does anyone else feel like a glorified maid?

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I've been in orientation about a month on a med surg/tele floor. I have worked up to five patients. I'm working days on weekends which I like.....but many days I come home from work too tired to even move and crying from stress. Demanding patients who don't appreicate anything u do. bitchy critical threatening family members, smart ass doctors, catty annoying lazy coworkers, and I think "THIS is not what I thought nursing was". I am really frustrated.......my preceptor is great but I am beginning to think I have made a career mistake. I cant believe the amount of stress! And 90% of my coworkers on on meds for depression and anxiety and tell me how in a while, I will be too.......they arent trying to be mean, but they say the job has taken a toll on them. I am so frustrated. I feel like I was decieved in school, I knew nursing was tough but this is hell......I like caring for patients and I am faster, more efficient, more confident and have learned so much but I am just.......let down. Plus I take NCLEX tomorrow. So I am stressed about that. I just feel like throwing up. Nursing isnt what I thought it was.....half the time I feel like a glorified maid......

Specializes in Rehab, Step-down,Tele,Hospice.

Ok guys my 2 years is up next month and the truth of the matter is: it has NOT gotten better for me. Yeah I can handle things better now but still HATE what I am doing. I tried Home health (too much paper work and I felt my hands were tied as I could not provide the basic help the patients need) I tried pain management (found out all I was doing was holding patients for epidurals) I have worked every shift available, but Im still miserable.

It must be me, maybe I AM crazy. My manager just gave me the number to the EAP where I work, I guess I will be calling them. I actually asked a co-worker how much insulin do you think it would take to overdose and does she think it would be a painful death? Yea I gotta get out.

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Specializes in med-surg.
Ok guys my 2 years is up next month and the truth of the matter is: it has NOT gotten better for me. Yeah I can handle things better now but still HATE what I am doing. I tried Home health (too much paper work and I felt my hands were tied as I could not provide the basic help the patients need) I tried pain management (found out all I was doing was holding patients for epidurals) I have worked every shift available, but Im still miserable.

It must be me, maybe I AM crazy. My manager just gave me the number to the EAP where I work, I guess I will be calling them. I actually asked a co-worker how much insulin do you think it would take to overdose and does she think it would be a painful death? Yea I gotta get out.

Please tell me that you are not seriously considering this!!!!!! Nursing is, unfortunately, not for everyone. After 2 years, I think you should know whether it is the career for you. But, if you are truly depressed about it day in and day out, maybe you need to consider a new line of work. I REALLY CARE ABOUT YOU, even tho I don't know you. Please consider what I've said, and go to your "happy place", I know you have one! Hang in there and let us know what you decide. I realize that I have offered no solutions, but I am very concerned for you right now!!:balloons:

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Specializes in Acute rehab/geriatrics/cardiac rehab.
Ok guys my 2 years is up next month and the truth of the matter is: it has NOT gotten better for me. Yeah I can handle things better now but still HATE what I am doing. I tried Home health (too much paper work and I felt my hands were tied as I could not provide the basic help the patients need) I tried pain management (found out all I was doing was holding patients for epidurals) I have worked every shift available, but Im still miserable.

It must be me, maybe I AM crazy. My manager just gave me the number to the EAP where I work, I guess I will be calling them. I actually asked a co-worker how much insulin do you think it would take to overdose and does she think it would be a painful death? Yea I gotta get out.

RNKITTY - Get help. If nothing else, it's time for a change of jobs..... Do you have support systems outside (or inside your hospital). I notice it says you are a "Rehab" nurse in your profile. Do you work in a rehabilitation hospital? I also am a rehab nurse. I've heard it described as med/surg "light" but lately we've been getting quite a few patients with more complex problems.... Yet we have several supports within the hospital (and I have support outside also). You have choices and do not have to stay in a job that makes you this miserable....

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Specializes in OR.
Just out of curiosity, if the new grads don't do any med-surg, who do they expect to do it? It's the major population of the hospitals that I'm aware of....
This sounds harsh and self centered but it's not my concern, as long as it's not me!! My career is too precious to me to get burned out within the first year. Maybe once the hospitals realize that new grads are turning away from med-surg, they'll start to look into the problem(not holding my breath though.);) A good chunk of my class went into specialties(ICU, OR, ED)
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Specializes in med-surg.

When I first responded to this poster, I was not nice, so I'll edit my post. As a med-surg RN, I am caring for your (uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, grandmas and grandpas and parents, friends, etc, I hope you get the picture). As new grads place themselves in the workforce and the (OR, ED, ICU) jobs are filled, I just hope that some of you are caring enough to take over for us RNs who have dedicated our careers to caring for your loved ones. I sincerely want the best for all the new grads and hope that life is better for you than it has been for countless RNs that precede you. One more thing, I CHOOSE med-surg because I prefer to be very involved in my patients care.......

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After reading threads like this, I wonder if I'll be the only remodeler on the crew with an R.N. degree who has never worked in a hospital :Crash:?

This situation is really sad...I'm starting to dread next semester clinicals.

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Specializes in med-surg.

FelixFelix, it's not always as bad as it sounds; I think mostly what we're discussing are a few nurses who either think they hate med-surg or just can't handle it; give it a chance and please enter your clinicals with an open mind. The very best of luck to you and to all students!

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I am really starting to hate my job. I will start my 6th week this week and I am so pissed.........I have so much anxiety and stress.........did I do anything to harm my patient runs through my mind. I have bytchy coworkers who criticize everything I do, I am so sick of demanding patients and families, I am constantly running myself ragged with NO appreciation and lousy pay. It sucks. Nursing school was just a bunch of lies, the recruiter lied, I feel so cheated! I do like caring for patients but I am just so........upset. I dont know what to think anymore, nursing isnt what I thought it would be, it is a nightmare. I feel so drained these days........I am frustrated. Alot of my coworkers are one meds for anxiety and depression just to cope with this job. I dont want to sacrifice my health or sanity for this job. Just so confused.:uhoh3:

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Specializes in med-surg.

There are so many days I feel this way....but when I stop and wonder of maybe I made a mistake by choosing nursing, the answer is NO. I feel that I'm doing what God wants me to do, even tho some days I feel like it's such a sacrifice! Six weeks is not long enough to know whether or not you should get out of the field, please give it more time and just get through it, one day at a time! My best to you!

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Specializes in ICU, Education.

God, I am so heart sick at what our profession has become. We have huge numbers, and could do so much for the profession and EACH OTHER. Instead we tear each other down. It's not enough we spent four years in college to be treated like crap by lay people, but we have to be treated like crap by our peers. I wish i could offer you words of hope. I can honestly say that nursing is not a field i would encourage anyone i cared about to enter. However, despite the toll it has taken on me, I have taken something from it as well. I am proud of the nurse I have been, and the things i have accomplished and done for my patients (even it they are not aware). I believe I have made a real difference, and that was why I chose the profession.

I did M/S for 3 years before i ever attempted ICU. I think it helps to master organiziational skills and nursing fundamentals before you have to learn critical thinking, problem solving, subtle assessment changes, etc. However, I would have quit the profession a very long time ago if i didn't leave M/S.

There are other areas available to you. I am not going to try and tell you that they are not without heartbreak, abuse,or stress either, but at least you do get to give your patients the time and attention you hoped for. If you really care, you can do a lot in these areas. I will warn you, I have run across many who come to ICU to give the same care to 2 patients that they gave to 8 patientts on the floor (meaning they don't do much, despite their patient's critical status). That is hard to witness, and something I have been struggling with for quite some time.

I don't know what happened to our profession. I guess nothing really did. I just always THOUGHT nurses were supposed to be compassionate, but really, from day one, that fact has been proven otherwise. PEOPLE go into nursing, and there are all kinds of people out there. It just seems that, instead of the most caring & compassionate people, nursing actually consisits of the most self-centered egotistical people I have ever met. (i am not trying to start a big flame fest, and I dont mean "every nurse"). I see how new grads are treated, I see how people new to a nursing job are treated, & I see how people talk to each other on this very forum. I am so disheartened. I can't really offer you much hope, except to say that, there are some great nurses out there who care about their patients and their co-workers. I hope you run across some. I am working dilligently to set an example.

I know my posts come across as self righteous, and way too serious. I've been told. (I already knew it though). I can't help it. I have been struggling with these issues for awhile. If you knew me, or worked with me, you would know that i really do feel this way, and practice this way, and care about my profession deeply.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best.

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I'm curious as to what areas are less "waitressy" than med/surg? I understand that the grass is not always greener, and that other areas have stressors of their own. It seems that in my GN class, all of the med/surg people are crying/fed up, and the ICU people seem to be fine. Is it because they aren't done with orientation yet? (Med/surg orients for 3 months, and ICU does for 6 months).

I work on a 4:1 med/surg specialty unit, and I feel like a big part of my stress is just keeping everything straight for mutliple patients with mulitple demands. With more balls up in the air, the greater chance for mistakes, and my mind is constantly going crazy with trying to remember everything. I re-live each shift on my drive home and while trying to sleep at night - did I remember this? Did I say this in report? Did I do that right? Did I chart that?

Is it easier to be more focused on 1 to 2 patients, but with higher acuities? Has anyone worked both med/surg and ICU and what's the difference in experience and work environments?

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Specializes in med-surg.

Dorimar, thank you for putting into words exactly how I feel about nursiing. I hope that you're able to leave all that stress at work at the end of your shift!!

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