I've Had it! *Long*

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I've posted about my issues with work before but for those who don't know, I've been working on a medical tele unit since I graduated about 10 months ago and the past few months work has gone down hill, short staffing, constant politics, impossible patients and families, unsupportive administration have taken their toll on me. I worked all weekend and I barely made it through, each day on my way home I cried from the frustration.:banghead::banghead:

I no longer feel like a good nurse, I feel more like an indentured servant. I have been miserable for a while but have tried to stay for various reasons, several of my co-workers are wonderful and I've become good friends with them, my family and friends have pressured me to stay at the hospital while I'm in school. They have the attitude that if I don't work in a hospital setting than I'm "not a nurse" :uhoh3:

I simply can't take it anymore, I love nursing, but I hate my job, I've applied at a state psychiatric facility because I've always loved psych and have been interested in it for quite a while, I've also applied at psych unit at a nearby medical hospital, and finally I've applied for a position at a reputable assisted living facility. The job I'm really wanting is at the state psych facility but who knows whether or not they'll want me.

A big part of me does feel like a failure for wanting to leave the hospital, anymore I just feel like a horrible nurse, I try my best but it's never enough.:( Oh well, hopefully one of the places I've applied at will take some interest in hiring me. Thanks for letting me vent, sorry for the long post :(

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Sometimes all you can do is take a deep breath, hold your nose, and jump in.

However, I highly recommend researching any company you plan on applying to, BEFORE you apply.......and certainly before you accept a job. Tour the facility, talk to the people who work there, see what their days are like, even shadow someone if you can. Any company worthy of your services should be more than happy to let you see what it would be like to work for them.

And yes, you might want to consider getting OUT of hospital nursing.........you could try assisted living, residential/memory care facilities, doctor's offices and the like. LPNs have considerably more autonomy in these positions, and the work is physically much easier.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Yes, do be careful. Do your homework; what are the benefits? How is the turnover?

I worked at a state psych facility for a year and actually loved it; interesting work and much less stressful than med/surge. HOWEVER, I ended up having to leave due to inflexible scheduling and poor benefits. It was also kinda far from my home, but if the scheduling and benefits had been better, well...

I'm certainly not saying ALL state facilities are like this. Any private hospital could have problems as well. Just, do your homework before you jump into a job. Talk to people who work there or have worked there, if you can.

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I know how you feel. I was there with you in November December. I also heard the wait a year whispers and the whispers from coworkers that it could be worse at other places. You know what I did? I ignored all the whispers and now have a job I love. The interview is a good first indication of how the job will be. If they only interview for 10 minutes and then practically beg you to start, it might not be the best place. If they take their time and really ask about you and your accomplishments, it might just be a good job! Ask if it's possible to shadow on the unit too. Even if it is only for an hour, you can learn a lot in that time. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

Lord.. .this is me every day... I so cannot wait till the end of May... My unit is slowly falling apart. The nurses are transferring at an alarming rate, all of us aides have had it and are looking to transfer or quitting altogether. It's sad because it usually was a nice unit to work until recently.

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Specializes in med surg, telemetry, stroke.

Hey guys, I just had to put my two cents in here. I am an LVN (50 yrs. old) and have been working med surg for the past two years since I graduated from LVN school. I just finished my prereqs for the RN program and am waiting to take the entrance exam next month to bridge into the RN in June. I have had such a difficult two years at this hospital. First they were giving us 12-15 patients on team nursing, now because of ratios they are giving us 8, but with the acuity of these patients it's still too much. I am so exhausted. This weekend I had a 565 pound man that kept pooping all over his bed. His wounds too us almost two hours to dress, not to mention the MRSA, VRE, Pseudomonas, etc. I am exposed to every day with these isolation patients. I am so beaten down by this job I am not even sure I want to get my RN. I love being a nurse when I can make a difference but that seems to be few and far between where I work since we are so overworked. When I have a patient depressed or in tears I just don't always have the time to sit with them and care for them the way a nurse should. I am so discouraged guys. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to become a nurse at this age. But I have wanted to do this all my life and I truly feel my heart is in nursing. I live in a small community and there are no jobs especially for LVNs. I am really trying to decide if I should even continue with going through the stress of another year of nursing (LVN to Bridge). My stress and anxiety level is so bad I am considering taking medication for it. I have tried to do it without and it is only getting worse. Thanks for listening. You are all my heros and I am thankful you are here to listen. :nurse:

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Nursing is so vast that you can practice in the area that interests you the most. We are stuck on the traditional view of nurses, those that set up IVs give injections, jump in on codes, all of the good stuff. But, psych, community health, home health, etc all need us. Don't feel alone. I felt the same way at first, I believed that a true nurse was a floor nurse, until I got there for 6 weeks of orientation. I knew that with all of the things that you mentioned, I could never permanently be a floor nurse. At first, I felt guilty, but, now, I know where I should not be (at least).

Go where your heart lies. And, don't beat up yourself!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Hey guys, I just had to put my two cents in here. I am an LVN (50 yrs. old) and have been working med surg for the past two years since I graduated from LVN school. I just finished my prereqs for the RN program and am waiting to take the entrance exam next month to bridge into the RN in June. I have had such a difficult two years at this hospital. First they were giving us 12-15 patients on team nursing, now because of ratios they are giving us 8, but with the acuity of these patients it's still too much. I am so exhausted. This weekend I had a 565 pound man that kept pooping all over his bed. His wounds too us almost two hours to dress, not to mention the MRSA, VRE, Pseudomonas, etc. I am exposed to every day with these isolation patients. I am so beaten down by this job I am not even sure I want to get my RN. I love being a nurse when I can make a difference but that seems to be few and far between where I work since we are so overworked. When I have a patient depressed or in tears I just don't always have the time to sit with them and care for them the way a nurse should. I am so discouraged guys. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to become a nurse at this age. But I have wanted to do this all my life and I truly feel my heart is in nursing. I live in a small community and there are no jobs especially for LVNs. I am really trying to decide if I should even continue with going through the stress of another year of nursing (LVN to Bridge). My stress and anxiety level is so bad I am considering taking medication for it. I have tried to do it without and it is only getting worse. Thanks for listening. You are all my heros and I am thankful you are here to listen. :nurse:

If you think that you need the meds, take them. I began suffering from anxiety when my mother died 8 years ago. I didn't need them all of the time, but, during certain milestones, such as her birthday or day of her death, I would feel these sensations of dread, nausea, irrational thinking, etc...

I didn't need them anymore until I became a nurse in 2006. I don't work the floors, but the clinics are no joke, either. I also feel sometimes that I shouldn't have bothered (on the bad days). My 'good' days are so-so. I do like being an LPN, but hate the politics, stress and backbiting of being a student (which is why I personally will not go further) and of being a nurse.

One of the good things is that when you get your RN, you may have more opportunities available to you that may not be so physically and emotionally draining. You can still be a hero with a prescription.:heartbeat:redbeathe

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Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.

A big part of me does feel like a failure for wanting to leave the hospital, anymore I just feel like a horrible nurse, I try my best but it's never enough.:( Oh well, hopefully one of the places I've applied at will take some interest in hiring me. Thanks for letting me vent, sorry for the long post :(

Under the criteria of "not wanting to work for the hospital," I'd be an incredible failure. My dislike of the hospital environment started in after 6 months of school. I wanted an office nurse job! I stuck it out in LTC for years, and my ship finally came in. Great pay, great benefits, easy work.

A part of me feels that I wasn't everything I could have been if I had done the obligatory year on med-surg. But right now, I'm making a good living, working daytime hours, and I actually have a PCP for the first time since I was a kid. I'm putting my nursing education to work for ME, which is what every nurse should do - whether that be in an office, on the floor, in the ER, in LTC, or in psych - or any other venue in which nurses practice.

I know that no ER or ICU manager will ever hire me because I'm a soft office nurse, but I don't care. This is what I'm good at.

You are not a failure. You stuck it out. It's time to move on to what works for you.

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This is so not right.

We are abused and needing medications to do our jobs??

Our health is affected in every way the media preaches to take care of yourself.

We teach health and batter ourselves to illness, stress, anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, feeling useless.

And I can't believe we have no rights, no legal support - nothing - and we all know what the truth is.

It is not you. You are not alone.

I think shadowing is the best idea. Interviews, multi-areas in nursing, asking the right questions - I've been around to know. That isn't going to secure you the right job. There are plenty or areas in nursing or nursing jobs but that doesn't mean it gets better.

I vote for shadowing for a day and listen to the complaints, backstabbing and see how busy or exhausted people are. Ask co-workers questions. No guarantees there either but it's probably the best way to learn. The truth comes out on the shift, not when the manager walks you around to introduce you to people.

I think managers need to held accountable - period!

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Specializes in LTAC,LTC, Med Surg.

I can so relate. I've been a nurse since May of 2007 and the stress can be much. On a Med Surg floor I couldn't take care of my own needs such as bathroom breaks, food, drink and medication for my asthma. We are so wrapped in taking care of others that we are supposed to forget our own needs. I'm convinced their is no such thing as the grass being greener on the other side. The stress of nursing can be so bad for me at times that I need a couple of drinks on the weekend if im off just to relax. I just daydream about a desk job or something less stressful.

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I simply can't take it anymore, I love nursing, but I hate my job, I've applied at a state psychiatric facility because I've always loved psych and have been interested in it for quite a while, I've also applied at psych unit at a nearby medical hospital, and finally I've applied for a position at a reputable assisted living facility. The job I'm really wanting is at the state psych facility but who knows whether or not they'll want me.

This sounds like a great idea! I had my psych clinicals at the state hospital, unfortunately it's 70 miles away, or else I would have applied there (even as a new grad). I encourage you to pursue an area of nursing that you love... and get out of a job that you hate and that makes you miserable.

All the best,

DeLana

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Specializes in Onco, palliative care, PCU, HH, hospice.

I had thought about asking to shadow at the places I'm interested in working, I was just worried as to whether or not that would be an odd request, but that's really what I would like to do in order to get a better feel as to how the facilities are run and how content the staff there are.

I have been interested in working in an outpatient clinic or office, but right now where I'm in school working on my associate's degree it would be very difficult for me to work a dayshift job.

As for the anxiety med issue, the only time I have to take them is on the nights I work and sometimes during the week when I'm thinking about work too much, As BrokenRNHeart said, it's sad that our working conditions are so so horrible that we have to use meds in order to get through a shift.

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