Is is it normal to not like nursing?

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Specializes in Case Management, Utilization Review.

Ive been out of nursing school 2 years now and I have bounced between countless jobs. ICU, NICU, med/surg, home health, and different hospitals. Sometimes I feel so strongly that I REALLY dont like nursing, but its so hard to look past the flexible hours, pay, and benefits. Im depressed, anxious, a nervous wreck, now Im having physical pain from the tensions.

My question: Do most nurses REALLY love their job and their patients? Or at least most of the time?

Because I cant honestly say I do.

PS. I have an associates degree, so I feel limited to the bedside.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

What were your expectations to begin with?

Why did you choose nursing in the first place?

etc. etc. etc.

If you only chose nursing because of the hours, pay, etc. and you never had any real interest in actually doing the work of nursing, then it should be no surprise that you don't particularly like the work.

Most successful nurses have an actual interest in doing the work of nursing that contributed to their decision to pursue a nursing career. They may get frustrated, or hate a particular job ... but they have a genuine interet in at least some aspects of the actual work of nursing.

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Specializes in Case Management, Utilization Review.

Thanks for the reply!

Initially my family urged me into nursing because I am a bright student and caring person. I liked nursing school and felt I could have an impact on a persons life through a respectable career. I knew in school I didnt like med/surg floors, but haven't seemed to find an area I do like.

When Im doing hands-on care with my patient alone I feel GREAT, but the rest of the time I'm very unhappy.

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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

Have you thought about teaching as a clinical instructor? You said you only like direct patient care, so I assume you probably don't want to deal with the charting, doctors calls etc. You could get your BSN and move to that area fo nursing. On the other hand, what about home health did you not like. I mean I am aware that their is some charting to on OASIS, but thats nothing compared to acute care, right?

If it gets to a point where you feel like your dislike is really about nursing and not the actual area of nursing, you shoud probably consider another career. Good luck

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I can relate to enjoying patient care and interaction but not being happy with the majority of clinical nursing jobs readily available out there. So many places use bare bones staffing that it's always a strain to get the bare minimum done. There are very few inpatient nursing jobs out there where the nurses aren't overloaded one way or another.

And the nature of inpatient nursing care is rather chaotic, so if a person likes patient care but doesn't like being pulled in 10 different directions at once, they will have a hard time finding anything tolerable in an inpatient setting (acute care or LTC).

Both in and outside the hospital, nurses often end up responsible for "everything else" - not just providing direct patient care. Nurses end up coordinating, facilitating, and double checking many other aspects of patient care... checking MD orders, requesting meds from pharmacy, ordering pt meals, scheduling off-floor tests, requesting social work consult, updating MD of pt status.

That part of nursing often isn't emphasized in school or in nursing recruitment pitches. Direct patient care is emphasized in inpatient training and yet that's probably less than 50% of what most nurses all day!

Anyway, just thoughts there....

Back to the OP's original issue....

I personally decided to leave clinical nursing and look for more administrative work. I chose administrative because I'd enjoyed the office jobs that I'd had in the past - whereas I'd been rather uncomfortable in many clinical settings. I imagine there may be some perfect nursing niche out there somewhere, but I decided that, for me, I had a better chance of finding a good niche outside of nursing. And a few years later, I have a job in data management that I enjoy.

I do miss that I don't have the kind of patient interaction that I enjoy - teaching, reassuring - but most clinical nursing jobs have more hustle and bustle than quality patient interaction time anyway... so I think I made the right choice for me.

Everyone's different. Keep exploring your feelings and experiences and hopefully you will find some insight about what you want to do.

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

I have a love/hate relationship with it. Sometimes I'm so stressed out and busy that no one gets the best care I could give and I hate it. Other nights are slow and I can be really thorough and I love it.

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i'm not a nurse yet, but i have spoken to some nurses and read articles on nursing as a profession.

the article said that about 60% of nurses wish they could change their profession, and some nurses have agreed with this.

while this statistic is rather sad, i feel that i want to be a nurse for my own personal reasons. if you can figure out those reasons, i'm sure you will come to love nursing. if not, maybe a change in profession would be good.

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Specializes in behavioral health.

I've struggled with the thought of leaving nursing. I've even done career research..advanced education..and such. I am lucky enough to have found my niche in behavioral health, but I'm not pleased about the stress and intimidating workload. Like another poster said, it can be a love/hate relationship. I usually have some type of reaction when I go home from work. Some days I feel exhilarated, some days I curse nursing and want to quit. Getting better at your job and developing more confidence definitely helps. My day is better when I don't feel incompetent =P. My suggestions are looking into doctor office nursing or nursing informatics. If you are truly unhappy, you need to follow your heart. Life is too short to be in a career you hate.

good luck

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I can relate to enjoying patient care and interaction but not being happy with the majority of clinical nursing jobs readily available out there. So many places use bare bones staffing that it's always a strain to get the bare minimum done. There are very few inpatient nursing jobs out there where the nurses aren't overloaded one way or another.

And the nature of inpatient nursing care is rather chaotic, so if a person likes patient care but doesn't like being pulled in 10 different directions at once, they will have a hard time finding anything tolerable in an inpatient setting (acute care or LTC).

Both in and outside the hospital, nurses often end up responsible for "everything else" - not just providing direct patient care. Nurses end up coordinating, facilitating, and double checking many other aspects of patient care... checking MD orders, requesting meds from pharmacy, ordering pt meals, scheduling off-floor tests, requesting social work consult, updating MD of pt status.

That part of nursing often isn't emphasized in school or in nursing recruitment pitches. Direct patient care is emphasized in inpatient training and yet that's probably less than 50% of what most nurses all day!

Anyway, just thoughts there....

WELL SAID!!:yeah:

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It's a question I struggle with a lot actually. I've been a NICU nurse for 3 years now. Some days are better than others. Some days you get so frustrated that you want to just leave. But I remind myself that I'm there for my patient. For me, the stress comes from families and other staff who just don't get it sometimes. It might be good to take a break from the bedside for a while...that is if you're really depressed/stressed about it. Always remember to take care of yourself first. You'll be a better nurse for it. And maybe you can find a job where you aren't at the bedside, but can still make a difference. Good luck!

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Oh and I do agree that nurses do end up being responsible for random things that you might not have thought to be part of the job description. It seems like everyone keeps putting more and more demands on nurses because they don't want to do the job themselves or they figure "the nurse" can do it since "the nurse" knows the patient and will be at the bedside at all times. It's unfair sometimes because you feel overloaded with other tasks. I would rather use that time to be with my patient.

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Specializes in Certified Wound Care Nurse.

I have to say that I love patient care but not the politics of the floor. There are so many things that I didn't learn in school - the realities of nursing - and if I'd been taught about what to expect, I think I could have handled my first six months much better than I have.

At this point, I am at nine months - feeling good some days, other days, I just don't get it - epecially when trying to decipher charts (I wish there had been a "charting 101" course in nsg school!!!).

Hang in there,

Shawna

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