Is it really that bad?

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 12, 2016

I have a slightly different take on nursing...

I was interested in nursing when the "corporization" was taking over; hospitals closed, initial changes to reimbursement (sound familiar?) and I went into healthcare knowing that it was a corporate business...I went from nurse assistant, to LPN to RN; I worked for good managers, and less than stellar mangers; I've worked as an independent contractor in this business and had wonderful work/life balance for many years as I continued my studies; I have worked in many out of the box specialities where it gave me the smarts and creativity to endure many unusual conditions. I have worked in two specialties at a time, giving me a variety that gave me career satisfaction. I have gained leadership experience that I am grateful for; I even wrote policies and procedures as a LPN-the leadership trusted my expertise and judgment to contribute to making changes that made sense and worked; I have taught new grad RNs and LPNs the ropes of navigating a path to desire to become an expert nurse in whatever that they do-I stay in cont at with them and even work where in the same hospital (in a different specialty) and have seen them flourish.

I currently work in a new specialty that I do enjoy; I also engage in healthcare worker activism to implement changes and use all of my experiences to advocate for nurses; I would love for all nurses that I work with and work in this business to have the same experiences that I have; unfortunately, that doesn't always happen, but I try to inspire those I work around; the feedback is most of it works, at least according to my recent performance review.

I will say this; you can carve a niche in nursing and there are pathways to learn and excel and become an expert on nursing and patient care; my biggest attribute that I love about nursing is advocacy-I continually advocated for the last ten years for my pts, my families, my coworkers, and my nursing practice; it is not always easy and I've have personal and professional challenges; however resiliency is key when navigating challenges of the world; nursing is no different.

Research, absorb, and make short term, long term, and flexible goals; make sure if you want to enter this business, be prepared with your eyes open and the ability to hone in on advocating and navigating the business.

sodawisher · May 12, 2016

Bedside nursing is a lot of things. It can be hard when you're learning how to be on the floor- some good advice I got from another nurse was that "you never really truly get off of orientation." I got my first job as an RN at a teaching hospital, but if you've got good support you'll learn a lot.

My first year was a lot like being remade. The best example I can think of is in V for Vendetta, when Evey read Valerie's story about her strife. Being a nurse is a lot like that but it's on an every day basis. You wonder about life, and you're always critically thinking. You're remade almost every day, after every shift, but at the end you have a greater appreciation for the human condition.

I've been burnt out and I've been completely satisfied with my job at the same time within the one year I've had. It's rewarding, it's demanding, it's a new way of thinking about the world. It's also unique in that nursing becomes a part of you that you can never really separate once you go home.

If you're willing to take a risk in knowing bedside's all of these things and more, then go for it! There are so many other places nursing can take you if bedside isn't for you though.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · May 12, 2016

Nursing, as in life, is pretty much what you make it. It relies heavily on attitude. You can sit around complaining or you can grab life by the britches and make it work for you. I'm grateful for nursing...all 24 years of it. It's brought me opportunities I would never have had anywhere else. It brought me to America, it bought me a home, a car, a long career, multiple degrees, and some pretty incredible experiences. It's made me who I am. If all you want is a paycheck and a peaceful life, then no nursing is not for you. If you want to challenge yourself, better yourself, see what you're made of, and prepare to climb that ladder, then nursing can be whatever you want to to be. I still remember flipping burgers and cleaning other people's bathrooms for a living. That sucked. Nursing doesn't suck. Nursing is just hard. Being in grad school is also hard, but it's also pretty fantastic. The future's so bright I gotta wear shades.

Sage611 · May 12, 2016

I just changed to part-time hours (two 12 hr shifts/wk) and I'm hoping it will relieve many of the nursey burnout factors that have been wearing me down. I'll still earn a living wage (albeit a much less comfy one - but I can always pick up extra hours at my discretion) and I'll be able to easily schedule a week at a stretch uninterrupted by work. I can do just about anything two days a week.

I prefer part-time. Nice that that's an option. I liked the hygiene work week and the relationship with patients, but some days I felt I was in Groundhog Day lol. I think burnout is possible in any profession, if you do it long enough.

Natasha, RN, BSN · May 12, 2016

Is it really that bad? Well, it depends on how you want to balance your work/family life. I recently left bedside because I needed a job where the hours were more consistent (during the week, with nights, weekends and holidays off). I personally found that 3 12's absolutely drained me and found I was recovering on my days off. I have never felt more exhausted, hungry, thirsty, sad, irritable, and unhealthy than when I worked the 'traditional' nursing schedule. It also does not help that, IMHO, nurses are treated borderline inhumanely, for the reasons mentioned above. In my 12 hour shift, my patient will have three meals, and drink and pee. Not so for the nurse. We are worked to the bones. With that being said, I loved my job, and my coworkers, but the working conditions just weren't for me. And this problem was not limited to just my unit... or my hospital...

Fortunately, nursing DOES have many avenues, but that bedside experience is typically needed before moving into any of the other avenues. Whatever you decide, just make sure the decision comes from the heart. And think long and hard before you leap. Good luck to you :)

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · May 12, 2016

I am a dental hygienist, currently not licensed, as I moved to a state with no reciprocity. I do not like my profession, because it's a sales job and the focus is production. I have applied to a local nursing program and am awaiting acceptance (or not). You all are scaring me! I have read horror stories of this profession... stress, anxiety, burn-out. Geez! What am I getting myself into? So I ask you: is it as awful as it appears to be? The local nurses have, for the most part, expressed job satisfaction; so I was really taken aback at the general consensus that nursing is a terrible career. For what it's worth, I want to work in a clinic and establish relationships with patients... or work in an assisted living facility. I've pretty much gathered that bedside nursing is too much stress for the average person!

It can be that bad.

Your experience will largely depend on where you work. I've worked at places that are that bad but I've got a good thing going now.

A strong union is a plus. A commitment to Magnet is a plus (not the show and tell but actually buying into it.)

SNF... ewwww.

Clinic... yawn.

NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN · May 12, 2016

Nursing, as in life, is pretty much what you make it. It relies heavily on attitude. You can sit around complaining or you can grab life by the britches and make it work for you.

That's not entirely fair. I had a good job and was well liked in a small hospital within a well-respected system, but that turned on a dime when they announced they were closing. Management made the announcement before they knew how or when, and people started jumping ship.

It was rough consolidating inpatient medical units, but the two separate staff sets eventually figured out how to mesh. The real baloney started when they put a hiring freeze on the geri-psych unit that wasn't closing with the hospital, but would relocate. They forced us to float with no training onto a unit with 10 patients admitted for aggression, suicidal ideation, or sexually inappropriate acting out, with 1-2 support staff (I was nights at the time, and it was mostly one RN and one tech). I'll never forget the night all three of us (there two techs for high census - if they could get a second) were trying to toilet and clean up one aggressive patient when another bed alarm went off. I got there just in time to see the patient fall straight-legged and stiff-backed onto the low metal bed frame under his elevated HOB. I cannot begin to * out the string of expletives I have regarding the fact that situation even had the possibility of happening. I thought I was going to have a severe spinal injury on my hands. Somehow he only ended up sore, but I feel sick with rage every time that image flashes in front of me again.

I got the heck out of dodge and lost my chance at getting integrated into other hospitals within the system.

I'm frustrated with the fact that after four years of nursing, I haven't made it to the two year mark with a single employer. But at the same time, I didn't flake out on any of those jobs. I left because either the patients weren't safe (long-term care) which meant my license wasn't safe, or I wasn't physically personally safe (Med/Surg and LTACH).

Attitude is important, sure - and it's the one thing you can always control - but there are huge systemic problems in healthcare that make finding a good job and making the most of it a huge challenge.

nursetawnya07 · May 13, 2016

I am sorry if I repeat anyone else's post as I did not read them all. I just want to take a minute and voice my opinion. Every working person has complaints about what they do whether it be small or significant. Yes I work in a critical care setting that is severely understaffed. Our nurse pt ratio is Def out of whack. I work long days and am required to pick up extra shifts to cover open shifts. Pts can be demanding and not at all appreciative. BUT....u will have days that are so rewarding that those bad days melt away. U will save a life or comfort the dieing or a family and forever be greatful u Chose this profession. I won't discourage anyone from pursuing nursing but hope u will be realistic about ur expectations.

cogirl81501 · May 13, 2016

First, nursing is my calling. I found my soul passing meds and dressing wounds. That being said, the first 6 months were easily the hardest in my life. I had nightmares every night, I cried after every shift. Nursing home, 30 patients, supervising surley staff, administration from hell, dying patients, psych patients, terror residents, nasty family members. Any nightmare story, I have one to match it or beat it! Nursing school teaches you NOTHING but how to pass rhe NCLEX. But slowely, I started to grow my nurse skin. That hardened stuff that covers a good nurse allowing her to shirk off all that ugliness. When patients would approach me about wounds that had occured days before because, "you're the only one who cares". When aides come from across the hospital because, "you're the only one who will help", I started to see that I really was making a difference! Making one person happier, or less pained is the greatest of endeavours. So all the horror stories, totally true! And there are a lot of nurses that never build that skin and so all that ugliness gets through to taint the heart. But if you can build your chrysalis, you can fly above all of that! It really boils down to, are you tough enough?

BeachsideRN, ASN · May 14, 2016

I am a dental hygienist, currently not licensed, as I moved to a state with no reciprocity. I do not like my profession, because it's a sales job and the focus is production. I have applied to a local nursing program and am awaiting acceptance (or not). You all are scaring me! I have read horror stories of this profession... stress, anxiety, burn-out. Geez! What am I getting myself into? So I ask you: is it as awful as it appears to be? The local nurses have, for the most part, expressed job satisfaction; so I was really taken aback at the general consensus that nursing is a terrible career. For what it's worth, I want to work in a clinic and establish relationships with patients... or work in an assisted living facility. I've pretty much gathered that bedside nursing is too much stress for the average person!

You made it through an RDH program. You can make it through nursing.

I suggest maybe shadowing a nurse.

Palliative Care, DNP · May 14, 2016

For me, yes it really was that bad. Oddly enough, I only became a nurse after being wait listed for Dental Hygiene. It definitely was not a calling. Nursing is corporate driven: do more with less, patient satisfaction, & never enough staff. I have found my niche as a provider & graduate 5/21 with my DNP. I do not recommend nursing to my children. I've told them to choose any role in healthcare except the nurse. Nursing has become like a drive thru where they can have it their way. Everything is the nurse's fault/responsibility. I stopped floor nursing in 2013 and have missed exactly never once.

HeySis, BSN, RN · May 14, 2016

I always suggest to anyone interested in being a nurse to get their CNA first, and work. You get to see up close and personal what the shifts, ratios and patients are like. You certainly don't have all the responsibilities of a nurse... but by being around them you can get good idea if it's for you or not, the least expensive and quickest way possible.

When I went to nursing school for my LPN in the early 90's we had people quit after doing their first clinical, because they found this was not for them. Then we had a few others that stayed and graduated but never took their boards. What a waste of their precious time and money.

I just finished the ASN program and one of my clinical instructors said the new research shows that only half of graduating nurses today are still working as nurses two years later.

Let's be realistic, the hours can be long, you can come home totally wiped out physically, mentally and emotionally. It's a lot of pressure knowing that your assessment has to catch the little things before they become irreversible. And you'll experience both sides of that coin if you stay with it long enough. The heart break of wondering if you missed something, and the exhilaration of knowing you caught a symptom in time to make all the difference.

I think it's worth it, but each person has to make that decision for themselves.