Since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a nurse. I wanted to help people. I wanted to heal. Now 4 years out of nursing school, I HATE nursing with a passion. I am a med/surg nurse with a BSN.
Reasons I hate nurses (in no particular order)
1. Most days I feel like a pill-pusher. I don't feel like I make a difference.
2. Doctors feel they are perfect.
3. Patient satisfaction scores.
4. Patient sense of entitlement. (see #3)
5. Family at the bedside dictating what they want...like I am their personal servant. I have to comply (see #3).
6. Lack of appreciation mized with how much more work can they give us.
7. Nights, weekends, and holiday. I don't want to give everything I've got only to see no return in work satisfaction.
I don't want to be a case manager. I don't want home health nursing. I really want to be outside of the hospital. Quite honestly, I want to be away from people. I would be quite content to work on a computer and have email interactions. Preferably work from home. Any suggestions?
I feel for you. I have been at this business for almost 40 years. Right now I am staff only because finances dictate it. Was a travel nurse for years and though it sometimes was a pain to pack up and move every 13 or so weeks there was no hospital politics to deal with. Had good and bad assignments but even a bad assignment had an end in sight.
Specializes in Med/surg,orthopedics,emergency room,.
Okay, Everyone, PLEASE,PLEASE dont take offense to what I'm going to say. RN1023, what were your expectations when you became a nurse? See, I've been in this field since I was 14 years old, I am now 53 years old. And what I see from your post is someone who thought they weren't going to have to do the "ground work". Actually, I am just starting to become a bit tired! (smile) I started as a candy striper and worked my way up. I've probably done more, and seen more ( thanks to Uncle Sam) than most. I'm proud of my skills and experience, but like I said, now I'm tired. I've done the angry patients, angry and self absorbed family members, the doctors who thought I should give up my chair at the nurses station because they wanted to sit( REALLY!) I've been kicked, punched, vomited on,( a little bit, I managed to do a side step) all in the name of this career. I've had some great, good, and terribly bad mentors. The 12 hour shifts that turned into 16 ( EVERYDAY) because of short staffing, the covering for a collegue so we both could go to class AND work our full shift. The haters who thought I couldn't do it. I have survived it all. That is why I am asking you what were/are your expectations? Have you found your niche? Mine was the Emergency Room and Orthopedics. Nursing is so vast, and there are so many areas that you can explore. Did you think you wouldn't have any interaction with people? That's a bit unrealistic, don't you think? There are always ways to handle every situation. Did you have a great, good or terribly bad mentor? All of these things come into play with your expectations. Don't ever think you aren't helping people just because you don't "feel" like you do! You would be surprised what patients remember from their visits and their encounters with the nurse..As long as at the end of your shift you've have done the best,and of course you didn't kill anyone, you're good!!!! The doctors? Well, honestly? There are some you are just have to put them in their place and stand up for yourself, don't let them get to you! But again, everything comes back to your expectations. I'm not trying to sound 'preachy' but in my opinion it just sounds like your expectations weren't really thought out. Sorry. Good Luck to you and best wishes!
Maybe it's where I am. I feel like everything is so political. We have to get good scores and become a magnet hospital. We are overworked with patients.
I had a great mentor, and I use to love my job. I loved it for the first 2 1/2 years. Over the short years I have worked, I felt as though upper management has expected more and more of us. They want us to do teaching to prevent readmissions, attend rounds, and complete various checklists on preventions. That's great, but there isn't enough time in the day. If we leave late because we didn't finish ontime, we could get written up, and there are more duties about to be implemented. I feel like a pill pusher who spends her day checking things off her list. The patient has become a number and is no longer a person. How can we give care like this? We have all voiced opinions, but it's "not in the budget" for us to have more resources. I feel like nurses do not have any input in the changes that occur.
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
Maybe it's where I am. I feel like everything is so political. We have to get good scores and become a magnet hospital. We are overworked with patients.
I had a great mentor, and I use to love my job. I loved it for the first 2 1/2 years. Over the short years I have worked, I felt as though upper management has expected more and more of us. They want us to do teaching to prevent readmissions, attend rounds, and complete various checklists on preventions. That's great, but there isn't enough time in the day. If we leave late because we didn't finish ontime, we could get written up, and there are more duties about to be implemented. I feel like a pill pusher who spends her day checking things off her list. The patient has become a number and is no longer a person. How can we give care like this? We have all voiced opinions, but it's "not in the budget" for us to have more resources. I feel like nurses do not have any input in the changes that occur.
Which "scores" are they focusing on? Patient satisfaction? Because nursing satisfaction scores also factor into the new EO designation model. The rest is just evidence of promoting and implementing best practice.
Specializes in Geriatrics, Obstetrics, NICU, ER/Trauma.
Try 22 years out from school, I had to change my field, I love my patient's and love providing care; but dealing with some of the staff made it impossible to deal with, from laziness to stupidity. I have been in the e.r. and love the rush. I was seriously at the point where you were.
Quality improvement? Core measure nurse? ( don't know her exact title but she works m-f leaves 6 pm at absolute latest and just last yr she was on the floor )....
I should hold up a fire extinguisher for all the flaming I'm about to get...
What is the SES of the area your hospital serves?
If you work inner city or in a poorer area, some of these patients feel that the govt will take care of them and have a very bizarre sense of entitlement, considering they don't pay for much at all. They are frequently pts who come in for things they could have managed from home or out patient , but they didn't, either due to finances or plain ignorance, and now they are back in the hospital. They resent returning and we get burned out caring for them.
A couple nurses at my lower SES area hospital have taken up prn shifts in a nicer side of town, the suburbs, etc and find that many pts and their families are more educated, compliant and thankful.
As nurses, we never know the full story behind our pts and it is arrogant of us to assume we do. Not all lower income, low education, inner city patients are difficult, rude and whatnot. I can only imagine that the more well to do pts have a whole 'nother brand of entitlement. But it seems to be less, according to my coworkers.
We don't have mobile phones. I wouldn't carry it if we did, lol.
Lol sadly I don't think I even have that choice, regardless of how much I've dreamed of it.
When I leave it at the nurses station, in a pt room or bathroom, some "good natured coworker" always brings it back to me, smiling a knowing smile. 1/2 I'm sorry , 1/2 gotcha!
I.can't even count how many times patients and their families have told me " omg do they ever stop calling? Wth?"....or the sympathetic "wow, you sure are um ... Popular?" Lol
Which "scores" are they focusing on? Patient satisfaction? Because nursing satisfaction scores also factor into the new EO designation model. The rest is just evidence of promoting and implementing best practice.
Ummm . . . if Nursing satisfaction scores are factored into the EO designation model how come no one asks for our input??
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
Ummm . . . if Nursing satisfaction scores are factored into the EO designation model how come no one asks for our input??
Because your facility isn't concerned I guess. Our facility was brainstorming like crazy before the April NDQI for nursing to try and see if the scores could be improved. I created a tshirt for the giveaway, they are building a tribute to nursing, etc etc.
rntravlon
31 Posts
I feel for you. I have been at this business for almost 40 years. Right now I am staff only because finances dictate it. Was a travel nurse for years and though it sometimes was a pain to pack up and move every 13 or so weeks there was no hospital politics to deal with. Had good and bad assignments but even a bad assignment had an end in sight.