I've only been a nurse for a little over a year and I have hated it since day 1. People told me it would get better. It did get better once I got used to things, but I still genuinely hate this job. I don't think acute care is for me.
The thing is I feel like such an outsider. So many people I speak to love bedside nursing. A lot of people I know just changed to SWAT (float pool) to make more money...nursing just has such a large toll on my body: lack of sleep, running around, barely eating...
I just don't get what I'm doing wrong here. There are also a lot of nurses I know that are in grad programs and are leaving the bedside once they graduate. I just feel so stuck because I don't want to do any of this...I used to be so motivated with my career and now I just don't care about nursing. I don't know what to do. I've been miserable for SO long ?
I look up other jobs but I'm never qualified enough for them. Sometimes I do apply but there's so much competition. I feel so stuck and miserable ? I hate being a nurse. I have even looked up engineering programs and business degrees because I hate nursing. Does anyone else feel similarly?
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
9 hours ago, Wuzzie said:
I hope you got on that tea STAT!
Of course! Plus at home pedicures, yoga at the beach, learning to cook new healthy meals, and going for walks with friends.
If by that they meant eating lots of UberEats, watching Tiger King and reality TV, and drinking with friends. I found the beach yoga suggestion especially helpful because the town I was working in is nowhere close to any beaches ?
I love SNFs way better than acute care. However, I also don't want to do this job until I retire
On 4/28/2021 at 9:30 PM, pinkdoves said:
I don't want to prioritize this job over my life, but I'm having a hard time separating them since I feel like I'm always at work. For example, I had to switch from night shift to day shift within the span of 2 days. so my days off I'm just recuperating (I.e sleeping) ? so how the heck do I enjoy my own time?
Are you any good with computers? My friend works in a field where a BS in Computer Science would land you a nice job that is much lower stress and better paying
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
19 minutes ago, Zyprexa_Ho said:
Are you any good with computers? My friend works in a field where a BS in Computer Science would land you a nice job that is much lower stress and better paying
Me too. If you can learn how to do coding (computer codes, not code blue!) you can be rich here without any college degree.
Are you working in a situation that has rotating shifts? I’d seriously move away from that. Find something else.
Do not pick up. Learn how to live frugally so you work the least amount possible. I very, very rarely pick up. You need to create a life for yourself outside of your job. I work with plenty of girls that are single. You know what a lot of them have in common? They all have dogs. Seriously. They love coming home to their dogs. Then, they walk their dogs at dog parks, meet people around them. A few of my single coworkers have joined fitness places. Whether cross fit or places similar. If you are simply going to work and back to an empty apartment every, single, day, no wonder you are miserable.
You have to be willing to make some changes personally, because changing careers isn’t going to fix things magically. Monday through Friday 9-5 isn’t going to change much if you are still simply working and coming home. If you want to change careers, go for it, but understand fundamentally that’s not your problem. I would though get off the rotating schedule. Find a new employer or unit that doesn’t do that. I was not a night shift person. It literally made me depressed and miserable. And I didn’t realize how awful I was until I was on days.
People are going to say go per diem, do reduced hours, change your shift, etc. What I am saying as a young person in your twenties, you do not need to put up with the BS of nursing. Do not waste your life in a hospital. If you want to stay in the medical field, go for PT or OT. You get a lot more respect. Otherwise, look for a career that gives you a life. A pension, days off, lots of vacation time, strong union. Maybe look into a teaching degree?
Nursing is a failed profession . No good benefits, horrible work hours, lack of respect.
I am glad I am out of it. Every single nurse I worked with on my last job was on antidepressants.
If you are so miserable and truly hate Nursing, then I say do something else. Life is too short to hate your job. It sounds like you have thought of a couple other options. Research more and figure out how to transition. Good luck!
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
On 4/30/2021 at 10:52 PM, LibraNurse27 said:
Of course! Plus at home pedicures, yoga at the beach, learning to cook new healthy meals, and going for walks with friends.
If by that they meant eating lots of UberEats, watching Tiger King and reality TV, and drinking with friends. I found the beach yoga suggestion especially helpful because the town I was working in is nowhere close to any beaches ?
Going for walks with friends? What friends? The only walks I got to do with friends was running up and down the halls with coworkers. Is that what they mean? Can't say it relieved a lot of stress. ?
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
OP, did you indicate that you are working 12 hr rotating shifts? Before you make a whole career change, get off that hamster wheel. It's eating your life.
I second the advice to live well within your means. That will give you the freedom to make more sustainable job choices. If you can score a better gig and still hate nursing, well at least then you'll know. Right now it's probably impossible to think clearly.
Start scoping out the job listings. It doesn't have to be this way. Good luck.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, home care, corrections and psych.
Nurses have "been sold a bill of goods" since Florence was doing count. We are told that we are to love this job and if we don't we are less than desirable. Do you know any accountants or engineers who are told the same thing? No, because they are doing a job. Nursing is a job, nothing more and nothing less. If you love it, great for you but don't be toxic to those of us (myself included) look at it as a way to pay the bills. I am grateful that what I do CAN have a positive impact on someone's life, but I don't beat myself up when that doesn't happen.
Yes! I feel this way about bedside nursing too. I've been a nurse since 1995. The beautiful thing about nursing is there are soooo many different jobs we can do. I've done acute care in different areas. I'm good at it, but to be honest, I've always unliked it (OK I hated it). I've also done corrections nursing in jail and prisons. Another area I worked in for a few years and really liked it is Plasma center. I like working with the underserved population who are really trying to help themselves. Maybe you can look in to that. I've also done shift work in home health for a bit. Shift work means I did a full 8 or 12 hours in someone's home. Only 1 patient, and spent most of my time watching TV with them. That was easy peasy and I didn't hate it. The reason I moved on from that is it just was not rewarding or challenging enough for me. I've been in management and really liked the management aspect of it would still be doing that if it didn't involve having to do bedside when someone called off. Now I have a coveted remote position working in a call center for a practice of providers who only do house calls for people in nursing homes. I work m-f 8-5 taking calls from the nursing home nurses who need something for one of our patients. This position does require experience, isn't terribly challenging or rewarding, but is a good fit for me.
My seasoned advise to you would be to do your best to stick with bedside for two years. Maybe try postpartum, it is a fun area. After that, look around for something off the wall. There is so much to choose from that doesn't involve bedside that does require a little experience. Some may require some type of patient contact, and some none at all. Some areas: School, corrections, plasma center, blood bank, physicians practice, community nursing, forensics, infusion, camp, teaching (patients/ family in different areas, or nursing), insurance companys (this is getting to be a big area), infection control, quality improvement, legal, IT, research....can go on and on. There really is so much out there for us. Look under a few rocks, and you will find something just right for you.
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
10 hours ago, TriciaJ said:
Going for walks with friends? What friends? The only walks I got to do with friends was running up and down the halls with coworkers. Is that what they mean? Can't say it relieved a lot of stress.
LOL exactly! I DO enjoy walks with friends, but at the time it wasn't possible and felt like tone deaf advice. All of the self care advice they gave was valid, but it just made me more frustrated that I didn't have time or energy for it. Therefore, for my own self care I unsubscribed from the self care emails ?
LibraNurse27, BSN, RN
972 Posts
Of course! Plus at home pedicures, yoga at the beach, learning to cook new healthy meals, and going for walks with friends.
If by that they meant eating lots of UberEats, watching Tiger King and reality TV, and drinking with friends. I found the beach yoga suggestion especially helpful because the town I was working in is nowhere close to any beaches ?