Are you jealous of other nurses jobs/abilities?

Hollybobs · Apr 18, 2016

I graduated from a class of about 60 or so nurses, most of whom have gone onto amazing nursing jobs and are quite successful at them. Some of them are working on ICU and PCUS (AS THEIR FIRST NURSING JOBS!!!), I know one that is working in an IV infusion center (and I can't even start an IV, since my school did not teach it) and more. I've got a new nursing job coming up, after failing my first one, but it's no where near as impressive as these other jobs. I can't help but feel a bit envious that these other new grads are way more successful than I am and much better nurses and people than me. Anyone else feel like this?

It depends what you want out of your career, I guess. I wanted to work with people, look after them and hopefully make a difference. I wanted a half-decent wage. It was really important to me not be bored- the idea of no day being the same and all the human stories you can hear really appealed to me. I like being challenged and needing to learn. If all those criteria are met then I am a happy bunny.

I sometimes envy "abilities". As Tricia said though, it is less that I'm jealous and more that I'm inspired by others. I observe other nurses who do things better than me to try to copy them e.g. someone with cooler head in a crisis, someone more patient, someone more confident, even someone who can lip-read better than me!

I don't measure mine or others' success by how glamorous-sounding their job is. If you are a fantastic nurse working in the ED, in ICU, in LTC, med/surg, hospice, community etc etc then you are successful because you are helping in so many different ways. You are making an impact on your patients, on their relatives, on other staff, on students and newbies. And that is pretty cool, non?

Neurotic Student · Apr 18, 2016

Whatever you do, don't fall into that dangerous trap. It's bad if you are facebook friends with your nursing group, and they post that stuff up. That's why I stay away from FB!! Do you ever come here on allnurses and see a whole bunch of posts talking about "omg should I choose hospital A, B, or C? This is so hard!" lol while I'm here getting rejection letters.

I had a hard time finding a job too when I graduated, while everyone else in my group pretty much got into good new grad residencies in big hospitals. However, I ended up in psych as my first RN job and got the opportunity to work with amazing people, improve my patient-interaction skills, and dabble in calling MD for orders. I wouldn't have had it any other way. I think I would have died of stress if I had straight started in the acute hospital. Now I am less scared in my new job in an acute hospital. I am grateful for all of this.

Right now there's another nurse in my new grad new hire group that has been starting IV/drawing labs while I have not done any. I know she has done it before in her previous job, so that's why, but it's hard to not feel a tinge of insufficiency. I just tell myself that my time will come. I'm not even a month in yet, so I'll have opportunities later.

It's not about the job, it's what job fits you. I will never do pediatrics or ER. There seems to be a certain type of people fit for ER and I'm not one of them..and that's okay because everyone can't work in ER, there would be no other type of nurses. We need all types of nurses.

Remember to revel in and celebrate your own successes! The more I did that, the better I felt about myself.

Scarlettz, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2016

Yeah, I'm jealous. Jealous of people who can start IVs like it aint no thang, lol!

Otherwise no, I am not jealous. I have found a job in the field of nursing that I wanted to pursue. I had to start off on a medical-surgical floor before I was able to get a job on psych. Psych isn't viewed as "glamorous" as some other specialties. But, it is a lot trickier than one would think. You have to have the right skills for the field. I also don't have the doctors on the floor 24/7, so I have to a have strong nursing knowledge. I am glad things worked out the way they did because I gained some of the hands on skill experience and learned more about different types of conditions/medications. Just move in the direction you want to go and surely you will land your dream job with time.

westieluv · Apr 18, 2016

I actually envy the registration clerks and others with low-stress desk jobs. They still get the hospital benefits, but not the stress.

Oh, this is me! After almost 26 years as an RN, I would love to be a unit clerk. I actually inquired about it at a hospital that I used to work at but I was told that they can't hire an RN to be a unit clerk because it is a conflict of interest. Like, if a patient collapsed and coded in the hallway next to the nurses' station, I would be professionally bound to jump up and start working on them in the capacity of an RN, even if I was the unit clerk. I would have to give up my nursing license to do this type of job, and I just can't do that, because I know I would come to regret it sooner or later. A lot of time, money, and hard work went into that license.

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2016

It's so easy to look at another person and feel they are more successful. Success isn't defined by what you do, but rather how you do it. If you're going to define success by job title, you'll never be content.

You'll know things that your friends/school cohorts will never know and vice versa. Live and learn, forgive yourself and move on. If it requires an "RN" or a "LPN" after your name, it really is nursing. I promise.

Wrench Party · Apr 18, 2016

Just because someone works in the ICU or ER, does not make them a better nurse. Some of the best nurses I know work med/surg and hospice. I am totally impressed with those nurses that work palliative care, oncology and NICU/mother-baby, because I'd be terrible at all of those. I love my cardiac and surgical patients and intermediate care; I see some components of critical care and some of med-surg.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2016

Yes. I'm very jealous of people who love their nursing jobs. I am somewhat limited in where I can go because we've become used to my registry pay. I had to turn down a job that I thought I would really like because it paid 20k less than what I can earn right now. I actually cried about turning it down; I am so very unhappy with where I am now.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Apr 18, 2016

Nope, not jealous. Not even a little. I chose what was right for ME, not what someone else thought looked good. I've enjoyed every single job I've ever had, although some more than others and some for different reasons than others. And while we're on the subject, I don't envy other nurses youth, beauty, figures or anything else. Jealousy is a nonproductive emotion, and being happy is so much better!

Your comment that some new grads are way more successful and much better nurses and people than you makes me worried for you. If you're depressed, please get some help.

Trauma_drama14, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Apr 18, 2016

Shoot, I felt the same way. Envious with some people starting at great places. I really wanted to start at my facility's inpatient trauma unit and then transfer to SICU within a two year span. Some nurses started in trauma and I started in a surgical unit. I have realizes how fortunate I am because I was offered a job right out of school on a dayshift position on the floor I precepted on when others did not and weren't able to land a job for several months(some even haven't passed the nclex after six times. 3 people and we graduated almost 2 years ago). Even better, after a year being there, I was given the opportunity to transfer to SICU. So now, I'm 6 months into SICU and I love it! Didn't even have to wait two years and am very glad I didn't work on trauma because I heard it was an awful floor. Moral of the story is to be grateful for what you have and... Sometimes everything happens for a reason.

Also, it sometimes works out even better![emoji5]ï¸[emoji5]ï¸

LDAthleteNurse, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2016

Nope. Not a jealous bone in my body. I am extremely happy where I'm at in Labor and Delivery. If anything, people are jealous of me and my job. I cannot fathom working any where else but where I am. The important thing is to develop an attitude of positivity and gratefulness. Comparison is the theif of joy.

cherryelle07 · Apr 19, 2016

I wouldn't worry about that sort of thing. Success and passion can be found in the most unlikely places. I never even considered nursing until I worked as a DSP for a residential rehabilitation company working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. I was always afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the blood and guts and grosser parts of the job, but I surprised myself and met so many amazing clients who I still keep in touch with today. Use this job to gain experience, learn something new, and work on getting a better picture and plan for the future. You may enjoy it, you may not, but always remember that its not the end all be all. The same goes for your classmates.... those seemingly amazing nursing jobs may not be for them. They may find that they don't like it and end up seeking out other jobs. You will find your place.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Apr 19, 2016

I am a little envious of the ones who are motivated to keep going back to school. I am easily content, and it's some sort of miracle that I even manged to get an associate's degree.

Absolutely true for me! I feel additional formalized education revenues the nurse.

But.. that's another thread.