Is being a nurse ever boring?

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Specializes in ICU.

Hey you all!!

I have recently been accepted into a nursing program in August and soon will start my journey in becoming one.

I just got back from working (I am an IT expert) and was wondering if its ever boring or if there is alot of down time working as a nurse? I ask this because in my field I get bored alot and time just wont go bye. Fix a little computer there, setup a network here then sit on my butty for so many hours.

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

If you allow nursing to be boring I suppose it could, but that has never been an issue with me. I like variety so now that I am not in critical care I float, supervise and teach. I am planning to travel again when my youngest child graduates from high school. I hope you don't expect much down time as a nurse. There is always something to do or that needs done.

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Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.
frankiebrina said:
Hey you all!!

I have recently been accepted into a nursing program in August and soon will start my journey in becoming one.

I just got back from working (I am an IT expert) and was wondering if its ever boring or if there is alot of down time working as a nurse? I ask this because in my field I get bored alot and time just won't go bye. Fix a little computer there, setup a network here then sit on my butty for so many hours.

I work on resp/medsurg floor 3-11pm and time FLIES! It is never boring. If anything I get frustrated with the many duties we are suppose to do. But I never found it boring yet. I used to work at walmart as a cashier and in early morning not many customers and be bored trying to find something to do. With medsurg I'm lucky if I can even finish my work! However I do hear on the night shift 11-7 they have some down time and get bored. I don't know if that's because they do our 24hour chart checks on like 8-10pts and it being night shift when people normally sleep there.

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To answer your question, i do not think nursing is ever boring. The good thng about this profession is that there are a wide variety of specializations. And if you get "Bored" , you could easily switch to another specailization. I.E. from ICU nursing to clinic nursing, OR nursing, home health care etc. :p

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Oh just try saying 'I'm bored' or 'It's slow' mid-shift and see what happens.

I don't recommend you try this, but next time you are near a hospital nurses' station, loudly proclaim 'wow, it's slow' and see the looks of horror because you jinxed them.

Last time I said that was 3 yrs ago. I'm on the phone at 5am to a night owl friend (I work in ICU). I said, 'Dang it's slow, and I have 4 more hours' No sooner than the words were out of my mouth . . .

Phone rings, supervisor says they're bring an active GI bleeder in. Before I can set up the room (another superstition I ignored that night - always set up the room when you're the next hit, er, admission, so as to ward off evil spirits), floor staff comes in with patient projectile vomitting blood. Fast forward 30 minutes of heavy work later, Intubating to protect airway from the blood, GI doc doing at the bedside EGD, literally flinging blood across the room to dump it into a non-red bag garbage can, I'm hanging 2nd pressor along with 3rd unit of blood. Intensivist is working on the central line, Xray is standing by to verify placements, etc, etc etc.

My 7am shift ended at 10am and I was anything but 'slow' the rest of the night.

If it's possible to be bored, I'll certainly never mention or hint at it again. . .

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

Hi

I have worked as a nurse for almost 40 yrs. Right now i"m a night staff nurse on a med/surg/Oncology floor!! We are NEVER bored or slow!!

Some nites I wish it was just a bit slower!!

In my 40 yrs. I have never had a job that was slow. Even when I worked Psych there was always something to do.

I agree 100% with the poster above me!!

You never ever say I'm bored or it's TOO slow!! That is a sure thing for disaster!!

Mary Ann

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I work Telemetry, night shift. We are never bored either. Exhausted maybe, but not bored. Why, sometimes we even get a whole 30 minute break!

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

what is "down time?" I have never experienced that. I work in a big hospital and just left ICU to go to ER. No one there knows what "down time" is either.

No you won't be bored ......ever.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Depends I guess where you work. I have a friend that works adult alcohol rehab at night is bored out of his mind most of the time, but in the long run doesn't mind.

Being bored has never been an issue with me. Being overwhelmed with too multi-tasking to do, not enough time to do it, is a frequent issue with me. If I have some down time, I've earned it and enjoy it. Yesterday was like that, I busted butt all day and got done early and things were very quiet and slow the last two hours of the 12 hour shift. But like Timothy, I didn't dare jinx myself and everyone around me know not to say "slow or quiet", until after the next shift got there. :)

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Yup, the concept of bored as eluded me! IF and I do mean IF you're caught up on charting, and your patients are stable, there's always some other nurse that needs help. Nursing keeps ya hopping! I wouldn't have it any other way!

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I have been bored recently but then it is my personality, I enjoy a changing environment and I work on stroke rehab. Things can take 3-6 months for a change. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
frankiebrina said:
Hey you all!!

I have recently been accepted into a nursing program in August and soon will start my journey in becoming one.

I just got back from working (I am an IT expert) and was wondering if its ever boring or if there is alot of down time working as a nurse? I ask this because in my field I get bored alot and time just won't go bye. Fix a little computer there, setup a network here then sit on my butty for so many hours.

If it is, you are not doing enough with your career. Or at work. :rotfl:

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