I'm starting to feel like I'm done

[TheOldestNurseOnUnit]

Night shift; 7 very heavy, very needy and certifiably nutso patients; RNs who don't think anything about leaving their work unfinished (and then "forget" to tell me this in report); bed alarms; pump alarms; continuous pulse ox alarms; not having the necessary meds in the med room; cleaning up the med room from the last shift; cleaning up all the garbage in the nurses' alcoves from the previous 2 shifts; night after night after night after night.....crabby; tired; dreading going into work nearly every night.....new grandbaby at home with me; just tired tired tired and venting. My anal-retentive/OCD/do it right the first time for the love of God self is driving me crazy. Thinking that after all these years I'm not cut out for nursing anymore. Tired of the politics; the backstabbing; and lazy people and I'm starting to get mean.......feels like I'm losing my compassion and empathy and becoming more and more cynical.......venting venting VENTING! Thank you for this opportunity to put into writing what I can't verbally express to many people.......but like the title says, I really feel like I'm just about done........

[MoshRN]

"...My anal-retentive/OCD/do it right the first time for the love of God self is driving me crazy."

Totally me!!!

[Donatello]

I work in the health insurance field and love it!!

[Angeljho, MSN, NP]

Have you considered a different area of nursing, I left the bedside about 2 1/2 years ago to work in Healthcare Informatics and I do not have any patient contact.

Tell me more??????

[ChellyFutureNP]

What is your end goal? What would you like to do in the future? Do you see yourself assuming any nursing leadership position? Considered CRNA? Nurse educator? FNP? If you feel burnt out, maybe it's time to transition to other nursing roles besides floor nursing.

[ChellyFutureNP]

I work for an Insurance company and I love it, I will never go back to bedside and I do not miss patient contact at all. My income increased and my stress decreases. plus, I work from home. I truly, enjoy nursing now.

Leave bedside.

I would appreciate any information please. Where would i find these types of nursing job? THANK you!

[LargeMarge]

When was the last time you had some "me time" ? Vacation and nursing conferences have always helped me get back in tune with my true self at work. I think it is good to vent, especially here where many people understand and have probably had the same feelings at some point.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Simply stop cleaning up after everyone, unless that is actually your job. Others might gripe at first, but they all need to clean up after themselves. Where is housekeeping staff?

Whoever the new grandbaby belongs to - tell that person you can't do as much babysitting, have him or her find someone else.

Take care of You.

Don't do other staff members' work.

Stop inviting everyone to dump on you and suck you dry.

You need to speak up, nicely but firmly.

[MollyJ]

I was a messy young nurse. I had some older nurses tell me that I needed to leave my patient rooms in better shape and I'd like to think I got better at it.

But I really think that you are just showing stress from working in an inhumane setting. Inhumane for patients and nurses alike. Until we can capture what nurses do AND eliminate the idea that unless it's reimbursable, it's not important, nursing will continue to have difficult, soul-destroying work places.

Fix what you can; take care of yourself.