Am I Just a Cynic or Is nursing a poor career?

[MrsCaseyRN]

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?

[queen777]

Listen to Chicagobsn, she said a mouth full and said it right! She is a smart nurse!

[hpcat]

Just an aside...

My sister-in-law, a long time OB nurse, lost her 2 daughters - ages 3 and 2 - in a house fire. She stayed away from work for a month or so, but then felt the need to stay busy and went back.

She said she was fine, she had a lot of support from her coworkers, but I always wonder how she could go in and be calm and professional, watching other people with their new babies. I'm sure she did her best, but I doubt her mood was upbeat all the time.

So be careful about labeling someone a bad nurse or complaining about a nurse's attitude - you just never know what's behind it.

[queen777]

I have had a LPN hang the phone up while I was in the process of repaging a doc to tell him I did not have Humalog on any of the floors, I went to work 11-7...a lady went into respirtory distress and did not want me to leave her beside, I paged the RN standing outside who was the head nurse on my floor, she was smoking and never answered my page, I had to ask another nurse from another floor to help me come full out the transportation papers so I could send her to the hospital,,later that same smoking RN came in and said"you could have given her Lasix IV push!" What? I am an LPN and that is against the law!

I quit there went to another nursing home. It was another 11-7 shift, this place was brand new, nobody knew where anything was. I was left with 2 floors to attend, long term and subacute, I called the DON when I got there and asked "are you going to leave me here like this?" Her answer was "just wing it!" I can be there in 5-10 if you need me. She wrote me up for insubbordination! Mean while that night I had a pt with liquid oxygen???? I have never worked with liquid O2, later that night he pulled out his foley catheter and I got in trouble for not putting it back in....He was wetting all over the floor, why replace it? I was repremanded in front of the entire 7-3 shift and she wanted to see me in her office. Oh and while I was giving out meds to the long term floor a lady's pacemaker did not kick in and she would have died if her daughter had not come in that morning to check on her mother!

I totally quit nursing after those 3 incidents. I never wanted to leave nursing, but I didn't want to land up in jail either. Someone was going to die and it was not going to be on me.

Oh by the way,,the lady who needed the Humalog.... she was not admitted as a diabetic...I had to catch it on my PRN shift!

I still think at times about going back. I never had such a rewarding career. This was actually my first job. I waited to go into nursing until my youngest went into school. I really had a difficult time with the head of the nursing program and never could figure out why. I didn't even know her! I loved helping people but I don't believe everyone is cut out to be a nurse.

[PhilaGuy]

I would have to reiterate the "grass is not always greener" comment. I am coming to nursing to help people and to feel that after a day of putting up with bs, at least I have done some good in the world. The way better hours and better pay help too :-)

Sounds like me, and the reasons I want to get into it. However, I expect most of my family to think I'm nuts since I'll take a 50% pay cut to do so (at least at first)

I'm not expecting low stress (and that's OK), but what's unnerving is the loss of hours with family I'm hearing about on this board. My goal was to actually try and INCREASE hours with family. I work now 10-12 hour days 5 days a week, then follow that up with off hours stuff and email on nights and weekends, etc. Am I making a mistake here thinking I will get more time with family in nursing?

[kristenncrn]

Sounds like me, and the reasons I want to get into it. However, I expect most of my family to think I'm nuts since I'll take a 50% pay cut to do so (at least at first)

I'm not expecting low stress (and that's OK), but what's unnerving is the loss of hours with family I'm hearing about on this board. My goal was to actually try and INCREASE hours with family. I work now 10-12 hour days 5 days a week, then follow that up with off hours stuff and email on nights and weekends, etc. Am I making a mistake here thinking I will get more time with family in nursing?

Hey!

If you are cool with celebrating Christmas a day early or late sometimes, Easter Sunday falling on a Monday some years... things like that... then going from a "regular" job to nursing will definitely give you more family time. My hubby went from 120 hour weeks to 3 12 hour shifts. He works nights. He is able to be on the PTA board, be a dance class mom (sexist there, they only have "moms") and be active in my son's speech therapy. He's a total and complete parent, ya know? And although there is continuing ed and staff meetings - for the most part, you can leave work at work.

I do think nursing is unique in its challenges - because of its history and because of the public perception in part. But having worked for large corporations in management - I for one say nursing takes up WAY less family time. Absolutely. Totally. :)

[PhilaGuy]

Whew, thank you -- And yeah, I'm fine celebrating on different days. I figure possibly (since you don't necessarily have to work them all - somebody's off!) losing the three major holidays a year is worth all of the extra time you suggest.

Plus, as was stated, I just love the idea that I'll be coming home for work everyday knowing I directly helped someone (even if they were crabby about it!).

Funny off-topic thing though - My wife and I were at the college's information night on their program: 60 people, only two of us were male; A VERY different experience then software development, let me tell you! Certainly not a problem, just really interesting!

[hpcat]

Sounds like me, and the reasons I want to get into it. However, I expect most of my family to think I'm nuts since I'll take a 50% pay cut to do so (at least at first)

I'm not expecting low stress (and that's OK), but what's unnerving is the loss of hours with family I'm hearing about on this board. My goal was to actually try and INCREASE hours with family. I work now 10-12 hour days 5 days a week, then follow that up with off hours stuff and email on nights and weekends, etc. Am I making a mistake here thinking I will get more time with family in nursing?

I still think you'll be better off with nursing. Ok, starting salaries may be low (I'm also taking a pay cut to go into this) but they do go up as you progress. And my days are similar to yours. I have a 2-3 hour daily commute, more in bad weather. Just cutting out that will give me a couple more hours a day with my daughter. I'll take three or four 12-hr shifts instead of five 9-hr business days (and I do stay late or go in early so it's more like 10+ hours); 36-48 hours work vs. 50+ hours, with 3-4 days off instead of 2 per week, I'm still coming out ahead! And if I do overtime, I'll get paid for it. Most jobs can't come home with you - no night & weekend emails. Let's face it, you can't start an IV or insert a Foley in a patient from your living room!

I think a lot depends on the job you choose, but fortunately there are many many options.

[PhilaGuy]

Yep, totally agree -- And the pay gets better as you go (and my eventual goal is to be a nurse practioner or possibly a manager of some sort - y'know, actually put my MBA to use ), but I want to have a few years under my belt first of actually doing the job and helping people.

I appreciate this thread (and forum) though, because just as I know there are good points to the job, there are bound to be areas of concern and things to watch for. At least I can go into the profession with my eyes wide open.

To the OP, I hope things look up, or you are able to find a better career. Just as a suggestion, most (all?) insurance companies have large numbers of nurses they hire for case management. Its an office job, but they are paid well and might give you a change of pace (while still using the skills and knowledge from your profession). That's the nice thing I'm finding about nursing - There are tons of career paths once you have that RN.

[queen777]

Stop right there! Over time, guess who gets your pay for working over time? The government! I used to think if I didn't work 5 days a week I was not getting in enough time. Then one day I looked at my paystub. $100. was deducted from my pay for working 5 days plus over time. So after that I cut it down to only 4 days a week. Uncel Sam was getting that 5th day all on me!

Doesn't make the working class feel very good when you are punished for working! So pay attention to your stub you might just be working for nothing on all of those holidays you so desparately want. I changed my mind too. I wanted nothing more than to change the nursing world. It doens't work that way.

You sound just the way I used to! You will see.

[queen777]

You talk about management like you can just walk right in there and take over! You have never even seen poo have you? You just want to make good grades and tell all the peeons what and how to do things which you will never be a part of. You sound like you want to be tucked away in an office only to stick your head out once in awhile. I know supervisors like you! While we peeons are so busy with all of the minial jobs, you will be quick to judge that little LPN working her/his tail off!

Do yourself and everyone a favor, get your hands wet first. Until you work the floor and run into some tight spots you have no idea what the rest of us nurses are going through. After I had a DON tell me to "wing it", come on. No supervising nurse should ever say that. And I was expected to run 2 floors on 11-7 shift. Then go home like nothing happened after a lady's pacemaker did not kick in! Yet I got in trouble! NO nursing school ever prepared me for this treatment in front of everyone on 7-3 coming in.

[PhilaGuy]

You talk about management like you can just walk right in there and take over! You have never even seen poo have you? You just want to make good grades and tell all the peeons what and how to do things which you will never be a part of. You sound like you want to be tucked away in an office only to stick your head out once in awhile. I know supervisors like you! While we peeons are so busy with all of the minial jobs, you will be quick to judge that little LPN working her/his tail off!

Do yourself and everyone a favor, get your hands wet first. Until you work the floor and run into some tight spots you have no idea what the rest of us nurses are going through. After I had a DON tell me to "wing it", come on. No supervising nurse should ever say that. And I was expected to run 2 floors on 11-7 shift. Then go home like nothing happened after a lady's pacemaker did not kick in! Yet I got in trouble! NO nursing school ever prepared me for this treatment in front of everyone on 7-3 coming in.

Was this to me??

I have ZERO plans of being in management right away - or even 10years down the road at all!! I completely agree, I need to know the job and do it for a while (and well). I'm starting from the beginner level, and understand that completely; If its anything like any other job I've had, 10% of the education is formal, the other 90% is learned on the job from others. In my early 30s, I have a lot of working years left, and was simply stating a long-term goal!

Sorry if you thought I was saying I would jump right into nursing management (although I do expect to take Nurse Practitioner classes part-time once I graduate and get a nurse job) - I thought I was clear and I apologize if I wasn't.

And if this wasn't for me... Well, sorry for being neurotic.

P.S. With two kids and a dog, yes I've seen poo - In many forms.

[PhilaGuy]

P.P.S. I just re-read your post, and I think you have some anger issues. I only stated that I have an eventual goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner or getting into management. Since when did having goals equate to demeaning others (in this case, LPNs) and not wanting to do work? You have zero knowledge of how I would be as a co-worker or as a manager.

And I don't care if I'm cleaning poo, I don't consider any part of nursing a menial job. Maybe that's idealistic, but I damn well prefer having a positive attitude whatever I'm doing.

I'm still sorry you took my thread as meaning something it didn't. But to take my goals and assume I'm some sort of DON (as you put it)... C'mon now, way off base.