complain on here (and for some that all those individuals do) it really dissuades us new grads from continuing into the profession. First and most obvious question, Does anyone actually like being a Nurse? I mean granted I don't think anyone loves all aspects of their job, but does it seem like a nightmare every day? Secondly, name the best part of your area and your biggest pet peeve.

Sorry had to rant.

:snurse:

I have had jobs that I dreaded going to, this isn't one of them. Some days the work itself is better than others, but every day there are challenges to overcome, little differences made. Sometimes I can fix a patient a little. I enjoy that. But no, it's not all bliss and violin music.

I love my coworkers. I like about half my patients. I rarely have positive feelings about their families.

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Specializes in Gerontology.

Why we vent:You spend 12 hours with a pt who rings none stop for stupid things. I just wanted to see you. I want a hug. I can't remember why I rang. What time is it? Oh, is it you again?

Or the lovely family that is never happy. Mom is in bed when they arrive? Well, Mom needs to be up you know! Next day Mom is up in w/c when they arrive. So of course, she needs to go to bed because she is sick. Mom is constipated. Mom is pooping too much. She is in pain. Now she is too sleepy!

My TV is broken. NURRRRRSSE! My TV is broken. Why haven't the TV people come yet! Nurse! My Dad's TV is broken! When will it be fixed!

This was just a small part of my weekend. And people winder why I drink!

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Pepper, don't you think the "She's too sleepy" one beats all? It's like they think it's rude of the nurse not to have their mom "lively" for their visit or something. What? is she a puppy?

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
How unbelievably, offensively rude. And you know what? I don't care what you think. When you became a nurse, you took on the role as teacher and role model for all nurses following you. THAT is the REALITY. Whether you like it or not, YOU are our teacher. You better hope to hell we new grads don't have nurses like you who we are trying to look up to when YOU are the patient in the hospital. I love learning from experienced nurses. Guess what? You better care how you are teaching us. WE are the future experienced nurses taking care of your kids. I never disrespected experienced nurses til I became a part if this website and saw how much we new grads are despised by so many of you. Its like "how dare anyone after us become a nurse and try to learn." Yeah, the NERVE of us.

I can't really muster up an actual response to this that won't get edited for violating TOS, so I'll just be brief. Ummm, NO. I don't have the obligation to teach, mentor or prop up ANYBODY on the good old World Wide of Web, kthanks.

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Specializes in Gerontology.
Pepper, don't you think the "She's too sleepy" one beats all? It's like they think it's rude of the nurse not to have their mom "lively" for their visit or something. What? is she a puppy?
Fer sure. We increase the narcotics to decrease the pain, and now you are unhappy because she is leery! Make up your freaking mind! Lethargy or pain!
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Specializes in geriatrics.
I never said anything mentioned above. I am unsure where you are getting that information.
My response is based on the various posts I've read in this thread OP.
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