I hate being a nurse

Guest717236 · Dec 22, 2017

I just retired a few years ago after 25 years as a nurse. Excellent suggestions and support in all the posts above.

I would like to add that in addition to making nursing your passion ( it already is for you as you are in your first year journey)

you need to find your personality outside of nursing. What are you passionate about? Travel, music, dance, writing, sports etc.

You need to book time into your schedule for you. If working 3-11 pm and returning the next day for 7-3 pm, your only zen moment may be

listening to a new music cd on your way to work. My passions were music, dance, horseback riding, and grooming an Old English Sheepdog daily.

You need a small space to recharge daily especially in the first few years of practice. You are working hard and also learning new things every day at work.

Most likely you are doing lots of nursing research and study still at home. Give yourself the gift of time and patience to grow in your nursing practice. Soon you will have a rewarding nursing practice that will fuel ($$$$$) your outside interests. If you find in a few years that nursing is not the best fit for you, change to another field you feel is better suited for you. Best wishes !

jennielaroux · Dec 30, 2017

Hiya. I realize your post is over a month old and perhaps you've found the answer you're looking for. Your story is very familiar to mine. I myself graduated a few years back, got into an extremely competitive residency program at a teaching hospital. I thought I had made it. I realized about a month or so in I did not enjoy nursing, as I had always thought I would. I played with the idea of leaving back and forth and came to a conclusion.. I went into nursing because I love to learn. I love to teach. But more importantly (in my case) I loved the stability and flexibility nursing provided me. But that was not enough. I decided to pursue non bedside nursing after I gathered one year of experience (case management) and I truly enjoy it. I work only part time as I am going back to school to obtain a masters in an unrelated field doing something I truly love. Basically what I'm trying to say is, bedside nursing is a wonderful career but it is not for everyone. There is no shame in admitting that to yourself and pursuing something that truly makes you happy. Best of luck.

DSMRN · Mar 8, 2018

I know what you are saying, except that I have been a nurse for going on 12 years now, and have probably hated my career choice for a good 10 of them. I feel absolutely stuck in this damn field, and would give anything to go back and never pick nursing as a career.

Kmc12 · Mar 12, 2018

Thanks for everyone's comments, advice, and help! Just wanted to come on here with an update. I started having really bad anxiety before work, bad enough that I decided to get on a low dose of meds in hopes of that helping (anxiety runs in the family as well, so it was probably only a matter of time í ½í¸œ). I guess I had too high of hopes. I still get bad anxiety with work, still cry before each shift (it is a bit better though), and I still HATE being a nurse. I just want to quit so badly. I'm going to stick it out a year and see if I can find something better. It just sucks to think that I'd be happier not being a nurse, but I'll also be paying student loans for years on a degree I won't use. I have no clue what to do.

CHnurse79 · Mar 13, 2018

Hey, I know it probably is small consolation but I am exactly in the same position as you. Been a nurse about 1 1/2 years, started in ICU and just started a new job. It sucks. I am giving it a couple more years and hopefully during that time will be able to formulate plan B. Nursing school is grossly inadequate in preparing you for the realities of the career. So far it has aged me, been detrimental to my physical, mental and emotional health and I honestly feel like I have PTSD from my first year. I feel your pain:( Keep me posted on your career!

crydergirl · Apr 17, 2018

I would love to be a positive voice because I loved being a nurse. Have been doing this for 15 years licensed for 20. I have had 8 jobs each one steadily growing worse than the first. The management treats you horribly so I went into management but you still get treated horribly but just work harder. The pay is good but the treatment is not worth it. Then the patients. They were totally different 20 years ago. Now it's all baby boomers and drug addicts. They treat you like a slave and then expect you to worship them. I bought my own assisted living home thinking it would be different because I could provide great care. It's nothing different still treated badly and now I don't even get paid. Leaving nursing asap. Rather dig ditches

Renell · Apr 17, 2018

I graduated in May 2017, too. Night shift on a stepdown unit at a big urban hospital. And I cannot tell you how often I just wanted to quit, and move to another job. I still do, but I'm trying to hold on till I get my year in. Plus, I really like my coworkers on nights (and a few people on days). I'm imaging you are getting close to your one year like me. If you feel like you can hang in there, do so. If not, don't put your mental health at stake. I have had quite a few breakdowns myself before and during work. Nursing can be rewarding, but daunting as well. =(

Kimmity · Apr 20, 2018

Hi OP!

It's crazy how many of us new grads are experiencing what you are right now. I graduated in May 2017 just like you and didn't start working until October 2017. I came off of orientation in December. I work nights on a busy Med-Surg floor handling about 5-8 patients, we rarely get 8 though. The first 3 months I felt really anxious before going to work. I would cry while driving to work and sometimes would have to have a quick breakdown in the bathroom before I faced the chaos again. I would lose sleep, feel nauseated, dread going to work, and feel really overwhelmed. During this, I would read the other member's post and found that a lot of new RN's went through similar situations. I have to admit, it did get a lot better for me but I'm starting to feel overwhelmed again. Granted our staffing is terrible with no tech and caring for 7 high acuity patients. I question if nursing was the right choice for me and I have made a few small mistakes such as not labeling tubing or making sure the consent was brought up from ER. I worry constantly if I'm going to make a huge mistake. My co-workers are great and with my recent evaluation it seems like I am on the right track, but it doesn't really help with the anxiety. Basically, what I'm trying to tell you is, is that it really does get better. We all have good days and bad days, we just need to keep trucking along! However, if the unit is not a good fit, it doesn't hurt to find your calling elsewhere whether it be on a new unit or a different employer. I learned so much in the past 6 months and I definitely have gotten better skill wise. It's really different after you're off orientation and that's when the challenge begins. I really do hope that you stick with nursing and don't let this rut discourage you! Best of luck and good wishes to you!

Kimmity · Apr 20, 2018

Hi Kmc12!

I just saw your update after I had posted my comment to your original post.

I'm really sorry to hear that your anxiety and feelings towards nursing has worsened. Do you have other new grad friends that you can vent too? Sometimes a good long talk with someone who knows what I'm going through helps to give me some hope. If you truly think that your unit is not where you're supposed to be, I would suggest in finding another unit or employer to work for. I recently had a coworker quit and change floors. She is much happier where she is now. Even if you don't stick it out a year, 6 months would be good too. I didn't really get the flow of my unit around 3 months after I got out of orientation and though I am still anxious, it has gotten a lot better.

This career is draining mentally and physically, but I truly hope that you get to experience the positives in nursing too!

BlinkyPinky · Jun 1, 2018

meanmaryjean said:
I would also advise you to 'leave work at work'. And by that I mean, when you get in your car to go home, say- out loud- "I am leaving work here. I am now going home and am not going to entertain thoughts of work until I walk through the hospital doors again". Repeat as often as necessary. It really does help.

Yes-this. What I would do is a little ritual , not unlike a bedtime ritual where your body now knows " gonna be sleep time now "

After my last task of the evening , which at our place was signing out & turning in keys-- I took off name badge ( glove box of car not hanging from mirror ); then I turned off the B S work cell ph one we all were issued. Into my work bag , in an Off state. Then, Drive away !

I know peop!e who would remain in their regular clothes until ARRIVING at work, THEN change into work attire. Reverse procedure for the drive home.

It is all about = " erasing" the nurse JOB ( and that's what it is - a Job),and returning to the Real You.

nubiabena · Jun 8, 2018

First and foremost, don't feel bad about feeling bad. I've been a nurse for 4 years and I remember feeling exactly the same for about 1.5 to 2 years after graduating. I'm not going to lie, it is very difficult to be present physically, mentally and emotionally at work while going through this. It does not mean you're in the wrong field or that you're not good. If you feel unsure, then review material, don't just worry because worrying won't get anything done. Secondly, you MUST vent to someone. The more you hold on to this the harder it will be. This feeling will go away and things will get easier to bear, not because they're easy but because you will feel confident enough to handle things. So, I recommend reviewing material and going over things to ease your anxiety. Also, do something on your days off that you enjoy, like writing and painting (I like doing that). What I used to do was print positive statements and put them on my night stand, that way I can see positive statements before closing my eyes at bedtime and also be the first thing I see when I open them. I was never one to pray, but I learned to once I got into this profession, I prayed before every shift and also before bed. It takes a lot for some of us to be able to be okay; we have to find different methods to calm that anxiety and switch the negativity to positivity, but do it anyway. What ever it takes, do it. Because I can assure you, this profession is worth all of the difficulties and stresses that come along. You will see it in your patient's faces and all the people that you touch. Don't give up.

jive turkey · Jun 13, 2018

Kmc12 said:
Thanks for everyone's comments, advice, and help! Just wanted to come on here with an update. I started having really bad anxiety before work, bad enough that I decided to get on a low dose of meds in hopes of that helping (anxiety runs in the family as well, so it was probably only a matter of time. I guess I had too high of hopes. I still get bad anxiety with work, still cry before each shift (it is a bit better though), and I still HATE being a nurse. I just want to quit so badly. I'm going to stick it out a year and see if I can find something better. It just sucks to think that I'd be happier not being a nurse, but I'll also be paying student loans for years on a degree I won't use. I have no clue what to do.

While it is not unheard of for new graduates to start on high acuity units like a neuro, stroke, cardiac, ICU, or ED unit it certainly isn't for everyone. Those units are great for people who like high acuity, fast paced high stress action packed environments.

This does not sound like you. There is nothing wrong with that. People make the mistake of thinking you must work in the hospital to be a "real nurse". No you don't.

If this job stresses you out to the point you're crying before each shift, this is not healthy. You should not subject yourself to it. You have such a large variety of practices to apply your nursing skills to. I understand you want to keep your resume spotless. I recommend seeing if you can't transfer to another position with the same facility such as case management, an outpatient unit, pre-op/pacu, endoscopy...something were your patients aren't so close to the brink of serious injury and death like they are in a stroke unit.