i HATE my job. Does anyone else feel the same?

[Jenni811, RN]

I absolutely despise my job. I work as a nurse in a intermediate/telemetry type floor. We are in the process of moving to a new hospital, so we were a telemetry unit and we are splitting into telemetry/intermediate care. We will be split eventually but right now kind of combined...its weird.

Anyway, I HATE HATE HATE HATE my job. I get so worked up on the way to work, up to the point I start getting massive headaches and offset my vertigo issues. I've always struggled with unexplained vertigo that comes with stress/anxiety. I can't stand patients and families who are so demanding and disrespectful.

I do my absolute best to put on my "fake smile" to please them. I'm a person of very short temper so it takes every ounce of energy in me not to slap some of them in the face. I got in trouble one time because a patient's daughter was giving me a really hard time and everything she said that came from her mouth started with "Well I'm a nurse and...." it would have been totally irrelevant to what she had to say. For example: "Well I'm a nurse and I had an egg salad sandwich for lunch."

"Well, I'm a nurse and I have a kitten named Dutchess" (that was actually a real one).

She was SO disrespectful, rolled her eyes every time I talked, very short answers. Finally I had it...I looked at her and said "I don't care if you are a nurse. I'm her nurse now and i will make the decisions on what I think is best for my patient."

Yup...I got in trouble for that one but I explained everything to my manager and she, deep inside, I knew agreed she was being ridiculous and I told her I just couldn't take it anymore. It went on for THREE DAYS, in 12 hour shifts and I was on day 4 with her. I snapped...yup.

Anyway, my point with that story is it wasn't this one time...it is ALL the freaking time. Patient's are so demanding. What on earth makes you think I want to "wipe your butt" when you can do it at home just fine? Ok...you have two broken arms, I will help you but if you are here for I don't know...Chest pain observation and you can feed yourself the 50 trays of food you just ordered and open the soda bottle your family snuck you in, why would you not be able to wipe your own butt?? What makes people feel the need to be so darn needy like this?? Don't put on your call light for me to pour you a glass of water from the water pitcher sitting next to your hand. You are perfectly capable of doing it yourself (I'm talking about people who CAN do it.) You are not a 65 year old baby, you are an adult who has wiped your own butt and poured your own water for I don't know, 63 years now??

I'm sorry I have to vent. Makes me feel better. Does anyone else feel this way about nursing? I feel so stuck in it and I want to get out. What else can I do with my degree that I would enjoy??

Once my fiance and I are married we want to start a family right away. He has agreed for me to quit my job at that point to be stay at home. I'm afraid I will enjoy not being a nurse so much I may never go back. What other career choices do people ENJOY as a nurse? I have my BSN.

[Jenni811, RN]

Keep in mind i am talking about the patient's who CAN do it. yes i realize there are one's who can't for certain reasons. then i'm fine with helping you.

the "massage my feet" always is my favorite. NO, i will not massage your feet. I don't touch feet unless im doing wound care. I hate feet...ick. I want to look at them and be like "How about you massage MY feet? I am on day 7 of working 12-16 hours a day. I have not sat down to eat or pee once. You have gotten up what? once or twice to use the bedside commode and you think YOUR feet are sore?"

[netglow, ASN, RN]

OP, I feel you. When I did hospice, one of my patients was Alz/Dem totally nutty but one that was for the most part in a happy place. I came in to do a regular visit and her son and his wife THE NURSE was there too. I visited with them while I did a quick check on her including vitals and THE NURSE quipped that I wasn't taking an accurate temperature, but in a really obnoxious way (I forget exact words) but she did not like that I didn't do an oral. The son mentioned that his wife was a nurse, and I immediately threw a direct question at her as to what type of nursing she did - turns out it was office and a tiny amount of SDS. Well, I said, OH! and ran right into educating her on hospice and the DX and decline of her mother in law. How I found on my first visit she could no longer tolerate oral temps - couldn't control what was in her mouth, and that was one of the cardinal signs of decline with her DX, swallowing would also be an issue. That, she had bit down so hard with the attempt at oral temp that I was lucky she didn't crack a tooth. I ended with a firm statement that these things you learn when you are a hospice nurse and you also learn how you need to adapt often to the patient's daily situation.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I think in general people are very demanding. Some don't understand how busy we are while others simply don't care. We are creating a monster... Customer Service this, Press Ganey that. It's a nightmare..

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

Don't have any advice, just wanted to let you know: I feel the same way!

You are not alone.

[alpal01]

If I were you...I would get out of there asap. I left my hospital job over 3 years ago and never regretted it..I pretty much felt the same way you do! Fortunately there are alot of different jobs we can get in a nurse role! Sounds like you just need a change!

[beeker]

I just wanted to say I feel what you feel. I have lost my compassion. I also feel like I am becoming more antisocial. I don't know if it is the night shift thing or the "sick of people" thing. I feel like at my hospital job I do VERY LITTLE actual nursing. I spend most of my shift fetching things. I feel more like a waitress but I work way harder and make about the same. At least waitressing I got cash in my pocket at the end of the night in tips. Waitressing on a good night (5-6 hours) would bring me about 200-300 bucks if I worked in the lounge and did mostly apps and cocktails. That is pretty close to what I make in a 12 hour shift now. Now when patients ask me for things I get frustrated with them. It is not their fault my patient load is 7, but I just don't have time to do my job and the techs anymore. I am very tired.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I like my job, but I still have moments where I want to run. In general, nursing can be very draining due to the workload, staffing, and demanding patients. Perhaps you need a change of scenery. Another specialty? A different unit? Clinic? What about looking for a PRN position somewhere? Working less might help you feel better. Can you take a vacation somewhere?

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

OP, I feel ya. I have no advice. My husband said I can work parttime anytime I feel like it. After my one year is up on this new unit I started in the ED, I will be taking him up on the offer. The only way I can survive being a bedside nurse is if it is parttime or PRN. I want out of bedside and everyday, I'm brainstorming on what else I can do.

[Jenni811, RN]

Ah, thank you guys for not judging me! I feel like a horrible person stating i cannot stand my patients and their families. When i was talking to my manager about this lady as i discussed before i was nearly in tears telling her about how disrespected i felt with her.

I worked VERY hard for my degree and i dont appreciate being so disrespected. I did NOTHING wrong to this patient, but yes...i was making the decisions.

Like same thing that one previous person stated about not taking oral temperatures. YOU made the decision to not take an oral temeperature based on what you know about this patient, based on what you have learned and based on your judgement.

I've been a nurse for like 2 years and i can think of THREE patients i truley truley enjoyed and loved working with them and their families. When i have families like this, i go above and beyond for them. It sounds terrible that we treat nicer families like this but its so true. You would not believe the stuff i've done for the three i can think of. One was a hospice patient who wanted chinese food and not hospital food. They couldn't afford alot, so i gathered up nurses on my unit to pitch in a couple dollars and we ordered the entire family chinese food and had it delivered to their room, payed for by us nurses!! Would i do that for a demanding/disrespectful patient? heck no!

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

I hear you . You at least have a light at the end of the tunnel- some day you might be a SAH mom, or be able to work only part time.

I'm stuck in my (similar) position until the day I die.

[SwansonRN]

I hear ya. I am very lucky to have my job (or a job at all), my managers are great, my coworkers are mostly awesome, but sometimes I am so sick and tired of the patients and the families. I am excited to get away from the bedside and I've only been here for 7 months. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I'm in a room filled with family and I'm trying to do something, but I can feel 8 sets of eyes STARING at me. Do you mind? I know the jiminy cricket inside is saying, "oh, but they're just scared and making sure you're taking good care of their loved one," etc. etc. but it still drives me bonkers. Look away, talk amongst yourselves, ask me questions, heck talk about the weather, anything. Another huge pet peeves is when people bang on or shake the side rails to get my attention. Sometimes firm limit setting is the only thing I can do to keep me sane during my shift.