I hate nursing

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I can't say that I've lived what you are going through because I haven't. Maybe I am an odd duck, but I actually love LTC even though it is incredibly difficult. But I can empathise and you are obviously miserable in LTC and Home Health settings, which in turn is making you miserable in nursing.

I can understand the feeling of being "stuck" as it's not always such an easy matter to follow the advice to just do something else. There are bills to be paid, people in your life that rely on your income and making a leap to change careers totally costs more money for school while you are making less money working since your time is taken up by school. Then you also have the not so simple matter of deciding on an alternate career that is marketable enough to gain you a decent living wage at the end of the tunnel. It all sounds so overwhelming because it is.

Now I am not saying don't go for it if a total career reset is what you decide is in your best interests, but until you decide that you should definitely look for alternatives to what you are doing now. I understand as an LPN your options may be more limited, but there are still options outside of LTC and Home Health. There are Assisted Livings and Senior Living complexes that almost exclusively hire LPN's [at least where I live]. Actual hands on care can be quite limited in these settings. Or maybe look into school nursing for a complete change of pace from elder care. Again I don't know the job market where you are but where I live the majority of our school nurses are LPN's. Then there are MD offices and clinics, many of which hire LPN's as they are more cost effective. Also the aforementioned insurance company jobs or if you are inclined towards sales medical or pharmaceutical sales would be possibilities to take you totally away from the bedside.

It is not as hopeless as it seems, but you do need to be willing to make a change even if it just a change within nursing. I do wish you the best in finding the path that works for you.

People can be cruel but you are experiencing your own reality. People shouldn't judge you for it.

Now, as for me. I was a nurse for 35 years and according to statistics, the majority of nurses don't last that long. I loathed every bloody minute of it except for the 2 positions I had that I actually liked. One was home health and the other as a health coach for an insurance company. Yes, I loathed it. I loathe what it is, I loathe working with other nurses, especially the ones who pretend they love it. It's very difficult to love something where the only satisfaction you get is from your patients because you sure ain't gonna get it from nursing management. They're all too busy looking out for themselves to care about you. All the rest has to come from within.

I'm retired now and I couldn't be happier. I'm working as a photographer and making money. In fact I'm on assignment out of state as I write this.

Don't listen to anyone who says, what's your passion or find your passion. It's BS. Identify what you're good at and find a way to make money with it. It could be something you do everyday and never give it a second thought, or as the author of this article says, you're ignoring it. Here's a great article for you so let me know what you think: Screw Finding Your Passion. The article is very humorous as well so have fun with it.

Hmmm, maybe I could write, too. I think I'm actually kind of good at it. Or, at least I'm good at a healthy rant. LOL!

I don't understand this post. IF you are unhappy, start planning your escape now. Saying that "all the women in your family are nurses is really weird. .sorry. just leave and do something else.

I can't say I fully agree but there are days where I hate being a nurse as well. It's an extremely difficult job that is widely unappreciated so if you're not doing it because you truly want to, then chances are you will end up miserable. For me, I feel happiness when a patient tells me they love me or appreciate me and I feel like I made a great career choice. Then there are days where you deal with rude patient's and family members and doctors who are jerks and you're overwhelmed by doing the work of 5 people every. single. shift. For me, the good feelings have trumped that bad ones. If you are that miserable I hope that you can find another avenue or career because I think patients can tell if you're unhappy and hate your job. Also, don't do that to yourself. You only get one life, why waste it being miserable? It's okay to say Nursing isn't for me, I'm not happy! I don't think being an RN will change that but it will open up more career choices and you can get into a field with less patient contact if that would help. Anyways, sorry for the rambling it's my first post!

No judgements here. I think all nurses have times where they think "Why the hell am I doing this to myself?" To feel that constantly is a sign you should move on to something better suited for you.

I hope you figure things out.

Hi honey, I understand how you feel but 12 years is quite a long time to really have that much hate for your job. To the point of crying everyday before it. That sucks, u see need a change. Maybe you hate bedside and I do to so I can relate. I did my year and got out, it was stressful and demanding. Try the operating room, they hire lpns also to scrub n if your working on your RN even better, you can. Circulate and scrub if you choose. There u have to just deal w a-hole doctors at times. Or Its not too late for another profession. I did 10 years at a job and switched to nursing not sure if I'm loving it but its ok. Try management or teaching, there are allot of options. Good luck.

I hate nursing also I've been doing it for eight years I told myself I would choose a career and stick with it. And all the many different jobs I've had in my life I have never worked with so many cutthroats and back stabbers some of the most evil people I've met in my life are in nursing not so much the patients it's the coworkers and I saw this right from nursing school. Usually the higher up management who pretends to be there for you for your success and protect you will turn around and do the same. You can tell just from this thread hope people will bully upon you.

It's the big nursing lie. I have seen nurses break down left and right and it's not for the love of their patients but because of the stress created by management and the coworkers. I have seen management allow clicks to develop where it's black on white words Filipino pushing out anyone who's not Filipino I have seen people set other people up it's horrible and it's all hidden under the guise OF nurses being caring and the noble profession that it is.

This is the big nursing lie nobody likes to talk about and keeps it hidden. The most ruthless animals on the planet are people .

I'm not sure why so many of you are being so mean. This woman is asking for advice and it's obvious that she is suffering from depression. Where is your compassion? Neezy- I recommend you find a therapist- (not a psychiatrist). It sounds like you dont have a great deal of support, so having someone to talk to, someone who can help you make decisions that will help you change the things in your life you don't like is really going to help you. If you can't afford to find a therapist, look around to see if you can find a group therapy or counseling thru a local church/synagogue: a lot of times it is very reduced or free. The main thing I can tell you, is that no matter how trapped you feel- you aren't. You just need a little help climbing back out of the hole.

Wow !!! Regardless of what profession your family has you don't HAVE TO do anything that you don't want to. Your in control of your own happiness. If you have no children or spouse then your sole responsibility is to yourself. There are many different kinds of nursing. You don't have to do clinical. You have a lot of experience so if I feel you truly enjoy helping others. Over the years you just got frustrated and lonely feeling used its common. But like I said there are many branches of nursing to explore. Or change your path it's never too late. Many blessings and try to be positive, many people would be envious of your life. If your think of clouds then it'll always rain on your parade.

Have you ever taken the Meyers-Briggs exam? Like a formal, paid-for one? I never have, but am considering it, because apparently it's really good with helping guide career placement/change.

I understand having that feeling like there's nothing else you can do with your life. I have been trying for months to think of SOMETHING else to do with my life other than nursing, but the jobs I want (no human contact, pay equivalent to nursing) require degrees and experience I don't have, and/or hours I can't work. It's an impossible corner I've worked myself into. I haven't always hated my job, but since my children came along, I've been slowly bled dry of whatever passion or desire I had to care for anyone but my family and children.

All I can say is I feel the same way. I hate my job. I hate going to work. I do fine once I'm there, and my patients say such nice things about me, but I cannot WAIT to get away from them. I have applied for several other jobs but so far, have heard nothing back.

Good luck to you in your search/quest/process. I hope you find happiness and fulfillment somewhere. The answers are out there, we just have to keep looking.

Specializes in Critical care.

44 years of being an RN. only did it because I didnt want to be a teacher. money was ok, never without a job, good hours for having kids. still hate it. Now I am happy that I am finally old enough to tell the hospital to go shove itself if I feel like it. I actually want to go out with a bang, hopefully with the entire security team trying to carry me out while I shout how awful this hospital really is.

Have you ever tried working in a clinic? Crying before work every day is no way to live life. I suggest trying a type of nursing job that is new to you, and different from what you hate about nursing. I have had jobs that made me dread going to work every day, but I have now found a job in nursing that I enjoy. The things that made me hate the job was the work load, and the vibe with coworkers and management. I also got out late 1-2 hours every night due to processing orders and charting. It was also not a friendly environment. Think about what it is exactly that you dislike about nursing and search for a better fit.

Nursing is a job, it's stressful and if you do home health you get ****** attitudes from the family members. That said, a job can be replaced with another job. Going into RN won't change the scenario. You will be stuck in a hospital with burnt nurses or the same home health, snf scene. I don't know why people say ohi I love to take care of my patients etc. Be honest! The pay is what keeps people working at miserable jobs. That's the biggest reason anyone goes into nursing, 2nd could be that they love taking care of people, but I doubt it. As humans yes we care but to a point. There's a lot of jobs an LPN can do: school base therapy, day schools, insurance agencies, research centers, work for the county, nonprofits, aside from hospitals, snf, and clinics. At 12 years of doing this, you are a senior nurse yourself. Move on, no job is worth your sanity, my 2nd choice is preschool teacher or assistanthe. I'm already getting my ECE units. In case I get fed up with nursing. I work with children btw. Who wouldn't want a teacher or assistant with early childhood education credits that's also a Nurse lol .

Best of luck.

Ps if you find yourself crying and stressed le miserable, don't walk run from that job. Everyone here says you need a therapist, how bad is a job that you end up needing a therapist? That's insane. Move on girl.

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