I Am Absolutely Miserable Because I Hate Being A Nurse

[PerkyWallflower10]

I HATE being a nurse. I’ve hated it since the first day I stepped onto the floor. I’ve never been so stressed out and so unhappy in my entire life. Even before COVID my floor was understaffed, verbal abuse from patients, pulled in 10k different directions and not having time to eat or pee. Then COVID hit and everything got 10x worse. I resent healthcare, I hate it.

I’m a newer nurse, I’m a young person, I should not be this miserable. On my days, off I don’t get out of bed, I’m never hungry, lost weight, cry all the time, have panic attacks over literally nothing, and had to go on anxiety meds. When I asked others if they felt the same way they casually responded with “yeah this is nursing so suck it up, you signed up for this, I’ve been on antidepressants for years and my back will never be the same, but it’s a calling” WHAT?!?

I sure as heck didn’t sign up for unhealthy weight loss, an anxiety disorder and depression. Every time I question something like unsafe ratios, lack of supplies, or management’s unrealistic expectations of us I get told the same thing, “this is nursing”. I have never worked in such a toxic field.

Then I go outpatient--thinking it will be better. Man was I wrong. Patients still abuse you, management still sucks, and I’m still running around like a chicken with my head cut off, except now I get to do it 5 days a week instead of 3.

Life is too short to be this miserable.

I never want to work in healthcare again. I never want to work as a nurse again. I’m currently on a road trip across the country going to the national parks and researching a new career path. Goodbye Nursing ??

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Enjoy your trip. There are still ways to utilize that hard earned degree. Research alternatives to hospital nursing. I found my dream job at the age of 60. Working from home for an insurance company.

Best wishes.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Good luck. There's no reason why you can't find a different career. Do what makes you happy.

[JKL33]

6 hours ago, PerkyWallflower10 said:

Life is too short to be this miserable.

Yep, it really is. Especially when this can't fairly be called a temporary situation that can be powered through with some kind of end in sight.

Do make sure that you are in a good enough mental place to make important decisions. Also consider researching nursing-related options that have historically been less popular or overlooked altogether. Other than those things, go for it.

[Davey Do]

A friend asked me to go sledding with him a short time after recovering from an MVA. I said, "I broke my leg in three places".

"Well", he advised, "You shouldn't go into those places!"

 

[RNperdiem, RN]

I am hoping the road trip brings some relief.

Taking action to help with your problems like trying other types of nursing or a total career change are wonderful to see. If you need to change careers, it is easier to do while you are young and have fewer obligations. 

[renatanada]

My advice to you is to find a different career path in nursing. Public health? Research? Occupational health? Insurance? I hear you that you are at your wit's end right now, but please understand that your nursing education and professional licensure are actually quite valuable assets.

Even though hospital nursing is often presented to new grads as the royalty of the profession, I also found bedside nursing to be exactly how you described it--back-breaking, abusive, and under appreciated. (The national corporate behemoth hospital where I worked actually gave the nurses a fake gold doubloon for working during the first round of COVID. ) Basically if you are working the floor right now, unless you are a traveller, you are underpaid, risking your life, and being taken advantage of. Period. That said, the absolute worst part of nursing is the nurses who feel like you (and I) do, stick it out on the floors, and torture everyone around them because they are either too scared or too dumb to move on. But you know this. See you on the (happy) trails!

[JKL33]

3 hours ago, renatanada said:

(The national corporate behemoth hospital where I worked actually gave the nurses a fake gold doubloon for working during the first round of COVID. )

New word learned.

? Why even give anything if you're going to do that. It really boggles the mind.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

Whoops, this is edited. I wrote a whole post about seeking non-hospital roles (I like my FQHC job) but then I went and re-read and you’ve already tried outpatient. I do not agree that nursing is an irredeemable hellscape, but it does sound like it’s not for you. There are other fields out there, no need to stay in one you hate. 

[Squidpdx, CNA, LPN]

You are not alone in feeling like this. Unfortunately nursing is not all that's cracked up to be, and certainly not for everyone, even at its best. So great that you can recognize that nursing is not good for you. No shame in that. I totally support you finding a new career that makes you more happy. You will have lots of options. Good luck!! 

[Rionoir, ADN, RN]

There's a million nursing jobs that don't involve being another number in a hospital.

[SmilingBluEyes]

There are lots of jobs other than the hospital. But again, you may be miserable there, too.

If you are new in nursing, maybe you want to find another avenue in life.

Don't wait til it's too late if that is the case, to get out and find another career.

Best advice from an old nurse who is closing in on retirement.