Burned out

I know how you feel. We as nurses are often overworked and unappreciated but you have to stay focused on why you became a nurse in the first place. Explore other options in nursing and pick a specialty that really grabs your attention and see if you can schedule a shadow day to see how the atmosphere is and what the workday consist of. I am getting ready to do the same thing because I have been doing night shift and long term care for most of the seven yrs that I have been a nurse and I am sooo determined to make a change because I am feeling some burn out from all of the excessive, redundant and not making sense to me charting. Most of my shift is charting, charting charting. I have very little time for the patient. I really wish you the best.

I hear you on that!

The computerized documentations has a new page added to it every few months...I came from leaving work on time to leaving work half hour past my shift! And i'm not being paid for it either. I find myself rushing through my patient care because I have documentation on my mind. And doing it 3 times on a 12 hour shift, each takes 25-30 minutes. It's simply ridiculous. I would much prefer a simple page of narrative notes

.

Sorry that's just my side rant.

Find a different area of nursing. I am sure there are plenty of other areas where you find you will be appreciated and respected for what you do. I find floor nursing has little to no respect for nurses. But you can try to change the attitude surrounding your floor. Speak up about how you feel and get a group discussion going. We have that on our floor once a week and it helps listening to others for half hour on the days I am there for it!

Best of luck and hang in there

I agree, try and shadow someone else in another area of nursing. I am getting burned out as well in ltc. I am applying for hospice, ltc is getting so redundant, and everyone who does not actually take care of patients, are always coming up with more paper work for the nurses who are actually working. And if they are not coming up with paperwork, they are verbally bashing every small little thing that could be done better, but you can bet they will not get out of their office and help us!! Ughh ended up venting.

I agree, try and shadow someone else in another area of nursing. I am getting burned out as well in ltc. I am applying for hospice, ltc is getting so redundant, and everyone who does not actually take care of patients, are always coming up with more paper work for the nurses who are actually working. And if they are not coming up with paperwork, they are verbally bashing every small little thing that could be done better, but you can bet they will not get out of their office and help us!! Ughh ended up venting.

Sounds like we work for the same facility:D. What a coincidence, I have been thinking about hospice myself.

I feel the burn out also and agree with all you said. However, I wonder if this

is universal in nursing. Does it really matter what specialty of nursing? I don't

think so. As for speaking out, I hate to bear bad news, but nurses who speak

up may be setting themselves for more abuse. I recall speaking up once and the

next thing that happened was that I became a target for management. The top management

were not evern nurses, but they spoke to nurses directly supervising me to make

sure I was under constant supervision and quality reviews, simply because I stated

I could not provide quality care with the staffing provided during a meeting. The other

nurses did not speak up.

The ceo and business managers control the nursing supervisors now. Cutting back

on cost, and staffing does not improve quality. Nursing is a people business, not

assembly line labor. It's not like you can produce a cheaper car or gadget. Patients

are the victums and unfortunately, they don't understand the business of health care.

I don't blame them because this is the last thing a sick person needs to consider.

Personally, I keep, trying to find my way out of the nursing business. I have not

been succesful so far. You know, jobs, the economy, education requirements, transitioning

my nursing skills to other areas is difficult. If I was 27, I would go back to school. Good Luck.

I, too, am burned out...have been since year one and here I am 26 years later STILL a nurse, STILL burned out...thank God retirement is just a few years away(I hope). If I was still in my 20s or 30s, I would change careers but am too old and too far in debt now. If you think there is a chance to find something more rewarding, go for it while you're still young. In the meantime, try other specialties; sometimes a change of scenery and duties is all one needs.

Going on 30 years and feel things have gotten worse. No longer have time for bedside nursing. Think my charting was more complete when I did it by hand on paper. Feel nurse manager is just throwing us under the bus most times and does not back us. Work night shift and between us we figured out none of us had less than 20 years experience but she came in yelling at us before she even heard our side of the story. The patient she was defending had come in with a heroin overdose who couldn't put 3words together in a sentence. One of the nurses had even stayed over to make sure the patient got the attention she needed. It seems to be all related to cost not patient care anymore. I have 3 kids in college otherwise I would go to work at star bucks.

***********!! I know exactly how u feel. I am a home health nurse and I have two patients with Muscular dystrophy. One of them is driving me totally insane as he never shuts up. All night long it's "help help help". Not only that but the little **** doesn't even have the common courtesy to say thanks for running around and taking care of me 5 nights a week. Thx for holding the urinal so I don't **** all over myself, thx for wiping my ass, thx for dressing my bed sores and making sure I am clean and get my breathing tx on time. Thx for assessing me and and doing all the paperwork that you have to fill out to keep the overlords and the lawyers happy. Also, thx for risking your career and freedom as any little mistake can put your ass in jail or on the street. Thanks for wiping my eyes when I cry, thx for suctioning the endless amounts of goo from my trach and mouth, thx for brushing my teeth and making sure my food pump doesn't run dry, thx for turning me and making sure I am comfortable so I can sleep at night. Thx for sacrificing all you time to take care of me 60-70 hrs a week so my parents don't have to stay up all night . Thx being there through it all.