what career is the hardest to work in?

[jrbl77]

I have started a firestorm in my family when I made the comment that teachers can retire at 55 after working 30 or so years. A friend just retired at a younger age than me with a pension that pays her 80% of her prior salary.I commented that I have been working as a RN for 36 yrs and am 56, but don't have the luxury of such a great pension.

Family members that are teachers have read me the riot act, saying that nothing is harder than teaching. I guess the fact that I have worked weekends, holidays and through snow and ice storms doesn't count. Or the fact that I have had my fingers in body parts that make most cringe. I guess that it is like comparing apples and oranges. You really can't make the comparison

What started this discussion, I made the comment that I am tired after working as long as I have. I feel that I am a good nurse with good skills, but healthcare has changed so much over the years. I find myself fixing many mistakes when I get to work before I can start my own work. Unlabeled IV tubings and sites, med errors, and clarifying simple med orders.

A few days ago, our staffing was low as the census was low. we where doing primary care. I had 2 pts and got a 3rd form the ER. This was fine, except I was supposed to be the RN and admit,we had no clerk and no one other than me could do orders, be the CNA and respond promptly to all call bells and to add, dc a pt with oxygen and the tank was leaking. We have no resp therapy on weekends. Some one did help me with the admit, but I just can't be more than 1 person at a time.

I feel that I have no where else to go. I am fortunate that I can go prn and get insurance coverage from my husband's job. But I still have this family that thinks I am lazy, because I don't want to work a full time job.

If nothing else, thanks for allowing me to vent. On my way to see the counselor I have been seeing off and on for several years.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

I've been a cop and a nurse and have done both jobs in the military.

Some days I don't know what's been worse: a bad domestic (once had one where the two people pulled steak knives on each other - there was another one where the husband was so scared he left and she was in the house with a well-stocked gun cabinet - oh, and I was the only female officer working); pulling over a drunk driver who outranks you and thinks that pulls some weight (it doesn't, and the Wing Commander was more than happy to explain that to him); or some of the crap I saw RNs put up with (and I put up with, too!) in the civilian sector before I came back on active duty.

I have, however, loved both jobs for different reasons.

I agree with Meriwhen - the worst/hardest career to work in is the one you don't want to work in in the first place.

[pandabear2185]

When people say that we get paid too much or don't work at all, I give them a scenario. "You have two total care Pts in the ICU, both on insulin dips with Q 1 hr blood sugar checks, both in iso for CDiff. You have just had a code brown in each room and its not even 8 yet. So far, worth the 30 an hour. Maybe. Now do that every hour for 12 hours, would that 30 be enough." Most would probably say no. They obviously don't know what nursing is. Stand strong, you are tougher than them.

[jrbl77, RN]

I really do deep down in my heart love being a nurse. I guess as I am getting older and see friends retiring from non nursing jobs at 55, it just is hard to take. I know what my body has gone through after all these yrs. If I had to work another 10 yrs full time, I would either be dead or nuts. I still have" the get the job done the right way", the way I was originally orientated frame of mind. Just one example, every pt is to have printed educational material on admit and with every new med. I work 2 12hrs- not in a row per week. I come in, and the pt that has been here now for 3,4,5 or more days- no educational material given or documented My charge nurse, says she knows if I have the pt, they always have education. Outdated iv tubings and sites. I could go on. Guess I'm just feeling old and tired. Just got home from a 14 1/2 hr 12 hr shift. 5 pts to start, 3 dc'd, 1outpt for iv fluids and a new admit from er at 1630

[HippyDippyLPN]

I feel for you... I can't imagine doing my job in my 50's after 30 years of back breaking work. My husband is in the same retirement program as the teachers in our state. He pays 4x more into this retirement (you have no option to back out) than the teachers and gets a couple cents raise each year while our teachers are out there picketing because they aren't getting a bonus on top of their generous raises each year.

That's another topic though, have you considered office nursing? Might be a nice change of pace, no more holidays. Doubtful you would have the same pay as the hospital but it would be less wear on the body. I am grateful to work for a hospital system that provides us a small pension and matches our 401k because I know at a certain point you just can't do this kinda work anymore. Good luck to you I

Hope you find a solution

[LandD_RN_chica]

In my opinion, everyone always thinks their life is harder than everyone else's. I have friends who are stay at home moms that say oh my God my life is so much harder than yours, meanwhile I'm a single mom of two kids working my butt off to provide for all of us. Lol see there I go thinking my life is harder. Sorry that it has upset you so much. Hope you find peace in the situation eventually.

[jrbl77, RN]

I do have a pension form a larger hospital that I worked at for 29 yrs. Trying to hold out for as long as I can, because the longer I wait the more money I will get. I have always felt that God looks out for us and so for he has lead us in the right direction.

[jrbl77, RN]

I wonder about the stay at home mom dilemma also. When I had kids- yrs ago, I worked almost full time and still had to do the cooking, cleaning, laundry and the dreaded helping with homework. But my kids turned out okay. They tell me they think that had a great childhood. I must have done something right!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I wouldn't waste one more minute worrying about what your critics think. It doesn't mean a thing. "Walk a mile in my shoes" never was so applicable than here; since they won't, and we can all stipulate that all jobs come with their own set of near-intolerables, I'd just smile sweetly at them and say, "You may be right." You're not agreeing with them, and it makes them crazy that you won't fight back and you won't listen to them whine either. I recommend it.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Eh, my mom is a teacher and during the school year, she is in meetings and parent conferences, grading papers and preparing lesson plans, serving as advisor to a required number of student groups, etc. During the summer she devoted considerable amount of time to curriculum development and preparing for the next year...when she wasn't teaching summer school classes.

She will not have a pension, just her 403b. And as a new grad I was out earning her at the height of her career.

Some teachers have sweet deals but so do some nurses. If the life of a teacher seems so much more appealing, go become a teacher.

Seeing how hard my mom worked left me with zero desire to teach. And I really hate these comparison battles. We all chose our profession and we all have different challenges and benefits on the job. It's easy to only see the benefits when you are on the outside looking in.