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.

[ChangingPaths]

I don't see how it does any good to give someone just enough encouragement that they carry on in their miserable ways. If I ever managed to get myself stuck in a loop of despair for twelve years, I would thank the one who came along and smacked me around until I woke the heck up.

I agree! It only took me about 6 months of depression and my boyfriend sitting me down to tell me that I was no longer the "happy sunshine" that he looked forward to seeing at the end of the day, for me to decide to take steps toward change. I did some soul searching, took some career personality tests, and enrolled in courses the following semester to pursue a career in nursing. Now, I am starting the RN program in January and I'm extremely excited about the possibilities, although some posts like this make me nervous.

Neezy84, as mentioned above, I was very unhappy in my current career, which is in outreach and communication. Before completing your RN program, I would suggest doing some soul searching, look for some career placement surveys to gauge what type of work matches your personality. Also think of and research the other career opportunities that are available after receiving your RN. I live in a college town and there are TONS of opportunities for RNs that are outside of the clinical and/or patient care setting. Some options could be health outreach, clinical research (many facets and roles), and many more.

My aunt was an RN at a hospital for years when she decided to pursue another path that still utilized/required her RN experience. Now, she works from home and is responsible for recommending patients to specialists. She seems to really enjoy the work and she makes good money.

Best of luck finding a path that makes you happy. I'm sad that you have spent so much of your life doing a job that seems to have impacted your overall happiness and life satisfaction. Life is far too short to spend it being anything but happy.

[aehuddle]

Nursing is a difficult, emotionally draining, drama filled job so I would say most of us nurses have some aspect of drama love or we would not stay in the profession. After 34 years I can say that it has been and still is challenging to put it lightly. Our current system provides little support during times of short staffing and overbooking/multiple admissions. This can leave us not only physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, but feeling unappreciated and unsupported! To cope I just try to do my best for the patient and set priorities. I don't stay in jobs that are unsafe or are affecting my health. For me the positive aspects are that of job security, rewarding patient outcomes, and opportunities for personal growth and insight. Another good thing about it is that you can try different areas of nursing such as contract work or private duty. Lots of online work these days. Over the years I have had many jobs in many areas of nursing. I have also taken breaks from nursing when I went through burnout. Find a way to take a few months off and do something different, and if you decide on a different career path, it's ok and understandable. Going back to school could be the inspiration you need. Just because your family wants you to be a nurse is not a reason to do it and I commend you for your honesty. Best of luck 🌺

[kianhu]

I've been an RN for 20 years and I agree with what you're saying. I am burnt out and I can't stand what I do. It's just easier to finish out this career then to start over. I am a single woman so will be very difficult to try to go back to school for a new trade. I'm on your side.

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

Why I stopped posting on this site.

[Jfriesen]

I was an LPN/LVN and am now an RN.

I DESPISED my job as an LVN (well, my civilian job - I love ❤️ loved the same job in the Army). My civilian LVN job was in a LTC/SNF. I am very intelligent, dedicated, and hard-working and yet every day I felt like a failure; I was miserable for failing to make the kind of difference in lives that I had dreamed of making as a nurse. I did the same stuff day in and day out; hunt patients down, wrangle their drugs into them, wipe bums, avoid falls, watch death. It was beyond depressing, but I adored the moments when I was a NURSE, when I caught a doc's poor judgement, when I thought of something that made a difference, when a patient thanked me for caring about them. That's when I realized that critical care was the place for me, and to do that I had to get my RN. Here I am, a couple years later, working in an amazing ICU where I'm challenged every day, where I make clinical judgements nearly hourly, and where I get thanked by patients and family members who truly appreciate how much I care. Critical care may not be the place for you. Given your history you may identify more with psych or behavioral health, or maybe you're fascinated by radiology or another field of healthcare that will help you to preserve what you feel is nursing that is "in you". Try to branch out. Maybe consider travel or agency that gives you the opportunity to see multiple different fields, or if you know you like the idea of one area try to volunteer or shadow.

You can love nursing but hate your job as a nurse, and you can overcome it. I loved every job I had besides my civilian LVN job at that LTC/SNF. I hated it. I was tired, spent, and overall just bummed and down. And now my job is on the list of my favorite things in life. It's not easy to make the change but it is WORTH it!

[KatherineH8]

Hi Neezy84 - I identify with your post, but I am at a different place. I am a new nurse who changed careers later in life (I'm in my 40s). I am a natural caregiver and finding nursing later in life truly was a calling. However, my experience in nurses training was rather difficult. Patient care was for the most part very positive, but I wasn't built to deal with the nastiness of other nurses or the constraints of a facility. By the time I graduated with my masters I found myself having anxiety starting my career. I associated finding a job with painful memories. Like you, I can't see myself doing anything else except nursing. I have been struggling to get past those negative emotions. So I want you to know that I understand how you feel and sorry you are going through this. I know how difficult it feels. I can only pass on to you what I am presently discovering for myself.

Nursing is such a diverse field. It sounds like you are burnt out in terms of bedside care. Since you are presently determined to stick with nursing then continuing with your education will offer more options that can open new doors; but first you need to refresh your perspective. When you focus on negative emotions it can unknowingly attract it into your life. I know you have every right to feel anxious and upset, but you also need to remind yourself of the positive aspects of your job and that you have a right to feel rewarded. Seeking cognitive therapy might help you to overcome those blocks. Sometimes we are so locked in to those dark emotions that we can't even imagine an alternative experience. But it really does come down to how you choose to react or respond or behave. Because in the end, nursing is a challenging job in every way a person can be tested (emotionally, physically, mentally, socially, professionally). That's never going to change. And you will drive yourself mad if you are expecting your environment to change. It has to come from within. It is important too to recognize the patterns and pinpoint the experiences that keep cropping up that trigger your uncomfortable feelings. When you identify those specific things then you have something to work with. You are no longer in the dark; vulnerable to any attack. Often it can be this one thing that sabotages your day.

Also, what I have found is that many people forget to find the humor in nursing. Take what you do seriously, but not yourself. Remember to laugh. I'm not suggesting to have a devil may care attitude, but instead just don't be so hard on yourself. Learn to distract yourself. Because when you work with a stressed frame of mind you can make mistakes, repel others, or even neglect.

Lastly, realize its actually ok to not think about things. When you get in your car to go home, leave your day behind as well. Develop a personal life that gives you a break from nursing. I used to do that all the time. I would obsess about things that went wrong or why a fellow nurse was mean or a patient that just didn't like me. It never helped. I had to learn to let it all go. Of course there are times we need to think about things so that we can improve, but recognize when it becomes toxic.

I wish you all the best and hope down the road you will post an update sharing your wisdom how you overcame your struggle. I'm sure you have a great deal to offer. Just give yourself permission.

[feelix, RN]

I have been there, done that. Had to drag my feet to the hospital job every night and start the shift in deep depression. It was a horrible depressing, vile hospital.

My way of dealing with nursing was to work prn. Nobody has any obligation. You are not married to your job. I found out home health was equally stressful once the phone calls start coming in to hurry up, right in the middle of the highway. And you have to turn on the computer and look up stuff while you are driving when they ask a question. You see, you cannot afford to stop because they will start yelling at you for being late.

I would say get your RN and find yourself a job in a doctor's office, do HEDIS, or fee for service assessments. Getting an RN, especially BSN opens more doors

[Eschell2971, BSN]

While I appreciate your honesty, what I'm gonna say may sound mean and incompassionate. But, I don't mean to be harsh, but, it's the point that's important.

STOP YOUR WHINING and TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIFE! There is a time and a place for venting and even crying, but, at some point, you gotta get out of your own self and start living. You have NO ONE to blame for your choices, but, you.

This is STILL America, and regardless of your parents' and friends' career path, you are free to choose your own. Remember, "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?" That STILL applies.

Obviously, you hate nursing. Ok, you're not the first and you won't be the last. There are hundreds of other medical careers you may be better suited to do and may actually enjoy doing them.

Stop wasting time because time waits for no one. One year from now, you could be in a totally different place, physically, emotionally, and professionally. It's IS a whole big world out there and there's enough room for you to change your mind and your career.

If you wake up next year in the same place, same frame of mind, you will still have no one to blame, but yourself.

No one has the time or capacity to just placate you as you play the victim. Make some changes, take a risk, but, start with you and your thinking.

I wish you the best.

[D Lam-Ham]

Hi,

I have been a nurse for more than 40 years. I know where you are coming from. Some may say just leave but it is not that easy. When I started out, I loved nursing, but the healthcare has changed a lot. Many co-workers have said the same thing. Some that would have gladly volunteer for extra shifts now dread coming to work. I retire in a year and finally have a wonderful job-so I will stick it out.

If you are going back to school, consider saving your money and get another degree-something like vet assistant. Still nursing, but to animals;also therapeutic.

I went back for my BSN and it did nothing for me-not even a dime raise. And just to let you know, When I moved down to NC for the north, I also got a drastic reduction in my pay. Said the cost of living was lower but the only thing really lower was buying houses. Some food was even higher.

I did work at Hospice for awhile and thought I had found my niche but then the board started changing things and it was back to nasty. But the real reason I left is because they kept calling me out cuz there where not enough patients. Now I work long term homecare and took another pay cut, but I have a wonderful client and family so it is pleasant to go to work. If you have not tried this field, you might consider it.

Prayers for you to make a decision that puts a smile on you.

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

May not be a bad idea to look into another career choice or obtain RN giving you more options. I grew to hate bedside nursing. Looked around and found there were a lot more options; occupational, corrections, case management however most will require an RN.

[didi768]

"It's time for her to take her future into her own hands and stop being a victim of the circumstances she's created."

Now see? This statement is just as bad lol. The "Stop being a victim" comment was just as bad as Sour Lemon's comment. All the good you said just went out the window. It's little remarks like these that make nurses feel even *worse*.

[Cephalocaudally]

I work in a family medicine clinic and I like my job. I room patients, give steroid and pain injections, do inmunizations, draw blood, run urine tests, strep tests, set up for and observe procedures. I'm in my RN year of my ADN and I'll be sad to leave.

But it it wasn't easy to start. It's my first Nursing job and it was a huge learning curve. Just keep trying.