Is this nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm in disbelief over how nurses are treated. I've worked in several areas and completed internships in many more as an lpn and RN. I've been licensed for 3 years and I'm already fed up.

Patients, doctors, and management treating me like nothing. And what is up with all this bureaucracy!? I dealt with it in a SNF, but hospital settings? Why aren't patients held accountable for attacking RN's to the same level as police officers? Where are the laws for safe staffing ratios?

I spent five years getting my license and Bachelors. You all know how hard nursing school was, even though we don't use the majority of things we were taught. Yet my friends with majors in engineering and computer science easily found first jobs that already pay significantly more than me even though I have experience. Don't even get me started about how hard it was for me to find a somewhat decently paying job. Seems near impossible to find work outside of low paying Ped Home Health companies or another SNF.

Venting aside, how do you put up with this? I'm already ready to hang up the stethoscope and go back to school for CS. I'm completely losing my flame to care for others at this point.

Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.
28 minutes ago, Workitinurfava said:

You made some great points. I think that appropriate staffing could make a difference in all of the areas you discussed. I had a friend get punched and cursed at by a patient because she took to long to get back to the patient. Nursing is having the appropriate staffing to do all things a lot better or to ateast have a chance to do things better. How are we really helping patients if we are rushed and can't get to them in time?

I absolutely agree with this. And everything @LilPeanut said as well. It's a mixed bag, nursing. Still, I love the profession and it has been good for me and to me... and maybe I've been good to it as well. I am a very spiritual person, but I don't see nursing as my "calling" in the sense that this was THE ONE way for me to make my mark on the world -- but I do feel "called" to make the most of my life and spend myself in ways that are going to have a meaningful impact on the people and places I live with/in. There are SO many issues all over every square inch of this beautiful, crazy earth -- truthfully whatever good I can do is a drop in the bucket. But still worth doing.

Nursing is ONE means by which I do good in my little square inch, in whatever small way. It's a job, pays the bills, gives me lots of time off, challenges my brain, tests my character, and is meaningful work. And I get to wear the equivalent of pajamas to work. Sure, there's plenty to gripe about -- sometimes I engage in problem-solving about those things, and sometimes I just clock out and let it be someone else's problem.

Perspective and boundaries are key.

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37 minutes ago, WestCoastSunRN said:

I absolutely agree with this. And everything @LilPeanut said as well. It's a mixed bag, nursing. Still, I love the profession and it has been good for me and to me... and maybe I've been good to it as well. I am a very spiritual person, but I don't see nursing as my "calling" in the sense that this was THE ONE way for me to make my mark on the world -- but I do feel "called" to make the most of my life and spend myself in ways that are going to have a meaningful impact on the people and places I live with/in. There are SO many issues all over every square inch of this beautiful, crazy earth -- truthfully whatever good I can do is a drop in the bucket. But still worth doing.

Nursing is ONE means by which I do good in my little square inch, in whatever small way. It's a job, pays the bills, gives me lots of time off, challenges my brain, tests my character, and is meaningful work. And I get to wear the equivalent of pajamas to work. Sure, there's plenty to gripe about -- sometimes I engage in problem-solving about those things, and sometimes I just clock out and let it be someone else's problem.

Perspective and boundaries are key.

I like your perspective. I’m Christian and I want to do something for a job where I give back. I want meaningful work. That’s part of what draws me to nursing over computer science. I feel like nursing is a very “human” job.

It seems tough and you probably have to deal with so much BS but I appreciate the nurses that took care of me when I was in the hospital and had my son.

Out here our baby stays in the room with us the entire time. The nurses watched my son about 4 or 5 times so I could get some rest. I appreciated this so much cause it’s only my husband and I. We have no family out here. They probably did that because I was nice to them and never called them to my room for anything cause I know they are busy.

It breaks my heart that some people lack common civility and treat you guys like crap. Nurses are awesome.

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56 minutes ago, Delcon said:

I like your perspective. I’m Christian and I want to do something for a job where I give back. I want meaningful work. That’s part of what draws me to nursing over computer science. I feel like nursing is a very “human” job.

It seems tough and you probably have to deal with so much BS but I appreciate the nurses that took care of me when I was in the hospital and had my son.

Out here our baby stays in the room with us the entire time. The nurses watched my son about 4 or 5 times so I could get some rest. I appreciated this so much cause it’s only my husband and I. We have no family out here. They probably did that because I was nice to them and never called them to my room for anything cause I know they are busy.

It breaks my heart that some people lack common civility and treat you guys like crap. Nurses are awesome.

That is a great view but keep in mind that there are many ways to give back to people and not be a nurse, volunteer etc. Keep in mind that the more support you have as a nurse the better you will fair while working this job. You will need your husbands full support. Many nurses lose their spouses with this job. Look up the statistics, I am not kidding. Not to scare you away from it. Nursing as meaningful work, well that is subjective. If you mean what you do will have meaning, you may not get that. The point of what I am saying is don't go into this for the wrong reasons, especially if you have options career wise. Being a nurse has its positives and its negatives. It is a matter of making sure you can handle it and it is right for you.

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.
1 hour ago, Delcon said:

I like your perspective. I’m Christian and I want to do something for a job where I give back. I want meaningful work. That’s part of what draws me to nursing over computer science. I feel like nursing is a very “human” job.

It seems tough and you probably have to deal with so much BS but I appreciate the nurses that took care of me when I was in the hospital and had my son.

Out here our baby stays in the room with us the entire time. The nurses watched my son about 4 or 5 times so I could get some rest. I appreciated this so much cause it’s only my husband and I. We have no family out here. They probably did that because I was nice to them and never called them to my room for anything cause I know they are busy.

It breaks my heart that some people lack common civility and treat you guys like crap. Nurses are awesome.

I'm glad you had a good experience with nurses. I hear what you are saying about nursing being a "human" job, BUT... I'm a firm believer any job (aside from some crazily isolated one) can be a conduit to give back/do good.

A prime example (since you are considering CS) -- a friend of mine who is a a Christian computer science guy works for a well known mission organization basically providing MUCH needed tech support to some remote communities, etc. What he does is so needed, specialized, and relevant. He's a computer science rockstar, IMO, and touching a lot of lives through that work. Still that work doesn't define him, you know? It a good use of his skills, but it's only one facet of who he is and the good he can do.

Maybe it's not a question of what you do, but how you do it?

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On 3/4/2019 at 10:23 AM, Workitinurfava said:

You made some great points. I think that appropriate staffing could make a difference in all of the areas you discussed. I had a friend get punched and cursed at by a patient because she took to long to get back to the patient. Nursing is having the appropriate staffing to do all things a lot better or to ateast have a chance to do things better. How are we really helping patients if we are rushed and can't get to them in time?

You said a mouthful! I agree 1000%! So many times I feel like patients are short changed by Administrators who want to increase the bottom line by decreasing staffing and ultimately loading more work on the nurses. I used to liken my job to a plate juggler. Unfortunately it will not get fixed as long as we try to make up the difference by killing ourselves, some of the plates are going to have to fall before someone realizes the importance of proper staff.

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