So, I've been a long time lurker and just recently decided to start an account so I could get an answer to this question. I'm seriously considering going to nursing school (I already have one degree) but I've noticed a trend on these forums, and in general, that's got me a little worried.
From what I've read, most nurses who work directly with patients seem to talk a lot about how utterly exhausted they are ALL THE TIME. It paints the picture of a very stressed out, caffeine drinking, health care worker with little time for sleep or a personal life. I'm sure that this is most likely an exaggeration...or is it? Forgive me for my ignorance. I'm fully aware that nurses work very hard and have A LOT of responsibility, but being outside of that world, I'm not sure exactly how tough it really is.
I'm very interested in medicine and the idea of direct patient contact, but not at the expense of my physical health or my sanity. As a nurse, would you consider yourself to be "pushed to the limit" in the way I described above, or have you found a balance? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Shift work is a big reason for all this tiredness. A lot of us work nights, if not full time, then at least part of the time. It is exhausting working against our default circadian rhythm.
nights nurse too. it's more of mental thing than physical thing. the body does get tired but encountering plethora of people acting fool is enough to make you say "to hell with nursing". but then again, i work at ER located in downtown metro, so the population isn't the greatest compared to norther suburbs.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
When I was exhausted was when I worked LTC and had to wear 5 hats. The fact that they eliminated so many positions and put it on the charge nurse's job description to do all those things made it difficult to get anything done; constant juggling of tasks as they arose, along with trying to keep to scheduled stuff made for constant tension on the job.
Thankfully, there is no OB in LTC .....at least not for the patients.....I think.
Yes working as a front line healthcare worker is frankly a very stressful and unhealthy job to have! It can wreck your health, many struggle with anxiety and depression and of course it is common place to live in chronic back pain from moving the increasingly massively obese patients we get that just lay there and can't even help! It used to be patients weighed 200 pounds or less, now they are 200-300-400+ pounds and of course when they fall ill they can no longer move or walk and you will be the one providing care breaking your back to do it! I wonder if any of these obese patients even care that they are injuring and causing pain to the healthcare workers because of their choices. Most of the time they just seem ticked off that they have to wait for us to get at least four workers together at one time to turn them like how we are inconveniencing them! What did they do at home? Back, neck and shoulder injuries are par for the course. As we speak, my back and shoulder are hurting from taking care of patients yesterday! It ****** me off! I don't recommend nursing to others unless you're a glutton for punishment! Even if you have good staffing, which many don't, it is still a grueling job! For all this, you can expect really lousy benefits, health insurance and tiny raises. Working for a hospital they will shove thousands of dollars onto you in out of pockets and all sorts of surcharges in premiums if you aren't in excellent health! Also many nurses are nervous wrecks from worrying about making a mistake. If you pursue it, don't say you weren't warned!
As for exhaustion pick your poison do you want to work 8 hour shifts and be at the hospital 4-5 days a week, more days to worry about being injured or mandated or do you want to work 3 12 hour shifts, so you have more free time away from work. Of course the 12 hour shifts will leave you stressed and exhausted from having to hurry up and sleep to run back to work again. It's just work and sleep and do it over again, unless you are someone who is blessed to get by on 5 hours of sleep and still feel good! Keep commuting time in mind when you factor in 12 hour shifts, the longer the commute the less time for sleep! Also if you have children you have even less time to sleep!
I just posted myself about being a new nurse and wondering did I make the wrong choice going into nursing, or possibly its my unit. I cant decide yet, but its definitely not what i thought it would be, or maybe I dont feel as rewarded and happy as I thought I would. Its been hard on myself and my daughter and as a single parent its even more difficult. i often work 3 12s, except the perpetual downstaffing my unit has had. so i really work 2 days a week most weeks and made more money and impact as server.
and i work 3 in a row, but, night shift, day shift, night shift.....im alwyas catching up on sleep or dragging my feet. Shadow a few different places......
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I've been in the biz since 1970 and have seen lots of changes. If I was 19 years old and starting again, the way things are now, I would become a plumber or an auto mechanic.
The only way I have managed to stay in the health-care field and do actual old-timey nursing is to switch to PDN. What USED TO BE considered high-tech is now run-of-the-mill. I don't have the energy or interest anymore to stay on top of things like I used to. Once upon a time I threw myself into it and sought out opportunities to learn bigger and scarier things; it was exhilarating to me.
Now I am satisfied to leave it to the young and eager, because my response to "new! improved! " is to say, "OH CRAP!"
12 hour shifts are draining, yes. Even if only for 3 days a week it can be grueling work depending on your unit. It typically takes me a day to recover, so that leaves me chronically exhausted.
I should probably find a 8 hr job,5 days a week. Hopefully one day.
I work 5 8-hour shifts M-F. I'm not exhausted. I no longer work in the hospital. I was exhausted all the time when I worked in the hospital. I tried all shifts and of varying lengths while working in the hospital and I was still exhausted all the time.
Not exhausted but tired, yes. If I don't work my days in a row and just have a day or two off here and there it feels like I am perpetually working. And I want to do less on my days off. If I have at least 3 days off in a row, I feel good and get my groove back. However, I do think about work a lot on my days off (I'm in NICU). Not necessarily in a bad way, but just wondering how the babies are doing and what chaos I'm missing.
.....at least not for the patients.....I think..thumb.jpg.5d8fa9b66c1daee6d7d146447daa5c26.jpg){kind=small}
RNperdiem, RN
4,592 Posts
Shift work is a big reason for all this tiredness. A lot of us work nights, if not full time, then at least part of the time. It is exhausting working against our default circadian rhythm.