I hate nursing

[Neezy84]

I may get yelled at or get the usual "find another profession" comments. But I have to say it.. are there any LPN's who love their job? I have been a LPN for 12 yrs and i have hated every moment of it. I noticed that Im subjected to nursing homes, abuse clinics peds and home health. I moved from up north only to relocated to florida and get paid far less for a job that is worse. Never wanted to be a nurse it was a family trait. All the women in my family are nurses. I have no life no husband no kids and i spend almost every day at a place i hate. I have been working on my RN and at this point I dont feel like its worth it. I have tried hospitals and I have tried other avenues. I left the profession only to return and realize you can leave the job but you will NEVER stop being a nurse. So Im not sure what to do is my RN worth it or will I be just as miserable? I was never a smoker I find my self smoking and unable to sleep. I cry before work every day and get a upset stomach before my shift. and this is at every nursing job i held. Im sorry if this sounds negative or sad or just complaining. i know the senior nurses are gonna read me my rights. But I need to know if anyone feels the same way?

Additional info: I was recently attacked by a patients husband during a home healthcare assignment. I have anxiety PTSD and really just dont like or trust people any more nursing has been nothing but sad experiences for me. My friends and family im sure are tired of my complaints and most people say " just leave" they will never understand....you dont just leave nursing its in you.

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

Like I told my niece who has a BSN, all she has to do is go back to school whichever way is most convenient, on line at home or otherwise, for a couple more years to become a Nurse Practitioner then she would be her own boss, or become a PA that will take even less time. At least she will be earning more money and will not have to work in a hospital anymore, etc.

[coffeebreakrn]

Have you tried Hospice? I have found that the nurses are very supportive and friendly. I love working there, they don't seem to eat their young.

Another thing you can do is finish your RN, then go on to your BSN. You can then educate LVN's.

May not be your solution... but it is an idea.

[chavonb6]

I can definitely understand where your coming from. I was a LPN for 10 years before finishing an AS degree. I hated every minute of it. I thought of changing, but I couldn't think of what else I wanted do. Plus, I had a family that depended on me. Getting that AS degree was the best thing I ever did for my career. It rekindled what I loved about the profession of caring. It opened doors so that I could find my place in it. Take it from me, keep going! I've stair stepped myself to a MSN, and yes, it was well worth it. Now if your heart takes you somewhere else, by all means, go that way. Don't be a nurse as a default. The patients pay for those decisions and they know you don't want to be there. Good luck in whatever you decide :-)

[Dale DNP, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP]

Sounds like some therapy or life coaching is in order. We all go through 'situations' in life and in our career. I hated being an RN so I went on to become an NP and I love it!! The higher you go in education the more autonomy you have in your practice as well as having endless possibilities in terms of what you choose to do with your education. Someone said "think outside the box" and a life or career coach can help you combine what you're trained to do and where your interests are so that you can figure out how to do both. I worked as a geriatric care manager after finding that clinical nursing wasn't for me and I loved it. I went into nursing to make a difference in people's lives and there are so many ways to do that outside of clinical practice. I currently work in clinical practice as an NP but I work in a non-traditional setting that allows me to spend more time with patients and include my own philosophical beliefs on health and wellness. Our level of happiness and life satisfaction is created by each of us and when we take responsibility and the right steps toward this things begin to fall into place. Wishing you the best.

[Living_my_dream]

RNatheart4Eva..that was very encouraging. This forum is very helpful to me as an I'm coming RN. I can hear some of the issues and hopefully avoid them.

[seanynjboy, BSN]

Hi! I just have one question. Have you looked into informatics? I'm an RN but I do work with a bunch of LPNs and we all work at home doing risk adjustment coding for an insurance company. I did a 6 month stint in a hospital and hated it and I found this job. I love it.

Have ge you ever thought of doing HEDIS?

(ok that was 2 questions)

[stefani05]

I have been an LPN for two months and I am miserable at my job. But I love my job. I am finishing my RN in May and my goal is to become a Midwife/Pediatric Nurse practitioner. I hate my facility but it's mostly the staff, aides, dietary, and the office people who just don't give a crap about anyone. I love my patients though. I am trying ot push through because I know I have an end goal. I definitely don't want to stay in a nursing home but I am on the rehab unit which i am okay with. Have you thought about getting in to case management? Management? Business aspect? You could get into IT and nursing. I mean you could go anywhere so maybe find an area that you're interested in and focus on that with the nursing field? You just gotta find your happy somewhere and if you feel like you need to stay in the nursing field then stay in! What about trying ot get on an IV team in a hospital? OR nurse is a lot of charting. You really need to look at what you would like to do I think. It definitely takes time but I think finishing your RN right now would be the best thing you could do :) I wish you luck! You'll find your thing!

[Jellystar43]

You should want what you feel is best for you an not your family. Just maybe the reason your so unhappy is because you did what your family wanted you to do. I say pray on it and follow Gods word.

[Ornurse16]

I am not going to suggest you find another career. You stated that you just don't leave being a nurse because being a nurse is in you. I agree. You also wanted to know if working toward your RN is worth it. First, I will say that as an LPN you are somewhat limited (in today's nursing) on venues to work. Unfortunately, you are treated as little more than a glorified CNA in many places. Becoming an RN will open many more doors for you, and you will find that you are received and treated on a more professional level. As an RN you can quite literally go into any field from clerical to executive (with further education). If you left nursing you would choose a field that you might equally dislike, and have to possibly recertify as a nurse if you let your continuing education lapse while out of nursing should you decide to return. I say, try waking up every morning choosing to have a good day and knowing you are going to provide your patients with the best care. Finish your RN and look for a field that you think would be more interesting and less punitive to you. It may take time, but in my opinion, it is worth it. I chose to become a perioperative nurse. I circulate and scrub surgeries. I like this type of nursing because I have one patient at a time, I love a teamwork environment, and I love the immediate gratification of knowing my patient is leaving my OR better than when they came in. Remember, sometimes the paths we choose to take are full of rocks or cobblestones, if you choose to turn back you still have to go through those rocks and cobblestones - or, you can choose to continue toward a greater goal and feel accomplished in the end. Hang in there. It doesn't matter what your profession...there will always be some bad days, there will always be people who are difficult, but it really is all about the attitude you choose and how you face those situations. Best of luck to you.

[Ennemkay]

sour lemon's comments should not be taken seriously as they are clearly a troll. if a person needs to vent/complain/share/commiserate then they should be able to do that, and if you chose a healthcare field then you should understand the need for emotional supportiveness. as far as drama, if you chose nursing then you must necessarily be attracted to drama, because there are few environments more dramatic than a hospital!

i do see a lot of posts from nurses saying they are miserable. they seem to all work in hospitals though, so it seems like there are options for transitioning to a different environment. you might even be able to get an office job with a healthcare-related tech or digital publishing firm (i know webmd employs doctors and nurses to write and edit their content, for example)... is there any reason you're not considering becoming an np, neezy?

in any case, don't feel trapped, because you have lots of options. it will take some research effort and legwork to explore them all, but don't feel overwhelmed just be patient with the process, and know that as long as you're making that effort that you're on the right path.

[psych4utoo]

I have been a RN for the last 12 years but prior I was a LPN for ten years. I really loved being a LPN. The only reason I went back to school to become a registered nurse was that I was tired of the demeaning way I was treated by registered nurses. Otherwise I would still be a LPN. You make your own hell on earth some people say. I was never one to stick with a job that I was not happy with. Whenever I found myself on a job I did not like I just moved on , that is what you should do instead of complaining . Nursing is the one profession that you can always do another field , even more go back to school and complete your education. No one is stuck in nursing.

If you do not like being a LPN there is no reason to become a registered nurse. Both jobs require wanting to take care of people, and people know when you don't want to care for them. Save yourself some time and money go to school for something else .

[marylou5]

Not everyone is nurse 'material'! No offense. If you hated every day, every job for 12 years, have crying fits and stomach aches before going to work...you are in the wrong profession. We all have bad days..and, trust me, you'll have many more as an RN because the responsibility is so much greater. I have no answers for you but every profession has its issues...teachers, firefighters, police all suffer burnout when they are not respected. Are you fun to be around..is your attitude a "Debby Downer...do you ever go home feeling you did a good job...helped someone feel better/comfortable ...do your coworkers avoid you...do your patients like you and smile when they see you because they trust you ...do you go out of your way to really communicate or just "do" your job.....do you really do a good job or just mail it in. I've had very competent nurses working for me who did everything by the book, were trustworthy and their patients were well taken care of, but they were total duds as human beings, had a chip on their shoulder and were not liked by either coworkers or patients. Does your attitude turn people off? Only you can decide whether or not nursing is for you...... if you need an attitude adjustment.... or another career.