I need to ask other nurses if they are as dissatisfied with nursing or is it just not for me? I've been a nurse for 2 years and I hate it. (I am going back to school for something else, I will not be a nurse that hates her job and does it for anyother 20 years.) I am an RN and have worked in the hospital (tele & med/surg) and LTC. While there are differences, it seems that they all have the same issues that upset me.
#1 I feel abused from every angle. I feel like a servant to my pts, family can be so demanding and rude, some doctors can be more condisending that family (but even one it too much, a Ph.D. doesn't give anyone the right to belittle others.) Management is, well management. Short staffing the floor and aloof to issues. It seems these issues (which I've seen on many boards, are "just a part of nursing". There's always that nasty doc no one likes talking to, or that crazy family member that makes our day nearly imposible. Is it over sensitive of me to not want to deal with this anymore?
#2 I feel like the general public is moving towards a "anti-healthcare" attitude. People sue for everything. It seems that people don't feel we are entitled to break (as we've discussed in another post), I've seen first hand many times that the public wouldn't care if you were 9 months pregnant, they expect you to lift mom single-handedly out of the chair and into bed, and NOW! because they "don't want to wait" for you to get help. The nurse doesn't even need to be pregnant, she could be 110lbs and "mom" could be 400lbs and her 25 family members (8 of which are young strapping men) will demand you get mom up to the commode NOW!, and all 25 will stand there and watch and god forbid the guy across the hall is coding!!! Even another human being dieing is not important enough for you to derail from getting their 400lb mom another package of gramcrackers..and so an and so on. And all the while they think the nurse is LAZY!!! I hear this very often. (This actually happened to me at a diner) the couple behind me and my husband were having a bash fest on how lazy and stupid nurses are. They never considered that maybe a nurse was in earshot! My husband lit into them, and they apologized but said that the nurses at a local hospital "killed" their grandpa. I asked about grandpa who was 89 y/o had a "failing heart and kidneys" but "was doing well untiL he went into the hospital". I want to DUMP MY SOUP ON THEIR HEADS!! This seems to me to be very common that people blame nurses(or docs) for inevidable deaths.
#3 Short staffing that's only getting shorter...need I say more.
#4 Missing time with family. I will admit I knew about this before I got into nursing so I can't complain. But since I've had my son, I no longer want to miss holidays. I'm sorry, but my pts are not worth the times I will miss with my family on holidays. I want to be home christmas mornings with my son and 10 year from now I won't remember the pts I had on xmas but I will remember that I missed his first xmas (or second or what ever).
#5 Liability. I knew this too, so I can't complain, but people make mistakes Cashiers ring you up for the wrong amount, cooks make and waitress serve the wrong food, I'm sure plumber or contruction workers have been called it to fix something but after wards it still leeks or whatever and they have to be called back to do it again. I'm not saying that nurses are the only profession that our mistakes can be very dangerous, I'm saying that even the smallest mistakes, one that would never hurt anyone, gets everyone up in arms about it. And pts and there family expect nothing short of God caring for them or their family. A nurse on the floor I used to work on went to take a blood sugar on the wrong pt. The family was there, it never even got done. They stopped her, but the pt was confused and wouldn't have been able to tell the nurse she was a BGM. The family had a melt down and reported her and she got in a lot of trouble! Its not like she was about to give morpine to this lady. I know a mistake is a mistake, but there's no forgiveness in nursing, not matter how tiny the mistake. We can not make mistakes, as per the general public. Well, I'm careful, but I'm not perfect.
Sorry to sound so negitive. Am I just looking at this all wrong? Does anyone else feel this way, but it doesn't bother them?
No Casey, you're not the only one that feels this way. I'm sure many feel the same, as I do at times, and just keep it to themselves. What can you do? Well... fortunately, nursing is career path that enables us to do a variety of work that does not encompass bedside care. This was one of the reasons I decided nursing was right for me. Early on, while deciding my career path I saw that if for any reason bedside care wasn't going to fulfill me in life, I could have the opportunity to do numerous different jobs within nursing, even jobs that did not require me to work holidays or weekends. For now I'm ok with direct patient care, but one day I may be fed up as you are. You may try different units, different specialties also. I work in an intensive care unit with 2:1 ratio, and when I got floated to a PCU floor with 4 patients I literally told myself if I ever had to work every single shift with 4 or more patients I would quickly reconsider my job.
In all, your frustrations may actually work to your advantage, this may fuel your desire to look upwards and progress your career to an advanced practice such as NP, CRNA or even a leadership position. You can become an educator, an assistant nurse manager or something else of your liking. Some nurses become pharm reps and make a great deal amount of money. The bottom line is you can do so many different things from where you are now and there is no shame in stating that you are not pleased with your job. Yes we are depreciated and while the "Old nursing mentality" exist we will continue to be.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I am a 'young' nurse, meaning that I just started being one in 2006, and while I don't think I made a mistake in becoming one, I do hate the politics, the unsympathetic managers and backstabbing. Also, I think that the rules now take the responsibility off of the patient and onto the nurse; for example the pain screening. While I do think it is a necessary portion of assessment (or data-gathering for us LPNs), I often wonder where is the patient's role in saying what is wrong with them for proper treatment. I see commercials about sueing for the statin drugs (for common side effects that are discussed-and rhabdomyolsis), how is it that we are given the time to really go over things that are pertinent to the patients with these heavy workloads and paperwork?
You hit it on the nose! That is why I left the hospital, and went to a clinic/day surgery center. I used to work on Tele for about 2 yrs, hated every waking moment, and used to go home in tears all the time.
I asked myself what am I doing here..is this really what its like? The answer for me, was no. I found other avenues to explore. Nursing is not just hospitals..there is so much more out there. The clinic I work for...is Mon-Fri, no weekends, no on-call, were CLOSED on ALL MAJOR HOLIDAYS and we get our bdays off-and paid.(or you can swop it 4 ure kids bdays)
Its less stressful in a sense, but there are always politics and bs happening anywhere you go.
If you feel that strongly about it...then follow your heart and your head. You are right, your kids need you more, and you will always regret the time spent away..especially on those sweet moments of opening presents...tucking them into bed, or 1st day of school..school plays, concerts etc.
I sit down and write pros and cons to help me weigh my options. You became a nurse for a reason...maybe you just need to refind that feeling and find something that suits you and your family needs. Whatever it is your looking for...it will come to you. No matter what it is, dont worry about a thing..youre gonna be just fine!
with 2 years of experience you should be able to get something decent outside of the hospital. i believe that bedside nursing is probably the most difficult of all nursing which is why many people don't last long. i think the next 10-20 years are going to be rough with so many people going into retirement and older nurses retiring. i just hope the best for anyone that goes into nursing because we need good nurses.
Suggest you do some internet searching for RN jobs that are not bedside nursing and that might interest you. For most applications, all you do is email a cover letter with a resume attachment. In my last search, I applied to 15 places with only a few in hospitals. It's only been 2 weeks and I've already heard back from 10 places. I applied to CM jobs, chart review, correctional nursing, psych, dialysis centers, and cancer centers. CareerBuilder.com was the best website I found.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I think it is a shame that circumstances drive nurses from the bedside where we are needed in the first place. I have no issues with nurses that are working in other places (heck, I am a clinic nurse), however, this clearly demonstrates that people are literally running for their lives to avoid situations where their consciences and their licenses are at risk on a daily basis.
I'm so sorry that you have spent the time to become a nurse and find out that it's not right for you. My heart goes out to you, and while I don't believe that nursing is a poor career, your points are very valid.
I have been on this BBS for a while, and for now, thanks in part to this MB, I've decided that I will not become a nurse at this time. I have a little girl who needs me more, and would appreciate me being at home more than some doc with a chip on their shoulder or a family who believes that the world should stop because their 400lb loved one needs to go to the BR, despite the fact that you are 9 months pregnant.
I do have something to say, and I do not mean to be harsh. If you hate nursing, please, for your patients, GET OUT! Especially if you work in OB. I just want to relate this story and I've wanted to for a while. When I was in labor, I was facing a bad situation and was trying to keep up my spirits. However, I had this nurse who HATED nursing, and hated EVERYTHING, life, and to my detriment, her patients. She made this so clear. After "working" with her for 8 hours, I demanded that she not come back into my room and I asked for another nurse at the insistence at my husband. He was livid and was calling nursing sups at 4:00AM.
Her attitude had a detrimental effect on my labor when I needed someone to encourage me. She was hating her job, and a hateful person in general. I will never forget her horrible attitude, the way that she treated me, my doula, my husband, and a friend. I was at a very vulnerable time in my life, and she made it worse. 6 month later, she may have forgotten me, but I have not forgotten her. When I remember my labor, I remember this angry, spiteful woman who treated me like gum on her shoe rather than someone who was on the threshold of a new life.
I have just begun to get past this but it has taken me a while. I would like to have remembered my labor as a positive experience, but thanks to this person, I can not. It ended in a c-section and became one of the saddest days of my life.
I know that this is not a positive story, but please take this into consideration. You may not remember your patients, but your patients will remember you.
BTW, I was recently hospitalized for pneumonia and because of my birth experience, I was reluctant to go into the hospital. However, the nurses at this hospital were absolutely golden. They listened to me when I was crying because I missed my daughter because I was so sick (they didn't want the baby up there because they weren't sure what they were initially dealing with, and I didn't want her up on a med-surge unit mid-flu and other "yuckies" season). The answered all my questions, and they bent over backwards keeping pain under control. Oh, I can't even begin to go over everything they did right! They were so awesome and I WILL remember them. BTW, this was a different hospital than where I had my baby.
When I received my Press-Ganey survey, I made sure that I gave the nursing staff the highest scores I could because they truly deserved it! For all the nurses who take the time to show how much they really care by listening to my blubbering, by making sure my pain was under control, to listen to my input before procedures, THANK YOU!!! You are truly worth your weight in platinum!!!
I feel like you do alot of the time. The liability issue is not as extreme here in Canada (yet), but I have certainly missed my share of holidays and summers with my son. He's now 11, I only have one, and I will never get that time back. My managers have come and gone, no one ever thanked me for the sacrifices, and most of the time just asked for more. Now I look out for #1. I do my job to the best of my abilities when I am here, am good to my patients, take continueing ed seriously, but when I go home, that's my time. I don't take short notice shifts, I don't pick up past full time hours, and I plan the days off I need and say no when asked to work them. I am casual (prn) so that works for me.
You have to remember the patients who do thank you, and make the most of every day with humor and compassion, your caring ways will be remembered by some, and the ones who don't appreciate it never will anyway. Don't look for approval from co-workers and managers, that will rarely come either. I recently went to a work shop on stress and the speaker said the onus is on you to look after you, and you can't be influenced by the guilt trips and innuendos of others, it is up to them to look after themselves.
If you make some small changes in your outlook, you might find your current job tolerable, even enjoyable. and if not, there are so many other opportunities in nursing. Just explore them....
I'm not a nurse yet -- Just looking to get into the career -- And I don't doubt what you're saying is true. However, I can say with 13 years in software systems development that the grass isn't always greener.
Arrogant doctors: Replace that with arrogant managers / co-workers / business team members. Since I'm in a group that technically provides a "service" for the business teams, sometimes they can be completely rude in how they act.
Politics: Office politics are alive and well outside of nursing, trust me on that. Unfortunately it seems more human nature than occupational nature. The bigger the place you work, the more likely the politics are mean.
Time off: Believe it or not, this is one of the reasons I'm coming INTO nursing (although its far down the list). While I know there is on-call and weekend / night / holiday work, at least nurses are paid for it. I regularly work 60-75 hours (in several companies, so its not just a single workplace), plus additional hours from home as needed. Often I'm checking email daily from home -- And all of this time is unpaid beyond my salary. Its a good salary, and I don't think I'm under-compensated, but I believe I'd actually have MORE hours at home with family as a nurse. At least when I'm home, that's my time with family, not the check email on pop online for the latest "crisis".
Again, this is most definitely NOT to dismiss your concerns. I just wanted to make sure you understood though that those concerns are not just nursing in general. The way I see it, at least you are providing people a true healing service (whereas I just make my company money).
Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....
My brother drives a garbage truck. I'm an RN with a degree, I work in SICU in a large city hospital. My brother has better hours, and makes 2.40 per hour more than me. I'm not at all certain that I want to be a G-Man, but we are working to make a living after all...
My brother drives a garbage truck. I'm an RN with a degree, I work in SICU in a large city hospital. My brother has better hours, and makes 2.40 per hour more than me. I'm not at all certain that I want to be a G-Man, but we are working to make a living after all...
LOL, my friend was a garbage man too (he has since been promoted) and basically everything about his job is better. I can't even say "well he has to pick up others people's garbage" because I have to clean up other people's poop and vomit!!
Thank you to everyone who posted. I will be thinking long and hard about that the grass may not be greener on the other side. That is a good point.
There was one of you (BabyRN2B)that said I should "GET OUT" and they didn't know if I was maybe in OB. If you read my OP it said I was getting out, and I don't work OB. Then that person went on to tell a horror story about their nurse and how hubby was calling nurse supervisor and so on. This is what I'm talking about!!! Maybe you're nurse was the nurse from the underworld, and your complaints are valid. But how many times have I heard pts say the SAME thing when it was the pt who was demanding and ridiculous and the nurse was actually a good nurse trying to handle the situation. I'm sorry you feel the nurse forever ruined you're labor experience, but maybe the nurse walked away and will never forget you as one of the most difficult pts she ever had. Of course you don't think you were difficult, no pt ever does. Again, maybe you were 100% right but I've just heard soooo many stories where the pt makes the nurse out to be some kind of uncaring monster, when in reality it was the pt who was so over-demanding and rude that its a miracle the nurse didn't quit then and there.
So in a post about why I am leaving (and I am leaving) nursing, you further emphasised (sp.?) what I'm saying. I'm not saying that every nurse is great, or that no pt has the right to complain, but I'm saying its like the boy who cried wolf. So many people complain about nurse when there warrents no complaint, that when someone actually has a valid story, I don't even believe them.
brazuca
120 Posts
No Casey, you're not the only one that feels this way. I'm sure many feel the same, as I do at times, and just keep it to themselves. What can you do? Well... fortunately, nursing is career path that enables us to do a variety of work that does not encompass bedside care. This was one of the reasons I decided nursing was right for me. Early on, while deciding my career path I saw that if for any reason bedside care wasn't going to fulfill me in life, I could have the opportunity to do numerous different jobs within nursing, even jobs that did not require me to work holidays or weekends. For now I'm ok with direct patient care, but one day I may be fed up as you are. You may try different units, different specialties also. I work in an intensive care unit with 2:1 ratio, and when I got floated to a PCU floor with 4 patients I literally told myself if I ever had to work every single shift with 4 or more patients I would quickly reconsider my job.
In all, your frustrations may actually work to your advantage, this may fuel your desire to look upwards and progress your career to an advanced practice such as NP, CRNA or even a leadership position. You can become an educator, an assistant nurse manager or something else of your liking. Some nurses become pharm reps and make a great deal amount of money. The bottom line is you can do so many different things from where you are now and there is no shame in stating that you are not pleased with your job. Yes we are depreciated and while the "Old nursing mentality" exist we will continue to be.