i HATE my job. Does anyone else feel the same?

[Jenni811]

I absolutely despise my job. I work as a nurse in a intermediate/telemetry type floor. We are in the process of moving to a new hospital, so we were a telemetry unit and we are splitting into telemetry/intermediate care. We will be split eventually but right now kind of combined...its weird.

Anyway, I HATE HATE HATE HATE my job. I get so worked up on the way to work, up to the point I start getting massive headaches and offset my vertigo issues. I've always struggled with unexplained vertigo that comes with stress/anxiety. I can't stand patients and families who are so demanding and disrespectful.

I do my absolute best to put on my "fake smile" to please them. I'm a person of very short temper so it takes every ounce of energy in me not to slap some of them in the face. I got in trouble one time because a patient's daughter was giving me a really hard time and everything she said that came from her mouth started with "Well I'm a nurse and...." it would have been totally irrelevant to what she had to say. For example: "Well I'm a nurse and I had an egg salad sandwich for lunch."

"Well, I'm a nurse and I have a kitten named Dutchess" (that was actually a real one).

She was SO disrespectful, rolled her eyes every time I talked, very short answers. Finally I had it...I looked at her and said "I don't care if you are a nurse. I'm her nurse now and i will make the decisions on what I think is best for my patient."

Yup...I got in trouble for that one but I explained everything to my manager and she, deep inside, I knew agreed she was being ridiculous and I told her I just couldn't take it anymore. It went on for THREE DAYS, in 12 hour shifts and I was on day 4 with her. I snapped...yup.

Anyway, my point with that story is it wasn't this one time...it is ALL the freaking time. Patient's are so demanding. What on earth makes you think I want to "wipe your butt" when you can do it at home just fine? Ok...you have two broken arms, I will help you but if you are here for I don't know...Chest pain observation and you can feed yourself the 50 trays of food you just ordered and open the soda bottle your family snuck you in, why would you not be able to wipe your own butt?? What makes people feel the need to be so darn needy like this?? Don't put on your call light for me to pour you a glass of water from the water pitcher sitting next to your hand. You are perfectly capable of doing it yourself (I'm talking about people who CAN do it.) You are not a 65 year old baby, you are an adult who has wiped your own butt and poured your own water for I don't know, 63 years now??

I'm sorry I have to vent. Makes me feel better. Does anyone else feel this way about nursing? I feel so stuck in it and I want to get out. What else can I do with my degree that I would enjoy??

Once my fiance and I are married we want to start a family right away. He has agreed for me to quit my job at that point to be stay at home. I'm afraid I will enjoy not being a nurse so much I may never go back. What other career choices do people ENJOY as a nurse? I have my BSN.

[Bringonthenight]

I've been spit on, kicked, hit; never bitten though.

There's a silver lining to every story..

[Jenni811, RN]

I put a mask on patients who spit. Once had one in restraints. Screamer and sputter. Wasn't about to subject myself to spit anywhere. Nobody deserves that. We had to get on iv in her. It took 5 of us to do it.

Is this wrong to put a mask on them for something like this? One of my coworkers flipped out at me for doing it. I was like ok...do you want spit anywhere on you? We took it off the second we were done. I guess we could wear the masks but that doesn't protect our hair or eyes.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I put a mask on patients who spit. Once had one in restraints. Screamer and sputter. Wasn't about to subject myself to spit anywhere. Nobody deserves that. We had to get on iv in her. It took 5 of us to do it.

Is this wrong to put a mask on them for something like this? One of my coworkers flipped out at me for doing it. I was like ok...do you want spit anywhere on you? We took it off the second we were done. I guess we could wear the masks but that doesn't protect our hair or eyes.

*** NOT WRONG! Actualy SOP in many fcilities. My hospital has anti spitting hoods but we will splap a mask on until we get hood. Any patient who hits, kicks, spits on, or otherwise attempts to harm staff will find themselves in four point restraints and wearing an anti spitting hood so fast their head will spin. On top of that if they are A&O I WILL be calling local police and pressing charges. Our wonderful local cops treat assaults on hospital staff like assaults on themselves and take them VERY seriously. I do not need to wait for a providers order to initiate any restraint I feel is needed.

[multi10]

I was bitten by a dog in Georgia (10-day course of antibiotics cured the suppurating wound). Also, my playful cat sometimes nips me and draws blood (more antibiotics).

But I have never been bitten by a human being. Hannibal Lector wears a muzzle (cage) around his mouth for a reason.

[Jenni811, RN]

*** NOT WRONG! Actualy SOP in many fcilities. My hospital has anti spitting hoods but we will splap a mask on until we get hood. Any patient who hits, kicks, spits on, or otherwise attempts to harm staff will find themselves in four point restraints and wearing an anti spitting hood so fast their head will spin. On top of that if they are A&O I WILL be calling local police and pressing charges. Our wonderful local cops treat assaults on hospital staff like assaults on themselves and take them VERY seriously. I do not need to wait for a providers order to initiate any restraint I feel is needed.

Thanks! I know our policies on restraints and I have no problem doing it. I don't think we have spit hoods so mask was my only option. I just want to be like "spit away my dear. You'll only get it all over you."

[jmll1765, ASN, RN]

Not gonna quote it, but sugarwahine10 you have said the complete truth in your comment! especially the cattle part- I liken it to mass production- assembly line mentality!

I sure agree/sympathize with you- you took the words right out of my mouth!

-applewhitern- we arent allowed to say we have other patients either, and say that " we have the time" despite that being a big fat lie!!!

We have been given "scripts" too. "Is there anything else I can do for you, I have the time" and "Is there anything I can do for you, it's my pleasure". If I were a patient and every staff member that came in my room used the same line..I would feel that it isn't genuine...just following the company line. Not to mention the fact that the whole "it's my pleasure" line sounds vaguely suggestive!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

We have been given "scripts" too. "Is there anything else I can do for you, I have the time" and "Is there anything I can do for you, it's my pleasure". If I were a patient and every staff member that came in my room used the same line..I would feel that it isn't genuine...just following the company line. Not to mention the fact that the whole "it's my pleasure" line sounds vaguely suggestive!

*** I remain deeply saddend that nurses have meekly submitted to something so offensive and stupid. My last hospital tried to introduce scripting and it was nipped in the bud early by some highly experienced nurses who simply laughed at managmenty and walked out of the meeting telling of about the scripting expectation. Oner very senior nurse stood up and said "Let me get this strait, I am going to have to say the exact same words to my 80 year old retired nun as I am the 30 year old Hell's Angel patient? PFFFFFFT!" ANd she marched out of the meeting dropping her script into the trash on her way out. Every other nurse in the room followed suit and the hospital's following of the latest and stupidest scripting fad lasted all of 15 min.

[DoeRN]

*** I remain deeply saddend that nurses have meekly submitted to something so offensive and stupid. My last hospital tried to introduce scripting and it was nipped in the bud early by some highly experienced nurses who simply laughed at managmenty and walked out of the meeting telling of about the scripting expectation. Oner very senior nurse stood up and said "Let me get this strait, I am going to have to say the exact same words to my 80 year old retired nun as I am the 30 year old Hell's Angel patient? PFFFFFFT!" ANd she marched out of the meeting dropping her script into the trash on her way out. Every other nurse in the room followed suit and the hospital's following of the latest and stupidest scripting fad lasted all of 15 min.

We have them taped to the computers we use. I don't bother with them. It is silly and the patients know we aren't being sincere.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[Jenni811, RN]

Oh the scripts they give us. It reminds me of when I go to our grocery store. You can so tell it is scripted. I kid you not EVERYTIME this is how my shopping experience goes:

I am looking at the shelves.."are you finding everything ok?" If someone is near by. You can't tell me they are truley concerned about finding which brand of cooking wine is best.

I go to check-out "did you find everything ok?" When I'm leaving..."have a good day jenni" they somehow know your name and it creeps me out. EVERYTIME. I imagine this is how or sounds to patients. They will pick up on it being scripted. We have to add the "I have the time." No...I really don't. What I really want to say is "do you have to pee? Tell me now or forever hold your peace cause I have a million and one things to do." Yea that wouldn't fly but hey its the truth!

[Jenni811, RN]

We have them taped to the computers we use. I don't bother with them. It is silly and the patients know we aren't being sincere.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Ha. Id be reading directly from it super slow. So it is obvious I'm reading a script on tea computer.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

*** I remain deeply saddend that nurses have meekly submitted to something so offensive and stupid. My last hospital tried to introduce scripting and it was nipped in the bud early by some highly experienced nurses who simply laughed at managmenty and walked out of the meeting telling of about the scripting expectation. Oner very senior nurse stood up and said "Let me get this strait, I am going to have to say the exact same words to my 80 year old retired nun as I am the 30 year old Hell's Angel patient? PFFFFFFT!" ANd she marched out of the meeting dropping her script into the trash on her way out. Every other nurse in the room followed suit and the hospital's following of the latest and stupidest scripting fad lasted all of 15 min.

Maybe the difference is that you HAVE senior nurses. Most places don't seem to have seniority, and I'm sure the companies use that to their advantage.

This stuff is so stupid. The public must think we are stupid too.

[anangelsmommy, ADN, BSN, RN]

I just found this post and it looks like I am not alone but I feel like so many have it worse than me. But I had a great job and lost funding, and then working with an agency still couldnt get any cases, and I needed something that was definate and less than 1 1/2 hrs away so I took another job. Here is the problem,got the job and I thought I was going to work in the childrens clinic, nope, they have me doing emergency preparedness. I have no training for this and quite frankly hate it!what makes it worse is that I get no clinical duties at all. I feel like I am wasting everything I worked so hard for! and I am going to school for another degree and I have no one to even practice my skills on! it is such a waste! what I am bothering for? The people I work with are nice and i like them but now I am having trouble getting time for vacation and I only work part time. I work when they want me too, even though it is difficult because I am in school, have kids, etc, you know, we are all busy. And I have thought about picking up extra shifts with a peds company but everything I have looked at cuts into one of my days either when i am in school or at work. any thoughts?

angels mommy