Well, the start of a new year and I'm kissing nursing
good bye after only 5 short months. I graduated in may and started at a hospital in august. My very first preceptor was a nightmare, on my 3rd day on the floor she said I was too slow and put me down in front of other
nurses or whoever was in distance of hearing her. At one
point she even said, "well, I have her she know's nothing I have to show her everything." So being enthusiastic I decided NOT to let it get to me and proceeded to take her C*ap for another couple of weeks. At which time I was moved to a different floor with a preceptor who was great and I learned alot from. PRoblem was at this hospital IF
I wanted to stay I'd have to take a evening position. SO I left a found a hosptial closer to home on days. Well, once again I have the preceptor from hell not only that but the managers In my opinion are nitpickers. ON my first day on the floor they wrote up a nurse who was in charge of making sure all the phones were back at the end of the day, for not having a phone returned. (someone took one home accidentally).. I found this ridiculous, it's a busy med/surg floor with an 8:1 patient ratio and they are worried about PHONES???? I could go on and on about the other horrors but it would be to long.
Long story short I've decide to quit. Luckily I don't NEED the job to support myself or I wouldn't be able to leave. my hubby makes a decent salary. I do feel bad placing all the financial burden on him but I'm planning on just picking up a admin position somewhere. I don't care if I'm making half the money I jsut want to be happy. I'm so SICK of being stressed going into work, stressed coming home, worrying about this, being stressed on the floor. To me its just not worth it. My hubby is worried that I'll change my mind and want to come back to nursing but won't be able to after leaving 2 prior positions. bUt seriously I can't imagine feeling this way.
I also just found out I'm expecting my first child and I really can't imagine the stress level as well as not eating/drinking/peeing an entire shift is good. So I'm gone. I give up, I give in, I just feel like I can't do it. I'm thinking I'm just not meant to be in nursing, or i woudn't have just kept inheriting bad circumstances and preceptors from hell.
Well, I'd love to hear if anyone else has left nursing? come back and any other thoughts you all might have.
here's an easy fix to put your boss and the nasty workers in thier place- get a copy of your medical records and when they start their crap say here - read this and THEN tell me its all in my head............... worked for me anyhow :) put em quiet in a quick way ( though i will admit then the focus went to " oh she shouldn't even be in nursing cause she cant handle it yada yada- lol - even though i still get my work done before most of them - now that i think about it - guess it doesnt matter lol - the focus just went elsewhere - just somewhere i could handle better- i dont take kindly to people calling me a liar lol -
just a couple thoughts
first I hate that saying "nurses eat their young" because it generalizes about all of us and presents a poor image, I try my best to help new nurses and mostly i think it helps, but sometimes you do get someone who thinks they all ready know it all and won't listen to you at all
i think maybe the reason older nurses are mean sometimes is that they are just completely burnt out, and other professions are not overworked to the degree that nurses are..someone used school teachers as an example of being more professional..well i think they don't have to work for 8 or twelve hours straght while standing on their feet and not eating or drinking at all, meanwhile getting grief from all sides
also i know where i work some older nurses are unhappy because we get a lousy 3% raise each year while new staff comes in at a great salary AND a huge hiring bonus, while seniority means nothing
my advice to "goodbye to nursing for me" is to RUN not walk back to school and pursue a different vocation. I wish I had been smart enough to do that, I really enjoy caring for patients (well most of them anyway), however, I am fed up with our nursing organizations and administration which don't even deserve the title of nurses, they don't help us (the bedside nurses) but knuckle under to the business world while we struggle in the trenches, I have worked med surg and obstetrics for over 25 years, now I have injured my back and i'm in constant pain, still working (with supposed light duty which to my hospital means -call for help if you need it) and a complete regular assignment, I'm fighting with workers compensaion just to have the limitations which the doctor ordered (the same doctor the HOSPITAL sent me to) My entire life is a shambles. So now even if I wanted to I really can't get a different job, I can't sit stand or walk for even ten minutes without pain, and nothing treatment wise has helped me, other than narcotics which preclude my working even more, In short, if I had it to do over again, even though I truly believe that I've been an EXCELLENT nurse, I would definitely go into something else. Its not worth being disabled believe me. And if anyone would like to notice..it is now after 4:30 and I am supposed to be at work at 6:30...insomnia is yet another problem caused by my back pain. I have three bulging discs, an annular tear, facet degeneration, spondylsis, etc...
Oh yes, and to support the idea of how nurses treat each other. My nurse manager somehow spread the word to my coworkers that "they can't find anything wrong with her" and "i guess we have to believe her..she says she's in pain" said sarcastically, so that even though my MRI showed significant degeneration and other problems , only a few of my coworkers are supportive of my problems at all, while most think that I am making them work harder to pick up the slack caused by me, I have reported incidences of rudeness and outright hostility to my boss to no effect, I dread going to work and as for my home life,...well on days I work I pretty much am bedridden for the remainder of the day, and I can only tolerate light activity on others, so my husband and my planned 25th anniversary trip is out of the question
So, just let that license go, go back and get a degree in accounting, there are so many things you can do with that and you won't be at risk for infection (i went through months of testing and treatment after getting blood in my eye during surgery despite having a protective facial mask) or injury ( besides my present back injury i was injured before while taking a bed apart for delivery and hurt my neck twice while moving patients and my chest once while moving a patient) And all my hospital does is harass me and help the insurance company in trying to deny my benefits.
Leave now and don't look back. I just called out of work-by the way_ so that will be another demerit. Question.."would it be worse to work when I know I am obviously in no condition to do so?"
... Job Satisfaction, however, I can say that they all had their good sides as well as their downsides. Can't say I've ever gone into a job with the idea that the public I was serving would be greatful -at least that wasn't my reason for entering (grin). But of all the jobs I've done, nursing is probably one of the most difficult to work in.
Yeah...it makes all the difference when someone appreciates what you've done for them...
Nursing is most difficult because of the increasing responsibilities, etc...??
And how do you find your job satisfaction? (Maybe that's a new thread).
After this thread, I'm steeling myself (not yet even in nursing school), but it's been a good reminder that we work with other human beings and that can be the most difficult part of any job.
In my case, I've been fortunate for the past 22 years. Working as a flight attendant you rarely even work with the same people more than a couple of 2 to 5 day trips a month.
The politics is going to be a difficult part of this job, and I don't look forward to it. But being a "mature" person, I know to keep a low profile and be professional...I also know that (partly due to this thread) there are sooooo many options within the nursing profession, that there will surely be somewhere for me. The trick is probably not to have unrealistic expectations.
One thing I'm prepared for...LONG DUTY DAYS! My current job is made of them.
Again thanks for all the replies, I NEVER expected to get such a huge response.
Alot of you have mentioned going into a different area of nursing which I will consider after the baby. Again I just don't have it in me at this point of time to start somewhere new yet again. But really where can you go outside the hospital with little experience and an associates degree? It seems alot of docs offices these days hire medical assistants not nurses. But if someone can make some recommendations I'd love to hear..
It is tough out there I must admit and I don't doubt that those things aren't happening, but there are so many opportunities I can't believe that you would waist all the work you did to get your degree and license. If people are treating you bad then you need to let everyone know about it and if the hospital doesn't support you then move on, but don't quit until you have really tried everything. If you are a quitter, then you are not cut out to be a nurse!
i dont now the OP demographics however if the OP is in a small rural area there maybe no other option but to quit- i am in a small rural area and the field is getting even meaner ( our current employer just made it so in order for the "full timers" - usuallu 64 - 80 hours - to have insurance they MUST work 80 hours- many who need it and can only work the 64 or 72 a payperiod ) ( they also made another nurse who went nights full time - an lpn - due to divorce and kids etc - hired a rn for nights and have told the lpn she has to work another shift - which she cant with her daycare - or she wont get her hours - no mond she has bent over backwards for a yr for these folks when they were short leaving her alone many times with not even enough aides!!)
anyhow- my point is - seems from nurses i know our small areas are nastier then anything and it isnt always a matter of just go somewhere else- many times thee is noweher else. i see so many good nurses and new grad nurses that could be good get run off lately it makes me sick. for many its not an option to just up and go elswhere - doesnt mean they arent cut out to be a nurse - just my opinion
Wow, I do understand how you feel. 8 years ago, as a new nurse, I had two awful preceptors, one right after the other...and then the hospital nursing turned me off. Not 5 seconds did I have with my patients. One day, a dying patient asked me not to leave him, he was afraid. And I remember that I had SO much work to do, but I couldn't leave him. I was all done after that. Maybe it just wasn't for me. I have done allot of different jobs over the years, but now I am giving nursing a break. I had a great job for the last 5 years, but then we had to move to Hawaii (military) and I will never find a job like that one again.
I miss it, and at the same time, I don't miss the stress of it either.
i think you proved your self as a nurse and that you belong just by being able to NOT leave a scared dying man - pat on the back for you - :) you are a great nurse.
Overworked, burning out, and all the while the 'powers that be' are heaping more duties and responsibilities onto the pile that already exists. There is NO prospect for relief in sight (good enough for you?). Your beginning school next fall. Thats cool. But comment on your observations once you're doing the work -should be interesting to see how your perspective relates then compared to now. .
i wonder too how those who do no teven work in th eprofession yet nor have gone through the hell new grads or even older nurses orienting new jobs go through, can even comment -
a friend who is leaving the profession due to management jack@#$$$ said it well - a pig is still a pig no matter how you dress it ( hahah id have lOVED to see the face of the boss when she said it )
i wonder too how those who do no teven work in th eprofession yet nor have gone through the hell new grads or even older nurses orienting new jobs go through, can even comment -
Easy...it's a public forum. Anyone is welcome to respond to posts.
I'll get the experience soon enough...as a future student, you bet I'm going to respond and seek answers and further clarifications.
Specializes in Critical care, Home health, Tele, Agency.
Poor girl....Man there are alot of responses to your post. I have been in the business for 14 years...Let me tell you...I have experienced everything you are saying about co workers.. The "clicks", the snobs, the backstabbers, everything. I have also experienced co workers who are real friends, nice, help you out and have your back so to speak. I surely hope you wont totally give up on nursing. We have a tough job, no doubt about it. You just need to find where you will be the most happy at. Sometimes it takes many jobs to find that. The beauty of nursing is that there are so many different jobs out there, that you have that choice. There is such a nursing shortage there is no way on earth you should have to stay and put up with abuse. I work in a CCU now. There are good days and bad days..you have that with any job. Get through your pregnancy, if you need that long of a break, take it. You will always be able to find a job later you will enjoy. You can go give out Flu shots, isnt the greatest money...its like 12-13/hr dollars in florida...That's a job at least for flu season. Doctor's offices I hear are nice. I have a friend who works for a plastic surgeon and if you at least have worked for him a year, he offers a free plastic surgery. You cant beat that...You just have to look....try things out...Do a little home health....Maybe get into a home health Peds place like we have here in Florida where you do private duty cases with kids...Its all about what will make you happy. Dont let those mean women you worked with scare a good person like you out of this profession!!!!
twotrees2
913 Posts
here's an easy fix to put your boss and the nasty workers in thier place- get a copy of your medical records and when they start their crap say here - read this and THEN tell me its all in my head............... worked for me anyhow :) put em quiet in a quick way ( though i will admit then the focus went to " oh she shouldn't even be in nursing cause she cant handle it yada yada- lol - even though i still get my work done before most of them - now that i think about it - guess it doesnt matter lol - the focus just went elsewhere - just somewhere i could handle better- i dont take kindly to people calling me a liar lol -