I hate my job/career

[MJPN2012]

I know that this has been a topic of other threads but I need to rant and may need some personalized advice. I hate my job with a passion. I hate my job so much that I hate my life and I don't know if I want to be a hospital nurse. I work on a med/surg telemetry floor. We usually have 7 patients, occasionally 8, and I can't even think straight with that load. Even the nurses that have been there 20 years can't keep up with it. I've been an RN for 5 months. I was a home health LPN before then. I've had this job for 3 months and it's been so awful. I get off at 7 but typically don't get out until 9. I was told I could pick my schedule, but they change it to the worst schedule I could imagine. Other nurses seem to think I'm an idiot when I give report and miss a few things because I've been too busy to do anything but the bare essentials. When I get 5-6 patients, I have no problem. But more is torture and my home life is suffering from my misery. It seems like nobody on our floor likes their job. I get the worst patient loads, like 2 needy patients on opposite ends of the floor or 5 needy patients on top of an admission. I don't want to be one of the other nurses that has been there for a year or two and still has these problems. Am I just a complainer? I can't deal with how badly this affects me everyday . Any advice?

[Big Blondie, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN]

Line up another job and give notice. I have been a nurse for about 27 years. I stayed at a job for 10 years that I hated. I was making great money, it was a prestigious position, and I was miserable. My family didn't know how miserable I was because I am a people pleaser, and they would never support me quiting when I would talk about it. All they could see is this great job where everyone respected me! I ended up self medicating due to the stress and that compounded the problem of course. Luckily, I was rescued and got the help I needed for my self destructive behavior and got a job where I am not so stressed. My life is way better, and I am a better Health Care Provider for it. Now mind you, there is stress in this position. But I handle it better, and it is not a toxic environment. We are not put on this earth to be miserable. Finding joy in what we do is important for a healthy life. There is also tons of information out there about toxic work environments. I will never stay where I am not happy again. But I will give adequate notice. What I may not tolerate today, may seem like a picnic in the future, or other opportunities may come available in the organization that I might apply for in the future. The beauty of this field is there are tons of opportunities outside of the hospital. Clinical research centers, dialysis centers, drup rep, professor, school nursing, home health, doctors or NP office, insurance companies hire nurses for phone triage and case management, school based clinics, urgent care centers, out patient drug rehab facilities, methadone clinics, nurse educators, state jail, county jail, prisons. I could go on and on! Think about your options! Good luck!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

You should have started out in a LTC facility like I did where you have 25-30 patients and your slated to be off at 11 pm because you came in at 3. You work 8 hour days but never leave until 3-4 am in the morning.

I had worked in LTC for six years (2006 to 2012) and never stayed that late. In addition, I've worked every single shift imaginable in LTC, and I've worked at multiple LTC facilities in the metro area where I reside.

Time management is king in LTC. If the workload is so heavy that you're staying behind 3 to 4 hours to finish, it is time to vote with the feet and leave that crappy job to the birds.

[ohthatswhatthatdoes]

I'm working my last few weeks on my current job, so I can relate. Different environment, different reasons, but still... The job gets to you and even at home you're becoming a different person... One thing I learned from all of this is don't make drastic decisions or talk about leaving when you're too emotional. I ruffled some feathers, burned some bridges, I think. I don't mind though as I really needed to quit, but in retrospect I'd handle it differently. So my advice would be: think and talk when you're calm (if that's even possible )

[Nienna Celebrindal]

I would find a new job and ask a lot of questions. Don't leave just to leave, leave for the right position. Ask about assignments (how many patients, how are assignments made, are they based on acuity? What is the max number of patients), how are schedules made or changed, holidays, sick leave, evaulaions, orientation, training etc.

I feel for you. I live in California where we have pretty amazing nurse to patient ratios. I am a float nurse and most assignments on our tele units are a 3:1 list. Sometimes 4:1. We staff for accuity.

[summerbarbie]

I remember being a new grad and feeling overwhelmed and wondering how I would ever get as comfortable as some of the other nurses I worked with were. Nursing school rarely prepares you for the real deal. One of the wonderful things about a career in nursing is the versatality that it offers you. Maybe look into another area of nursing? Never be afraid to ask questions and do your own research if it is management of a certain diagnosis you are struggling with. Medicine floors are one of the busiest units I have found to work. Perhaps switching to Rehab or Ortho could be a possibility where the routine is more predictable.

If you have a Clinical Educator talk to them as they are there to provide support as well.

Alll the best to you!

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

Start looking for a new job and dont quit til you find a new one with better ratios. The grass is greener in some places.

[Decade1]

8 patients blows. Completely unrealistic that you could safely care for that many people. The only point it serves is to line the pocket of someone further up the food chain than you are. Find another job, quit, and tell them how crappy their job is and that they don't have any right to treat people ( you or their patients) like that.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

OP, why would you not go back to home health? If you had a successful career there as an LPN, then go back to what you know. As an RN, you would start doing admissions as an RN, and all else would remain pretty much what you were doing, no?

The hospital is not the be all and end all. To say the M/S tele is not for you is not a character thing, it is a reality thing.

If you had not been a working nurse prior to getting your RN, then I would say stick it out, get the experience, don't personalize, do your thing and go home and distress. But you were a working nurse prior to this gig.

Home health offers a variety of stuff as you know. Get that wound care certification, get certified in hospice, whatever you did, expand on it.

Home health is the way of the future it seems. So I would not hesitate to go back there.

[SororAKS, ADN, RN]

Indeed Big Blondie! I loved your post in its entirety, but the best parts were not staying in a job you weren't happy in anymore, and considering the many options out there.

Yes, first jobs are tough. Mine was. Luckily, I left it and went to another hospital with a great nurse manager and staff, on a telemetry unit of all places. That probably saved my career, because I was so disgusted I was about ready to leave nursing entirely.

[PinayUSA]

My advice is probably not going to be popular, but...quit. Life is too short to be miserable.

I agree, life is too short to be miserable.......

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

And I thought the tele unit I worked on was hectic. I only had 4 patients on days, and 5 on nights. For your sanity and safety, get another job lined up and run from this current job fast.

[Ndy-RN]

Hun do not give up nursing. Just change specialties. I was burning out when I was in acute care medicine and switched up for a while to psych and I am enjoying it much more. I thought I was hating my career till I changed it up. Seriously there are so much opportunities for us nurses out there. PM me if you need more advice or support.:)