I hate nursing

riveraover1 · Nov 13, 2016

Neezy84, I am sorry you feel this way. It seems that you are very unhappy in your current situation and have experienced some situations that have cause you resentment. There are many positions in the nursing field that you may find more suitable for you such as utilization review for an insurance company or public health nursing that tracks data trends for a variety of different items such as tuberculosis, whooping cough, lead poisoning etc. You may want to even consider school nursing. I think you may also benefit from counseling services to help with your PTSD, ability to trust, and maybe other internal feelings you have that need to be worked through to get you feeling more positive. I feel like you are drawn to nursing and keep coming back because deep in your heart you don't want to let it go. Seek counseling and work on you and everything else will fall into place. I will keep you in my prayers.

Ornurse16 · Nov 13, 2016

I am saddened by all the nurses that hate nursing. I LOVE being a nurse. I am an OR nurse (hence my screen name), and I cannot think of anything I would much rather do or be. Maybe it is the setting, or the teams I work with...but, nursing is FANTASTIC for me, and I am sorry so many others are unhappy. There are so many areas one can be a nurse. For those of you who are not happy, have you considered or tried other areas or specialties in nursing?

mt218 · Nov 14, 2016

Neezy,

I am very sad to hear about all of the stress you are under. No one deserves to live that way. I understand that you have invested a HUGE amount of time and effort into this field of work, however you are not obligated to stay. From what I understand after reading your post, you have experienced trauma in the workplace and you need to seek help for your anxiety as well.

I am a very new LPN myself, and I am currently pursuing my RN. I cannot say for sure that I would continue on this route if I felt as unhappy in nursing as you do! There are many different routes in nursing. It may benefit you to apply for other positions that are a change from bedside care. For Example, I work in aesthetic nursing. In fact, I would hardly call what I do nursing, I never see a sick patient. The medical spa I work in specializes in cosmetic laser, botox, fillers ect. I also work PRN in a outpatient surgery clinic. I LOVE my work in both of these positions because of the environment and supportive staff. Have you ever considered a doctors office setting with regular hours and co-workers?

Neezy, I wish you the very best in life. Always remember that we are all responsible for our own happiness. I hope that you will find contentment in your work very soon.

Natasha A., CNA, LVN · Nov 14, 2016

Neezy,
I am very sad to hear about all of the stress you are under. No one deserves to live that way. I understand that you have invested a HUGE amount of time and effort into this field of work, however you are not obligated to stay. From what I understand after reading your post, you have experienced trauma in the workplace and you need to seek help for your anxiety as well.
I am a very new LPN myself, and I am currently pursuing my RN. I cannot say for sure that I would continue on this route if I felt as unhappy in nursing as you do! There are many different routes in nursing. It may benefit you to apply for other positions that are a change from bedside care. For Example, I work in aesthetic nursing. In fact, I would hardly call what I do nursing, I never see a sick patient. The medical spa I work in specializes in cosmetic laser, botox, fillers ect. I also work PRN in a outpatient surgery clinic. I LOVE my work in both of these positions because of the environment and supportive staff. Have you ever considered a doctors office setting with regular hours and co-workers?
Neezy, I wish you the very best in life. Always remember that we are all responsible for our own happiness. I hope that you will find contentment in your work very soon.

Hi Neezy, What are your job duties as a LPN in an aesthetic office? Also how did you get your foot in the door as a new LPN? Thank you

masulliv · Nov 14, 2016

Dear Scarlet. As a Christian I want to remind you of something I'm sure you know. Work as to the Lord. I worked in Psychiatric nursing for over 25 years. First as a Nursing Assistant then as an RN. Was it hard? Indeed so. But there was rarely a dull moment. There were times I felt unappreciated and had no idea why I continued. Then it dawned on me. This was my ministry. It started when I was a little girl. I was the one who kept all the children on a bench in church at a time when we had no nursery. It was that realization that changed my perspective. Once I realized it not as a job but as a calling I no longer focused on me but rather my patients and their families. After retiring, I became a school nurse for ten more years. I am now retired from that as well but am active in my community on CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and sub for the nurse at my grandchildren's school. You and Neezy are right. Quitting is not the solution for those of us who have nursing in us. Find you strength and then rely on it. I wish you both well.

aflahe00 · Nov 14, 2016

Getting your RN will open up better opportunities for you it's def worth it. Hospitals usually will only hire Rns simply because an lpn has limitations, an RN can do much more. That will at least get you out of nursing home environment, you will work your ass off for less pay and a less than favorable working environment. Probably why nursing homes have trouble retaining staff- it sucks! Get your RN your already invested might as well try to improve your situation if your not going to leave the profession.

canigraduate · Nov 15, 2016

Neezy, I read through about the first 10 pages. As some of the long-term posters know, I have ADHD and the attention span of a puppy. I may have missed some important things, but I did want to comment on what I saw in your posts.

I want to tell you that what you feel is valid. Your emotions are your own and there is no right or wrong way to feel. You can't just manufacture feelings, they are what they are. It sounds like you have a lot of stressors in your life, not even counting your experiences of violence.

You sound a lot like I did after my Mom died. I was depressed, hopeless, and suicidal. I had experienced a lot of trauma at a young age and losing my mama triggered a lot of that. I couldn't see any way out of my situation. I finally got help once I realized that I had a true plan to kill myself. Scared me into making a change. Believe it or not, it was the thought that my husband would take the cat to the pound if I died that got me motivated. (Good thing I love that cat.)

I first saw a psychiatrist, who gave me antidepressants. That literally saved my life. Once the worst of the depression lifted, I was able to find a good therapist to help me work through my troubles.

I think it most important, in your case, to collaborate with your healthcare team to get yourself emotionally stable. There are several therapies targeted towards resolving traumatic experiences. I would recommend asking someone you know in the military or in law enforcement for a recommendation, as those therapists are experts at dealing with trauma.

I used to be a part of the "put up or shut up" crowd, much like Sour Lemon. In my own time of crisis, I found that "tough love" hurt more than it helped. There were times I had to leave the house to get away from the various implements I could have used to kill myself. I always seemed to reach for those more when I reached out for help and was told that I was the problem.

There's nothing worse than to feel like you're dying and everyone is slapping at the hands you're holding out for help. You become more hopeless when you believe that you are so worthless that even fellow nurses tell you that what you're feeling is your own fault.

The best thing I ever did for myself was to find a compassionate therapist who believed in helping me. The next best thing was ignoring people who tried to minimize or dismiss what I was feeling.

I'm glad you reached out online. I want you to know that you are not alone in what you feel. I also want you to know that you are a valuable person, that you don't have to be nurse to be validated, and that this, too, shall pass.

masulliv · Nov 15, 2016

I went back to school at 30 and finished at 34. I had a husband and three children. You can do it. Some employers will reimburse or pay for your education. DON'T GIVE UP!

oldnavynurse · Nov 15, 2016

Masulliv, spot on I agree with your reply.

Love your avatar, If not mistaken it would be a picture of the 1st black RN Mary Mahoney who became the first black woman to complete nurse's training in 1879.

tawny7844 · Nov 16, 2016

Just my two cents, and 20 years of nursing experience. Get that RN, and do whatever it takes to bridge to a BSN as quickly as you can. I understand that you say you've never liked being a nurse, not once in 12 years. However, you need to expand on the experience you have. Once you complete your RN you'll have more avenues for job changes open up to you. Yes, some of those new job may require a minimum of one year bedside experience to qualify, but some may not. There are so many job that nurses are doing that don't involve bedside care. What's most important is that you look at the path and the end goal, not just the next step. My mom is a nurse, and started as an LPN, got her RN, then her BSN. She started working in nursing homes, then hospitals, and saw her position eliminated as LPN's were removed from the hospital setting in her state. She had to go back to the nursing home (which she hated), but also went back for her RN. After graduation she went back to the hospital setting, but admitted she never really liked the patient care side, and always wished she had a "regular job". What she wanted was a 9-5, weekends and holidays off, so she figured out how to turn her nursing experience into that job. She left the bedside and started working case management, she also did utilization review, all while using her tuition benefit to get her BSN. She went to work for a large, national insurance company. She gets to use her experience, she gets to travel, and she works normal hours and has weekends and holidays off. And most important, she couldn't be happier. A colleague of mine just left the bedside to review MD documentation. Another went into nursing informatics, another to research. a co-worker left my unit after one year, and I was surprised, but she needed that one year of RN bedside experience to go to work for a law office as a legal consultant. My best friend became unable to do bedside nursing in our ICU anymore due to an injury, and was devastated. She also went to case management first, and then to the transplant department to evaluate patients for transplant. Along the way she found she really likes QI, and mumbers. Now she's the QI director at a large transplant center and absolutely loves going to work everyday. Do some research into nursing positions that don't require bedside care, and build a path to get to one that interests you. You've invested time in being a nurse, even if it wasn't actually your choice, just something you fell into because of your family. Now take the initiative to make you life better by building on the experience you have. There IS an RN job out there with your name on it, you just have to find it, and you need that RN (and possibly the BSN) to make it happen.

On another note, many people sort of "fall into" their jobs, for many reasons. Some may well be stuck with little alternatives, but that's NOT YOU. You have options, you just need to take some action to find your niche. Given that you've never liked your job or bedside care, your LPN should have been a first step, a "stepping stone" if you like, to continue your education and experience to get you to the job you love. You need to develop some outlet for the very real issues you have working in a job you hate. You also need to find someone to help you with the PTSD. Your untreated depression and PTSD mayvery will color you perception of any new job you go to, so it's really important that you start taking care of yourself, develop outlets for stress and hobbies, and find a person or group to help you out.

Good luck!

tawny7844 · Nov 16, 2016

Your never too old to learn, and learning is just as easy, it's the study habits that take some time to reestablish. Don't be afraid of failure, be afraid of not trying, of having the regrets. Your single with no kids, now is the time to go for it!

Netzi81 · Nov 16, 2016

You say you hate nursing yet you can't seem to step away. What keeps you there? Is there anything you enjoy about nursing? I think there is a great possibility your job is not the right fit. If you do like something about nursing or feel you will never be able to do anything else then I believe education is key. Go for your RN. I was an LPN for 7 years prior to becoming an RN. The difference is amazing. You can break out of that box and do anything you want. You may not want to be a floor nurse but you can teach! Be a nursing instructor or a nurse educator in a hospital that does orientations and puts together classes! But if in your self reflection you find you truly hate it, you have to move on. Remember, it's not about what your family does, wants or expects (I know that can be a huge influence.) Everyone is different and if you tell the nurses in your family you hate it I am sure they will understand. If they don't so be it! You deserve to be happy. We spend way too much time at work to be in a place that makes us miserable. Nursing is hard enough as it is when you love it! I can't imagine doing this if I hated it. It's not fair to the patients that need and depend on you and it's not fair to you. You only live once! Do some soul searching and good luck!