CONTINUED IN WHAT IS THE MAJOR REASON Why are they all leaving?

Nurses General Nursing

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What conditions would cause so many nurses to leave? Our ER has been losing friends fast. Why is there such a large turnover in nursing? I'm going to school, yet I talk to many RN's who are looking for a new career!!

To all you nurses out there who still think you can just up and leave your job if you dont like it and go somewhere "better" in the healthcare field, you are really kidding yourselves, nurses without strong representation from a union OR a strong federeal law to protect nurses will continue to be at the mercy of an unscrupulous mutli billion dollar industry and their minions and their lawyers.WAKE UP! Please read my post titled WI Healthcare Worker Retaliation Protection Act. This affects all of us and the future of nursing.

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Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.
I am trying to talk my british DH ( i am american) into moving back to the states so I could get a better nursing job but he likes his job here.................

.................... What is your advice for me?

DH -what is this DH??. I read it on your other post (choccie biccies for nice nurses) Darling husband? D***head? Dear Hubby? I'm from the UK, but its been a while.

Please see my post on the above mentioned thread for advice. Please also PM me with the name of your local newspaper - after reading your post on that thread, I think I feel a letter to the editor coming on -you know the kind that ends with..........best wishes from a disgusted ex-UK nurse who never wants to set foot in one of your Torture Chambers for Nurses, that you call hospitals, ever again in her whole life, because when I recited the Flo Nightingale Pledge at graduation I didn't take a simultaneous Vow of Poverty and Lifelong Self Flagellation.:angryfire

Let ME tell them about uncaring nurses - I'm ON FIRE. And I thought it was bad when Thatcher was in power!

As for DH -tell him that you cannot bear another minute working at that place, so since YOUR salary pays the mortgage you are just going to have to sell the house and rent somewhere (choose the worst place you can think of) because HE likes his job. Otherwise you will have no choice but to leave him in the UK to look after the kids all by HIMSELF while he continues to enjoy his job, otherwise you will commit sidieways. Let the reality sink in while you take some time off, go to a friends house and leave him alone with the kids for a weekend. Tell him it's life and death and don't feel guilty. (btw -I'm not suggesting you leave your kids for good, just let him think that you are that serious.)

Alternatively withholding you know what, general housework strike and dogfood for dinner every night because your totally exhausted, seems to work well (for me). And when you do get to the USA please choose to work at a hospital with a strong union -not one that has a mambypamby pseudo union like the one that I had back in the UK.

Any questions?

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Hello, I am new to this site, I have read stories for months now, but, I just had to reply to this post. I hate med/surge too, I am not a floor nurse for sure, I want to work Psych, I plan on (hopefully) going on to be a NP in psych, I am currently working on a minor in Psych with my nursing degree, I graduate in May. I love the challenges of Psych and the variety.

I'm glad you posted. I graduate in May also & it's nice to know I'm not the only one thinking this way. I've told a few other students that I'm thinking of going into psych and either they look at me like I'm crazy:eek: or they spend 20 min. trying to talk me out of it??? Anyway, good luck to you!:)

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Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.
To all you nurses out there who still think you can just up and leave your job if you dont like it and go somewhere "better" in the healthcare field, you are really kidding yourselves, nurses without strong representation from a union OR a strong federeal law to protect nurses will continue to be at the mercy of an unscrupulous mutli billion dollar industry and their minions and their lawyers.WAKE UP! Please read my post titled WI Healthcare Worker Retaliation Protection Act. This affects all of us and the future of nursing.

:yeahthat:

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.
Hillflower I think that if you looked deeper you will find that Nurses who went into the profession because they wanted to care for sick people and do it well are the ones that are complaining about how awful nursing is these days.

Nurses who went into nursing for nothing but a decent paycheck are less likely to burn out.

Why is that? Because the nurses who went into the profession for $$$$ do not get upset when they see patients get terrible care due to short staffing and poor treatment of nurses. They don't care. These people go to work to collect a paycheck and they go home and don't think about it anymore.

The nurses who went into nursing because they are interested in healthcare, providing excellent care and support for the sick, and advocating for patients are the ones who get burn out and angry. I think that there is a direct correlation between nurses who care about the patients and nurses who get angry at the state of nursing. The more you care about the patients the angrier you will get about unsafe staffing and deplorable working conditions for nurses. That is because these things have such a negative impact on patient care.

Many nurses have no choice but to continue nursing in order to feed their families. There are not options out there for everyone. What options you have depends a lot on your geographical location and your financial situation.

I have posted before about how the conditions at my hospital in England are appalling to the point that I want to crash my car on the way to work. The next nearest hospital is over an hour away and gas here is about $6-7 dollars a gallon. I would pay more out in gas than I earned if I commuted. There is a nationwide recruitment freeze and no jobs for nurses anyway. Even nursing homes are not hiring. We have many many new grads stocking shelves in supermarkets because there are no jobs.

I am trying to talk my british DH ( i am american) into moving back to the states so I could get a better nursing job but he likes his job here. We depend on my crap wage to pay the mortgage. I have actually thought about leaving him and taking my 3 young children (two of whom are autistic) back to the states and trying to make a go of it on my own back there. I am prepared to do this just to get out of my horrible job. DH has informed me that if I leave the UK with the kids he will have me arrested for kidnapping and unfortunately the law is on his side in this case. Even my lawyer warned me not to try and leave the country with the kids without his permission because I will become a hague case and go to jail for a long time.

So many people say that it is so easy to get out of your situation if you are unhappy in your job. What is your advice for me?

Wow. :eek: Sounds like first degree BLACKMAIL, to me. I thought husbands were supposed to be supportive. I guess that's why I haven't had one in the 23 years since mine up and left in order to shack up with his Mistress. He also hasn't bothered to attend any of his three grandchildren's birthday parties this year. What a jerk. :trout:

I wish I did have some words of wisdom for you. I honestly don't know what I would do, faced with the same situation...short of hanging myself. :o

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Nurse Educator..

over worked.....underpaid!!!:chair:

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Here Are My Thoughts On This And I'm Just Throwing These Out.many Nurses Are In Their 50's And 60's. They Are Nearing Retirement And/or Worn Out!!hospitals Have Been Slow To Recognize The Needs Of The Aged Nurse, So Many Are Leaving For Greener Pastures. Pair That With Fewer Nurses Graduating And There Is A Genuine Shortage.

Now For My Thoughts On Why Younger Gals Are Leaving. Reality Shock Is A Big One. Unrealistic Expectations, Too Few Clinical Hours While In Training,ridiculous Portrayal Of Life In A Hospital Setting By The Money Grubbing Hollywood Mogul. Aahh Where Is The Glamour That Appears On The Little Box In Our Living Rooms? And My Last Thought, Some Candidates Just Should Have Been Eliminated Before They Ever Graduated. Not Everyone Is Suited To Nursing .

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Specializes in ER.
Hillflower I think that if you looked deeper you will find that Nurses who went into the profession because they wanted to care for sick people and do it well are the ones that are complaining about how awful nursing is these days.

Nurses who went into nursing for nothing but a decent paycheck are less likely to burn out.

The nurses who went into nursing because they are interested in healthcare, providing excellent care and support for the sick, and advocating for patients are the ones who get burn out and angry. I think that there is a direct correlation between nurses who care about the patients and nurses who get angry at the state of nursing. The more you care about the patients the angrier you will get about unsafe staffing and deplorable working conditions for nurses. That is because these things have such a negative impact on patient care.

DING! DING! DING....I think we have a winner here! I had not really thought about it those terms, but you are exactly right. I graduated in 1973, had wanted to be a nurse since I was a baby, got nurses bags with candy pills and plastic syringes for gifts because that is all I talked about. I had no plan B, was not interested in other options. My grandmother was sick a lot and I would help take care of her when I was very small, and loved it.....that is why I went into nursing, to make a difference in someone elses life, to help ease pain, offer emotional support, provide basic care for those who could not do it myself.

But as another poster said, when I said the "pledge", I did not take a vow of poverty and self flagellation! (Great line, by the way). You can only run on caring so far. Eventually, you have to make a living and feel good about what you do. We don't need much to continue on. A few attaboys every now and then go a long way. We have all had good managers and bad managers and could write a book on them.

If we are given adequate staff and equipment to do our jobs, not have punitive measures hanging over us all shift, and feel that we have some say so in how our units are run, we would all be happy. None of us are asking for an hour leisure lunch at a fancy resturant everyday. But a reasonable break to eat is not unrealistic. Yes, we can run to the back and grab a sandwich and wolf it down on our way back to the desk, because we KNOW no one is watching out for our patients. Not that your co-workers don't want to, but they have their own unrealistic case loads.

Yes, we are frustrated and many burn out early, because we are not allowed to do the work we would love to do. It affects your life in many ways as well. It is hard on families when we are miserable. I, too had one job that I hated, really hated going to. I lasted 9 months there until my husband finally made me come to my sences. It was so bad, that I would work in my garden every day, and intentionally put my hands under rocks or very thick brushy areas HOPING I would be bitten by a poisonous snake! Now, how sick is that??? We have lots of copperheads where I lived so it seemed like a quick fix to having to go to work. I would not die, but had a good excuse. You do very strange things to get out of doing things you are miserable doing.

There are usually other options when your back is up against the wall. Death by snake or motor vehicle is just not a good one.

I do salute the young nurses. We are still fighting the good fight for you and for us oldies. We are hanging in there trying to make the world a better place. Try not to judge us too harshly. We come here to ventilate, so you may only hear the bad news. Take heart and carry on. Keep focused on why you want to be a nurse, but have realistic expectations.

Your work time takes up a great part of your life, and when you are totally miserable, it is time to make a change somewhere. You can't keep going if you are not getting some satisfaction somewhere. Good luck and may God bless us all!

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
To all the wonderful nurses out there doing your job and hanging in there I salute you. I hope when you require nursing care some day in your twilight years that the new generation will do well by you. For those who went into nursing soley for the 'security' or the money I feel for you. For those who take solace in constantly complaining about your conditions or how much you loathe being a nurse, I worry about you. Feeling that stuck, and hating your 'job' can really lead to feelings of helplessness which in turn may lead burnout and subsequent abuse of substances, eating too much, and just basically not enjoying life.

In the past, I have worked with several nurses who were not that 'old' and they discouraged me on a daily basis--DO NOT GO INTO NURSING. One nurse would tell me so often when I was an EMT that I finally asked her one day "why on EARTH are you a nurse? still? here? Why?" To which she actually stopped, reflected and stated that its an honorable way to make a decent living.

To those of you who feel burnt out stressed out floor- nursing -sucks, I ask if you can to try and remember why you went into nursing in the first place. IF you went into nursing soley for the money may I suggest banking, or some other such easier way to make a buck-- you know who you are. For those of you who went into nursing with an ideal in mind, and to fulfill some duty to public service and helpling to relieve suffering of others, I tip my hat to you. Dont be caught up in martyrdom which many nurses do. Dont be a victim. You deserve more than that. To all of you I say thank you. You are the backbone of the establishment and it is a damn shame that so many of you feel disenfranchised in this profession. Change needs to happen. It has to. The healthcare in this country is bustin' at the seams. Nurses are unhappy and will walk. And who will be around to take care of the suits someday? That is when you will see real change happen. Some may scoff--but never underestimate power in numbers.

It's patronizing, pedantic posts like this that make me want to whack my head against a wall for a few minutes.

ETA: Ah, nursing student. That explains it.

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DH -what is this DH??. I read it on your other post (choccie biccies for nice nurses) Darling husband? D***head? Dear Hubby? I'm from the UK, but its been a while.

Thats what I wanted to know. I wanted to know what a DH is as well.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

DH is dear husband; or dang husband....case may be.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
It affects your life in many ways as well. It is hard on families when we are miserable. I, too had one job that I hated, really hated going to. I lasted 9 months there until my husband finally made me come to my sences. It was so bad, that I would work in my garden every day, and intentionally put my hands under rocks or very thick brushy areas HOPING I would be bitten by a poisonous snake! Now, how sick is that??? We have lots of copperheads where I lived so it seemed like a quick fix to having to go to work. I would not die, but had a good excuse. You do very strange things to get out of doing things you are miserable doing.

There are usually other options when your back is up against the wall. Death by snake or motor vehicle is just not a good one.

I understand. I recently left a job affecting me in much the same way, I was in therapy attempting to find ways to cope with the misery, contemplating medication because I had begun to have suicidal thoughts... all because I was miserable at my job and it was permeating every area of my life. My therapist tried to give me tips on how to deal with it which seemed insane to me! I'm going to therapy in an attempt to cope with something I'm supposed to want to do?! In the end I knew that I had to listen to what I REALLY needed and just walk away from the job.

I've worked other areas of healthcare and am just amazed that such working conditions are tolerated in nursing. It shouldn't be this way. This is a serious responsibility, RNs need time to think about what they're doing and give quality care to their patients. They need emotional and technical support when challenged. They also need regular, normal breaks... and I'm sorry, but gulping a sandwich while charting DOES NOT count...

Until this happens facilities are going to keep dealing with the revolving door syndrome. People do not want to be miserable at their jobs (because it often affects other areas of their lives) and they will do what they can to get away from it. Wouldn't it be less expensive to allow RNs to safely care for their patients and themselves (and retain them!) than to continually invest so much in recruiting, hiring, and orienting?

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