I Am Absolutely Miserable Because I Hate Being A Nurse
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What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)
Members are sharing personal experiences and frustrations related to working as a nurse, particularly highlighting issues with management, stress, and burnout. Some members express gratitude and admiration for nurses, while others discuss the challenges of finding less stressful nursing positions. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the need for better support and recognition for nurses in the healthcare industry.
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 ??
Haha, love it! MD wannabe there. Maybe he/she should try to remember their humble beginnings as a lowly RN!
That is why they make sure all RNs in white coat wear the title RN emblazoned in large caps on their badges, visible from a distance.
No disrespect meant for Advanced prepared RNs. Just a reminder for those who think they are physicians now.
Specializes in Stepdown/IMU, full-time Night shift charge.
Patients can easily ID you? Try being 6'3", only male on the floor with a balding forehead and the longest ponytail in the unit. Plus my name is on every board in every room on the unit. I'm there for 12 to 13 hours. Think I got you beat on being identifiable.
The most difficult decision to make, IMHO, is whether nursing is making you miserable or are you miserable for other reasons before you even come to work? We chose a difficult job and Covid has even made it all the sadder. But keep looking for a job where you can use that degree because it pays way more than Starbucks. These jobs are out there. Luck and aggressive searching may bring you what is bearable for you.
I don't understand why people are still applying for nursing school.
This!! Along the same lines, I would like to see statistics on how many new nursing school enrollees come from a family with parents who are nurses. I am quite honestly shocked at how many new nurses or nursing students are in the field because its their mom or dads profession, as a parent myself I would never endorse this profession, sad that many parents don’t want better for their kids.
Knowing what I know now, I would seek a hands-on jobs like HVAC tech. No way would I enter this field again and be managed by the typical frumpy, incompetent managers that are the majority.
Actually, the discussion related to doctors’ treatment of nurses-you’re not a doctor. However, do you really believe that just because you have a few additional years of educational preparedness than most nurses, it gives you license to be verbally abusive and generally act like a jerk? What about civility, collegiality, professionalism? I know, it’s because you “can bill”, are a “provider”, are easily identified???, and “stuff rolls downhill”. Wow! You are a real piece of work-try getting over yourself and come back from your ego trip! So not impressed
I didn't get quite that level of ego trip from that post. More like someone saying that they catch crap as well in their position. Maybe it just wasn't written clearly enough...?
Knowing what I know now, I would seek a hands-on jobs like HVAC tech. No way would I enter this field again and be managed by the typical frumpy, incompetent managers that are the majority.
My last manager reminded me of Cruella de Vil complete with one long white streak in her hair! LOL She would talk about God and Mother Teresa in one breath and the next would be I will write you up... Totally insane and unreal. At the same time told all the new grads she was going to get rid of the older nurses and then proceeded to write us up on trumped up charges. She dragged me into her office where I had to sit in front of a one-way camera on a computer for 2 HR reps to watch me lest I roll my eyes, while she interrogated me over a patient who had a nosebleed I couldn't stop. Her excuse was I didn't say my name when I called ER multiple times asking for help as the patient needed their nose packed and nurses don't do that, even the house Dr wasn't trained! So unreal how she could stand there with a straight face and in middle of covid in her tiny closet of an office unmasked the whole time! She concluded that it wasn't a write up but an informal counseling.! Give me a break. So totally ridiculous. Are you kidding me, I'm trying to stop a patient from bleeding to death and the only thing you can find to write me up is I didn't say my name and that therefore I wasn't professional! Unreal!
However, a short time later she was literally running around and telling some of the older nurses in their 60's how she needed them and valued them. Yes she most definitely did thanks to Covid! Almost all of us have quit since then and now there is only two or three left at most. Before half the staff was experienced and the other half new grads. Now its new grads and travelers! That manager is long gone too!
But Wrongway and this manager did me a great favor by creating such toxic working conditions that I finally quit and started early retirement. I was so burnt out and angry about the unsafe working conditions. Now I'm just so relieved and happy to be free from it all!
I know in my heart if we still had the benevolent management from before I would still be gritting my teeth and going to work. So I thank them for giving me the push I needed to break free! Best thing I did for myself!
I went from 100% stress to basically no stress. I love spending time with my dog the most. After that not having to listen to the damn alarms! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have peace and quiet. Miraculously I still have my hearing in spite of it all! I've enjoyed all my free time biking, gardening, hanging out with friends and family and have a road trip to the Smoky mountains planned for next month.
My last manager reminded me of Cruella de Vil complete with one long white streak in her hair! LOL She would talk about God and Mother Teresa in one breath and the next would be I will write you up... Totally insane and unreal. At the same time told all the new grads she was going to get rid of the older nurses and then proceeded to write us up on trumped up charges. She dragged me into her office where I had to sit in front of a one-way camera on a computer for 2 HR reps to watch me lest I roll my eyes, while she interrogated me over a patient who had a nosebleed I couldn't stop. Her excuse was I didn't say my name when I called ER multiple times asking for help as the patient needed their nose packed and nurses don't do that, even the house Dr wasn't trained! So unreal how she could stand there with a straight face and in middle of covid in her tiny closet of an office unmasked the whole time! She concluded that it wasn't a write up but an informal counseling.! Give me a break. So totally ridiculous. Are you kidding me, I'm trying to stop a patient from bleeding to death and the only thing you can find to write me up is I didn't say my name and that therefore I wasn't professional! Unreal!
However, a short time later she was literally running around and telling some of the older nurses in their 60's how she needed them and valued them. Yes she most definitely did thanks to Covid! Almost all of us have quit since then and now there is only two or three left at most. Before half the staff was experienced and the other half new grads. Now its new grads and travelers! That manager is long gone too!
But Wrongway and this manager did me a great favor by creating such toxic working conditions that I finally quit and started early retirement. I was so burnt out and angry about the unsafe working conditions. Now I'm just so relieved and happy to be free from it all!
I know in my heart if we still had the benevolent management from before I would still be gritting my teeth and going to work. So I thank them for giving me the push I needed to break free! Best thing I did for myself!
I went from 100% stress to basically no stress. I love spending time with my dog the most. After that not having to listen to the damn alarms! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have peace and quiet. Miraculously I still have my hearing in spite of it all! I've enjoyed all my free time biking, gardening, hanging out with friends and family and have a road trip to the Smoky mountains planned for next month.
I think they train these managers at Dachau along with dentists.
Specializes in Dr of vet med, ER/ICU/Vet Anesthesia/Practice.
Our Veterinarinary Large Referal hospitals are run by students and interns doing all the Physcials, records, treatments and leg work that nurses do in human hospitals. Like nurses we are always wrong and always in trouble and always getting reamed. We feel for nurses to the extent we can relate.....but nurses have larger caseloads, MARS endless records, impossible bosses and just an impossible impossible job- long long days, huge respeonsibitilies and seldom do they get a break to use the wash room once a week. Many of us have had exceptional nurses such as mine when I went through very difficult ortho surgery at age 18.......I never would have made it but for her......and she taught me a great deal about the selflessness and hard work and souls of nurses very much regret we can not honor nurses enough nor support or acknowldged them......................they deserve it.....they hold patient tottgehr ,,keep the hosp running and seldom get any acknowldegement....
just worked to death and thrown away .........we feel v badly about this.\
thank u
for all that u do for us, our loved ones, the sacrifices u all make......tip of the iceburg.....we can never salute or acknoowldge u enough
NO expectations
this is a tiny tiny tiny tiny thank u to some of the most dedicated and hardowrking selfless people on this planet.......
feelix, RN
393 Posts
That is why they make sure all RNs in white coat wear the title RN emblazoned in large caps on their badges, visible from a distance.
No disrespect meant for Advanced prepared RNs. Just a reminder for those who think they are physicians now.