I am so frustrated with nursing right now. I just want to give up. I tried acute care and didn't find it to my liking, to say the least. So, I tried a non-clinical job outside of acute care and it is not working out either. This is my third job in 16 months as an RN. I have been searching for another job and I'm finding it very difficult. Nursing shortage? Nope, not in my area. What clinical experience I do have in acute care (10 months) is counted as nothing since I didn't make it to the magical "one year". Recruiters would rather look at brand new grads than me since it has been about 5 months since I've been in acute care. The jobs that I have been offered to interview for are med-surg, midnights, both of which I swore I would never do again.
It's just not worth it anymore. Nursing has brought me nothing but stress and unhappiness from the very moment that I started nursing school. I just kept chugging along, hoping that it would get better. Well, life is just too short for this. I need to get out while I still can.
Thanks for listening. I'm not looking for answers, I just needed to vent.
Try looking at it this way, at least in nursing we have many choices. There are many professions that , once you start a job you'd better stay there because the jobs are so far and few between. Yes, nursing is stressful, but, that is one thing that is not going to change no matter how much we wish it away. So, you look at your glass as half full instead of half empty. Sometimes it comes down to mind over matter. I'v found after almost 30 years of nursing that there are many jobs I've had that I hated. But, when I stuck around , learned the job well, became more comfortable, I found that I ended up liking the job. Jumping from job to job may be causing more stress than sticking with it. Jobs arn't made for the nurse to like. They are made to complete a task that the company needs. Jobs arn't all about, how happy we are. I'm not saying that we should be abused or not have benifits, be treated in unprofessional manner etc...but, hang in there. As one of those old nurses, I find it puzzeling how so many new nurses are getting out of school and then "finding out what nursing is like"......I'm sure many of us "old " nurses will agree, Why are nurses graduating with seemingly no idea of what a nurse really does? Any way, hang in there.
If it were supposed to be fun, it wouldn't be called "work", right? I used to think that is true, but then I see my husband and many of my friends outside of nursing that really do love their jobs. Every day isn't a blast, but overall, my husband wakes up and can't wait to go to work most days. I see the excitement and passion that he feels toward his job and I can't help feeling a little jealous sometimes. If it weren't for me, he would easily spend 70+ hours/wk at work. And have fun doing it. Maybe it's unrealistic, but I want the same for myself. I also think that should be an important reason that people decide to get a degree and enter a profession- to have a job that they like and enjoy.
On another thread, I made the comment, "if you haven't felt like giving up, you probably haven't had the full experience..." or something to that effect. I stand by that, but I'll add the disclaimer that only you can know when it's time to actually give up--and my experience in other areas has been that it isn't an easy thing to know. I have no doubt you are capable of finding a place in nursing, eventually. Whether it's worth it is another matter. I suspect a lot of happy, successful nurses have felt what you're feeling at some point, but I imagine a lot of happy, successful ex-nurses have, too.
Why don't you try telemetry instead of going back to Med/Surg? Usually there is better nurse:patient ratios and you would be doing something new. I can't imagine that 10 months of med/surg isn't close enough to year to be valid! Give me a break!!
Why don't you try telemetry instead of going back to Med/Surg? Usually there is better nurse:patient ratios and you would be doing something new. I can't imagine that 10 months of med/surg isn't close enough to year to be valid! Give me a break!!
Ten months of ER experience, one month of med-surg. You would think that my ER experience would count for something, but all of the recruiters I have talked to will not consider me for ER or ICU positions because I don't quite have that year. I am eligible for med-surg or telemetry, but it wouldn't be my first, second, or even third choice. Maybe a step-down or telemetry unit would be a better starting place.
My advise would be to keep trying. Also, try to stick with your next job for a year or more. Maybe only work at it part time so you don't get burnt out? My resume looks great because I stuck with all my jobs for several years, even though I was only part time at most of them, but they (prospective employers)don't really check into that.
Maybe get a part time job somewhere, and a per diem elsewhere. I've done that while transitioning from one job to another.
If you only need 2 or 3 months to get that magical one year in, then take a med-surg job and as soon as you get past your probation put in for a transfer to ICU or ER in that same hospital. Good luck.
If it were supposed to be fun, it wouldn't be called "work", right? I used to think that is true, but then I see my husband and many of my friends outside of nursing that really do love their jobs. Every day isn't a blast, but overall, my husband wakes up and can't wait to go to work most days. I see the excitement and passion that he feels toward his job and I can't help feeling a little jealous sometimes. If it weren't for me, he would easily spend 70+ hours/wk at work. And have fun doing it. Maybe it's unrealistic, but I want the same for myself. I also think that should be an important reason that people decide to get a degree and enter a profession- to have a job that they like and enjoy.
Your right. That's what I mean, I just think sometimes it's what you make of it. Most times, even after 30 years I still enjoy or at the very least , don't mind going to work. The hospital isn't resonsible for my happiness. I am. It's like I tell nurses in the ER and ICU, we are in the buisness to be buisy. Nursing is stressful, busy and demanding. If a nurse finds that it is making their life unhappy, then manybe nursing isn't for them. It just suprises me how many new grads seem to be blind sided by the fact that nursing is busy and stressful. What exactley are they learning in school ...because something isn't working. I think we would have much less burn out rate if nusing school had more realistic experience. My husband is the same way. One time he forgot he had vacation time coming up. But, he also has difficulties at work, he works many hours in a stressful job, but he puts it in prespective.
Some people are pointing out that work is just that - work. Just do what needs to be done and you'll be okay.
The thing is that as a newbie, you often can't get everything done that needs to be done. Not only is that demoralizing at times, but in nursing, a newbie wonders if their less-than-perfect care is a threat to their patients' well-being. So in another job, a person might tell themselves, well, hey, no one's perfect, I'm just learning, I'll get this sooner or later. But that philosophy can be more difficult to hold when you're dealing with acute medical conditions. Throughout school, instructors have been emphasizing the importance of getting things right the first time and every time. So when you start working you have to find a way to change your mindset that it's okay to be less than perfect. To find a balance between being careful and safe and not being overly cautious and getting nothing done because you keep waiting for someone to assure you that it's correct.
It just suprises me how many new grads seem to be blind sided by the fact that nursing is busy and stressful. What exactley are they learning in school ...because something isn't working.
My experience was of nursing instructors/nursing school talking up all of the different avenues one could take in nursing - not just acute care nursing (and the busy craziness that can be). It wasn't until our last term that we started hearing about getting that magical one year of acute care experience. Some might argue that I should've known how crucial it would be to be able to make it in a busy med-surg unit (or tele unit, onc unit, etc), but why would I when others kept insisting that RN had many more opportunities besides just bedside nursing?
Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.
My best friend graduated with a degree in Psychology-she wanted to work for DFACS in FL. Worked for them 6 months-absolutely hated the powerlessness of the job when it came to helping children. Switched to computers, and has made millions of $$ in that field. Sometimes we don't know that we are on the wrong horse until the rodeo is almost over...
My experience was of nursing instructors/nursing school talking up all of the different avenues one could take in nursing - not just acute care nursing (and the busy craziness that can be). It wasn't until our last term that we started hearing about getting that magical one year of acute care experience. Some might argue that I should've known how crucial it would be to be able to make it in a busy med-surg unit (or tele unit, onc unit, etc), but why would I when others kept insisting that RN had many more opportunities besides just bedside nursing?
True, I've done nursing management, education and CQI, all of which are busy. But the skills I learned as a "bed side " nurse helped me with that. When I was a manager , our administator felt that if you were managing staff, you should be able to do what the staff does. She (who had her Doc. in nursing) and the rest of the management staff were required to work as staff once a month. I found that really interesting, it really made a diff. when we were making decisions.I guess my question really should be on it's own post. My daughter is a teacher. She is also stressed, the class rooms are over croweded, the rules and paper work are tremendous. Nursing isn't the only feild that has some of the same problems. I work with many nurses that get stressed , feel over worked etc... just like I do, but, most of us choose to find the good in what we do as well as the good in the job. I find those that don't have a worse day than the rest of us, even if their pt load was easier. Go figure.
HealthyRN
541 Posts
If it were supposed to be fun, it wouldn't be called "work", right? I used to think that is true, but then I see my husband and many of my friends outside of nursing that really do love their jobs. Every day isn't a blast, but overall, my husband wakes up and can't wait to go to work most days. I see the excitement and passion that he feels toward his job and I can't help feeling a little jealous sometimes. If it weren't for me, he would easily spend 70+ hours/wk at work. And have fun doing it. Maybe it's unrealistic, but I want the same for myself. I also think that should be an important reason that people decide to get a degree and enter a profession- to have a job that they like and enjoy.