Has anyone else quit nursing for these reasons?

Nurses Retired

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I graduated in December 2011 with my ADN-RN. I had my first interview before I even graduated. In the evening hours after that interview one of the nurse managers called me and offered me a job. The HR people said they would be contacting me that Friday. That nurse manager called me from her cell. Strange right? I told her that I was wanting to see if I could get hired on the step-down unit and if not I would love to come work for her. All the while waiting for Friday to come around I was anticipating at least getting an offer from the nurse manager that called me. Friday comes around and HR says sorry but we don't have any positions available for you at this time. My first exposure to the nasty world of nursing politics.

My first job was in a nursing home. I quit in 4 days. I could not handle 27 patients, head to toe charting and only 3 days orientation. Many treatments and meds were missed due to time constraints. I was exhausted, scared and not willing to risk my license. I thought for sure I would be more comfortable in a hospital setting where I would have more support.

I then got an externship in L&D which I thought at the time was a gift from God seeing as how that was why I got into nursing and that it wasn't everyday that a new grad gets chosen for such a prestigious unit. I had done my last clinical rotation on a postpartum floor and loved it. I made the mistake of choosing L&D instead of postpartum because of desire and not thinking about what I could have handled. Once on the L&D floor I starting having panic attacks. I soon realized that I did not want to be adjusting pitocin, making truly independent decisions without the approval of a physician and many many more responsibilities I was just not comfortable with. Being in constant fear a baby and/or mom could die due to a mistake I made, constant charting. On top of all that at the end of our 16 week training I would be all on my own.

I asked to be moved to postpartum since it had been originally offered to me. Manger said yes, Director of Nursing said no. She offered me the vacant OR position which when the other nurses found out was a decision I regretted agreeing to. I was cussed at, yelled at, looked at ugly and by the end of the day most of the nurses had called management to complain about me. I quit. I figured at this time I would not be moved, I was physically sick from stress and anxiety and none of the nurses on the floor would be willing to lend a helping hand or take me under their wing after that.

Feeling very depressed and after a few months I decided I should start substitute teaching for a local school district. The offered me the option to sub nurse. I agreed thinking yet again God was leading me. I loved school nursing. I was very reliable, and always was available to help the nurses. I even got offered a long term sub assignment in the nurses office where I served for 3 months. The head nurse had even offered me a full time position. When I showed up to the interview the Director of the nurses, who is not a nurse, told me that I look too young to work at the high school, dont have enough experience and dont know my scope of practice do to my inexperience. The position at the school I was at for 3 months opened up and I didn't even get an interview.

The politics in this game of nursing are just plain sick. Its not worth it to be overloaded with responsibility, being bullied by older nurses, and all the while live in constant fear of making a mistake. I truly believe the nursing profession to be greatly glorified and I can't understand why anyone would want to live such a miserable life. I have recently taken a job at a school as a teachers aid making about half what I did at nursing. I will get to spend all holidays, weekends, and summer vacation with my daughter.

I am very angry for the time I wasted in nursing school and the money wasted but I guess I can take it as a lesson learned. If deep down you feel like nursing is not for you and you have second thoughts in nursing school like I did take them seriously. I will be returning to school this fall to work on a degree in Education. I worry about bills constantly but with my anxiety I just cant do nursing. I am miserable living with my in-laws and its hard to see an end in sight.

I feel your pain. I think many of us do. You might be right that nursing may/may not be for you. The only reason I say that is because (SADLY) many of us have walked this trail of tears. I thought about quitting, tried to... but nursing is ME! I figure that someday as I lay dying, I'll probably be mentoring my hospice nurse! LOL!

When people ask if they should be a nurse..it's a hard question to answer. I HATE the politics of nursing...one of the reasons I walk the harrowing road of agency (you can read my diatribe about THAT if you want!). It seems to have the worst aspects of the female personality/traits. I just can't imagine doing anything else, even though I was a travel agent (and a substitute teacher) before this and enjoyed those jobs as well, I AM and ALWAYS will be A NURSE! Even with the long hours and the soul sucking hardships (politics and annoying family members top my list), I don't think I can be anything else anymore.

I wish you well in your future endevors. Sadly, someone else pointed out that the "politics" are everywhere. Hopefully, they won't be as harsh as you have experienced.

PS--When I had a similar experience, I moved and found another hospital that was absolutely WONDERFUL. Hospitals are like families...moving from one unit to another is like moving from one room to another within the same house. It doesn't fix many problems you are having within the household. Sometimes you have to go to a whole new neighborhood.

I feel your pain. I left a really great place to a job I believe would help my family financially and in better ways. I'm trying to stick it out but I'm not sure it's for me either. You will find your way you'll see. Try per diem jobs and check it out if its for you. If you don't like it then move on. It's better than applying for a full time then HR has to find another FT replacement. Good luck!

OP, I am sorry that you have had these experiences. I am only a nursing student, but I have had STNA/PCT jobs in multiple settings etc. nursing home, med-surg, cardiac. In some places I have seen these politics and in some I haven't. I am a big believer that education is not a waste. Perhaps you just need a different hospital, different settings. I see a lot of your problems seem to relate to anxiety and responsibility. It's good that you have recognized areas that you may not feel comfortable, but consider that you have learned critical thinking skills in school and you are expected to make many decisions on your own. You have learned the skills you need to make an educated decision, so please have confidence in your abilities. Consider going to a counselor or trying medication to deal with your anxiety. Best of luck with anything you do!

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Suggestion: Not a bad idea to consider some counseling based on how you've been feeling.

Agree with the others that nursing is way tougher than most know.

"DON that wasn't a nurse" -- don't get that at all.

Your education will always stay with you no matter which way you decide go. Good luck!

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I always wonder what people are referring to when they use the term "politics". Is this the social norms and culture of a place of employment? Is it an all-encompassing term used for any issues that are not directly related to job tasks? Administrative policies and rules? I really hate ambiguous terms because it's impossible to truly understand what is being said.

The OP is jumping from the frying pan into the blast furnace.... my family is rife with educators (K-12 & higher ed). I think it must be a congenital defect in our chromo net. But education is the home of managerial micromanagement & nonsensical rules. Highly qualified teachers passed over for promotion in favor of others who have been more "supportive" of the superintendent. Bizarre mandates from clueless politicians & School Board members that take precedence over student concerns & educational outcomes. Inability to effectively discipline students, even those who have exhibited violence toward teachers. [true story: One of my siblings had a student who had been convicted of multiple sexual assaults - was on parole - she had to deal with his continuous disruption & harrassment of female students by meeting with his parole officer & attorney] Required to use strange (even embarrassing) textbooks based on the whims of the state curriculum controllers - and forbidden to interject any factual information that are has not been pre-approved.

No thanks - I'll choose health care any day.

Specializes in Med/Surg, International Health, Psych.

I was in a graduate nursing research class and the professor advanced the notion that clinical nursing is a field wrought with issues of frustration and disempowerment faced with predominant hegemonic tendencies in the medical institution. Instead of lashing out at their superiors (clinicians) and faceless administrators, who often ignore and devalue them, it appears in the form of "politics" or lateral violence amongst ourselves. Regardless of previous comments calling for self-evaluation, your assertions are truly based in reality.

I think that we have all experienced to some degree what you have written about. However, I would like to encourage you not to give up on nursing entirely. While you may now be at peace with your new career in education, living on half of your former salary cannot be easy. Those resources could be better invested in your child(ren), paying off bills, and saving for the future. Please note that nursing is a vast field and while it may be everything that you say it is, it is also one of the higher paying middle class jobs around. Consider that it may simply be a matter of finding the right job for you.

Please investigate jobs like telephone triage nursing (where it's just you in your cubicle along with the caller on the line), home health care, case management, nurse reviewer/analyst, research nurse, community/public health, corrections, ambulatory care, teaching MAs, CNAs & ADNs, etc. I think you owe it to yourself and your family to look for your niche. There are plenty of M-F nursing jobs. Good luck to you!

I totally understand where you're coming from... In high school I wanted to be an English teacher. Sometimes I wish I had just followed that dream. Sometimes I dream of switching careers to dental hygiene, radiology or teaching... lol Anything a little less stressful...

nursing is a tough field. I just recently became a school nurse (with less than 1 year experience) at my old high school. I was already so sick of the BS on the rehab unit I was at. I used to want to be a teacher actually but there are NO teaching jobs (nursing is oversatuated enough but teaching is ridiculously oversaturated) in my state in general, let alone in this area... which is why i got into nursing. At least with this job I'm still in a school interacting with students, and i'm in the teacher union and considered a "teacher." I'm still super lucky to have gotten this opportunity, since there is also a nursing job shortage. It's a cut in pay but so worth it - i am SO much happier and love my job. You have to do what will not make you miserable. life is too short to be in a profession that you hate!

So sorry that you went through that. I have to say that I left the hospital for similar reasons. It's like a he says/she says type situation when speaking with the directors. Like they all band together and gossip and come up with the FINAL verdict, which is always BS. I left the hospital because they broke my work contract. I signed my contract for a certain floor and then they told me there were not enough positions so they sent me to another floor. This floor was the floor that every other nurse cringed about. There were techs that refused to work that floor,period! After I voiced my concerns/complaints several times, they told me to stick it out longer and give it a fair assessment. So I did. Well, after that "assessment" period, I came back to them and voiced the same concerns/complaints and they told me, "well, now there are no other options available". Instead of putting me on my unit of hire after the first meeting, they made me wait until there were no other positions. It was ridiculous. My preceptor told me I should take something for my anxiety! Little did she know she WAS my anxiety. I was a brand new nurse..... I would have like 6 PO meds, 1 IV antibiotic, and wait... the NS is expired and so is the line, so prime the lines and what not.... seriously 10 min would go by and she would come in and say "what is taking so long. You need to move, what are you doing. You should not be in here for 10 minutes!" ...I seriously wanted to deck her! (sorry for the unprofessionalism). I was a nurse with 6 weeks under my belt and she is yelling at me. I am PRETTY sure she was not SUPERNURSE her first 6 weeks. SO..... that being said, I left, was let out of my work contract with no penalty...after I put in my resignation. I parted on good terms. I was so bummed, I thought I totally had to leave nursing. NOT TRUE! I love this field and I have worked very hard for my BSN and my RN license. I wasn't going to let the hospital make me feel like I shouldn't be a nurse because I did not want to work in a hospital. I knew..... while in the hospital it wasn't for me. I found work at a doctors office as an RN. It is amazing..... Patient education is my thing. I LOVE IT!!!!!! I can say that I have found my little niche in the world of nursing. It's there for you too!! You just have to think outside the box and find it! I wouldn't turn your back on all of your hard work.... if you truly want to work in healthcare, there are other avenues. This is coming from someone who had a horrid experience in the hospital right out of school. I kept plugging away, researching, on all kinds of job sites... and bingo! It finally happened. It can happen for you too!!!! I am young and plan to start "making a baby" within the next 2 years :)!! I have a job that allows weekends off and holidays. It will be perfect. THEY ARE OUT THERE.....THEY DO EXIST!!!! SO just know that there is hope out there and living examples of it :)! Stay positive. Something will happen for you. You will find your niche :)!

Sorry for any grammatical/spelling errors....did not proof read :p.

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Dug your story, Lucky!

Specializes in Hospice and Palliative Nurse.

As we say in Tennessee..."well, bless your heart!"

Seriously, it hurt my heart to read that. There are so many areas in nursing...you just have to find yours. Don't consider your education to be a waste though....I am sure you can move forward. Have you considered nursing education?

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