Questions: Nurses leaving the Profession

Nurses General Nursing

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I have a question about nursing. I am currently an elemenatary school teacher who has been accepted to Nursing School for Spring 2007. I read an old article in "Times Magazine", that stated that the average nurse last about 5 years in the profession (similar to the burnout rate for teachers). I want to know why nurses leave the profession at such a high rate. I know that every profession has its problems and even lawyers and CEO's who make a lot of money gripe about their jobs. But on this board I've heard a lot of nurses post comments about doctor mistreatment, cattiness between co-workers, ill-tempered CNAs, charge nurses, and the like. I've also noticed that many nurses post about a lack of respect from administrators and co-workers even though nurses receive professional training. I 'd like to know some of the reasons why nurses are leaving the profession at such an alarming rate. I'd also like to know if it is better (work atmosphere wise) to work in a hospital, home health, doctor's office, etc.

Thank you very much HollyVK. Yes.. since I am a heart patient, I have had several Echos done. I am familiar with them. I did check into that actually. The pay is not as good as an RN and there are not as many opportunities in my area of the US for Echo Techs. There are plenty for nurses with good pay. So I guess in the end, you get one thing you don't get something else. I am not in a position to move so I have to work a job were I can 1) find work 2) get decent pay

I thank you very much for mentioning that though. I am hoping as a new grad I can go straight to the heart hospital or work for my doc. I would make pretty good $$ at the heart hospital I am guessing.... my heart doc. tells me he pays his nurses $80,000 and up. I went in to see him just to talk about nursing. I had an appt. on the books, but it was just for 15 minutes and he did not charge me or anything. He wrote me a very nice letter of recommd. for RN school. He has known me for over a decade and he says I even amaze him sometimes with the heart info. and medicines I know!! LOL. So I am hoping I can do an externship with him and then just stay on. Wish me luck!! That is the plan!!! :clown:

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Specializes in Peds, GI, Home Health, Risk Mgmt.
Thank you very much HollyVK. Yes.. since I am a heart patient, I have had several Echos done. I am familiar with them. I did check into that actually. The pay is not as good as an RN and there are not as many opportunities in my area of the US for Echo Techs. There are plenty for nurses with good pay. So I guess in the end, you get one thing you don't get something else. I am not in a position to move so I have to work a job were I can 1) find work 2) get decent pay

I thank you very much for mentioning that though. I am hoping as a new grad I can go straight to the heart hospital or work for my doc. I would make pretty good $$ at the heart hospital I am guessing.... my heart doc. tells me he pays his nurses $80,000 and up. I went in to see him just to talk about nursing. I had an appt. on the books, but it was just for 15 minutes and he did not charge me or anything. He wrote me a very nice letter of recommd. for RN school. He has known me for over a decade and he says I even amaze him sometimes with the heart info. and medicines I know!! LOL. So I am hoping I can do an externship with him and then just stay on. Wish me luck!! That is the plan!!! :clown:

Good luck to you, but remember, the starting wages for a brand-new nurse are much lower than for an experienced one. There are several discussions on this site about wages and salaries, including starting salaries; I suggest you check them out. Pay scales are determined by your number of years of experience, geographic location of the facility, size of the facility, type of facility, and the presence/absence of nursing union activity in the area.

I worked several years at a prominent, nationally-recognized children's hospital that required RNs to have BSNs and always touted that it did national surveys of other children's hospitals to determine its wage scales (almost all chidren's hospitals are located in large metropolitan areas). Imagine my surprise when I then next started working at a large general hospital in the area and was making more money!

HollyVK

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Hmmm why are nurses so dissatisfied?? How about because (I am convinced) the hospitals they work for DESPISE them!! Office and salary workers get to take time off, for example, around the holidays (not just lucky enough to get to be OFF of the holiday itself) while it is forbidden for patient care staff to do so, even when the census drops predictably from year to year.

Management and office workers also have access to premium parking lots which are CLOSED AND BARRED during the weekends and holidays when nursing staff have to work and they sit empty.

We spend years and endure physical and mental hardships to do our job on the front lines as best we can, and don't see any recognition, while the same managemnet people pat themselves on the backs and take turns passing around the "manager of the quarter" award.

I could go on, but you see the point..........

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I dont want to start something here, but its my opinion that the reason nurses AND teachers dont get paid well and have it so hard is because its a field dominated by women. The PAs and MDs are generally men along with the Superintendents and Deans of the school systems. Sorry thats just what I notice. I agree with some of you about nursing. Im sick of it because the lines are blurred. "PATIENT CARE" can mean anything, and if you dont do it, I'm sure someone will find a way to punish you with the threat of ABANDONMENT or NEGLECT. Those words seem to keep us in check with the higher ups. I AM SICK OF IT.

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I think that nurses leave the profession because they simply get burnt out. Hosptial nursing is HARD work. Not only are we having to care for very sick patients but we are having to cater to their family members as well (thank you "family-centered care"). I have to find family members food, clean clothes (yes, they do ask!), fax documents for them, etc. and keep everyone happy. This is all part of "customer service". I'm all for visiting hours are OVER - get your butt out of here so the patient can rest and get better! We are constantly short-staffed and our facility has MANDATORY overtime, which leaves us very little time with our families. I can't tell you the number of 12-hour shifts that I have worked where I get NO BREAK at all and am lucky if I have time to use the bathroom once or twice. Some people may say that is just poor time management - but really it is not - it is REALITY. Not every shift is like that - but many of them are. I go home at night and I am mentally and physically exhausted. I have been doing this for 3 years and I am already looking for an "office" nurse position.

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Please, don't take this the wrong way because I'm not trying to get into a who has a harder job debate, but teaching takes up a lot of your time, especially if you are a new teacher. You have to come up with lesson plans, grade papers, and fill out a lot of paper work. You also have to deal with angry parents and students. In addition to this there has been an upsurge in violence and sexual activity (even among elementary students!) For the amount of hours that one puts in, (for the lack of pay and abuse) it's extremelly difficult profession.

Anouk - I have grandchildren - I've seen your job - I don't want it!!:smackingf

You may not find it much different, tho, dealing with angry families, who think their family member should receive 1:1 attention, and to heck with the other patients.

Your job description sounds eerily like that of a nurse!

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Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

I said it before , and I will say it again.... a nurse is a sucker position....

Now, having said that, I am a nurse, and am generally proud to be one. But, mostly I like the fact that it provides a steady income to feed my kids, and house and dress them, and pay their tuition, and... etc....

Yes, I am jaded. But im my relatively short career of 5 years, I have heard and seen too many examples of a nurse taking responsibility for something she shouldnt. Too many patients? Well, you are a nurse, are bound by your license and the law to not abandon those patients, and render safe care. Its too much work? Gee, I know, Im sorry..... but it doesnt change anything.

I was at a treatment meeting last week at my other job (psych residential center for kids). Six kids are scheduled, each get an allotted 30 minutes, alone with the tx team. One kid had issues we hadnt anticipated, and went over allotted time. The MD said "Cancel so and so,(the next kid) I dont have enough time to render proper care since we went over with so and so"

Just..........like...............that. When was the last tiime a nurse could even think about saying that? Never, and you never will. Like I said, a suckers job.

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Hmmm why are nurses so dissatisfied?? How about because (I am convinced) the hospitals they work for DESPISE them!! ..........

I think you're right.

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I think that nurses leave the profession because they simply get burnt out. Hosptial nursing is HARD work. Not only are we having to care for very sick patients but we are having to cater to their family members as well (thank you "family-centered care"). I have to find family members food, clean clothes (yes, they do ask!), fax documents for them, etc. and keep everyone happy. This is all part of "customer service". I'm all for visiting hours are OVER - get your butt out of here so the patient can rest and get better! We are constantly short-staffed and our facility has MANDATORY overtime, which leaves us very little time with our families. I can't tell you the number of 12-hour shifts that I have worked where I get NO BREAK at all and am lucky if I have time to use the bathroom once or twice. Some people may say that is just poor time management - but really it is not - it is REALITY. Not every shift is like that - but many of them are. I go home at night and I am mentally and physically exhausted. I have been doing this for 3 years and I am already looking for an "office" nurse position.

Too bad office nursing doesn't pay as well as hospital nursing..at least in my area I'd be forced to take a 10 dollar/hr pay cut!!

And yes....not only are we expected to kiss the butt of the patient but we have to kiss the family's butt as well......in my facility once 8pm rolls around, I go around room to room and ask visitors to leave...the patient isn't on vacation for pete's sake!! LEAVE!

you can bet you will be blackballed.You are pretty much darned if you do and darned if you dont in this profession.

You got THAT right! I was fired two yrs ago for something minor....no allegations were EVER brought against my nursing license but since the firing facility has me listed as DO Not Hire, I am blackballed from every other hospital in a 50 mile radius!! NOT FAIR!

Honestly, I'd rather drive a truck! Or a jitney at GE where my DH's niece is getting paid as much as I do. Me, an RN with 10 yrs experience, certification in my area of specialty (CCRN), ACLS, PALS and this girl gets paid the same amt of $$ to drive a jitney around for 8 hrs with BETTER BENEFITS, WEEKENDS OFF, HOLIDAYS OFF and TWO WEEKS paid vacation in the summertime!

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i left nursing 6 years ago to have children. we now have four girls ages 2 mo, 2 years, 4 yrs and 6 yrs. i will be returning to nursing in 2008 and am scheduled to attend an rn refresher course at the local university's school of nursing january-may.

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