Is nursing really that stressful?

tryingtohaveitall · Dec 17, 2008

Some days really are that stressful, but then other days are downright enjoyable. It also depends what field you're in. On evenings, our ER staff never or rarely get a break. But other areas can have their slow times.

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2008

Totally depends on the person---i come home with minimal stress. My husband the engineer always stressed out.

I have been known to have shaky hands so i wont say there is no stress in nursing...we carry alot of responsibility---but I do not come home wiht the stress and am able to find stress relief via my great staff. Have also been known to work out after work--we have a 24hour fitness center so half an hour on the tredmil helps.

philanurse74 · Dec 17, 2008

Yeah, it's stressful, but if you love it, and I do, it's good stress most of the time. My shifts fly by, I joke and laugh with my patients and staff, Care is given, I go home. I am not saying some patients haven't left permanent marks on my heart, but for the most part, I leave them at the hospital, and pick up that burden on the next shift.

JB2007, ASN, RN · Dec 17, 2008

Yes, nursing is very stressful, but there are certain parts of the job that makes up for the stress. I work in LTC, so I get to know my residents very well.

The good things are:

1. The special little smiles that I get from some of my residents when I am having a not so good day.

2. The "I missed you yesterday" when I had a day off.

3. The hugs that I recieve daily. Nothing beats a grandma or grandpa hug.

The list goes on.

Stressful things:

1. Management need I say more.

2. Paperwork

3. Crazy family members that yell at you about things that are out of your control.

Well this list could go on forever too, but the good usually out weighs the bad most days. All I can say is be sure that nursing is what you really want to do. This is not the job for the faint of heart. Good Luck

burn out · Dec 17, 2008

I have just completed 8-12 hour shifts in a row (remember God took a break on the 7th day). Stress is an understatement. There is not one muscle on my arms and neck that does not hurt. I call doctors names out in my sleep(gets me in trouble with my husband). So many decisions, so much responsibility....I guess the real question is why do I do it ? I must get something out of it but I can't figure it out. I do know that it is not for the money.

NursingStudent50 · Dec 17, 2008

If I may add, nursing SCHOOL is stressful as well. It is all totally worth it because this is all that I have ever wanted.

The tests that you study for hours on end, Return's you practice for where you should have just brought a suitcase in the lab, and the looonnngg days, clinical paperwork, etc... it's stressful. But, it is all worth it when you hear wonderful compliments from pts in clinical settings and have them singing ;-) It is also great passing your first semester and being one step closer to your dream.

If this is a passion, like it is for me, the stress is totally worth it. But, if I didn't have the passion, this semester would have been a lot more stressful.

BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Dec 17, 2008

I think nursing is just like any other job. It will depend on your personality, the people you work with and how you personally handle stress. I transferred from a very busy, understaffed cardiac unit to the ER. My ER job is waaaayyy less stressful!! It's because we have enough staff, we have good staff and I love my job!

BTW there is no way in H E double toothpicks I would work 8 12hr shifts in a row! I don't like doing 4 12's in a row. I wouldn't be safe, my pts would be in danger and no one would like me! I think that if you know yourself, your limitations, and how you best relieve your stress you'll be fine. Finding that perfect place to work may be hard at first but you'll get there!

jjjoy, LPN · Dec 17, 2008

Many areas of nursing ARE very stressful. And nursing school is most definitely stressful.

Acute care nursing can be hectic, where you are responsible for several very sick patients at the same time. It's a constant juggling act to take care of their ever changing needs. Priorities are always changing. The people you work with (physicians, patient families) are also often under stress and may tend to be sharp in their manner and low on patience. In environments where patients aren't so sick, the number of patients one is responsible for increases substantially. In a nursing home, a nurse may be responsible for over 30 patients at a time. Which often means tons of medications to administer and tons of paperwork to do in a very limited time frame. But depending on your personality and the environment you work in (eg supportive colleagues, reasonable workload), that kind of stress can be stimulating for some.

There ARE other types of jobs in nursing... public health nursing, school nursing, and more. They may not have the same degree of on-the-job stress, but there is the stress that such jobs can be difficult to land. If you need to relocate or if your job gets cut, it's much easier to find similar work as a floor nurse than in some of the other specialities out there.

So to turn the question back to you...

Do you know what kind of stress motivates you to perform better and what kind of stress makes you want to run the other way? Do you have any thoughts about what kind of nursing you might be interested in? What kind of jobs/volunteer work/school activities have you enjoyed/struggled with/hated?

And finally, get out there and see for yourself what nursing is like! Ask family and friends if they know any nurses (or other health personnel) you could talk with. Look into volunteering in a hospital in a patient care area. Ask any health personnel you interact with what their job is and what kind of training they've had. Take a nursing assistant course.

It's frustrating sometimes that we can't just automatically know whether or not the job or career path we're pursuing will ultimately work out for us. And at times, we realize that we're heading a direction we don't want to go and have to backtrack some. But you've got to start somewhere! Good luck!

Rabid Response · Dec 17, 2008

Nursing is the most stressful job that I've ever had. Everyone warned me. When I was in nursing school, I was told that my first year as a nurse would be very stressful. I guess I didn't believe them because I had heard that nursing school was terribly difficult, and I really didn't find it to be so. My first year out of school was hell. Sometimes I ask myself if I would have pursued nursing as a career if I'd known what a toll it would take on me. MOST of the time I think that I would have.

cookienay · Dec 17, 2008

Yes, nursing is stressful. But as previously posted, it depends on your personality and how much you internalize. I would rather work triage in a locked up ER with 40 patients in the lobby than work on my old step down unit for one day. Everyone thinks their job is stressful. My stepsister quit her job at the tanning salon because it was too stresful (the job- not the environment, she loved her boss). go figure.

Butterfliesnroses · Dec 17, 2008

I'm a nurses aide in long term care. I'm taking my pre-reqs to be a nurse, though. Anyways I've worked fast food, retail, and now this. I got paid more doing retail (per hour) then I do for being an NAC. So yes we are paying the girl to bag your groceries more than you are paying that girl to take care of your mother...different thread though....anyways....I get SOOOO much satisfaction taking care of people...way more than bagging groceries and making burgers. I love my job soooo much! Is it stressful? Heck yeah! I expect nursing to be the same. Something I LOVE to do very much but also is very stressful! I try to leave work at work but it isn't EASY let me tell YOU!