Confession time: Is nursing what you thought it would be?

NC Girl BSN · Nov 3, 2009

I worked in LTC as a LPN for 16 months while getting my RN and I thought that was hard. Now that I am a RN and have 4-5 patients, I think its harder. Hospital nursing is not what I thought it was gonna be. I am not crazy about going to work either. I do however like my paycheck every two weeks. I will hang in there but I do not see myself doing this for the rest of my career.

Jules A, MSN · Nov 3, 2009

Since I had a long, enjoyable career that I was getting bored with I went reluctantly into nursing did my LPN, RN and now BSN, lol. I have to say that nursing is everything and more than I ever hoped. I love going to both my jobs and would suggest that someone explore the reasons they are not happy at theirs and make changes before becoming the nurse we all know that really shouldn't be nursing any more.

NC Girl BSN · Nov 3, 2009

I think the reason I feel the way I do about bedside nursing because I am new and I am put into stressful situation when I go to work. I feel uncomfortable because alot of things are new to me. I still struggle somedays to get my routine down and run the whole 12 hours. I don't feel like a competent nurse YET. (I will one of these days) I am six months into my job. It will be intresting to see if my prospective change at the 1 yr. mark.

HumptyDumpty · Nov 4, 2009

I graduate in a month and a half and I will literally be miserable if I have to do floor nursing... I cant STAND IT. So its ER or something outpatient for me. I don't wanna deal with patients for longer than 2-4 hours. I cant stand the constant whining and b*tching.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 4, 2009

Am I the only one that feels this way?
I won't bore anyone to death with all of the sacrifices that I had to make for school...the list is long and I am sure that there are many that had it way worse than me.
I am a NICU nurse and even though I have no complaints about my facility or management, I find myself not really looking forward to going to work.
I don't know why....being a NICU nurse was all I talked about...it just frustrates me that I worked this hard and I firmly believe in loving what you do...and so far I don't.

It sounds like part of your problem might be a "simple" case of reality shock. You built up NICU nursing so high in your mind, that no real job could match your fantasy. Now you feel some extra let-down because you were counting on it being so terrific. Had your expectations been more realistic to begin with, you might be enjoying reality more.

It's like going to the movies to see the sequel of a movie you really, really loved. Even if the sequel is really good, you feel emotionally disappointed because it doesn't give you the same thrill the first one gave you. You come out of the theater feeling a little unsatisfied because you were so revved up with unrealistic expectations and anticipation. When you go see a movie that you don't expect to like ... and then get a pleasant surprise when you find it is acutally an OK movie, you come out of the theater feeling really upbeat. It's not that the second movie was "better" than the first (the sequel that you anticipated for months). It's that your expectations were not as high to begin with.

That happens to a lot of new grads. Give yourself a little time to get beyond your initial emotional reaction to working the job before you make any big decisions that may change your life.

Student2Registered · Nov 4, 2009

I'd say yes and no. On the one hand, when I can really make a difference or when I catch something subtle and report it I feel great about being a nurse. On the other hand, I really thought people respected nurses and now I'm finding that patients, patients families, doctors, etc really blame the nurse every time ANYTHING happens. The lunch tray was wrong, the room is too hot, the iv infiltrated. I actually got blamed for putting a patients IV in the wrong place when an IV that had been working fine for two days infiltrated and I wasn't even the nurse that put it in. Oh boy...on those days I wonder why I became a nurse. Then, a patient sincerely says "thank you for being so wonderful to me" and then I feel good about being a nurse again. What a roller coaster.

prudence09 · Nov 4, 2009

I have to agree with what student2registered posted we do get blamed for alot. My manager actually told me that we she started nursing was a profession that people respected but now no one respect nurses or anyone for that matter. She was right. Sometimes I do love my job but other days I hate it. Like last night we only had 2 nurses and 14 patients. 7 for me and 7 for her but I can't really complain because I agreed to it when I got hired. Last night was hell and was one day when I hated it. We have no aids no help at all.

Katie5 · Nov 4, 2009

Oh You work with babies? Precious..just precious. In nursing school I KNEW for sure that I didn't want to be "sticking" no baby

but now, I'm not as sure. It would be great to cuddle them:).

To the question..when I first got out of nursing school, I was charged and ready to go, then I got a job which didn't start off on a great

note and then my charge kinda fizzled a bit.But I notice that as time goes on by and with each more experience, skills I gain and with more review, I

began to love my job and look forward to going everday. Thank YOU Lord Jesus.

As an aside, nursing in nursing school needs to be made more original- take the stars away from our eyes, so to say.Lol

Dreamer-RN · Nov 4, 2009

After researching the field prior to starting nursing school and reading forums such as this one, I expected nursing to be a huge adjustment during the first year as I work on becoming a competent nurse. I'm still reconciling "nursing school" nursing with real world nursing. I think the adjustment is going well. However, as one previous poster mentioned, it surely can be an emotional roller coaster ride at times. Thankfully, my preceptors, team, nurse educator and nurse managers are very supportive. Those factors alone make a huge difference with the first year adjustment period.

If anything that comes as a bigger surprise to me is dealing with unreasonable family members and their bizarre ways of handling their loved ones being in a hospital setting, especially in the ICU setting. People never cease to amaze me!

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Nov 7, 2009

Thanks for all the replies....I'm trying to figure out how to write what I feel.

I don't think I had any misconceptions regarding the NICU...I never thought for a second that it was a department where you "got to rock cute little babies all day".

I knew that some stories would be miraculous and some would be the worst possible tragedies.

Yes, very sick kids do intimidate me...mainly because I can appreciate the fragile nature of their condition.

The families...I don't mind dealing with. I have always worked with the general public and I have not found nursing to be any different in dealing with people than what I did before.

I actually don't really know what the problem is. I am just not "driven" by the work itself. I don't have this feeling of accomplishment when I come home at the end of the day...as odd as that sounds. Work has become something I "get through"....I am very meticulous about how I go about it...I don't cut corners and I pride myself in my level of professionalism.

When I go home I think about how my day went...how I could have made it better. I write down anything on a pad I keep in my pocket that I came across during the day that I want to research...a condition that I had never heard of, a disease or genetic disorder I'm not familiar with, etc. I do enjoy this aspect of it and I do enjoy the learning.

I have considered everything...was it because I didn't work for two years while I was in school and I am having trouble getting "back into the routine" of working?? Is it because I choose a career that I thought I would love and don't want to admit that I only "like" it???

It's just disheartening because nursing school was rough and the orientation/perceptor process for the NICU was incredibly involved...tons and tons of hard work has went into my training...not only by me but by senior staff members, my management, my perceptor, etc.

I just wished I could figure out what it is and fix it.

morte, LPN, LVN · Nov 7, 2009

Thanks for all the replies....I'm trying to figure out how to write what I feel.
I don't think I had any misconceptions regarding the NICU...I never thought for a second that it was a department where you "got to rock cute little babies all day".
I knew that some stories would be miraculous and some would be the worst possible tragedies.
Yes, very sick kids do intimidate me...mainly because I can appreciate the fragile nature of their condition.
The families...I don't mind dealing with. I have always worked with the general public and I have not found nursing to be any different in dealing with people than what I did before.
I actually don't really know what the problem is. I am just not "driven" by the work itself. I don't have this feeling of accomplishment when I come home at the end of the day...as odd as that sounds. Work has become something I "get through"....I am very meticulous about how I go about it...I don't cut corners and I pride myself in my level of professionalism.
When I go home I think about how my day went...how I could have made it better. I write down anything on a pad I keep in my pocket that I came across during the day that I want to research...a condition that I had never heard of, a disease or genetic disorder I'm not familiar with, etc. I do enjoy this aspect of it and I do enjoy the learning.
I have considered everything...was it because I didn't work for two years while I was in school and I am having trouble getting "back into the routine" of working?? Is it because I choose a career that I thought I would love and don't want to admit that I only "like" it???
It's just disheartening because nursing school was rough and the orientation/perceptor process for the NICU was incredibly involved...tons and tons of hard work has went into my training...not only by me but by senior staff members, my management, my perceptor, etc.
I just wished I could figure out what it is and fix it.

perhaps PNP would be more in line with your personal style?