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.
A nurse gets into this field because they want to help people. Yes there are difficult patients and families that is part of our job to help. And its also our job to not pass judgement and realize they can make their own decisions as long as they are properly informed we respect their choice. If you have issues with keeping your own judgements in check for these people then Nursing is not the right career or way of life for you not even in a Case Manager position. Nursing is NOT a Glamorous job. Its an important one!!!!
I sincerely hope that you do not have the impression that case management is easy or less stressful because you would be sadly mistaken. Instead of working a shift with the types of people you mention in your rant, you will follow them for days, weeks, sometimes months depending on what setting you are working in. People who act like that generally have bigger problems and as a case manager, it will be your duty to find out what that is and try to fix it. Nursing is not something that you do, it is something that you are. You do not stop being a nurse after you clock out. It is not easy, and it is not for everyone. You'll receive questions from family, friends, and sometimes people that you don't even know in the checkout like at the grocery store. Nursing is definitely a work of heart. Your actions as a case manager has the potential to change someone's entire life! I truly hope that you dedicate yourself to this position and the population that you serve so you will be changing their lives for the better and not for the worse. If not, I urge you to keep looking until you find your niche in the nursing field. I wish you the best in your career. God bless.
I knew very early on I wasn't going to be a bedside nurse. Luckily I came into nursing as a second career and already had experience as a case manager in the mental health field using a different degree. I tried home care which I liked but didn't stay in that area. I went back to case management as an RN. It's a different kind of nursing I got my reward from my patients BS being under control and not being hospitalized for a year. Or someone who has not gone to the MD in years and finally decided to go bc I kept telling her to and reminding her the importance of it. Or that one member who weighed thenself and called the MD bc they gained 5 lbs, etc...this field is still about the money and you still deal with families who will sometimes feel entitled. I finally left and tried something different, utilization management and so far so good. I don't have patient contact but I'm ok with that. Bedside nursing isn't for everyone and that is the best part of nursing, that there are so many different areas you are able to find your niche. Good luck to you!
It seems that you are making excuses for being miserable. you are a nurse, you are an advocate for your patients and you need to leave work at work and you private feelings at the door of the hospital. I have been a Nurse for a long time and sometimes you just have to suck it up.
Congratulations for getting out!! I can relate 100%. I'm also 25 and my body is shot from all the times working with inadequate staff (4 years). My anxiety and depression are through the roof from the emotional stress/abuse/no appreciation or understanding. I hope you love case mgmt. I'm applying for new jobs too.. anything but med surg tele or step down.
I can relate to this so much. I'm 2.5 Years in and 24...Ive Tried to give it time but I still hate it just as much as when I started. I work in an icu but also am often floated to various stepdown units. In my opinion, all bedside is the same. It SUCKS and I can't wait to leave bedside!!! I wish I would have been less naive during nursing school, or that my eyes would have been opened to what nurses REALLY deal with. Not just the few cookie cutter clinical experiences. I hate being nervous as well before every shift and being the scapegoat for every single thing. I hate not knowing if I'll even get to sit down for a solid ten minutes to inhale my lunch. It too has changed my personality, I relate to your statement about feeling like a pitbull. It can truly suck you dry and some of us arent always capable of leaving work at work, as much as we may try. I don't think there's anything wrong with us wanting to get away from bedside so early on. I'm not willing to miss anymore time with my family and friends on special occasions or holidays to go to a job I hate. Work is not my life.
That being said, i still genuinely care for my patients that truly want/need my help. I hope I am better able to serve as a nurse away from the bedside and can find WAY more personal satisfaction from my job than my current misery. I hope that this case manager position can grant you this as well!!! Yes you may still deal with difficult patients/families, but not for 12 hours at a time!! While having to wipe them, answer 50 phone calls, get them the right # of creamers in their coffee, deal with their screaming family member, and remember to titrate their heparin drip all at the same time!!!!! Best of luck to you
Okay, I'm already having the feeling that this is going to be me in a few years, lol.
Anyway, good for you OP. Bedside nursing definitely isn't for everyone and even way back in nursing school, I already knew it isn't for me, either. I do hope I'll also have the courage to step back when I can't handle it anymore. Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts and experience!
Have you ever considered research? I'm a clinical research coordinator and in this profession most of what you do is paperwork and you get to be selective about your patients. I won't even consider a patient who is non-compliant as it will skew the results of the trial. I love my job!!
This is sad. Yes, bedside nursing is tough. It not for the faint of heart. Yes, there are difficult patients. The saddest part of it all is your work place. I'm here to tell you there are institutions that do not treat nurses like that. I work a very busy telemetry floor where we have 5 patients max. Our shared governance is pushing for 3 to 4 patients max. I have excellent relationships with all staff members -even the ones I don't like. How did this happen? HCAPS. Yes, the most hated part of healthcare has been a great positive for us. How? Nurses decided to change it. My question for you , and every nurse who complains, is what have you done about it? I am on several powerful committees in our institution. Change will come. It takes action, not complaining. And it starts with me, right where I'm at, right here and now. I truly believe that everyday i have the power to change things. So heres to action. Just food for thought.....
rose1969
1 Post
A nurse gets into this field because they want to help people. Yes there are difficult patients and families that is part of our job to help. And its also our job to not pass judgement and realize they can make their own decisions as long as they are properly informed we respect their choice. If you have issues with keeping your own judgements in check for these people then Nursing is not the right career or way of life for you not even in a Case Manager position. Nursing is NOT a Glamorous job. Its an important one!!!!