To those who want to leave nursing

Nurses Professionalism

Published

Specializes in LTC, Medical, Telemetry.

It seems like every time I come onto AN these days, every other post is "I'm sick of nursing/I want out". I understand the nature of this site and forum and all are welcome to come on and vent, but this post type really irks me. Instead of responding to every post, I wanted to make a blanket reply to all posts.

Ok, you are sick of nursing. For reason A, B, or C , you had a revelation that this is not the profession for you. Lets start with that revelation.

First of all, give it more than a few days before posting about how its time to throw in the towel. Everyone has bad shifts/days/weeks, that is life. After giving yourself some time to cool down, you may realize you are overreacting. Also, can you think of a job prior to nursing that you weren't eventually sick of? Isn't that a part of the reason why you went back to school to become a Nurse? Any job you have had/have/will have will always have negative aspects along with positive aspects. Every job I have ever had its share of poor management, gossip, redundant/ludicrous policies, ungrateful/manipulative customers, and a poor ratio of work put in to compensation. You can try to improve your work environment best you can, you can cope with it, or you can just flat out leave and find work elsewhere. I really can't help you there, that is a decision for you to make.

Doctors are disrespectful and talk down to you? Welcome to nursing. For every difficult doctor (in my opinion, seems to be a 4:1 ratio) you will find one that is respectful and understanding. Some people are easier to work with than others, same goes with co-workers that are RN/LPN/CNA. Again, if you don't like it than fix it - have you tried telling them flat out when they are being disrespectful? You would be surprised how well this works.

Difficult patients? Welcome to nursing. Believe it or not, but people do not like to go to the hospital. They may be difficult for you, but you are as equally difficult for them. When it is medically necessary to be in a hospital, it is not a good experience. When people are in pain it affects their mood. When people are sick, they will get cranky and may say or do things that they wouldn't otherwise. Try to keep that in mind.

Unsafe work environment? I have been on both sides, and I can say now that I am in one of the safest working environments I have EVER been in. If the patient:nurse ratio is too high, look at the patient acuity before crying unsafe. If I am on the floor and taking care of a high ratio (7-8:1), the person that created the assignment probably factored in that these patients are stable and/or easy to care for. If I have a 3:1 ratio, it is probably because these patients are much higher acuity. Take a look at what you perceive as unsafe and what unsafe truly means. When I worked agency, I would be put into low-staffed nursing homes where I was responsible for 45-60 people on a shift - sometimes it was manageable, other times it was VERY unsafe. When I truly feel that patient care is compromised, I speak up. I have refused assignments before, which is a good way to get management to take your concerns seriously. I didn't last there very long due to the frequency of unsafe assignments. When I realized it was unsafe, I found a different job. If you feel safety is compromised, don't keep returning to the same work environment. I don't remember where I heard this, but there is a saying: Insanity is performing the same action(s) and expecting different results.

Ok, whatever has lead you to the decision, you are tired of nursing.

Find a different job. Maybe its not nursing that bugs you, but rather the circumstances of where you work. Nursing as a whole is an increasingly dynamic career path. Not feeling challenged in the nursing home? Work your way up to ICU. Want more autonomy and less care plans? Try Air Care. Too stressed? Take up office nursing or teaching. Don't want to touch people anymore? Go back to school and get into nursing research. It is going to take some time to find what fits you best, and its going to take longer to achieve that position. That's life, you work hard for the job you want.

Take a hiatus. Just because you have the licence doesn't mean you have to use it! I knew a guy that got fed up with nursing and moved on to bartending. He was a bartender for six months and came back to nursing refreshed. Nursing is a very difficult profession, and its okay if you need a break from time to time.

Go back to school. If money is not enough or work is leaving you in a rut, advance yourself. Can't afford to? Baloney! If you sit down I am sure you can figure it out. I am up to my neck in debt, but I still feel that going to school for nursing was the best decision I have made in my life.

For every post that reads "Sick of Nursing" there are at least 10 posts that are "Would do anything - Can't find a job in nursing!" . **** or get off the pot! People would die for your job right now, especially in this economy. You are not doing anybody any good when you hate nursing, yet you sit on your job. It reflects on your patient care, it is taken out on your co-workers, and it keeps good, hard-working, passionate people out of the profession. If you are miserable then leave! If you feel you can fix your attitude, than at least try to fix it. Don't sit around and mope; you are a professional, start acting like one.

If this post comes across as insensitive, than grow up. You are an adult. You made the decision to go to school, you made the choice to work at your job. You have the power to change your job. You have the power to leave at any time.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Specializes in ICU.

Inspiring :anbd:

Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
Every job I have ever had its share of poor management, gossip, redundant/ludicrous policies, ungrateful/manipulative customers, and a poor ratio of work put in to compensation. .

According to your profile, you're 25 years old and have been working as a nurse for 3 years. How many other jobs have you ever had?

Here's a simple suggestion: if all the posts from people thinking about getting out of nursing irk you, don't read them! :smackingf

This is a site to vent, among other things. No one makes a major life decision without thought and hashing out details and posting here is one of the ways to work through feelings about the job and career. And sometimes (more often in a bad economy) ya just can't afford to walk away the instant you make that decision. People have bills and families and part of being an adult is doing things you don't want to do because they have to get done.

Yes, people who are miserable should work on finding something that makes them happy while making ends meet, but telling them to grow up because their venting annoys you isn't exactly a grown up reaction. Avoiding those threads that don't interest you is the more mature path.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

This is a site where we can vent. Don't like it? Don't read it.

Specializes in Pain Management, RN experience was in ER.

I don't want to leave nursing (most days!) but it's completely understandable if some people do. Sometimes these people just need support. Sometimes people just need to vent to see clearly. Sometimes people just want to know that others have felt the same way at one point and survived. Since this is a nursing forum that discusses all things nursing- and NOT just the sugar coated stuff- it's not for anyone to say that they can't post about their bad day or feelings of burnout. Burnout is a HUGE issue in nursing, so it's VERY acceptable that these people have an outlet. Yes, you triumphed through some issues. That's great, now let others work their issues out. You're allowed to be annoyed and have an opinion, but your post is a little viscious to those who just need support.

It seems like every time I come onto AN these days, every other post is "I'm sick of nursing/I want out". I understand the nature of this site and forum and all are welcome to come on and vent, but this post type really irks me. Instead of responding to every post, I wanted to make a blanket reply to all posts.

Ok, you are sick of nursing. For reason A, B, or C , you had a revelation that this is not the profession for you. Lets start with that revelation.

First of all, give it more than a few days before posting about how its time to throw in the towel. Everyone has bad shifts/days/weeks, that is life. After giving yourself some time to cool down, you may realize you are overreacting. Also, can you think of a job prior to nursing that you weren't eventually sick of? Isn't that a part of the reason why you went back to school to become a Nurse? Any job you have had/have/will have will always have negative aspects along with positive aspects. Every job I have ever had its share of poor management, gossip, redundant/ludicrous policies, ungrateful/manipulative customers, and a poor ratio of work put in to compensation. You can try to improve your work environment best you can, you can cope with it, or you can just flat out leave and find work elsewhere. I really can't help you there, that is a decision for you to make.

Doctors are disrespectful and talk down to you? Welcome to nursing. For every difficult doctor (in my opinion, seems to be a 4:1 ratio) you will find one that is respectful and understanding. Some people are easier to work with than others, same goes with co-workers that are RN/LPN/CNA. Again, if you don't like it than fix it - have you tried telling them flat out when they are being disrespectful? You would be surprised how well this works.

Difficult patients? Welcome to nursing. Believe it or not, but people do not like to go to the hospital. They may be difficult for you, but you are as equally difficult for them. When it is medically necessary to be in a hospital, it is not a good experience. When people are in pain it affects their mood. When people are sick, they will get cranky and may say or do things that they wouldn't otherwise. Try to keep that in mind.

Unsafe work environment? I have been on both sides, and I can say now that I am in one of the safest working environments I have EVER been in. If the patient:nurse ratio is too high, look at the patient acuity before crying unsafe. If I am on the floor and taking care of a high ratio (7-8:1), the person that created the assignment probably factored in that these patients are stable and/or easy to care for. If I have a 3:1 ratio, it is probably because these patients are much higher acuity. Take a look at what you perceive as unsafe and what unsafe truly means. When I worked agency, I would be put into low-staffed nursing homes where I was responsible for 45-60 people on a shift - sometimes it was manageable, other times it was VERY unsafe. When I truly feel that patient care is compromised, I speak up. I have refused assignments before, which is a good way to get management to take your concerns seriously. I didn't last there very long due to the frequency of unsafe assignments. When I realized it was unsafe, I found a different job. If you feel safety is compromised, don't keep returning to the same work environment. I don't remember where I heard this, but there is a saying: Insanity is performing the same action(s) and expecting different results.

Ok, whatever has lead you to the decision, you are tired of nursing.

Find a different job. Maybe its not nursing that bugs you, but rather the circumstances of where you work. Nursing as a whole is an increasingly dynamic career path. Not feeling challenged in the nursing home? Work your way up to ICU. Want more autonomy and less care plans? Try Air Care. Too stressed? Take up office nursing or teaching. Don't want to touch people anymore? Go back to school and get into nursing research. It is going to take some time to find what fits you best, and its going to take longer to achieve that position. That's life, you work hard for the job you want.

Take a hiatus. Just because you have the licence doesn't mean you have to use it! I knew a guy that got fed up with nursing and moved on to bartending. He was a bartender for six months and came back to nursing refreshed. Nursing is a very difficult profession, and its okay if you need a break from time to time.

Go back to school. If money is not enough or work is leaving you in a rut, advance yourself. Can't afford to? Baloney! If you sit down I am sure you can figure it out. I am up to my neck in debt, but I still feel that going to school for nursing was the best decision I have made in my life.

For every post that reads "Sick of Nursing" there are at least 10 posts that are "Would do anything - Can't find a job in nursing!" . **** or get off the pot! People would die for your job right now, especially in this economy. You are not doing anybody any good when you hate nursing, yet you sit on your job. It reflects on your patient care, it is taken out on your co-workers, and it keeps good, hard-working, passionate people out of the profession. If you are miserable then leave! If you feel you can fix your attitude, than at least try to fix it. Don't sit around and mope; you are a professional, start acting like one.

If this post comes across as insensitive, than grow up. You are an adult. You made the decision to go to school, you made the choice to work at your job. You have the power to change your job. You have the power to leave at any time.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

:down: :down:

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Your delivery leaves a LOT to be desired, but I think I know what you are getting at: solving work environment problems or leaving the work environment all together, rather than letting them drag you down into the pit of despair.

I get it. You might try to not be so harsh next time, though.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
For every post that reads "Sick of Nursing" there are at least 10 posts that are "Would do anything - Can't find a job in nursing!" . **** or get off the pot!

Just want to point out apples and oranges. The former comes from working nurses; the latter usually comes from new grads who can't find their first jobs. Take a look at the first year forum to see what happens when they do find one.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

If it were only that easy.

The OP is 25 yrs old. Everything was simpler when I was 25.

I guess the OP didn't pass the therapeutic communication part of the NCLEX.

don't you think that nurses with 10x your experience, or twice your age, don't know the pitfalls in nsg?

...or know what they could/should do in ea and every situation?

to condescendingly infer this to your experienced peers, is an insult in itself.

from your post, i can see you haven't experienced the half of it.

and fwiw, sometimes your resolutions work, most times they don't.

nsg is an extremely backstabbing business, where often those who try to sabotage you, are the ones who stay...

and the ones who try and advocate/speak-up, are the ones who are harrassed/bullied and even terminated.

i really wish it was all as black and white as you purport it to be.

but it's not.

only when you've seen it often enough, will you understand.

it's not always a matter of "wanting" to leave.

equally as notable, there are just as many who feel pushed out/away from nsg.

until you truly know of what you speak, sometimes it's wiser to just observe the world around you...

and recognize there's much validity of what the posters vent about.

that must be respected as well.

every single nurse here, knows the personal and professional rewards that a pt's words can bring.

but they are not enough to sustain the overall reality of what nsg really entails.

i hope you never understand what i'm talking about.

leslie

Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

I'll probably get flamed for this, but I actually appreciated his post. His point is that you can change bad situations; he is trying to rid the victim thinking mentality. He is unpopular because he is going against the grain. He makes a very good point, though. If you are unhappy, then it is best to take a look at your attitude or your work environment. If something really needs to be changed, then change it. If you truly have no voice where you are, then look for another nursing job where you will be valued, etc. They do exist (in the hospital setting, it probably is more of a unit-unit culture thing since every unit is led by a different manager. One manager may be adept while another may have no idea how to lead).

I did one of the options he mentioned, and I am much happier now. I wasn't challenged in non-acute care, always short-staffed in my previous job, so I found a more challenging position in an ICU with safe staffing. It is true....attitude makes a huge difference. Find what it is that you are particularly unsatisfied with, and change it. If, at the end of the day, you really don't want to be a nurse anymore, then be an RN that does not work at the bedside. Plenty of non-bedside positions for those with experience. There's no point in being miserable.

And, I'm not saying "don't vent." That part I disagree with...AN is a safe place to vent about our tough days, etc. I'm just saying that there is a lot of truth to what the OP is saying. When I have a patient that is on their call bell every 10 mins, I just realize that they are anxious or maybe they don't have a supportive family and are relying on me as their emotional support. Yes, it takes more time than we really feel like we have sometimes, but it makes all of the difference to the patient to feel as though we are present. (and yes, I fully realize that you do need to say, "I will be there in just a minute, I am helping the pt next door, etc, etc. I'm not advocating neglecting other patients for more needy ones). Or the detoxer...well, most people don't wake up one day and say, yeah...I am going to devote the next 30 or so years to doing nothing but drink so I can make that ICU nurse miserable. Addiction sucks, and it really is important to maintain an objective look at a situation as the OP mentioned.

+ Add a Comment