I hate nursing, never thought I would say that but after 1.5yrs of working as a floor RN, I know this crap is not for me. This job will suck the living life out of you.
Your emotional, physical and mental health will suffer along with your family life. I have finally decided to leave the bedside and I've never felt so happy. At only 25, I felt like I was going to be stuck in this state for the rest of my working life but I found the courage to finally make the decision that saved my health and my marriage.
I went into nursing with the intention of helping people and being the one to make a difference to those who may feel hopeless. All my intentions were quickly shut down when I started working on the floor.
We deal with some unappreciative, sarcastic, rude, and egotistical (patients, family members, physicians, coworkers, and managers). There is no care in nursing just bottom-line concerns.
My first nursing job was ok, I worked in ND at the time, I moved to FL and that gave me the green light to officially leave floor nursing. I hate the anxious feeling before every shift, the nagging family members, pts who are rude self-entitled, coworkers who throw each other under the bus, physicians who disregard concerns, and a whole lot of other things I can elaborate about that is just downright awful.
I'm glad to say my degree didn't completely go to waste as I am now an RN case manager. I believe being away from the bedside will renew my interest. I refuse to live a day dreading having to go to work, nursing has literally changed how I respond to people before I use to smile at everyone now I walk past people with my face looking like a pit bull ready to bite.
Whenever someone would tell me to smile I thought, "Wow I have changed for the worst" I refuse to be a martyr for this profession.
Taking care of myself is more important than risking it for people who **** on theirs.
I think that your experience, thoughts, frustrations are actually felt by the majority of floor nurses. There are so many people I work with who are going back to school or looking for a new job. My unit has a revolving door for many of the issues you mention. Last week (in one day) I read a book called "The Nurses" written by Alexandra Robbins. I could not put it down and have been telling everyone about it. It is a non fiction book that follows the work life of 4 ER nurses for a year (I am not an ER RN) and it made me realize it's not just me! Just a few of the chapter titles ...who protects the nurse?, When nurses bully nurses, Burnt to a crisp, the Stepford Nurse. I think this book does a really great job of highlighting the good, bad and ugly of nursing today. I felt very validated by the stories told and think it sparks so many important conversations we need to be having about the state of healthcare!
the chapter When nurses bully nurses: hierarchies, hazing and why they eat their young was very thought provoking!
I think that your experience, thoughts, frustrations are actually felt by the majority of floor nurses. There are so many people I work with who are going back to school or looking for a new job. My unit has a revolving door for many of the issues you mention. Last week (in one day) I read a book called "The Nurses" written by Alexandra Robbins. I could not put it down and have been telling everyone about it. It is a non fiction book that follows the work life of 4 ER nurses for a year (I am not an ER RN) and it made me realize it's not just me! Just a few of the chapter titles ...who protects the nurse?, When nurses bully nurses, Burnt to a crisp, the Stepford Nurse. I think this book does a really great job of highlighting the good, bad and ugly of nursing today. I felt very validated by the stories told and think it sparks so many important conversations we need to be having about the state of healthcare!
the chapter When nurses bully nurses: hierarchies, hazing and why they eat their young was very thought provoking!
Boy, talk about nursing "eating their young!" Why are you guys busting on the OP for writing about how she's feeling? Are all you "I never bring my work home with me, me and my husband have the perfect arrangement because I know I don't need to be with him 24 hours a day, I put on my happy face every single day for my patient's" really that perfect, or are you just unable to admit the truth like the OP did? After 11 years as a Paramedic, and 4 years as a nurse, I totally get where he or she is coming from. Not because I'm a terrible person, or because I have mental health problems, or whatever other reasons you people came up with for why they MUST be feeling that way; maybe it's just how they feel. Healthcare right now is in a terrible, terrible state, and it's only getting worse. It is emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting, and admin, in general, doesn't give a crap, becaue they aren't the ones in the trenches dealing with the bull****. After 15 years, I'm getting out too, and it's all because of the general attitude in health care right now, and some of you on here are a perfect example of that. I have more self-worth than to be spit on, swung at, swore at, or treated like a maid, etc, etc, the rest of my life, in the name of an "A+" survey score!! How about climb off your high horse, and have a little empathy for a fellow healthcare worker, instead of tearing them to shreds. Or how about this, if you don't like what they have to say, keep scrolling.....End rant!!
I'm with you. You can't say how you feel on these forums because there are many that will eat you up alive and cut with the tongue and make you feel even WORSE. It is how she FEELS. No judgments necessary.
Some of the places where you guys work are unbelievable. We aren't mistreated or yelled at where I work and yet we hold customer service very high, something we did long before ratings. And yes, customer service is something we have to teach. We don't allow our staff to act out their frustrations on our patients, caregivers, providers or each other. It takes no more time to have an emotionally mature approach than one that's ego based. And we practice it from the top down. We work hard no doubt but our morale isn't in the gutter.
As far as home conditions, I worked as a home health case manager for years and while there were some horrendous living situations they aren't common and most were average to good.
Many patients and their families have fear and anxiety, many grieving loss of function, but mistreatment of staff is rare. Soft skills of the staff as well as perception are major factors that affect experience.
It's been a few years now but I spent many days all day long over an 8 week period at my dad's bedside, both in acute and rehab settings. I sure didn't get to see or hear the shows described here and on many threads.
I don't know why I've had such a different nursing experience spanning 3 decades, and still working. I think part of it me as there have been nurses I've worked with that hated what I've thrived in. We have had both nurses that have ran (run?) screaming and others who have worked/work with us as a second job because they just love it. Some resent the paperwork while others of us shake our heads at the crummy part of a job that we otherwise like/love.
And the ironic part is that I expect to like my work. I can't imagine going to something everyday that I loathed.
For those who missed the post, OP is taking a home health case manager position, not as conventional insurance or discharge planning case manager.
Can we work where you work haha??? What state are you in may I ask?
Taking care of myself is more important than risking it for people who **** on theirs.
This kind of attitude is what will make or break your career (in any field of nursing). It sounds like you cannot deal with personal interaction, because all of your dislikes describe typical customer service. I suggest working with inanimate objects.
And this is why I am so reluctant to leave me current place, my very 1st nursing job out of nursing school and I like it but I miss home, I want to move back to Mi. Im sorry you feel this way, some nurses are made for bedside nursing and some nurses thrive behind the scenes. Good luck!
How is bedside nursing hurting your marriage? We all have to find out spot in nursing.. Maybe OR is another option for you since patients are mostly asleep. Sounds like maybe you don't like people very much. It takes a very patient, tolerant person to do bedside for years. But I'm glad that if you feel this way, you're getting out.
In your next job try not to focus on the negative parts. Were there ever nice families? Appreciate doctors? Polite coworkers? There had to have been goods too...
Please do not imply that OR nurses don't do hands on care or tht we dislike people, because this is not the case. Who do you think cleans up patients if they've voided or had a BM under anesthesia? We don't have CNAs in the OR, so that would be me, the OR nurse. We start IVs, put in foleys, perform assessments. And, not all of our patients are asleep. A good proportion of my patients are done under MAC or local and they are often anxious. We deal with families too.
Sorry if I seem peeved, but saying "go to the OR" if you don't like bedside nursing is misguided. We are there in the trenches advocating and caring for people when they cannot do so for themselves, and you have to sometimes go head to head with a surgeon or anesthestist. It is by no means low stress.
At 25, I also have decided to leave the "Hilton Hospital" for a specialty I feel will be more suitable to my personality. After working cardiac telemetry for 2 years, it's time for me to upgrade to the OR Granted, I always knew I wanted to be an OR nurse, but I had a ton of nurses telling me to get floor experience first, so I was doomed from the beginning Just had a patient this week gripe at me (not the tech) for not fixing her bed sheets properly after using the bedside commode...and she is a retired nurse. I agree, the line between a nurse and a slave is becoming blurred. At least you have the experience under your belt!
Welcome to the OR! Just be warned though..it is bedside nursing. You get your hands dirty and tempers can flare at times. You have to have a strong backbone and thick skin.
Granted, I always knew I wanted to be an OR nurse, but I had a ton of nurses telling me to get floor experience first, so I was doomed from the beginning 
Just had a patient this week gripe at me (not the tech) for not fixing her bed sheets properly after using the bedside commode...and she is a retired nurse. I agree, the line between a nurse and a slave is becoming blurred. At least you have the experience under your belt!
lucy100
70 Posts
I think that your experience, thoughts, frustrations are actually felt by the majority of floor nurses. There are so many people I work with who are going back to school or looking for a new job. My unit has a revolving door for many of the issues you mention. Last week (in one day) I read a book called "The Nurses" written by Alexandra Robbins. I could not put it down and have been telling everyone about it. It is a non fiction book that follows the work life of 4 ER nurses for a year (I am not an ER RN) and it made me realize it's not just me! Just a few of the chapter titles ...who protects the nurse?, When nurses bully nurses, Burnt to a crisp, the Stepford Nurse. I think this book does a really great job of highlighting the good, bad and ugly of nursing today. I felt very validated by the stories told and think it sparks so many important conversations we need to be having about the state of healthcare!
the chapter When nurses bully nurses: hierarchies, hazing and why they eat their young was very thought provoking!