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

[hershdawg]

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.

[hershdawg]

not sure if directed at me or not

[hershdawg]

You took my words and turned them to what you wanted to hear.

Your post was filled with what you felt that you were entitled to as a new nurse from me being older in the profession.

My point all along here has been that posts venting about nursing are not done with student nurses and/or new nurses in mind for worry of how they will take them.

If it annoys you or upsets you, move on.

Good luck to you.

was that directed toward me?

[squidbillies]

I think that was directed at Orion?

Wow. Team Darrel.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

OP, new grads, nursing students, and whoever else may be reading:

Two things:

I love my job.

And nursing is every bit as hard as you read it described here.

[friendlyjane]

I am a pre-nursing student. Many years ago I was a CNA and then an LVN in a small townhospital. I became a mother and wife and a stay at home mom after 2 years of being an LVN. I have been gone from nursing for a long time. Almost three years ago I lost my daughter Rose because she was born too early. She was the 2nd daughter we lost. When I got pregnant again the same condition started happening with my pregnancy with my son. I had to stay in the hospital for 2 months flat on my back on strict bedrest. I had the most wonderful antepartum nurses. They inspired me to go back and ge tmy RN. Well I made it to 29 weeks and my son is almost 2 years old now.

I am telling everyone this bc I came upon this website in my quest to get my BSN and found it very helpful with many aspects of nursing, but the more I dug deeper the more and more negative and nasty people got. I totally understand the venting.I would not survive if I could not vent about my life problems to my husband.Venting is so helpful sometimes, but to me there is a difference between venting and being mean. So many people here are so helpful but there are also many that are just nasty.

I have been hesitant to post a thread because maybe I would say something wrong and I would get my head bitten off because of it. I read a thread once were this new nurse, of course, was asking for help about her new job as an ICU nurse. She labeled SICU or the MICU as a step down unit. She was confused or mislabeled it or just maybe made a mistake and did not know what she was talking about, but so many people wrote post so rude to her saying how horrible it was that she down played their job. I mean I think there was 5 post from 5 different people beingmean to her. There were others trying to be nice and get the others to chill. She was asking for advice and there was never a mean statement about the units or the people that work there. There was not an ounce of meanness from OP. She just made a mistake and the snakes came a biting. This is just one example. I have seen it over and over.

I learn from the venting. I try to drink up all the info I can and not be a naive person about this career. I loved nursing when I left and I loved my nurses that helped my sweet baby boy get here alive and I loved the NICU nurses that took care of him for 6 weeks. They all inspired me. I don't expect inspiration from any of y'all but I do expect respect. To me there is needless anger and rudeness here. I am not going to leave. There is a lot of info and help herebut I am going to steer clear from the mean people. Venting is cool but being rude and mean is so childish to me.

[friendlyjane]

Oh, and I know life is full of nasty people and nice poeple and we should maybe just deal with it, but to me it is more then that. To me when people ask for help it would be nice if some nurses here would not just go negative right away. I think if you have nothing nice to say you should just click to another thread. That would solve alot of problems with the negativity here. Again for me it is not the venting at all it is the mean comments when people ask something or when people vent. I have seen post where people are venting and others tell them to stop whinning.

[Blue Roses]

Not all people on here are whiners or complainers. Some of us are honestly trying to reach out for help. I have severe panic attacks and anxiety because of my hospital nursing job and I have found great support here on this website.

Some people thrive in nursing. Some don't. Personally I think anyone can be a nurse, they just have to find the right type of nursing to get into. However, mostly it's hospitals and nursing homes hiring new grads, and in these understaffed and insensitive environments alot of new nurses (like me- been here for about a year) will suffer.

Best advice is be educated and prepared. Talk to your professors, maybe they would have leads to get you into the area of nursing you want instead of having to go through some of the worst stuff.

[MedChica]

There are some that have problems with new grads. I understand taking offense. Some people are a bit much.

On the other hand? I can understand why some posters just shove the nursing students, especially, towards the 'kiddie table' in some threads. LOL

I completely understand RUAS61's comment.

Some individuals who'd call themselves 'students' (not all, but some) will get in a thread - or start one - and act completely obnoxious and judgmental. "I'm not a nurse, but I'm going to tell you all about nursing and all the ways in which you need to do ...."

Dude, you're not even a nursing STUDENT! LOL

That wears on people.

I'm a 'newly minted' nurse, btw.

And...not to add more fuel to the fire but I can't understand why some in the thread are lumping the new nurses in with this mess. Like, how'd we get int he middle of this? LOL

It's those under the classification of 'student' and 'aspirant' in (pre-req hell) who come on here putting on airs and baiting everyone. Exhibit A: The freakin' OP!

So...uh, let's keep the 'baby' nurses out of it. LOL

Have ya'll been paying attention to some of these 'new (grad) nurse' threads? Drowning in paperwork. Keeping this plates spinning. Politics. Clocking out but not eating (or peeing). Intimidated. Steep learning curve. Low confidence. Out of whack staff/pt ratios. Thrown to the wolves. Crazy pts. Crazier family members. Non-supportive staff 'mentors'. Not enough time in the day. Don't know what you don't know. The fear of getting fired, perhaps, of 'loosing my license'...LOL

Welcome to 'real world' nursing. Year ONE.

(It gets better, I hear...)

Do I enjoy nursing? Yeah. I'm a proud to be a nurse.

Point is? It's not all storm clouds but it ain't all rainbows and sunshine, either.

It's not just the experienced who gripe?

If you notice - anywhere on this board that new nurses congregate?

It wreaks of sweat, angst and fear. LOL

A student or aspirant is doing themselves a disservice in thinking that it's going to be like the Johnson & Johnson commercials.

Nursing is kind of ... hard.

Anyway, we 'new nurses' have been 'broken' in. LOL We 'get' it.

So, carry on fellow (experienced and aged) nurses. Far be it from a new nurse to waggle a finger in judgement.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Thought the site was called "allnurses." Didn't realize it was supposed to be "onlynursesthatwillmakenursingsoundlikeunicornsandrainbows."

[inkednurse]

Oh my, probably not the time for me to post, but here it goes.

I've been nursing for 17 years. Really? 17 years? Holy ****! Add to that the 3 years I worked as a nursing assistant while going to school. Add to that the personal care I assisted with of my grandparents while in high school and voila I've been nursing oh 25 years.

When I started I always heard nurses eat their young and it's unfortunate but yes we tend to. Not because we're mean or evil. Part of it is job frustration, part of it is as a new nurse pretty much all come in with stars in their eyes because nursing is all about helping people and all your info is fresh in your brain. They don't teach you "the real world" because they can't. There's the book way and then there's the real life way. And when you're trying to make a new grad see that, well it's not easy.

I still remember the first patients that died that I cared for. I still remember that at the end of the day I wouldn't do anything else. We see people at their very worst and at their most joyous. Highs are high and lows are lower than low.

But then you must factor in beurocratic ******** AND you realize why we are unhappy. And the fact that you can't just tell patients/family members/doctors/administration the way it is. You must be political, you must sugar coat, you must swallow your pride, you must accept responsibility, you must nurture, you must coddle, etc. etc. etc.

And when you read this and join the actual world of nursing you will get it. Because let's face it, until you have RN after your name, you're just a pretender. Until you know for sure that its your license and not your instructors, you have a safety net.

I know that I love nursing. I know that I love the hands on stuff. I know I enjoy making someone smile. I know that every patient deserves to be treats switch respect, but I also know they must respect me. I will not tolerate their verbal abuse of me. I have told them they do not have the right to mistreat me, my coworkers. I don't like seeing patients die, but I will sit with them as they do because no patient should die alone. I will pray with them if they like, I will pray for them even if they don't know it. I will find that quiet place and offer up a prayer in private for them, partly for me, partly for them. I will hug them, hold their hand, fuss at them if they aren't taking their meds, testing their blood sugar, weighing themselves, checking their BP, etc, etc. why? Because at the end of the day I WAS called to be a nurse. It chose me.

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

Honestly guys, I'm grateful to read the things I do read on here because it helps me. As a student, I truly had no idea what nursing was because I made very few independent decisions. I always had an instructor or preceptor with me to guide me. As a nurse who is no longer on orientation (its been a little while...), I see the reason being a student is different is because as a nurse, you don't have an instructor or preceptor behind you all the time. You have to decide for yourself. You have to apply nursing knowledge. Sure, everyone asks questions. But overall, being able to make nursing decisions seems to be the hardest part and the biggest difference in my opinion.

All nurses have been students. And new grads. However, students haven't been new grads or nurses, and therefore can't grasp the concept as well as practicing nurses. Reread the threads you shuttered at in a few years and see if you changed your mind.

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

[DoeRN]

I am sitting here in my car dreading going into work this morning. And I look around and I see 6 other people with the same look of despair on their faces. It's good to know I'm not the only one who feels this way. And Allnurses is a great outlet for nurses period. I've been off and on this site for a while and believe me I'm glad it's here. I do read the positive posts too and it makes me realize hey there are actually good people in the world. I wish they would show their faces where I work though.

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