I'm done...

Published

This is a long vent post. Sorry, have to vent. I think it's safe to say I may be done with nursing, & feel like I barely began it. I'm a 33 year old female, married, mom of two great kids! I became an LPN in 2008 through my local community college. I am a stay at home mom and have mostly needed part time & PRN jobs because of my kids. I have had several part time LPN jobs since becoming an LPN in '08, and have yet to find one I like. I think I may have chosen the wrong career. I am seriously thinking of going back to school to be a dental hygienist (what I wanted to be in high school), surgical tech, or an elementary school teacher.

I am currently working as a health screener LPN, and it's the best LPN job I've had so far. I work as a contractor LPN. I go in with other nurses & set up health screening sites for companies. We do height & weight, BP checks, cholesterol screenings, and BMI screenings. I work when I want, good hourly pay, great schedule for moms. But I don't get near as many hours as I would at a regular LPN job, have to drive quite far to clinic sites, & the work isn't steady. I also rarely work with the same people, and it's hard to get to know each other.

I was excited after making it through LPN school, and receiving my LPN license. I was excited to have a job where I got to truly help people, and make a great living for doing so... That was until I took my first LPN job. The first job I had was in a nursing home. That place was a NIGHTMARE! 24 pts. to one nurse, no help from staff, combative patients, foul-mouthed unprofessional LPNs, and everyone working there was in a terrible mood. Plus, the place smelled awful. It was the most depressing atmosphere I'd ever been in, and I pray I never end up in a place like that when I'm elderly. I quit and then moved on to the second job, which was a nightmare as well.

I thought it was a dream job at first. This was in an urgent care an hour from my home. The nurse manager who hired me said it was a "great place to work." She said, "friendly, helpful staff, always get 30 min to an hour for lunch, the urgent care didn't get too busy, time to chart, etc. Friendly, helpful doctors." This place was anything but everything she said. My first night was a nightmare! As soon as I arrived the LPN in charge of the floor looked at me and said "who are you?!" very rudely. I explained that I was the new LPN and excited to start working there. She just rolled her eyes at me & didn't say a word. I thought how rude & unprofessional! We seen over 100 pts. in one night to three LPNs in that urgent care!! Every single doctor & nurse I worked with was rude & nasty to me. I was coughed on, threw up on, caught the flu, & brought it home to my baby that week, etc! I got 5-10 minutes in my car for lunch, & an LPN weighing about 100 lbs. more than me started bullying my first night, and I lasted about 4 or 5 shifts there. I stayed in the bathroom about in tears the last two shifts. If I'd stayed any longer, I would've had a nervous breakdown. I took two years off after that to raise my kids, and rest my nerves. Fortunately, my husband is an engineer, and makes a good living for our family. He has allowed me to stay home with my kids, and work when I want. (yes, I'm extremely blessed to have a husband like this, and am greatful for him)

After taking two years off from nursing, I heard through a friend who was a receptionist, her boss who was a doctor, was looking for an LPN. She wanted a nurse to work part time in her private practice. She said it was a relaxed atmosphere, and would be a good place to work since I'm also a busy mom. She said the doctor was flexible with work schedules. I went in for an interview, and was hired out of 14 other nursing/medical assistant applicants! I was so excited. The doctor was a dermatologist, and it was a small practice in a rural town 25 minutes from my house. The doctor only paid $9.50 an hour, but I didn't mind as she was flexible with my schedule, and it seemed like a relaxed place to work. That was until my first day. I worked with one other nurse there, and we were worked to absolute death in this place! I worked there about 6 months before hitting my breaking point and letting that job go as well. We were SCREAMED at on a regular basis in front of patients by the doctor & office manager, we roomed patients, charted, called patients back, assisted with surgeries, cleaned surgical tools, were made to clean the office (yes, even toilets, and I did not go to nursing school to do maid work), removed stitches from infected wounds (I thought this was something the doctor should be doing), gave injections, assisted patients with photo light therapy, assisted with Botox injections, sold makeup, and other skin products, etc. The other LPN & I were doing the work of 10 nurses at low pay. I would sit at the nurses station and envy the receptionists who were making close to the same pay as me, while they answered the phone & played on their computers. I gave my two week notice after six months and left. I never regretted it either. I have been home since.

I have been taking college classes towards my associate in science & arts degrees, and have lots of credits through my local community college. I just can't decide what I want to do yet. My husband is getting frustrated with me considering changing careers. He knows I worked hard and spent a lot of money to be an LPN. I just don't know if nursing is for me anymore.I did not become an LPN to be yelled at, talked to rudely, & worked to death for very low pay. I knew nursing was hard when I went in to it, but nothing prepared me for the depressive atmosphere until I actually went in to it. I also know not all nursing jobs are terrible, I just haven't seemed to find a decent one yet. Any other LPNs/RNs starting to feel this way? Thanks... sorry so long...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes, nursing is hard. So is dental hygiene, teaching school, and OR assisting.

Have you consulted a counselor/advisor at your school? Sounds like you may be scattering your forces.

If your husband is frustrated with you changing careers, have him read some of the vents here on AN.

Good luck, I hope your find your niche.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I know all jobs are hard. I'm not expecting to have a completely easy job. I would just like to have a job where I look forward to going to work at least some days. It would be nice to have a job where I wasn't yelled at every single day as well. I was always torn between dental hygiene and teaching when I was younger. I'm pretty dead set on one of those fields, if I don't stick with nursing. I've considered surgical tech, but I just don't know if I want to deal with the drama of the medical field... I love science, and that's one reason I became a nurse, I just get stressed easily & don't know if the medical field is for me anymore...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.

Have you tried home care nursing? I did peds and I loved it. Its one on one nursing, flexible schedule and because you work alone, there is no one to yell at you :) .I worked per diem so I was able to pick the cases I wanted to work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I have had several part time LPN jobs since becoming an LPN in '08, and have yet to find one I like. I think I may have chosen the wrong career.
It's not just you. I've had several jobs, nursing and outside of nursing, and have never found a job I enjoyed. I have a malcontent personality, so I will never be happy with any job or career pathway in existence. Spending a third of my adult life at the workplace has been a bitter pill to swallow.

I am a creative, lazy daydreamer who cannot stand abiding by a rigid work schedule. I enjoy plenty of unstructured free time in my personal life. Employment cuts into my personal unstructured free time, and for that very reason, I'll never have the 'heart' for any type of work.

My dream would be to win a multimillion dollar state lottery and spend the rest of my days traveling to different countries, collecting college degrees, exercising with a personal trainer, opening a franchise business, or just wasting time on random pursuits. However, the chances of me winning a multimillion dollar jackpot are exponentially small, so I keep working to pay bills while pretending to have my 'heart' in it.

By the way, I've been at my current job 4 years. I will never like my job, but it is tolerable enough on most days to keep coming another day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for everyones replies. Thecommuter, thanks for your reply, I always enjoying reading your feedback here on allnurses! :) Your post made me giggle a little, because you sound a lot like me in some ways! My dream would be to win the lottery as well... lol

I have a "routine" work personality. I like to learn what I need to do, do it over & over, & get paid for it. I don't like change. Therefore, I know nursing probably wasn't the best career for me, as everyday is new & different as a nurse. But I am a caring person and love science/anatomy stuff, & think that drew me towards the profession. I am so much like my dad. My dad is a gentle, quiet man. He was a TV repairman & appliance repairman in the late 1970s and in to the 1980s. He worked for local appliance stores then fixing TVs and broken appliances. He told me that's what he liked though. He liked working alone or with a fellow employee fixing stuff. He went in to the stores, fixed what was broke, got paid, and went home. He didn't have to deal with his bosses too much at the stores, and he liked that. He didn't like workplace drama either. He tried to get along with everyone. That's how I am too. I want to do my job and not have to deal with negative drama at work. I am a friendly person, & love to have fun & cut up at work as well! :) I also love to make new friends. I just hate grouchy bosses & people who create workplace drama, and employees who "back stab" you, or create tales that aren't true at work. Unfortunately from what I've seen so far, some nursing environments seem to be a perfect breeding ground for workplace drama....

As far as finding my "niche" in the nursing profession, I suppose I've found it with health screener nursing. I go in, do my job, & don't have to deal with too much negative stuff. Each clinic site has different staff at each clinic usually. Every now and then I am paired with the same nurses. I make good hourly pay and the work is easy. We go in, set up the clinic, do our jobs and go home. There's no time to sit around talking behind each others back. Since the work is fairly easy, it isn't too stressful of an environment either. It's also good hours for me since I'm a mom. I think my long term plans for now are to continue on as a health screener nurse working PRN, and take classes towards another profession (teaching or dental hygiene). I figure I need to work as an LPN for a while at least, I owe my husband that much since he helped put me through LPN school. lol

Thanks again everyone! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I have a "routine" work personality. I like to learn what I need to do, do it over & over, & get paid for it. I don't like change.
This describes me to a 'T.' When it comes to the workplace, I am the queen of routine. I like to know what I'm walking into. I dislike new and novel things at work. Change equals disruption. I prefer that my workplace environments be routinized, predictable, and orderly without any chaos whatsoever.

My personality is a major reason why I hated hospitals and preferred areas such as long term care. Even though you have 20+ residents in a nursing home, you tend to see the same faces all the time, and a routine can be established once you get to know them. I know what I'm walking into when I work at a good nursing home on most shifts.

However, I have not been in the long term care setting in a couple of years, so now I go to work not knowing what I will see until I get there...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

I don't believe it's nursing that's not for you

it's the hostile environment that gets you down

while for the life of me i cannot understand what

might be gained by yelling, being rude, etc.

it's not uncommon

in my experience i had to go through about 3 to 4

jobs before finding a keeper

Up Vote Up Vote ×

DOn't feel bad OP, alot of places are like this, alot of nurses have similar experiences. You have one decision to make but two paths you can take. Either stay in nursing and rough it for alittle more while finding the area you belong in or think long and hard about what else you may like and want to do. stay positive, I too am having alittle difficulty with my career at the moment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh my! You are not my husband, are you!? He is the same way! LOL! (to the Commuter)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There are areas of nursing that are quite routine. Someone mentioned private duty home care, surgical nursing is pretty routine, some drama here or there, but routine. Of course, nothing in life is truly routine, but I get what you are saying. There is something inside of me that must be like that, because I go somewhere and try to restore order immediately. As soon as I achieve it, I am bored and what something new to make work right. LOL! Good luck. YOu know yourself well, and that puts you leaps and bounds ahead of most people.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Oh my! You are not my husband, are you!? He is the same way! LOL! (to the Commuter)
LOL! I suspect there are many people who secretly dislike working, but society shames us into quietude. It is not politically correct to admit to not loving a job, so those of us who aren't feeling the love tend to keep quiet.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion