I haven't posted on this forum in a while. I am one of the people that feels nursing is way tooo stressful and my job has ruined my life.
Every time I go to work I get nervous, anxious, I feel like vomiting and I have worked here for years.
I used to be 150lbs just 5 years ago. I am now 220lbs. I eat to make me feel better and nursing also turned me into an alcoholic.
I drink whiskey after a long day of work just to feel a little relaxed. I drink the day before I work to help me feel a little better. I get anxious knowing that I work the next day. I even feel like this 2 days or more before I work just knowing that I have to work in a few days.
Dont get me wrong. I hide everything very well inside. All of my patients love me, I treat them like my own familly, my don loves me along with many of my coworkers. They always tell me that I am always very calm and so nice to everyone. I respect everyone and do my best every time I go to work.
i even get the most patient satisfaction kudos cards quite often. I am a good nurse but inside I am deing.
My financial situation has slightly improved and I plan to get out of nursing completely by January 1 2018.
Sorry for the rant. I needed to let this out. Nursing has ruined my life. It's all about the profits hospitals make, short staffed etc... I could keep going on and on.
I hate nursing. I am so happy I
am brave enough to realize nursing is not for me and move to another career instead of doing something that has ruined my life for the rest of my life.
I plan to further my main online business and several other online businesses. I will be working from home.
I should have listened to my dad when he said to get a bachelors in information technology with a specialty in software development.
I will most likely do what he said while working at home.
And there is no need to apologize for venting on this Web Site. After all, isn't that why most of us are here?
I hope you find the happiness you are seeking. But I do have to agree with other posters who suggested you seek professional help for your anxiety and dependence on alcohol.
Yes, nursing may have magnified your anxieties, but only you can choose how to respond to that anxiety. And you have chosen a self-destructive way to respond.
Specializes in Hospice,LTC,Pacu,Regulatory,Operating room.
Sorry that you are unhappy in your chosen vocation. However, you cannot blame alcoholism and obesity on your job. You have to look at yourself and get some therapy. So you do not continue drinking and overeating. I wish you well honey.
How old are you and nursing 'turned' you into an alcoholic? I've heard some interesting excuses to drink but this is a unique one. Nursing does not 'turn' anyone into an alcoholic; we all use the coping mechanisms we have and if said coping mechanism is drinking that makes one an alcoholic IMHO. I had to develop different coping mechanisms upon getting sober in 1989 as drinking was my coping mechanism, I had a lot of baggage but even at height of my drinking I didn't much like the blame game, I hit the ground running young and appeared to be hard-wired without an alcohol 'off' switch in my neurons. As a young waitress I studied social drinkers to figure out their secret, I was sure they had one and if I observed them I could unlock it, alas I had to do the work and grow up being unsuccessful at reinventing myself into a normie. Don't get me wrong, I have felt as you in some way and had nursing jobs I have hated with the white-hot passion of a thousand suns but no job, degree or shift ever made me drunk, I did that. I would add that nursing also does not render people unable to have a healthy relationship with food but I am not acquainted with that so much on a 1st hand basis; I know it is more difficult to eat healthy, just never found any comfort in the comfort-eating thingy. I'm glad you found something you are looking forward to I just don't necessarily think that, in and of itself, causes immediate return to 'normal' drinking but stranger things have happened...
I believe there are some ways to connect your experience in nursing with your passion for technology. There are nurse specialties that are geared directly for people with your vast skill set, from IT, to managing the ever evolving electronic charting software. There's even a specialty that works with and programs the robotic simulators now used across the nation in various nursing schools. Also, "telehealth" is getting big, I can imagine before long if it's not already happening control rooms filled with screens and nurses monitoring hundreds of at home patients, think of all the electronic sensors integrated with various secure wireless protocols the security and stability needed to keep those systems stable yet end user friendly. So many possibilities, best of luck to you...your future looks bright.
Your opportunities are only limited by your imagination. Ethanol is an anesthetic of sorts; not your best bet for building an imaginative future.
Crazy as I am, I think the beautiful accepting tone of the responses you've gotten from a bunch of nurses, disgruntled or not, to your dilemma and ideas, are what I love about this profession, and maybe, subliminally attracted you to it in the first place. Best of luck in your adventure. You've got a lot of guts.
I was a graphic designer/desktop publisher for a decade before I chucked it all to work as an ER tech when I was already a paramedic; that was 12+ years ago. I still enjoy "tinkering" with websites and whatnot, and I think my love of computers ultimately made me a great candidate for my nursing informatics program. Sometimes it is possible to have the best of both worlds! Just sayin'. OP, best of luck; I am sorry this path has caused you so much anxiety.
Finally someone who feels like me. I would benefit from chatting if you don't mind. I haven't in nursing for that long, your post tremendously validated my feels. My email is [email protected] if you are ok reaching out. Thanks for sharing.
For all the henpecking "let's blame the nurse" responders here - SHAME on you! Nursing is a suckerjob. There is a huge propaganda mill , produced by federal programs designed to eliminate a fictional nursing shortage and 5,000 for-profit nursing schools designed to make you believe that nursing is hugs and hand-holding and 3 doctors and 2 nurses all hudled around a patient and their family singing "Kum ba yah"! You kill yourself to get through nursing school (some also bury themselves in debt) only to find yourself assigned to10 patients ( Ive had as many as 14) and no time to even stop to go to the bathroom or eat for 12 hours at a time. AND if you speak up or question the safety of so many patients assigned to one nurse- you get the same " its you not the job" response so many people have posted here. Either those people won the nursing job lottery, or they are just nasty people who probably make lousy nurses, or they live in LA LA land!
I was a social worker before becoming an RN and I was able to spend much greater time with my clients and helped people in much greater and lasting ways. After more than 13 years, I rank getting into nursing the worst choice of my life. High stress, low reward, little thanks and great disappointment.
I was a social worker before becoming an RN and I was able to spend much greater time with my clients and helped people in much greater and lasting ways. After more than 13 years, I rank getting into nursing the worst choice of my life. High stress, low reward, little thanks and great disappointment.
Welcome to allnurses! If nursing is making you miserable (has been making you miserable for 13 years?? Did I read that right??), I hope you have taken steps to get out of it. It's certainly not for everyone. Best wishes for your journey!
guest52816
473 Posts
Best of luck to you!
And there is no need to apologize for venting on this Web Site. After all, isn't that why most of us are here?
I hope you find the happiness you are seeking. But I do have to agree with other posters who suggested you seek professional help for your anxiety and dependence on alcohol.
Yes, nursing may have magnified your anxieties, but only you can choose how to respond to that anxiety. And you have chosen a self-destructive way to respond.
Again, best wishes for many years of happiness!