Is it normal to hate my job this much?

[pinkdoves, BSN]

I have hated bedside nursing ever since I started. I even hated it when I was in school but IDK why it never clicked to me that I should pursue something else...anyway, I am on my 8th month of nursing of my first consecutive year. I say consecutive, bc I held a bedside position in an adult hospital for 2 months before switching over to pediatrics. I can at least handle this job better than my first, but I really really hate nursing so much. I can't wait to become qualified for other jobs.

Is it normal to hate my job this much? I get so depressed and anxious the day before my shift starts. It's been 8 months and I still feel this way. Makes me think it's never going to get better ? please tell me when I can leave the bedside pretty please ... I just feel with the pandemic it's so much harder to get a job but IDK I guess I am lucky to have the one I do right now (I just hate it SO MUCH).

People keep telling me it would get better but it never did. I'm losing hope and even started researching other majors I could pursue. please help

[Golden_RN, MSN]

I did feel that way my first year, probably a combo of first year anxiety + being on a unit that was not a perfect fit.  In my second year I moved to another bedside job that was much better for me.

Less than one year experience is probably not enough experience to move to a non-patient care job, but if that is your goal start looking at what is out there & what those jobs require.  If you don't have your BSN yet, definitely pursue that.

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

The short answer is yes.

Bedside is rough. Especially, the first year. It gets a little better as time goes on but not by much, in my experience. I stuck it out for 9 miserable years because I wanted to be a good NP. If I didn't want to be a NP, I would not have suffered through it and done something else.

I did like the patient interactions, the learning, and my coworkers. The no lunch breaks, the constant micromanagement, and insane workload definitely took a toll on my mental and physical health. 

If you don't want to be a NP, get out sooner rather than later. Save yourself some misery. 

[pinkdoves, BSN]

5 minutes ago, Golden_RN said:

I did feel that way my first year, probably a combo of first year anxiety + being on a unit that was not a perfect fit.  In my second year I moved to another bedside job that was much better for me.

Less than one year experience is probably not enough experience to move to a non-patient care job, but if that is your goal start looking at what is out there & what those jobs require.  If you don't have your BSN yet, definitely pursue that.

I really want to do an internal transfer after a year to do VAS nursing. I've become very good at accessing ports and I want to learn how to put in an IV. For some reason at my hospital staff nurses don't know how to insert an IV. I asked to practice with the IV team and my manager said yes at least. I guess I'll start from here. I already have my BSN! IDK if I will go back to school it's not really my main priority. many people with me (even though we have < 1 year experience) have applied and got accepted to NP programs. I really do not want to do that 

 

[pinkdoves, BSN]

4 minutes ago, noyesno said:

The short answer is yes.

Bedside is rough. Especially, the first year. It gets a little better as time goes on but not by much, in my experience. I stuck it out for 9 miserable years because I wanted to be a good NP. If I didn't want to be a NP, I would not have suffered through it and done something else.

I did like the patient interactions, the learning, and my coworkers. The no lunch breaks, the constant micromanagement, and insane workload definitely took a toll on my mental and physical health. 

If you don't want to be a NP, get out sooner rather than later. Save yourself some misery. 

9 years?? most people do 2 or even 3 and then go into NP school! I do not want to be an NP at all I want to do VAS nursing or even insurance work once I get more experience

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

12 minutes ago, pinkdoves said:

9 years?? most people do 2 or even 3 and then go into NP school! I do not want to be an NP at all I want to do VAS nursing or even insurance work once I get more experience

I'm a maniac. It has helped me tremendously as a NP though. 

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

What you are experiencing is very common.  Check out AN's First Year in Nursing forum for members advice.

Best wishes in your nursing journey.

[speedynurse, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

A lot of this is normal the first year. Depending on what type of nursing you do depends on skills used in the job. You mentioned starting an IV. This is simply a skill....nothing more. 

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

12 hours ago, speedynurse said:

A lot of this is normal the first year. Depending on what type of nursing you do depends on skills used in the job. You mentioned starting an IV. This is simply a skill....nothing more. 

Perhaps this nurse wants to try being in a vascular access team and did not quite articulate that! Starting peripheral IVs is just one aspect of my job but a critical one.  Specialized IV teams have demonstrated unequivocal effectiveness in  decreasing infections in all types of VADs, complications and cost of infusion therapy and are very valuable members of the health care team.They generally are highly skilled in all aspects of vascular access.I am told daily by my colleagues how grateful they are that I got the patient's IV in, that I knew the treatment for an infiltrate or extravasation, that I restored patency to the central line, that I could access a difficult port that others had tried but failed and on and on.If you want a specialty that you will feel and be appreciated.. THIS is it! It's not why I do..I do it because it's the kind of nursing that I love.

[speedynurse, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

20 minutes ago, iluvivt said:

Perhaps this nurse wants to try being in a vascular access team and did not quite articulate that! Starting peripheral IVs is just one aspect of my job but a critical one.  Specialized IV teams have demonstrated unequivocal effectiveness in  decreasing infections in all types of VADs, complications and cost of infusion therapy and are very valuable members of the health care team.They generally are highly skilled in all aspects of vascular access.I am told daily by my colleagues how grateful they are that I got the patient's IV in, that I knew the treatment for an infiltrate or extravasation, that I restored patency to the central line, that I could access a difficult port that others had tried but failed and on and on.If you want a specialty that you will feel and be appreciated.. THIS is it! It's not why I do..I do it because it's the kind of nursing that I love.

You can go to an area of nursing then that starts IVs all the time. Like the ED. I started regular PIVs, ultrasound IVs, accessed ports/central lines,etc. However all this is is a skill. Go where you will learn it. But remember you are 8 months into your nursing career....times are hard. Experienced nurses are having trouble getting into the jobs they want. Try to stay in a job for at least a year so you can transfer easier. You have already had 2 jobs in 8 months. Learn everything you can with the job you are at and then move on when an opportunity arrives.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

The first year of nursing is rough for everyone.  I think we all  hated our jobs for the first year . . . or two.  I know I certainly did!  I stuck with it because I had a husband to support.  After I found my niche in the ICU, it got better and now I love my job and cannot imagine doing anything else.

[pinkdoves, BSN]

On 10/23/2020 at 8:47 AM, iluvivt said:

Perhaps this nurse wants to try being in a vascular access team and did not quite articulate that! Starting peripheral IVs is just one aspect of my job but a critical one.  Specialized IV teams have demonstrated unequivocal effectiveness in  decreasing infections in all types of VADs, complications and cost of infusion therapy and are very valuable members of the health care team.They generally are highly skilled in all aspects of vascular access.I am told daily by my colleagues how grateful they are that I got the patient's IV in, that I knew the treatment for an infiltrate or extravasation, that I restored patency to the central line, that I could access a difficult port that others had tried but failed and on and on.If you want a specialty that you will feel and be appreciated.. THIS is it! It's not why I do..I do it because it's the kind of nursing that I love.

yes, that's exactly what I meant sorry for the confusion! I always say PIVs because it's the most basic thing that I still don't know how to do