Is the nursing experience better or worse than when you started?

[KalipsoRed]

I've only been a nurse for 3 years, so to answer my own question I would say that it hasn't changed much since I started. I think you could probably read some of my previous posts and see what I think about nursing. I personally feel that nursing is turning out to a shell of what I thought it was. That nursing has helped me to be more grateful for my life, family, and health yet much more cynical and untrusting of medical staff, doctors, and nurses. I have lost a great deal of respect and admiration for medicine. I am appalled with the fraudulent gimmicks marketing and business minded individuals force caregivers to use when dealing with patients to increase profit margins instead of increasing patient safety and health. I realize hospitals need to make a profit, however, I'm not here to please the patient and/or family, I'm here to help the patient get better and learn how to take care of themselves. If that means I have to deny them chocolate, salt, or over dosing the on pain meds, then that should be it and I shouldn't have to worry about my manager jumping down my throat for doing what is best for the patient. I'm not saying to do this rudely or without compassion, just that I get to do what's best without having to worry that I'm going to get kicked in the teeth about it later. Furthermore, with the lack of older nurses on the floor to educate me, no floor educator, and patient levels that I feel overwhelmed with, there is only so much that I can catch on about at any given time. I know I have a BSN, but tons of book education did not teach me how to organize my day, multiple patients, or the experience to recognize the symptoms I'm no longer reading about but actually seeing now. (BTW, I'm better about this last one now...but for less than 1 year old nurses I feel they do not get good education on nursing from all that book learning, we need to be on the floor more as students and we need more experienced nurses with us when we are on our own.)

Due to my above feelings, not to mention the stress and lack of energey for a social life, I feel that nursing is worse than it use to be. Like I said though, I don't have a ton of experience so I'm not 100% sure. Maybe I just haven't found my nitch still. Thanks for all your responses!

[KimAydelotte]

Ah, ...I do understand the frustration. But in this day and age, with the constant turmoil, unrest politically and personally in peoples lives, the tendency to want out of something that is painful is understandable. I've worked extremely short staffed, dealt with unrealistic administrators, doctors, families and patients. It is not easy and I hope I did not give the impression it was. But in this world you need to find your niche, where you know you were meant to be. I LOVE Critical Care, but it's not for everyone. If you're in a spot where you are constantly stressed,depressed, angry and resentful your life will, forgive the crudeness, "suck". The cool thing about nursing is you can go so many ways with it. You may not make the big pay, but if you're happy then do it. We get so set in a place that the reach to change can seem too intangible. I ended up moving >100 miles for my husbands job and after the 'transition' period found myself growing to a new confidence and satisfaction. Scary and hard at first but fulfilling in the end. No career is perfect, but YOU CAN change things if you're determined enough and willing to do a painful stretch. (This is true Critical Care mentality, maybe nurse mentality.) Recognize 'burnout' as a true phenomenon that poisons your perspective and health. Take a break, make a change but do NOT ignore it. It will color everything you see and do. Life is short and there are no guarantees, live it to the fullest, no regrets. Nursing is not perfect, nor for everyone, but I wouldn't do anything else.

[Miss Kitty00]

I feel i have been jaded by all the incompetence that runs on the floor by my co-workers. I feel like I spend half my shift picking up things left undone and finding the same mistakes day in and day out. That being said I'm also much more confident in my patient care/patient assessment.

This is how I feel.There are some days that I'm ready to go to the local customer service employer and fill out the application. I try to remain positive, but lately it has been really hard.

[justjojo]

it became worse than i expected it to be. i know being a nurse is a hectic job and all but i didn't expect that, at times, it would drain you out, completely! but i think that's how it is. we're paid to get intoxicated!

[MMARN, BSN, RN]

Nursing is difficult. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that what I wanted to do most was the one thing I wanted to escape so early in my career. I love, LOVE nursing, and I truly love caring for people, helping families, patients deal with diseases that can be fatal. I love educating patients and their families. I love when, after I've had the time to educate a patient regarding a procedure he or she is having, a lightbulb moment happens and it just clicks for them! I love answering questions and seeing trusting eyes believe what you're saying because you presented the situation in a way that was not fraught with medical jargon. I love feeding patients who are unable to achieve this simple task and seeing their happy, well-fed faces after their meal. I love hearing, "You're such a good nurse!" I love learning new things and applying them to what I do. I love that I can recognize when something about a patient is just "not right" and I'm able to make the decision of either calling a Rapid Response or coding them.

However.

I do not appreciate the pettiness between the nurses. There is a real "everyone-for-themselves" mentality that should be discarded in this sort of workplace. Nursing is a 24-hour job and we need to realize that it's not about us; it's about our patients. I hate the disrespect with which some doctors treat us. I only worship and bow to one God, and a doctor ain't him. I detest the shortage, the crappy hours and shifts, the lack of support, the family members who think a hospital is a glorified hotel. The nursing experience for me right now is worse. I am looking for another avenue to take because bedside nursing is just too stressful and the appreciation rate ridiculously low. I am on the verge of being burned out, and I haven't even been a nurse for five years! Most times we are bodies recruited to have a team of patients, give meds, make sure we don't kill them, document, document, document, and go home, on time without incidental overtime. We are expected to be vigilant about all these ridiculous new papers and procedures that have nothing to do with patient care and everything to do with length of stays, insurance problems, etc. Also, I did not become a nurse to babysit doctors, and there have been many times in my three years as a nurse that I have had to do this. The majority of the time, doctors resent being told what to do, but when my patient is wheezing, desatting and I have no nebs treatments, nor do I have a recent CXR to go by to even have a clue why this patient's condition has deteriorated, I can't help BUT demand (and, in turn, babysit) that I get what my patient needs. Nor can I ignore a patient with chest pain of 10/10, no morphine, and troponins ordered 6 hours AFTER the fact! It's dangerous and ludicrous.

I love what I do, but I'd rather do it in a whole different setting because bedside nursing is just not for me.

[RNforLongTime]

Yes, I have much of those feelings or used to have. But, I am told I am "too" bitter.... think the realism of nursing has set in. It's not the nursing or the care that I can give when allowed it's the business end! All the BS that goes with it..

Yesterday, 03:43 PM

I feel i have been jaded by all the incompetence that runs on the floor by my co-workers. I feel like I spend half my shift picking up things left undone and finding the same mistakes day in and day out. That being said I'm also much more confident in my patient care/patient assessment.

This is how I feel as well on most days. When I follow certain RN's on my floor, I KNOW I'm going to spend over half of my shift 'cleaning up' after that person. It's not being petty, it's expecting them to do the JOB that they are paid to do. The exact same job that I'm paid to do. When you sign off an order, it means you've made sure that the order was carried out(labs entered into the computer, consults called to the appropriate Dr, etc). The same person is notorious for signing off orders and not entering them into the computer system. The person has had this pointed out to him numerous times and cops an attitude when told. SO from now on, he gets written up. I've tried to play nice with him and he's been less than receptive to constructive criticism.

I'm well aware that you don't have a secretary to answer the phones and put the orders in, or an aide to run the pt to OR or radiology on day shift. Guess what? We don't have that on night shift either. Nor do we have a respiratory therapist or a housekeeper or dietary staff!!! So, I gotta do all that in addition to my regular RN responsibilities.

I know things will not change where I am currently employed but since I HAVE to work to support my family, I put up with it. As do my coworkers. Until they get fed up enough to move on but I don't have that option since I've been blackballed by a previous nurse manager with an axe to grind against me from the remaining hospitals in my small town. Sad but true.

I take good care of my patients, they tell me this regularly. I'm also a team player. I just get irritated with certain coworkers who don't care about their nursing practice.

[Davey Do]

No change, totally status que which in and of itself is not a good thing in a lot of ways, but also a good thing.

erik- if you haven't noticed, I'm reading your threads so I can say, "Amen!" after quoting a portion of your comment.

My first 10 years of Nursing were in a Hospital setting. Then, for the next 10 years, I worked, primarily as a Home Health or Community Nurse. When I returned to a Hospital setting 8 years ago, I found that working within an Institution had its perks. I was no longer the Lone Wolf, solely and totally responsible for the Patients I served. There were all sorts of resources and support at my fingertips!

In the last 28 years Nursing has stayed the same and changed. But I still love it. I feel like I'm contributing as a responsible member of society and I get a paycheck to boot!

Thanks for askin'!

Dave

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

erik- if you haven't noticed, I'm reading your threads so I can say, "Amen!" after quoting a portion of your comment.

My first 10 years of Nursing were in a Hospital setting. Then, for the next 10 years, I worked, primarily as a Home Health or Community Nurse. When I returned to a Hospital setting 8 years ago, I found that working within an Institution had its perks. I was no longer the Lone Wolf, solely and totally responsible for the Patients I served. There were all sorts of resources and support at my fingertips!

In the last 28 years Nursing has stayed the same and changed. But I still love it. I feel like I'm contributing as a responsible member of society and I get a paycheck to boot!

Thanks for askin'!

Dave

Yeah, U R freakin me out man!!!!!!

I am used to playing devil's advocate and being (sometimes nicely, sometimes not) told to shut up.

[Davey Do]

Yeah, U R freakin me out man!!!!!!

Well, there's nothing really interesting happening over at AN-central, so I'm hangin' out here, where topics are generally serious.

Speaking of serious, don't be freaked out. I'm seriously harmless. I've got some serious references to prove it.

But, hey- let's get back to Our Program: "Is the nursing experience better or worse than when you started?" And here's our next contributor's comment...

[KalipsoRed]

Thank you all for your responses, I have enjoyed reading everyone of them. I know that caring for people is something I've always done, ever since I was a kid, but I get more statisfaction doing it for free than I ever have being employed for a hospital. I also get sick from taking gratitude from my patients when in a lot of ways I feel their vist was not up to my expectations. Most of my work has been for non-profit institutions. I would say the majority of my patients are the blue collar workers of the USA, many of which have no insurance and are paying $50,000 and up for a 3 or 4 night stay. That is a huge sum of money for someone who maybe makes $40,000 a year and the patient couldn't even get to the bathroom in an acceptable amount of time because of staffing and stupid policies. I can't feel good about a complement given to me by a patient under those circumstances.

I hope my feelings change...or that I can find a spot in nursing were I don't feel like we are just putting the screws to people. (I mean if you ever really take a good look at the actual cost of giving care, including paying staff and a hospital making a decent profit, and how much over that hospitals charge; I don't see how anyone can take pride in this profession. We basically fill the pockets of the business managers...even in non-profit situations. I'm not saying all hospitals, but the majority are this way.) I'm trying to learn more about nurse entrepreneurship maybe I'll find something I can feel respectable doing that way. Thanks again!