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 hope this doesn't happen to me. I'm a new grad one month off orientation and love my job. I also had 16 years of being a CNA and loved that as well. Yes, it is very stressful at times, but I really can't see myself in any other career.
Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.
We have 6 patients and are given phones that ring constantly. Good luck trying to pee in peace.
We had voceras. A vocera reminds me of a police radio, when they have them clipped to their shoulder. A computer voice will say "can you take a phone call?" I HATED that voice.
One time I had a phone on each ear, one holding for pharmacy, one doctor in front of me wanting me to translate for him, the charge on the other side asking if I could take over care for an unhappy patient. Then I hear the vocera '"can you take a phone call?" (pulling hair out) REALLY?!? That was the beginning of the end of hospital nursing for me.
It depends where your interests are. Hospital nursing isn't for everyone, nor does it have to be. That's the great thing about nursing....many options.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
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?
Your header says you hate nursing. Your message says you hate nurses. Which is it?
You have 4 yrs of med-surg experience - use that to your benefit. There are tons of other positions that you can investigate and your nursing experience is key. There are other departments within the facility. Go talk to HR and see what is available. Talk to other nurses in other departments that you are curious about. Look into research, health coach, insurance, parish nursing, flight/trauma, forensics, education,legal consult, occupational health.
I worked on a med/surg floor for 2 yrs and transferred off that floor as fast as I could down to PACU. I loved that department and was there for 8 yrs until we adopted our 2nd baby. I have gone back to nursing and am at an in-patient hospice center. If things aren't a good fit - move on ..... there are so many options. I wish you luck.
I felt the same way...until I left the hospital. I feel so much better now. My suggestion is to find a part of nursing that you love. There are so many choices. That is one of the best parts of nursing
I went to an in service taught by an RN who was working for a company that makes hospital beds. She was teaching a refresher class about the beds (they are very high tech). She travels around to various hospitals in the area. Sounds interesting.
Not necessarily. Nursing has been sold to students - there are many options - but it takes making connections and experience to open up those options. It's not as easy a road as it has been portrayed. Most positions don't look at you if you don't have 1 yr in hospital experience. Nursing school doesn't teach you about real nursing environment. Nursing schools do not want you to withdraw. LOL. They want your money so they don't tell you the real story. Hospitals want more nurses so they can drive down the wages. (I think that the way they manage patient rations that this probably wont happen) You think their is a giant need and that nursing is an admirable position to help others and you can probably make a living at it. Little did some of us know that the scene is a lot different than we had in mind and what is being portrayed on TV or in school. Even during clinicals, I did not see the craziness. I wanted to see what I wanted to see, what i dreamt about, what I invested in. I felt so proud to wear scrubs. But then the reality of what you have to do on the floor slapped me into reality! The potential risks to patients and my license in this environment that the hospital has set up to meet the budget. What?! And then there is my student loan..... I should have consulted a few nurses that I didn't know to get a mixed review first.
One thing that I have learned so far is that I love nursing and I'm growing. On the other hand, the way our profession is being utilized and "managed" and run (into the ground) is making it miserable for many of us and, consequently, our patients. So, our pain is only a reflection of managements design not the nurse's quality of work. When patients/nurses/techs are treated like means to an end, many members of management and admin can use this as an excuse to sustain the status quo. It's a mentality - hospitals need to stay in business.
Every prospective student should always do their research first. And there are options, but experience is required first. Too many nurses expect to leave bedside nursing with little to no experience, which is not realistic. Then there's the economy, which we can't control. Still, that doesn't mean you should give up looking or planning if bedside is not for you.
Ug.... Im not going to assume the position from which you come, Joanna. Your above statement seems so "whatever". Yeah, any nurse here can cheer Look and Plan if bedside is not for you. The problem is why are so many nurses wanting to escape bedside? There in lies the problem. Many nurses love bedside but it has become so unbearable with the increase in patient ratios and release of supportive services.
julz68
467 Posts
I hope this doesn't happen to me. I'm a new grad one month off orientation and love my job. I also had 16 years of being a CNA and loved that as well. Yes, it is very stressful at times, but I really can't see myself in any other career.