I dont want to do this anymore!!!

control · Apr 27, 2006

MDS=Minimum Data Set?

If so, that's part of what I do.

Happy-ER-RN, RN · Apr 27, 2006

RNOTODAY said:
OK everyone, since we are on the topic of getting another position, how should I handle this?
If I should decide to leave my curent job, which I am seriously considering... I am still on orientation, and not counted as staff yet... I would assume would not want an orientee to stay on even a day longer then she wanted, since they are paying me and the preceptor, and staying would be pointless, since I am not any help to their schedule. Right?
OK, but I would like to inquire about a non clinical position at this facility, if they have any, etc, but the question is, do I talk to HR first, my manager, or what?

I think you should definitely leave, if you have already noticed back stabbing after 3 months it's probably even worse than what you have already noticed. Everyone I work with gets along fabulously, sure there is an occasional back stabbing session, but for the most part everyone just does their job. There is no way you can be happy if you already hate everyone you work with. I would talk to HR first to see what your options are.

Brita01 · Apr 27, 2006

sun_chica said:
Maybe I have it wrong, but almost all the non-clinical jobs I see require many years of experience or BSN.

Companies usually want you to have at least two years experience, but having a BSN is not necessary. I have a non-clinical job and I'm an LPN.

MCH123 · Apr 27, 2006

To RNOTODAY and everyone in the "same boat",

It amazes me how many people have responded to this post. While refreshing to know that I am not the only one, it is also very sad to me. I, too, have been a nurse for 4 years (what is it with the 4 year mark?), working on a med-surg floor straight out of school and then for the last 2.5 years, adult ICU. Started off as staff in a large teaching hospital, now I am working agency. For about the last year or so, there's not many days that go by that I don't dream about having another job. I guess to say I'm miserable is an overstatement, but boy oh boy, I do not see myself spending my remaining years before retirement doing this! (Ha, I'm only 27!) I empathize with so many of you. While I did not have naive visions of what nursing would be, I would never have "signed up" for this if I had had a glimpse of what an average bedside nsg job is like. I am proud of my BSN and I love the career of nursing, but bedside, sadly enough, is not for me. Before reading your responses, I just figured that after only 4 years, I just better toughen up and get happy. But now I'm beginning to realize that maybe we should trust our instincts and our hearts more, and listen to ourselves. My dilemma: in about 3 months, after my wedding, I will be moving to San Bernardino California with my new husband to support us while he completes CRNA clinicals. How scary is that. I have to move to a state I've never stepped foot in, to live in a new place where I'll know 1 person, (who will be absent alot to say the least), to support us in a field that I'm pretty much fed up with. If it wouldn't be so scary, I'd actually laugh! For me right now, unfortunately, money is the priority. I feel like I don't, and will not for some time, have the luxury of taking a pay cut for something better suited for me. But you know what, and this goes for all of us, HOW WILL I KNOW IF I DON'T TRY???????? I have not lost faith; I still believe that nursing in some form, is what I'm meant to do. We can't let ourselves believe that we are in some sort of deep rut, with no other options. I thought that after 4 years of pretty grueling college and hefty debts, I would just fall in love with my sweet new nurse job and it would fit perfectly. I was sadly mistaken. However, I will continue to "pay my dues", work extra shifts, and trod through, but I am/will continue to seek out new prospects. I would encourage everyone who feels like they'd rather have a root canal than go back to the unit tomorrow for another shift to do the same! Thank God, I have someone who is very supportive (he is a nurse, too; hence the reason he's in CRNA school!). Ultimately, if we are not happy in our careers, it will spill over into other facets of our lives. There are many valid reasons for counseling and antianxiety/antidepressants, but our jobs??????? God willing, not for me!!

ERNurse752, RN · Apr 27, 2006

"Its weird, I like the knowledge nurses attain and posess, I love to learn, but I really hate the rush rush rush routine of clinical nursing. I really never thought I would hate it in the beginning.....I can remember the days when I only dreamed of starting IV's, inserting foleys......lol.... now, the thought of it makes me very nervous. Plus the thought of working with a bunch of backbiting, backstabbing, sharks that I work with now. I guess in a nutshell I have a lot of guilt over this. Like I am not a real nurse.Like I am not cut out for it, weak, etc. I have the knowledge, but cant cut it on the front lines....But I just *dont want* to cut it, I have no desire......and by the way, I called out today.....a familiar pattern with me when I get like this. I dont even want to go back tomorrow......"

I could have written that myself.

Anyway...I just emailed my manager tonight that I'm quitting. I don't have anything else lined up but my other prn job I've had since Oct. I can tolerate that one better since I don't have to work too much there.

I'm applying for some non-bedside positions now. Infection Control, Risk Management, etc. About the only clincal area I'm willing to think about is L&D...but I'm wary, b/c I'm afraid it will be the same old stuff...too many patients, not enough nurses.

I've spent many hours looking for jobs online, so I guess that's about the only advice I have. That and get to know people in the profession...they know people who know other people, who can refer you to new jobs. Check out state/county health depts too maybe.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Apr 27, 2006

MCH123 said:
To RNOTODAY and everyone in the "same boat",
It amazes me how many people have responded to this post. While refreshing to know that I am not the only one, it is also very sad to me. I, too, have been a nurse for 4 years (what is it with the 4 year mark?), working on a med-surg floor straight out of school and then for the last 2.5 years, adult ICU. Started off as staff in a large teaching hospital, now I am working agency. For about the last year or so, there's not many days that go by that I don't dream about having another job. I guess to say I'm miserable is an overstatement, but boy oh boy, I do not see myself spending my remaining years before retirement doing this! (Ha, I'm only 27!) I empathize with so many of you. While I did not have naive visions of what nursing would be, I would never have "signed up" for this if I had had a glimpse of what an average bedside nsg job is like. I am proud of my BSN and I love the career of nursing, but bedside, sadly enough, is not for me. Before reading your responses, I just figured that after only 4 years, I just better toughen up and get happy. But now I'm beginning to realize that maybe we should trust our instincts and our hearts more, and listen to ourselves. My dilemma: in about 3 months, after my wedding, I will be moving to San Bernardino California with my new husband to support us while he completes CRNA clinicals. How scary is that. I have to move to a state I've never stepped foot in, to live in a new place where I'll know 1 person, (who will be absent alot to say the least), to support us in a field that I'm pretty much fed up with. If it wouldn't be so scary, I'd actually laugh! For me right now, unfortunately, money is the priority. I feel like I don't, and will not for some time, have the luxury of taking a pay cut for something better suited for me. But you know what, and this goes for all of us, HOW WILL I KNOW IF I DON'T TRY???????? I have not lost faith; I still believe that nursing in some form, is what I'm meant to do. We can't let ourselves believe that we are in some sort of deep rut, with no other options. I thought that after 4 years of pretty grueling college and hefty debts, I would just fall in love with my sweet new nurse job and it would fit perfectly. I was sadly mistaken. However, I will continue to "pay my dues", work extra shifts, and trod through, but I am/will continue to seek out new prospects. I would encourage everyone who feels like they'd rather have a root canal than go back to the unit tomorrow for another shift to do the same! Thank God, I have someone who is very supportive (he is a nurse, too; hence the reason he's in CRNA school!). Ultimately, if we are not happy in our careers, it will spill over into other facets of our lives. There are many valid reasons for counseling and antianxiety/antidepressants, but our jobs??????? God willing, not for me!!

Let us know when you get a job in San Bernardino. I wonder if it will be different for you. Nurses are needed everywhere in CA and the state has minimum staffing laws so some nurses find it way better to work in CA where staffing has always been a point of contention for that person. You never know, you just might like CA. I do but then I was born here ? But I have read other posts by nurses that have said now that they have worked in CA they will never work elsewhere. Again it's the minimum staffing. A few other posts I"ve read have had negative things to say about the hospital where they work in CA but those involved issues between people. There's lots of things to do in So CA. If you miss the snow you can always pop over to Big Bear in the Winter or Lake Arrowhead or Idlewild. Or give Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm a try on your day off. Gotta go there at least once in your life :chuckle You can check out Palm Springs too. Keep us posted and good luck to you!

control · Apr 27, 2006

RNOTODAY, thanks for starting this thread. It's good to know I'm not alone.

sun_chica · Apr 27, 2006

Is it just me, or is it kinda alarming the number of nurses that are soo fed up & tired of the hassles of bedside nursing? I'm looking at the ages of most posters, we're all in our 20's, including myself 25yo.

Do you guys think that some of our discontent has to do with the fact that many other jobs seem more appealing. I recently strained my lower back, after than I told my husband, I WILL NOT CONTINUE TO WORK AT THE BEDSIDE AFTER I GET MY BSN. My hospital is paying for a small amount of my schooling, so I'm not leaving til I'm done.

Our health & wellbeing is risked everyday we go to work, & for the money and lil' bit of graditute we get- it is NOT WORTH IT!

It's a real shame, I love science, health, nutrition and helping peeps, but I'll have to find another way to do it, sooner than later!

frappuccino · Apr 27, 2006

I totally know how many of you feel. I actually hated nursing from the day I decided to change my major to it. (I know--totally stupid, but I'd already tried 2 other majors and honestly did not know what else I could do). Well, I ended up working 5 years med/surg in hospital, crying before going to work, being scared to death that I'd make a mistake or that a patient would code, but still trying to do everything perfectly and trying to give as excellent care as I knew how. It was like a black cloud over my life, but I couldn't quit, because I was supporting my kids and husband as he was going through graduate school. I tried medical transcription for awhile, but it just wasn't paying the bills, so now I'm doing private duty nursing, which is a whole lot less stressful, if anyone else out there has tried it, but I'm tired of my work calling me almost every day, asking me to come in extra, when another nurse is ill, having surgery, vacations, etc. (There's a lot more pressure to come in because of the small pool of nurses who are trained at each client's home).

Anyway, I guess I really don't have a point here, but I'm curious about the non-clinical jobs. Like for the insurance work, do you just go around calling insurance companies and ask if they need a nurse to work for them? Can you work from home? Part-time? Anybody know how hard it is to break into legal nurse consulting or RN coding work?

control · Apr 28, 2006

I don't know much about coding.

Just visit the websites of some insurance companies, whichever ones come to mind, really. That's what I did, although I do not currently work for one.

LNCing is a matter of having the money to pay for it, in my opinion. I saw a course advertised here at the state university. I wanted to take it, but when I saw how much it was ($1500) I quickly changed my mind. I just don't have money for that right now.

HealthyRN · Apr 28, 2006

This thread caught my eye and I'm terrified I've made the wrong career decision. I have about 5 weeks until I graduate with my BSN. By the end of my sophomore year in nursing school, I knew that I disliked it. By that time, I had already switched my major several times and I felt like I had already invested too much time, energy, and money into the program and I decided to stick it out. My nursing program did not give us an opportunity to have a glimpse at what nursing is really like until my senior year. I've hated my clinicals this year. I find it incredibly stressful and don't like anything about floor nursing. If I feel this way about nursing now, I know it will only become worse when the full responsibilty is on me. I've done rotations in several different areas and unlike many of my classmates, I have not found anything that I am slightly interested in doing. I did somewhat enjoy my rotations in community health and outpatient settings.

Ironically, I am now enrolled in a master's program to become an FNP. I believe that I would like this more than floor nursing, but obviously I don't know for sure. I do think it is important to gain experience as an RN in order to become competent as an NP (please don't turn this into an argument about the needed experience for NPs), but I am dreading this so much that I can't make myself start looking for a job. I have received a scholarship that would completely cover tuition and pay me a stipend while attending the graduate program. I have thought about applying for a graduate program outside of nursing, but I would lose this free money and I would still have to work as an RN for a year before I could apply to any programs. I am so confused about what to do. I hate to give up on nursing before even starting, but I don't want to end up hating my job and wasting more years of my life. I do love the theory behind nursing and the idea of empowering people to improve and embrace their health, but I don't feel like this is the reality. I also find the working conditions to be unbelievable in this day and age- bathroom breaks few and far between, no lunch breaks, mandatory overtime, etc.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 29, 2006

katyosu2006 said:
This thread caught my eye and I'm terrified I've made the wrong career decision. I have about 5 weeks until I graduate with my BSN. By the end of my sophomore year in nursing school, I knew that I disliked it. By that time, I had already switched my major several times and I felt like I had already invested too much time, energy, and money into the program and I decided to stick it out. My nursing program did not give us an opportunity to have a glimpse at what nursing is really like until my senior year. I've hated my clinicals this year. I find it incredibly stressful and don't like anything about floor nursing. If I feel this way about nursing now, I know it will only become worse when the full responsibilty is on me. I've done rotations in several different areas and unlike many of my classmates, I have not found anything that I am slightly interested in doing. I did somewhat enjoy my rotations in community health and outpatient settings.
Ironically, I am now enrolled in a master's program to become an FNP. I believe that I would like this more than floor nursing, but obviously I don't know for sure. I do think it is important to gain experience as an RN in order to become competent as an NP (please don't turn this into an argument about the needed experience for NPs), but I am dreading this so much that I can't make myself start looking for a job. I have received a scholarship that would completely cover tuition and pay me a stipend while attending the graduate program. I have thought about applying for a graduate program outside of nursing, but I would lose this free money and I would still have to work as an RN for a year before I could apply to any programs. I am so confused about what to do. I hate to give up on nursing before even starting, but I don't want to end up hating my job and wasting more years of my life. I do love the theory behind nursing and the idea of empowering people to improve and embrace their health, but I don't feel like this is the reality. I also find the working conditions to be unbelievable in this day and age- bathroom breaks few and far between, no lunch breaks, mandatory overtime, etc.

For goodness sake, DON'T force yourself through a miserable year or two doing floor nursing if you know you're going to hate it! So much is made of 'paying one's dues', as if med/surg nursing is something to be endured as a character-building exercise, before going on to what one really wants to do. YES, floor nursing gives you the fundamentals, and you learn time management and prioritization skills, but those skills can be learned almost anywhere. There is just too much work on the average unit to let anyone get away with giving less than 110% each and every minute of every shift, and believe me, floor nurses can recognize those whose heart isn't in it.:uhoh21:

It sounds to me like you've made your plans, and I think you should stick with them---don't worry about not having floor experience under your belt. As an NP, you'll have much more control over your practice than the average RN---you may even be able to set your own pace and practice only in the specialty you choose, rather than be told when, where, and how to do your job, and subjected to some ridiculous rules in the process. As the saying goes, if you aren't the lead dog, the scenery never changes; it's that way in nursing too, and if I were you, I wouldn't waste any time in harness. Do what you love; love what you do, and don't worry about what other people think! Life's too short to be unhappy at work!