Good Bye to Nursing for me...

lisal11 · Jan 12, 2007

I truly believe that ANY job IS difficult and requires people and social skills of patience and tact, no matter what field you choose.
It's easy to jump on the "this is too hard for me" wagon. The best thing you can do instead, is to find avenues to make the job better for you and for those you work with. Or, if you are passive and don't want to speak up and talk to manager's managers about the problems you and staff face, then get another job --- find it carefully and take your time, as it sounds like you have the financial stability to be picky.
Later you can chalk up these tough and bad experiences as "character building."
Also, you don't have to work in a hospital, nurses can specialize, and they can also find a setting that works for them. One of the wonderful things about becoming a nurse is the job security and ability to find that unique job that suits you best.

Amen to that!

I have also been through a couple of career changes (teaching and social work) and nursing is my newest venture. Everyplace I have been there is always a learning curve, crummy people, and bad politics. There is no escaping it, so it's a good idea to learn from the experience and develop techniques to avoid the negatives as best as you can.

New jobs are always hard to deal with. I do not have a single friend (some of them in very high stress positions, nurses included) who didn't cry in the first 6 months of their job because it was too hard to learn, it was too stressful or co-workers were mean. However, with a little time, every single one of them (myself included) figured out the job, became confident and learned to navigate the political waters. In my experience, job satisfaction comes faster when I put on a big smile and be super courteous while becoming proficient. Even the nasty people will have a hard time being mean to you if you stay positive. Of course I still went home and cried/stressed until I had the job down pat, but at least my co-workers thought I was up to the task! Once all that garbage is resolved you can see if you love the job for what it truly is.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having a hard time adjusting but I strongly encourage you not to leave your career, unless the stress is absolutely too much to bear. You have worked hard for your degree and this is a great time to get some experience under your belt before having your baby (congrats!). You have a great reason to leave work in the next several months and take an extended break without looking bad on your resume. Also, as the other posters have said, keep your certification current because there are so many flexible (and well paid) positions out there that you can pick up later.

I wish you and your baby the absolute best of luck! Don't give up, you'll find your niche!

kiwi nurse · Jan 12, 2007

Sorry to hear you had such a hard time with you preceptors, I can certainly feel for you, as a similar thing has happened to me recently. Having graduated in 2004, and aquiring a position in a 700 bed hospital. My preceptors were a nightmare as well, i'm thinking maybe its their age?.... been in nursing too long? i don't know but i went through a similar thing. Its almost as though they believe you didn't learn a thing in all the years of your training. I'm like the other nurses who have written in.... don't give up just yet.... certainly keep you licence up to date.... I've stuck this job out for a couple of years and certainly i'm looking for another one. I'm hoping i've got more experience now, for when i move to handle to ratbags of the nursing profession. I have to say, i nearly chucked it in myself after a month of total CRAP. Keep your chin up, and don't ever let anyone tell you, that you don't know anything or can't do it :nono: because you can. We all can.

4daughters · Jan 12, 2007

I just joined today...and I'm amazed at all of the stories I'm reading about burnout and overwork:o . I too am in a similar situation. I love my job, but can't STAND the administrative nonsense. Everything is about the bottom line, and seeing how much more they can get out of us. Our manager is often "crazed" - I approached her about a situation when I was in charge, and she came right out and said that I disgusted her because I voiced my concerns. They run our hospital like a hotel, we even have room service. Much of the time, we have patients who are never happy with anything you do. Most of the patients on my unit are quite healthy. Often we are busy starting an IV, doing bloodwork, or other stat nursing interventions, and we get a call on our PHONES (and yes, we have nurses written up over taking one home by mistake!), for ice water or to mop their floors. Housekeeping will not empty linen bags, we have no assistants who help us out, per se, and if we do have the luxury of having one on the unit, she always seems to be "unavailable", or should I say, watching TV in the locker room.

I think what disturbs me most is that we continue to put up with it. I applaud the younger nurses who are coming out of school and realizing that there's more to life than this. When are we going to stop burying our heads in the sand, and stand up for ourselves? We let administration walk all over us, our managers often times abuse us verbally. Our unit is always under the rule of threats - we can't answer call lights over the intercom - we must physically go to the rooms to see what's wrong - most of the time it's been a mistake - the patient rolled on it, or one of her children pushed it; if we make a lab error of ANY sort, it's grounds for dismissal - this is because our manager has made a goal to have none for the year. We all go about our day in fear. But I have a hard time dealing with the morale - NO ONE is happy - but we can't go to anyone about it, because we have to deal with the wrath of the manager when she finds out we've complained. Nursing has been a big disappointment to me, because how I am practicing is not what I signed up to do. If I had wanted to go into the hospitality/hotel industry, I would have gone to university for that, and made a 6 figure income. I'm now at a crossroads, trying to figure out how to get out of hospital nursing and go into business for myself. Any nurses who have gone into business for themselves, please let me know.

BoomerRN · Jan 13, 2007

Hey 4 daughters, you can start your own business. When I first moved here from another state, I advertised my services as an RN and the ad was answered by a wonderful family who had a brittle diabetic elderly mother who needed care during the day while they worked. I really enjoyed this job. Now, I am researching starting a health care business of which I hope to start by later this year. I'm at an age where I just can't see myself going back to LTC, etc and, I want to do my own thing my way. There are numerous resources online to check out and decide on what type of business to start. The small business admin. in your community will also help you. Our community college offers "How To Start a Business" and other helpful courses. Go for it. Good Luck.

el0489 · Jan 13, 2007

I feel your pain, believe me. I have had it very rough, too, in this career - preceptors from hell, unsafe working conditions, disrespectful and unreliable CNAs, etc. And we wonder why there's a shortage? I've been trying different options and at this point, am mostly avoiding facilities. I love home care but can't get enough hours. At this point, I'm looking at work in medical offices. They don't make as much money but it's less stressful. I can supplement this with per diem and weekend hours doing home care.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Jan 13, 2007

I'm very sad to to learn about such a negative experience. I've been a preceptor my self but nothing like what you described. Those are the kind of nurses that discourage others, students alike, from the nursing profession. They probably forgot the were newly grads once, perhaps the were born with the degree and the experience attached to the placenta. Wish you were my preceptee, i'm sure your experience would have been much more pleasent and quite a learning experience. I will never forget I was a nursing student and a young grad once!.

When I was on orientation - in 1975 - my hospital had which I believed was an ideal model. We had two med-surg floors that served as orientation floors. Physical conditions that no new grad would believe on God's green earth BUT we were adequately staffed. All the RN's who worked on this floor chose to be preceptors (most were in grad school). No, they didn't receive any more money (although, that's not a bad idea) but they had the desire to work with a new grad despite a lot of physically yucky things about the units; the pay-off was enough staffing to give good care. These were also teaching units for the MD's - all orders written by interns and residents with oversight by the private docs. How self-defeating is it for any institution to provide preceptors who are not equipped (intellectually or emotionally) for teaching? How self-defeating is it that new grads have to tolerate this meat grinder mentality? I don't think that the politics of the nurse-other relationship will ever change until we all have a four-year degree and command as much respect as your kid's piano teacher. This is not the forum to continue the endless debate. I'm not talking "quality" of bedside care here but political reality. The higher-ups will always see us as trade school fodder until we became an item so scarce that they'll have to pay enough and provide enough professional incentives to keep the precious commodity of nurses.

oktravelnurse · Jan 13, 2007

I just hate to hear stories like this from new grads. It is so important for your orientation to be a positive experience. I had the best preceptor. She was kind, never made me feel ignorant and I learned a lot. It was only after I finished my orientation that I became burnt out. I decided to change and start traveling. I went to Calif. There they only give you 5 patients and you can usually do a great job with 5 patients. My first night off orientation I had 14 patients alone on a neuro floor. It was insane not to mention dangerous. Please take care of yourself. Take time off and concentrate on your new baby. Don't give up on nursing you will find your place. We need nurses.

forest2525 · Jan 13, 2007

Dont give up on this profession yet. I am not terribly happy where I am now, and plan to go elsewhere in a few months. But there are too many avenues you can go in this field to not investigate some that you haven't tried yet.

Tiwi · Jan 13, 2007

I came on the site tonight looking for those who have had experiences of violence committed towards them in this job. Unfortunately I have been unable to read all posts, and am wondering if anyone has been on the wrong end of physical violence. I'm sure they have, and that it has already been discussed in this forum.

Where I work physical and verbal violence is not uncommon. I have had good support from the hospital, however I feel that myself and others are in a vulnerable position. The hospital has initiated a programme for staff to report violence which will hopefully reduce the incidence. However its effectiveness is limited by the law which of course also has to consider the nurse's responsibility of "duty of care". Patients cannot be discharged obviously if they are sick, even if staff are threatened verbally or physically. However it becomes tedious for staff to have to fill out at least two, maybe three forms as well as recording in the notes, the occurrance of the incident, if one feels things are not getting done. Nurses are filling out enough paperwork to cover themselves legally, which takes up time, and paperwork that seems superfluous eventually becomes tiresome.

For me, I am finding it increasingly difficult to deal with even slightly abusive ppl. I find I am almost rooted to the spot and can't think calmly. Yes, I have been to counselling, and while they have been great and helped me get through an extremely rough period, the last person said to me that the health system was under pressure, they can only get so much staff, and I got the impression she thought I needed to adjust to the situation

OK, yes I need to learn to be more calm. I have improved, and most of the time ppl don't see. But we have mandatory aggression seminars, and for the last two I have had to walk out because I am in tears. It is embarrassing. Senior staff don't seem to understand, though as I have stated previously I have had great support in the past.

I am not giving up nursing, I am proud of my previous position as an EN, and have worked too hard to gain my RN qualification. I may consider counselling, but feel that if I can't handle seminars how the heck will I handle intentionally talking about it, especially if I'm told the situation cannot be changed?

I would really like to hear other ppl's experiences...

poco424 · Jan 13, 2007

Caliotter 3, instead of ending your career so quickly try another avenue. the OR might be a good place for you. i work there and the kind of stress you encountered on your job doesn't seem to exist there. that's not to say there is no stress but don't give up. med surg isn't the only kind of nursing there is..........

yako+2 · Jan 13, 2007

I would also not encourage you to stop. Just take a break and continue renewing your licence. Nursing is what is keeping me alive please do not give up.

sherryshell · Jan 14, 2007

Healer27, it could just be that med-surg or the hospital environment is not for you. I suffered through a year of med-surg, it was the worse experience of my life. Like you, I had no time to eat lunch, no time for bathroom breaks (8 UTI's that year), the stress was unreal, I was sooo sick all the time. Nursing school was a piece of cake in comparision.

I finally had enough, and went back to private duty part time and took a supervisory position in Medicaid personal care (which is where I'd worked as a CNA at the beginning of my career). Now I'm assistant DON and expect to have my own agency soon.

I say all that to say this. Take a break from nursing, but don't give up on it. And whatever you do don't let your license expire!!!!!!!

Take it from me, there is much more to nursing than hospitals.