Goodbye, fellow nurses

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi, I am happy to announce that after many years of being miserable as a nurse, I am LEAVING! I've worked at crappy, unprofessional, smelly, ghetto, you name it nursing homes the past 5 years.I was just waiting until my kids began school to leave.I worked so long and hard to finish nursing school, and like many others, believed the lies my teachers told me about how great a field it is.Yeah, right.I tried to get a "desk" job as a nurse, they all want years of experience in a hospital.Hospitals don't hire ADN nurses, although I already have a non nursing Bachelors, I did not want to spend more money getting a BSN OR MSN.

My husband doesn't get it really, thinks I'm crazy to leave, but hes not a nurse!

I am interviewing now for some great jobs in the corporate world, no weekends, holidays, nights, urine, CNA's who think they are nurses....need I go on, I'm sure I'm not alone.

Taking a GIANT pay cut, but I am so happy! That's priceless.

I am counting my days to get the heck out of this too. Like many have said, it's not the job of nursing itself that sucks, that the fact that we are just pawns in administration's moneymaking game... and that's why it sucks.

I would love a desk life in later years, but also have mission works as NP in third world country in my mind; helping people, just that. not afraid of ill-planned lawsuits, people telling me "how did you go above and beyond?" or "if you didn't chart it, you didn't do it", no business involved, no politics, no heel clackers in barbie suit thinking like he/she knows what's going on, etc. Ya, nursing does suck.

It is great that you had a back-up plan!

I do not have one,and i am scared because nursing is the only thing i know.

I started at 22.

I think it is probably easier for second career nurses to transition out of nursing faster than first career nurses.

Did you try out other areas/specialties of nursing besides LTC?

There are probably 20 different settings nurses can work in.

That is one of the beautiful things of nursing.

I did the same thing 8 years ago--I had had it. I wanted to stay home and be a mother to my young kids. I was bored, so I started a cleaning business, by posting an ad in the paper. I cleaned 3 homes, and one business. For 20 hours a week, I was making more than I was as a nurse 40 hours a week, and I was able to be home more with my family. After 3 years, I realized that you can take the nurse out of the hospital/care setting, but you just can't take the nurse out of you. I had to go back. Now I'm back in the field, and many days I wonder why I missed it?????? Oddly, I don't like to clean as much either........

I've been an R.N. for over twenty years. Rarely have I met any colleague that wouldn't do something else given a do-over. Most say it's not that nursing sucks, because it doesn't. Nursing blends science, medicine, art, creativity, and humanity into one elegant composite.

It's not nursing that sucks, it's the business and political culture in which it exists. And that, my friends, sucks.

I couldn't agree more- that's it, in a nutshell.

I worked the corporate gig for a few years after graduating with my first bachelors, and I'd never met a more back-stabby, climb over everyone whose in my way to the top of the ladder type of people. I had to leave before the atmosphere completely destroyed my youthful optimism.

I have worked in accounting for 15 years in which I have a Bachelors degree. I've only been working for 4 months as a nurse and I'm glad that I have a backup plan to go back to Accounts Payable should anything happen to where I can't do nursing anymore.

I am glad that you have chose to leave rather than taking your anger and dissatisfaction out on the future patients and families that you may have. I commend you for doing what is right for you and being happy so your family can be happy in turn, if momma isn't happy - nobody is happy!!

While I find it an odd first post, I also think the OP is SPOT ON when it comes to getting out of a profession she doesn't like, if she can. She said what she didn't like, why she was leaving, which is perfectly reasonable and understandable.

What I DON'T get is all those posts from people saying how she shouldn't be so negative, that nursing is FABULOUS, that people like her shouldn't have been a nurse in the first place....man, talk about rude and judgmental! Because nursing is the end-all-be-all for YOU, she's somehow got something wrong with her?

People here haven't met the OP, don't know her in the slightest, but are picking apart her choice to leave nursing for something else. Can't say she'd miss that kind of colleague, for sure.

Why not just say "good luck" and leave it at that? Why color a "good luck" with unpleasant remarks? Instead, why not ask if she had any advice for those who are just starting out (as many here are) and not scoff at her decision?

Strange thinking---and commenting---IMHO.

Now, to the OP: if you decide to come back to this thread of people who are shocked apparently that you want out.....what are you going to do now?

Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

Do what you love.....you'll never work a day in your life.

A lot of people claim they came into nursing for money....but honestly, you couldn't pay me to do something I hated for very long.

Commuter you need two vacations a year, each lasting 6 months a piece, while we're at it....ill take a part time job that pays 30 grand a week!!

Best wishes to the OP!

Specializes in Ortho/Uro/Peds/Research/PH/Insur/Travel.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I resent it when individuals (often inexperienced nurses or those who have worked at the same community hospital for the past 25 years) assume that a nurse couldn't possibly be competent and caring AND able to leave it all behind at the end of the shift. Not every nurse aspires to be Florence Nightingale.

OP, GET IT, GIRL! YOU'VE GOT ONE LIFE TO LIVE!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I resent it when individuals (often inexperienced nurses or those who have worked at the same community hospital for the past 25 years) assume that a nurse couldn't possibly be competent and caring AND able to leave it all behind at the end of the shift. Not every nurse aspires to be Florence Nightingale.

BINGO! I can come across jaded here on these boards, and sometimes a little too blunt. Oh well, I can live with that.....but when I come across the inevitable "I'd hate to have you as my nurse" because I didn't go all warm-fuzzy on their butts when they posted something disagreeable...I take issue with that!

Those who work with me, have worked with me in the past, know the quality of nursing I provide when I'm on the clock, and THAT is what matters to me. People on a message board don't know, and therefore their judgments are irrelevant. I definitely don't take it home with me, I don't live-eat-breathe-sleep nursing. I don't lose sleep over whether I should have done MORE for my patients....ever. I do it all when I'm there.

Anyway, I just got frustrated at the attitude I have been seeing, from those who are very typically very new to nursing (let's say

I'm amazed by how many blatantly negative opinions people on this site have about nursing (although working in a nursing home I can't blame you for feeling how you do).

Keep in mind though, all of you who hate the job, that it is your experience. Some of us love the job. Arguably this is either because our personalities were more compatible with it or we just had better places of employment, but either way it's a subjective opinion. So please, instead of saying "nursing sucks" and the like, just say it didn't work for you for whatever reason.

For me personally, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

To the OP, good luck to you. Sorry you had such a terrible experience in a potentially wonderful field.

I have to agree with you. I love, love ,love nursing and being a nurse. Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse or have the motivation to even try another speciality. The OP seems like he/she is just not meant for nursing and that is okay. Better to leave nursing than to stay and be miserable and make everyone else miserable.

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