I dont know where to begin. I just do not want to be a nurse anymore. I really never did, since 2nd year of nsg school, but I didn't want to quit such a big commitment,I graduated. I have no desire to be a med surg nurse, in fact I would probably stink at it. I cant imagine being a med surge nurse. Thats why I went into ER right out of school, left that, did pedi home health for a while, now I am in the OR. I liked that for the first few weeks, now I hate that too. I dont know if its nursing, me, or I just cant hack it. The problem is I need this job I have for the benefits, and my salary. Plus my husband will *flip out* if I quit another job again. But I truely believe I shouldnt be in such a profession as nursing if my heart isn't in it..but.what else can I do? Is there anything you guys can suggest career/husband wise????? I have been telling him I love this new job, everythings going great, and actually it is, except that I am a nervous wreck inside, and I am counting the hours til lunch, break, and quitting time. I actually think he might divorce me if I quit!!! (or at the least be very very bitter towards me) I dont know whats bothering me more: the fact that I dont want to be a nurse, or the fact that I will dissapoint my family. Help......any advice will be appreciated.........
Specializes in Accepted...Master's Entry Program, 2008!.
ezjay said:
I just don't like the day to day nurse eat nurse routine I've witness. For a profession that is suppose to be compasionate, there is a true lack of compassion for each other. Good luck in making a decision regarding staying or going, just do what makes you the happiest/healthiest.
Ugh....me either. I'm 37 and only contemplating going into nursing. But after reading all this, who in their right mind would choose this as a career....
A lot of people are in this same frame of mind. Nursing is not an easy profession, not by any means. However, there are alternatives available so you do not have to waste any years of training or experience.
Nurses can be (are) writers and entrepreneurs. After 21 years and tired of being so "priviledged" to know others' most intimate lives I needed another line of work. I am using my knowledge, skills and years of blood, sweat and tears.
I can really really relate to this post and I really feel for you. I was you a few years ago.
I worked as a clinical RN for ten years in private and public hospitals. I've had my share of problems with co-workers and managers and patient's families and have gone home crying in my car on more occasions than I care to think about. I've had jobs with bitchy co-workers, difficult patient loads, in challenging units where I've woken up feeling sick because I've had to go to work that day. Whenever that used to happen I would find another job, somewhere where I was happier because you know what? You deserve better! You deserve to be happy and to enjoy your job, and that is what everybody deserves.
After ten full-on years, I decided to go back to uni and do my masters degree in rehabilitation counselling - I'm still an RN, but now work in an occupational health & safety unit and look after injured workers in a big public hospital and give advice on first aid, skin care for hands, exposure to cytotoxics etc. Its far far easier and more pleasant than floor nursing but I am still in a caring role and still get to call myself a nurse (which is important to me).
I guess your choices are either to find your niche, by trying a few more different jobs or go back to uni - are either of these an option? You could even consider going back to uni to do physical therapy or something like that which is still health oriented, where you could use your nursing background but is out of nursing altogether. In the short term, please utilise your hospital's counselling service - I only know too well how this can impact on your whole life, not just your working one.
I am so afraid of loosing my license or worst where I work I am acctually considering getting my own insurance and getting out as soon as a job becomes available elsewhere. I am a brand new nurse also and took a job in long term care,,,big mistake,,, The management pretend they will support you but when rubber meets the road it is your head that will get lopped off, I am so frustrated and even wonder if it is the right field for me or maybe I need more schooling??
But I guess it is all what you put into it and it is a dog eat dog profession and u have to protect yourself at all times. I hope it isn't like this everywhere.
I can really really relate to this post and I really feel for you. I was you a few years ago.
I worked as a clinical RN for ten years in private and public hospitals. I've had my share of problems with co-workers and managers and patient's families and have gone home crying in my car on more occasions than I care to think about. I've had jobs with ***y co-workers, difficult patient loads, in challenging units where I've woken up feeling sick because I've had to go to work that day. Whenever that used to happen I would find another job, somewhere where I was happier because you know what? You deserve better! You deserve to be happy and to enjoy your job, and that is what everybody deserves.
After ten full-on years, I decided to go back to uni and do my masters degree in rehabilitation counselling - I'm still an RN, but now work in an occupational health & safety unit and look after injured workers in a big public hospital and give advice on first aid, skin care for hands, exposure to cytotoxics etc. It's far far easier and more pleasant than floor nursing but I am still in a caring role and still get to call myself a nurse (which is important to me).
I guess your choices are either to find your niche, by trying a few more different jobs or go back to uni - are either of these an option? You could even consider going back to uni to do physical therapy or something like that which is still health oriented, where you could use your nursing background but is out of nursing altogether. In the short term, please utilise your hospital's counselling service - I only know too well how this can impact on your whole life, not just your working one.
Good luck.
I'm glad you got out of ward nursing. I knew I didn't want work in medical the first day I stepped onto the ward and it had nothing to do with the patients or the workload. Everyone tells you that you need the medical experience. I surely dont think so. I beleive I can learn anything if you have the right teacher but if you work with people who are not good techers or nonsupportive you cant learn a thing. Why would anyone love working on a ward if nurses are rude, back stabbing and uncaring towards their fellow workers?Good for you for changing your life!!
I am new here and I was hoping to find some advice. I work in a longterm care facility. Recently I was helping the LPN sign in some drugs while waiting for the ones I have to personally lockup. One of the narcs I signed in for her was a card of 30 vicodin. When the guy gave me my drugs I immediatly locked them up then left the room. The LPN stayed in there with him but then a couple of minutes later I heard him say "do you want me to close the door?" She must have left him in there alone. Later that morning her count was off and that whole card was missing! We searched everywhere, she said she had it and somehow lost it. (they leave them locked in the med room til they have time to put them away. I have keys to that room and so do the 2 LPNs. But...she said she saw them before she put them away. Now..the bad thing I did was leave when we couldn't find them and told the next RN to call me if she needed anything and she said she would contact the DON. WEll, I go home and they called me back and we all looked again and wrote up statements of what we all thought happened then they sent us home, it wasn't til 2 days later they wanted a urine test, then the next thing I find out is that I am being put on administrative leave because I didn't follow procedure properly! I didn't know what that meant and since I got that news, (on my answering machine yesterday) they haven't called me back to tell me what I did wrong???I am a new nurse and didn't know what I was suppose to do, I feel like an idiot, I guess I should have never left, but I did take the pee test and I did give them any info of who I thought could have stolen it, which to my knowlege now was a big mistake....I feel like they are sabbotaging me and I am scared...I have always felt very unsafe there and meant to find another job earlier and now I hope it is not too late! I don't drink and have only taken 2 narcotics in my whole life and that was for my tonsillectomy!
Long term care is hard when you are the RN Supervisor, not to mention one who only got 3 days of shabby training as a brand new nurse....Any advice?? Prayers???
I feel the same, lately. I am four short weeks off finishing my degree, and I am really reluctant to start being a nurse. I hate med-surg, I find post-partum kind of boring, don't like cardiac... the only things I like are ICU and I kind of like paeds. Unfortunately, my area has a weird system for new grads. We all interview at a consortium, then we get given a rotation. Apparently almost no one gets the rotation that they want. Our ICU doesn't hire new grads, only 2nd year out and onwards. I want to get the paeds new grad year, but the likelihood is that I will end up with horrible, painful med-surg. I try to tell myself it will only be a year, but still...
I keep looking at my uni's website, seeing what other degrees I could do that would be interesting. I am pretty determined to do medicine one day, and I've started getting practice questions for the entry test. Or else Medical Radiation Science seems interesting, but there are apparently no full-time MRS jobs available locally or even in
If I don't do medicine, I want to be a NP. I just do NOT want to do med-surg at all, and I have almost no options.
I'm really glad that this thread has helped a lot of us say how we really feel about bedside nursing. I did med-surge for 2 months as a LPN and I hated every second of it. I had up to 8 patients in the 7-3 & 3-11 shifts. To much paperwork, not enough time to give good patient care. Addmissions and DCs from left to right. I would schedule myself to work a double shift because there was no way I could finish my work in a single shift. It was impossible. We would be short staffed, and there were times that we didn't have a charge nurse and a unit secretary. So you know how bad that can be. I am a RN now and tomorrow I have a job interview for a RN Pysch position. I will not apply for a bedside position. No way. I don't care how much people say you need a year of bedside. It's a living hell. If I see that nursing is not going to work out for me than I will be looking into the Nuclear Med program. I refuse to be miserable in my work.
There are a lot of non-clinical jobs out there. I have been doing Maternal/Child Case Management for almost 20 years now and love it. Look for job titles such as case management, utilization review, concurrent review. There are also clinic jobs available at some of the city/county hospitals that do not entail bedside nursing.
Best of luck in your search,
Do you work for a hospital doing case management? I love working with mother/babies. How would I find this specific job?
I graduated nursing school in '03 at age 49. I had wanted to do maternal/child but couldn't find a job opening. I ended up doing an orientation for NICU and worked there for 19 months, until I couldn't stand the dread of going to work anymore. Between the backstabbing, and short-staffing to the point of danger - and the belief that I didn't have what it takes, I made the decision to leave the job and "consider my options". Its been over a year, and I've been working in homes with moms and newborns as a post-partum doula (which I love doing). I'd be interested in doing Maternal/Child case management, though.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I can understand your feeling. And, the beauty of nursing is that there are many non-clinical areas you can go to and still help people. I agree that maybe counseling may be in order for you to discover your true desire. I remember you mentioning that your husband may be disappointed if you quit *another* job. Is this a pattern with you? I am not asking this to confront you, but to give food for thought. Maybe you may need career counseling to help find your true desire. Best wishes and good luck!
mvanz9999, RN
461 Posts
Ugh....me either. I'm 37 and only contemplating going into nursing. But after reading all this, who in their right mind would choose this as a career....