Discouraged

[JJewel]

Hi- I'm new to this forum. I have not had the best luck with my nursing career. I'm 45 and graduated 8 years ago. My first job was in the newborn nursery and lasted 6 months, with me having a baby in the middle of that. The dept was in turmoil with high turnover and a mediation team that met with us weekly to figure out the problems. I was miserable and never felt like I caught on and was competant.

I went then to a nursing home thinking it would be easier and boy was I wrong. I was the most educated person in the building after 5pm and had no management skills. The aids and kitchen staff were always off smoking and I couldn't keep track of them and give patient care also. During my 6 months there I had another nurse (on MY med-pass night) over drug my patient "to keep them quiet" and then tell me how to chart it so it would look OK, even though it was not the orders. I had several instances of unethical and illegal activity and was being called in by the state investigators regularly though it had nothing to do with my behavior.

I think I had post-partum depression and I know I was sleep-deprived. And the stress of being in a place where the care was so poor was overwhelming.

I took a few months off and then landed in private duty peds where I have been for 7 yrs. I've been successful at this but I'm bored and tired of being in people's homes. But my confidence was crushed by those first 2 jobs being so awful and feeling like I just wasn't capable of being a "real" nurse. I'm questioning my abilities.

Are there other threads you can refer me to where others like myself have struggled to figure out where they fit in in the nursing world or if they want to be a nurse at all. And is there a resource that lists all the different possible jobs nurses do?

I sure would appreciate any input you have.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

{{{{jewel}}}}

Can you afford to take a little time off? I would, and I would look into counselling/medication for the PPD. It's real, and it's horrible.

I'm not feeling so competent today myself. Just hang in thre.

[JJewel]

{{{{jewel}}}}

Can you afford to take a little time off? I would, and I would look into counselling/medication for the PPD. It's real, and it's horrible.

I'm not feeling so competent today myself. Just hang in thre.

Well my son is 7 now so the PPD isn't a problem. I did however start antidepressants 5 years ago and though they did help me feel better at first, that was the beginning of a long road of difficulties related to the SSRIs, including addiction. Since then I've become very well educated on how dangerous they can be and how little doctors know about them, as they are educated by the pharmaceutical reps.

With the help of paxilprogress.org I managed to get through the worst of withdrawal while tapering the meds over a year and am now riding out the year post meds. It has been a long journey I wouldn't wish on anyone.

I'm also getting counceling now. It's coming off the meds that helped me realize how stuck I was and how meaningless my work had become. I'm living fully now and want more challenge and want to do more meaningful work.

Thanks for your response, Sue.

[RN4life#1, RN]

So sorry to hear that, I am sure that you will find something that will give you what you're looking for.(((((hugs)))))

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

You're welcome.

Good luck on getting off the meds. I plan to be buried with a vial of Lexapro clutched in my sweaty little palm.

:)

[nightmare, RN]

Why do they pile more and more pressure on us?? I guarantee that we are all probably good nurses but time and time again I'm reading about Nursing Homes/LTC's breaking the confidence of good nurses by putting them under so much pressure.We shouldn't be made to feel like this.If we did this to a resident it would be called abuse and probably be in the newspapers/TV!!

Please let us get on with the job we love and give us encouragement and the occasional thank you .

(Rant over,will now go and lie down in darkened room!)

[JJewel]

You're welcome.

Good luck on getting off the meds. I plan to be buried with a vial of Lexapro clutched in my sweaty little palm.

:)

I've been off SSRIs for 7 months but it's amazing how long the affects last. Since it alters the neurons the brain doesn't heal until the neurons have regenerated and the endocrine system balances. That's why they say it takes 6 months to work fully.

When people go off docs constantly tell people their original symptoms are returning when in fact it is withdrawal.

The problem most people encounter when trying to stay on meds indefinately is that the body compensates and people find themselves in 'poop out' meaning in withdrawal while still taking a daily dose of the med.

Paxil's longest trial was 12 weeks and it says on the info insert it's not to be taken more than 6 months. I don't know why docs continue to prescribe it for years. We just got the FDA to require black box warnings for increased suicide rates (in people who never had suicide thoughts before) on all SSRIs for up to age 35 I think.

Studies show exercise to be more effective than meds for moderate to severe depression. In fact 70%of people on SSRIs are still depressed. Not to mention the host of side affects that require more medication like RLS, sleep issues, H/As, anxiety. Studies show exercise to be more effective than meds at treating moderate to severe depression. Also fish oil is effective. Sleep, nutrition, lifestyle changes help immensely as well, and therapy is important.

I'm not against prople taking A/Ds I just want people to be educated by their docs with the truth about how serious they are. And I also wish they would be a last resort after trying the things that are healthier and don't have side effects (possibly deadly.)