After three years in nursing, I'm leaving it all behind. Considering how much I've invested myself in this field, this is painful. But it's also a relief.
In the last three years, I've already worked in three different provinces, mostly in emergency and intensive care, sometimes in rural areas. I'd like to leave a few notes based on my personal experience for new nurses to consider. Don't extrapolate too much from it :-)
Many health care providers don't like their job, but still do it because they believe leaving the field would be catastrophic (lower salary, lost of investment, fear of the unknown, instability, etc.). Some of these individuals can be a pain in the ass. Learn to recognize them and deal with them accordingly.
You don't save a life, you extend it (sometimes a bit too far).
How ever knowledge you've acquired, try to play by the rules, unless you're ready to loose your job.
What makes a good nurse is: compassion, knowledge, and integrity
What many managers are looking for is: workaholism, fear of authority, and subjective prioritizing
There are many amazing nurses out there. Learn from them as much as you can and tell them about how much you want to learn.
There are amazing teams out there. Look how they trust one another, how they love learning and teaching, how the chemistry is evolving. Get involved in projects with them.
Update yourself on a constant basis. There's no need to go crazy, but every now and then, learn a small bit about a diagnosis, a drug, a pathology, a procedure, an organ.
Don't loose your vitality. If you feel awful, take a break and look at yourself as if you were an "external observer", unjudgmental of your thoughts, but keen on your actions.
Nurses are very much the "doers" of the health care system. They are often enablers without knowing it.
In addition to the excessive amount of responsibilities nurses have, they are often required to take extra roles such as administrative clerk, social worker, maintenance, housekeeping, physician assistant, respiratory therapist, teacher, cook, security guard, legal witness, baby-sitter, etc.
You *will* be asked too much on a regular basis. Don't do it all. Prioritize and consider leaving the non-urgent, non-important, non-legal tasks behind.
Sometimes, when your patient is about to die, you have a choice: to act in the patient's best interest, or not to act; either way, it may lead to anger and resentment from the medical doctor, and you may be punished for which ever choice you make.
Get vaccinated. It's worth it, especially before a few dirty needle sticks.
Get used to blood, saliva, phlegm,faeces, urine, and the like..
Keep reading about the nursing profession and explore what's possible to do out there, including seemingly unrelated jobs - you might later decide to leave too.
If you don't know someting important, admit it now and master it later.
Don't get emotional with emotional people, especially the staff.
Trust yourself. Follow your instinct.
Poor management is a standard.
Not all standards are good.
If you wear spandex with your uniform, you're also a superhero with super-powers.
I've had very bad and very good times in nursing, and will always respect you guys. The last few years really felt like a very long acid trip, mixed with academia, medical gurus, and free chocolate. Putting the dreadfulness apart, I must admit that if I was parachuted naked in a dangerous country, with only chop sticks and a stetoscope, I would surely make it alive.
I believe nursing is just too broad of an area and everyone can find their niche. OP, maybe you just didn't find yours in the departments you worked.
I'm sure this is going to sound rude but I do not mean this personally so please don't take it that way. You certainly are entitled to your own belief.
Why is it that whenever someone posts that they don't like nursing, they have had it with nursing, etc. someone (or more) always comes on and says "you haven't found your niche", "try some other area" etc.?
IMO, that just invalidates the feelings and beliefs of the OP.
If they don't like nursing, they don't like nursing.
If they have had it with nursing, they have had it with nursing.
I'm sure they know their own mind and good luck and more power to them.
I've been getting multiple mass texts the past few days asking to come in due to staff shortages. That is people out on comp, people calling out (for Christmas Eve, hmm suspicious). It's starting to feel like every time I go in we're missing some staff member that should be there (CNA, clerk, RN). I'm a new grad so my morale is low at baseline, but this is just crushing me over and over. It's Christmas Eve and I'm going to be run into the ground with my assignment. Like every other day I work and I have no choice but to take it. I hate to complain but this is starting to really frustrate me. I'm sure things are like this in other fields, but I'm really starting to regret getting into nursing. Seems like this understaffing and poor team work is rampant through nursing. What's a 6mo GN to do but take it on the chin...
I'm sure this is going to sound rude but I do not mean this personally so please don't take it that way. You certainly are entitled to your own belief.
Why is it that whenever someone posts that they don't like nursing, they have had it with nursing, etc. someone (or more) always comes on and says "you haven't found your niche", "try some other area" etc.?
IMO, that just invalidates the feelings and beliefs of the OP.
If they don't like nursing, they don't like nursing.
If they have had it with nursing, they have had it with nursing.
I'm sure they know their own mind and good luck and more power to them.
I agree...I have been a nurse for 9 yrs and have tried doctor's office, hospital, home care for developmentally disabled, and case management. Those are some very different fields and it just reiterates that I just don't like nursing period. And really what sucks the most about nursing to me is the constant understaffing, which results in enormous extra work, that can sometimes be downright dangerous (like in a hospital). Just sick of all the charting and every month something new being added to my duties. I can't believe I have been it 9 years now! I am trying to stick it out and pay off my mortgage in a few years, then I am LEAVING!!!!
More than a few responses about hating nursing, yes nursing is not for everyone. But it takes time,3 different jobs in different places, 6 months and already thinking of calling it a day and moving on and a lot of it's not what i think it should be.
It's hard to transition from student to the real world and finding your grove, being a nurse can be tough and rewarding, at least 2 years on the same job and 5 years would be the minimum amount of time before thinking of calling it quits. There are so many different directions to go in with nursing.
And this "try a different type of nursing job?" I went looking at job postings this morning and they all want "current experience in same specialty." Or something similar. It seems like you are being discouraged from even applying nowadays.
@TU RN: I hear you on this. I had gotten advice from other staff that have been on my unit for several years that when I get the call to come in to pick up an extra shift don't do it. I'm already feeling the burn out and lately I haven't been good at hiding it on my face. I've now been in the habit of not picking up if it's my job calling. When I was in nursing school, I was encouraging everyone to go into nursing. I've since shut my mouth since working in the field. I'm trying a new unit this coming year in the hopes my opinions change.
"We don't save a life, we extend it." Is a quote I've heard recently also. It was stunning how true it is. I started working prn in hospice to balance out the "heroism" of acute care.
TU - don't answer the phone if you don't want to work. Staffing the hospital does not fall on your shoulders. Especially on a holiday. We are required to work enough holidays as it is.
Sorry to hear you are leaving, but we will always be here if you need or want to come back. Granted I have never had any other "real" jobs aside from nursing, but I can say for 100% certainty that nursing is hard and emotionally draining. It seems that you have had a rough go around and the areas you worked are some of the roughest. I loved your quote at the end that it has been one long acid trip, because many times I think what I do is surreal and have trouble distancing myself when I need too. However, I think working two prn jobs before grad school is the best thing for me. I wish you the best in any endeavor you go into and remember that there are other options.
Specializes in Med-Surg and Ambulatory Care (multispecialty).
As a new nurse (5 months) I appreciate your sound advice. I also respect the fact that you realized this is not where you want to be or what you want to do. Best wishes in whatever you decide to do. I think you'll be amazing at it.
Nursing is my second career, and I am here to stay! I've already been through the same kind of reflection as the OP in my prior career, and thankfully I was able to get out and enter nursing to find that it fulfills my career goals completely. I am no longer a new grad, so I am no longer in a honeymoon phase disillusioned with saving the world aspirations. I have had my bad days too, but at the end of it all, I am most proud with what I do. Ironically, I NEVER EVER heard anyone love their job in my prior career (I no longer blatantly say what my prior career was on allnurses, unless it is relevant to the thread, but trust me, I know what career misery is, and for me nursing is a breath of fresh air that compensates better overall even in pay. If you are curious enough, you can always peek at prior posts).
That said, nursing is not for everyone, so go and find what's best for you, because life is too short to keep working in a job you hate. No excuses, if you want it bad enough, you can make the change.
I also respect the fact that you realized this is not where you want to be or what you want to do. Best wishes in whatever you decide to do. I think you'll be amazing at it.
Mulan
2,228 Posts
I'm sure this is going to sound rude but I do not mean this personally so please don't take it that way. You certainly are entitled to your own belief.
Why is it that whenever someone posts that they don't like nursing, they have had it with nursing, etc. someone (or more) always comes on and says "you haven't found your niche", "try some other area" etc.?
IMO, that just invalidates the feelings and beliefs of the OP.
If they don't like nursing, they don't like nursing.
If they have had it with nursing, they have had it with nursing.
I'm sure they know their own mind and good luck and more power to them.