Came home from work yesterday in tears, which happens often lately. Could not sleep at night, worried about everything that happened at work. Had family members yelling and threatening me, was pulled into manager's office to explain things that were twisted out of context, feel totally unappreciated and unsupported. Had to question myself - why am I doing it? Most patients take everything for granted, nothing is ever enough for their families, manager is there only to reprimand and never to praise. We are working short all the time. For the first time in my life I am on anti-anxiety medications, and I've never ever felt so miserable and trapped as I feel now.
I've had enough with nursing. I am submitting my resignation today and will be looking for a job that won't be ruining my life. Sorry to sound so negative, but for me it's time to move on.
Came home from work yesterday in tears, which happens often lately. Could not sleep at night, worried about everything that happened at work. Had family members yelling and threatening me, was pulled into manager's office to explain things that were twisted out of context, feel totally unappreciated and unsupported. Had to question myself - why am I doing it? Most patients take everything for granted, nothing is ever enough for their families, manager is there only to reprimand and never to praise. We are working short all the time. For the first time in my life I am on anti-anxiety medications, and I've never ever felt so miserable and trapped as I feel now.
I've had enough with nursing. I am submitting my resignation today and will be looking for a job that won't be ruining my life. Sorry to sound so negative, but for me it's time to move on.
I suggest you work part time instead. A couple days off per week makes a huge difference.
Or try low-stress nursing, like school nursing. I would become a Disney nurse if I lived in L.A. or Florida.
Specializes in Emergency Room, Cardiology, Medicine.
WHOA. There are plenty of places where you can nurse where you ARE appreciated for everything you're doing, because you deserve it! I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience, but nursing can be so wonderful if you find a supportive place to go. I hope you reconsider leaving the nursing profession.
Specializes in ICU, CCU,Wound Care,LTC, Hospice, MDS.
I don't blame you. I've been where you are. Many nursing jobs are like this and it's not right. Just make sure you give notice and go about things the right way. You don't want to burn any bridges.
Good luck and take care of yourself.
I agree with sleepy about not burning your bridges. I've seen it done too many times. Maybe after a rest you'll decide it's worth trying again.
Personally, when I was at the same point many years ago, I spent four months working in a grocery store bakery for minimum wage. It was the hardest work I've ever done! I was ready to give nursing another try.
Like many of the others, I've been where you are, and totally understand. I've also advised people in the past, to keep their nursing license active just in case. I ended up out of nursing and looking for work in any area and got caught in the mess of unemployment. Nobody would hire me for any job, even minimum wage jobs. I was forced to go back to nursing in order to survive and support my family. I happened to find my best corner in home health. I take care of my patient(s), take care of and deal with their families, and stay as far away from my employer's office as I physically can. That has allowed me to reenter nursing under some of my own steam. Maybe you can do something similar. But if you don't, I don't blame you, but only want to encourage you to keep the license active and never burn that bridge. Good luck and God bless.
Came home from work yesterday in tears, which happens often lately. Could not sleep at night, worried about everything that happened at work. Had family members yelling and threatening me, was pulled into manager's office to explain things that were twisted out of context, feel totally unappreciated and unsupported. Had to question myself - why am I doing it? Most patients take everything for granted, nothing is ever enough for their families, manager is there only to reprimand and never to praise. We are working short all the time. For the first time in my life I am on anti-anxiety medications, and I've never ever felt so miserable and trapped as I feel now.
I've had enough with nursing. I am submitting my resignation today and will be looking for a job that won't be ruining my life. Sorry to sound so negative, but for me it's time to move on.
You don't sound negative. You sound tired. As am I. I, too, am currently looking for something else. I desire a non-nursing job, but's it's been hard to find one at the moment. But, whatever I do, I am getting out of med-surg nursing. I am going to try psych or maybe community health. I've had enough.
When I read your post, I thought for second that I had written it. I feel the same way. I can't help but feel anxious everytime I go to work because it seems like it's guaranteed to be something that's not right. I can't ever just come in and do my job. No, it's either something left undone, management is pulling somebody, we are short because they call people off, or management is coming up starting stuff because of something a patient of family member complained about. I'm tired of the lazy, trouble-making ones always getting away with shirking, but those that do their job always get grief.
Just know, you are not alone and we must unite and stand up for what's right or it will never change for anyone.
I have been a nurse for 38 (yes, 38!) years. My husband & I have moved a lot during my career-due to his job. I have worked in a lot of different facilities & I can tell you there are both good & bad nursing jobs everywhere. You might try another area of nursing--maybe home health. But to answer about demanding patients/families, etc.: my husband was nearly killed in an mva about a year & 1/2 ago. He was in ICU for 5 days, hospitalized for a total of 12 days (I insisted he go home w/home health therapy, not SNF, & he didn't qualify for rehab due to poor endurance). He was admitted from ICU to ortho when he was able. I feel like I have a unique perspective on health care from both sides. When I visited him in ICU, it seemed like every time I saw him, he was in pain. When I talked to his nurse about this (explaining that I was aware he was heavily sedated but that even sedated persons can feel pain), she told me it was not appropriate to give him morphine just before visiting hours because "he needs a quiet environment for the morphine to help & you stroking him & singing to him will not allow it to work properly". Never mind the fit that I threw when I was told that. Also, it is very difficult to see someone you love reduced to a person who uses a bedpan & has to have his butt wiped. It is worse to (as his wife/nurse) assist him onto the bedpan when I'm visiting only to discover dried stool on him because the staff member who did it last didn't clean him adequately. It is hard to have him cry that it hurts too much for him to sit up after therapy left him sitting for too long, & then to have your pleas (which later turn into demands) ignored & to be told "he hasn't been up long enough". Believe, I know what it is to work short staffed. I also know what it is to take pride in your work & do whatever it takes to ensure my patients get the best care. Remember, you are in control of what you do. Your patient & his/her family have pretty much lost control of everything that happens to them. Yes, some of them can be very demanding. But often a kind word, a soft "I'm sorry this happened" can diffuse a lot of anger. Remember why you became a nurse. It wasn't for the money, honey, it was because you CARE.
Oops. Please ignore my thanks, didn't mean to thank you, instead I wanted to quote you.
Look, I hate that your loved one had a bad experience during his illness, but that is not the OP's fault. She came here to get support, not scolding. I feel that there are good nurses and bad nurses. Are you trying to tell her that it's because she's not doing her job that families/patients are being idiots toward her? If that's what you are getting at, then let me tell you, you have it all wrong.
I know about why nurses go into nursing, okay, because I am one. There is not enough money to do the job we do, so no one is putting up with all that just for money. You've been in nursing for a long time, so you know that you can all but kiss some people's feet and they'll still give you grief. So, just because a family/patient is rude, demanding, obnoxious, doesn't mean the nurse has done ANYTHING wrong.
nursing is a service as well as a ministry. Yes, you may not get any glory from it but god can. If you think bout every day you probably making a difference in at least one of your patients life. by you being there you are increasing the chance of the patien getting well. Just think if you was not there how chance of them getting well on there own without your assistance. Sometimes fleshly we can be selfish, and unappreciative, but deep down inside we know that it is vital to have assistance in getting well by the nurses when needed.
Sure, we are all doing God's work by giving of ourself to help others. But that does not mean we have to stick around and be falsely accused and abused by out patients and their families. It's unacceptable.
nursing is a service as well as a ministry. Yes, you may not get any glory from it but god can. If you think bout every day you probably making a difference in at least one of your patients life. by you being there you are increasing the chance of the patien getting well. Just think if you was not there how chance of them getting well on there own without your assistance. Sometimes fleshly we can be selfish, and unappreciative, but deep down inside we know that it is vital to have assistance in getting well by the nurses when needed.
I don't agree with this at all.
Mystic Fish is certainly not being selfish by understanding her own limits and knowing when they have been reached.
If she leaves her job, someone else will take it and care for the pts she would have. They will not go without care.
Whether we are religeous or not, I do not think that God wants us to suffer, or to stay in miserable situations that we have the power to change.
I just wanted you to know that currently I manage a 588 unit apartment complex while I am in nursing school....people like that are everywhere!!!!
Dont quit your dream because of someone else, you will find your place! If they dont appreciate you there, go somewhere else!
Im sure you are a great nurse and employers would be lucky to have you.
Good Luck.
There is a big difference in quitting your dream and knowing when you've had enough.
I've worked in a couple of places. One job that I loved, liked my patients and co-workers and had brilliant performance reviews. Worked every shift they were short of staff, never claimed my OT (due to a contract mis read). I left and when I applied for rehire, was told that the new manager didn't want me because I was "too efficient".
Now, I'm in active treatment and I enjoy my coworkers, like most of my job and the majority of my patients. But I know I can't stay there forever. The families are out of control. Visitng hours are never enforced. New hires are often a joke. They are fresh out of university, or have just arrived in the country. They are above basic hands on care. They want to delegate any task that involves bodily fluids. I give myself six more months before I will require stress leave.
Clinic and day surgery positions are hard to obtain in my hospital, seniority or back injuries get you those jobs.
mikethern
358 Posts
I suggest you work part time instead. A couple days off per week makes a huge difference.
Or try low-stress nursing, like school nursing. I would become a Disney nurse if I lived in L.A. or Florida.