Leaving Nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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Lately, I have been terribly disappointed in the nursing profession. I have been nursing since 2014. I feel as of late we have really been taken advantage of. So much so that I have actually made the decision to leave the profession by applying to grad school for an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. The consistent short staffing and unreasonable expectations have just completely turned me off. Seems to be a thing at both of my nursing jobs. Not to mention my one job which is PRN is consistently short, so we are already above the 1:4 expected patient ratios. Nearly every time I work I get dumped on (i.e. surgicals or admits) right at shift change, sometimes 5-10 minutes after my shift has ended and that 30 minutes we are given for report and change of shift. Now here is where my frustration is....every time I have worked I receive a complaint from the oncoming nurse in which my manager texts me about and I need to come in a discuss with her. Usually how things are not completed or something of this nature. Well the first time it happened I thought well maybe I did forget something because I was in a hurry to get out of there. The second time I got dumped on at change of shift I stayed late by 2.5 hours, set up IV fluids, vital signs, charted, passed meds, initiated care plans, made sure all ordered equipment was in the room, labeled all tubing. I was sure I didn't miss anything even checked with the nurse before leaving to make sure there was nothing else I could help her with. I mean I was already there late. Well low and behold I find out today that nurse filed a complaint against me. This was kind of my breaking point. I don't want to be part of a profession where I busy my butt only to receive complaints of how I'm not doing good enough. Feel defeated. My plan is to put my application in to some other job opportunities outside of nursing just to get out while I finish this masters program. Thanks for listening.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
This is why I think we should refuse to participate in these little games of reporting each other.

There's yet another post here today about lateral bullying.

Can't any other nurses see the irony?

But, just as curious: Your plans. I hope for your sake that your thought isn't that you're going to rise above pettiness.

I reread this comment a few times before responding. What she describes is anything but "pettiness." It is bullying. It wouldn't hurt to inform H.R. and her union if she has one.

It sounds like this nurse has worked very hard to try to follow the rules and be of assistance to her colleagues. If that is the case, leaving that environment might be best. But, I do agree that leaving nursing altogether may be a bit extreme so young in her career.

She has gained knowledge and has much to offer! Perhaps some time to recover and then find a new perch...?

Even in Administration one can find people who are not easy with whom to work.

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Okay, you're ex military, so you know what being a short timer is, you'll get through the month because you can. That said, not all nursing positions are that toxic, sorry you got one of the poor ones,but I wish you luck going forward.

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This sounds like a core group who have been allowed to harass others. It will continue until a nurse manager has boundaries to stop it.

In the mean time I would before I leave ask the nurse if there is anything else, that I think I have covered all I can for my shift and if I have missed anything to please let me know when we have shift change again.

If they do not do this I would say to the nurse next time I see her/him I am not sure if I communicated well enough last time we had shift change, it appears you had some issues and spoke to our nurse manager. I thought you were going to let me know as well. Again if there is an issue could you please let me know too so I can try and fix it before it gets to our manager who already has so many things going on, if you notify me it will be an easy fix and I can take care of it.

If it continues then yes this nurse is a bully/passive aggressive and I would not want to work in an environment like this. If you continue to work on this unit before I leave my work area I would have rounds with the oncoming nurse each and every time. If they say no then I would let them know I would feel better with the rounds as there have been issues in the past with complaints of work not being completed. If they continue to say they do not have time for rounds I would email the manager and let them know.

I did just what you describe, room to room, asked if there was anything she thought I missed or if there was anything else I could help her with. Told her I would be in the back charting if she had any questions or she thought of something. Then was devastated when my unit manager texted me that she needed to talk to me about a complaint issue that came from the nurse. I said wow that's stranger since I was here several hours late helping her and there should have been nothing left over. I was told "that isn't exactly the issue" and "we will chit chat about it when you are here at work".... just so over it. I'm going to start having a second nurse do rounds with me just so I have proof of whatever since I feel like I'm being targeted.

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Yeah, you need a new unit. That's freaking ridiculous.

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We have a new manager that was one of the floor nurses previously. I feel like the unit has become very clique. Especially when a majority of the unit bullies hang out with the manager outside of work. I'm at work late nearly everytime I work because a) I'm waiting for a nurse that's floating from another campus or b) I'm getting dumped on literally at the end of my shift and to avoid getting in trouble I stay and do the whole floor admission thing. I've even got in trouble before because I was crabby about having to take report on a patient only to take them to another floor 5 minutes later and hand them off because the nurse didn't want to wait 15 minutes to give report to the nurse herself. It's jusy utter chaos at this place.... down right tattling. Just seems to be the culture within nursing. I know this unit isn't a good fit for me anymore. But I don't want anything to do with patient care anymore. Although I've only been doing this for 4 almost 5 years I've watched as the patients have become sicker and harder to care for, patient ratios so high it's impossivle to get your stuff done during your shift, all for the almighty $$$....not to mention stagnant wages, or high turnover rate of patients. I have a prn job which I just worked last night. I'm not a huge fan of long term but it's close to home and they have tons of hours. It was 3 of us nurses and 3 cna's. We ended up having a real code red which is a tornado and between us we had nearly 100 residents in the hallway in under 20 minutes. But was so exhausted I was falling asleep driving home. So in hindsight I will just stay at this facility prn. I really do like the cute little old people. It was sweet watching some of the other older ladies comfort the more "confused" residents in the hall. It felt very family like. But I almost wanted to leave there too because of the "short staffing". At least I haven't had to deal with the bully crap I deal with in the hospital. Plus I was working charge... never been in that situation before but my heart sank as I opened the doors and lights to the rooms of all the residents who could ambulated and told them there was a tornado coming and to get in the hallway.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

You are absolutely right to get the heck out of your current job. Poor leadership combined with a clique of mean-girl nurses is a lousy situation to be in. It's safe to say that situation won't change as long as the staff stays the same, so leave that floor ASAP.

It's also pretty safe to say that short staffing happens pretty much everywhere. That can be dealt with if you are in a good place. Supportive leadership and a true team spirit can make all the difference in the world. Heck, even just the team spirit can be enough as long as it is the floor nurses working together and supporting each other through whatever management throws at them. Good places do exist, you just need to find one. It just seems to me like only 4 years in isn't nearly enough time to give up totally on a career you've doubtless worked hard to get.

If you do decide to leave nursing totally I doubt you'd find any other area of healthcare much better. Unless you are at the top of the corporate ladder you will still be dealing with going along to get along so I just don't see an entirely new career necessarily being the answer.

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I understand completely what you're talking about. Good luck to you

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I scared and sick to me stomach when I go to work. Not even sure I will have enough in me to finish out my shifts thru the next month. Just another day to get dumped on and expected to do more then possible just so I can get pulled into the office before I go home just to be told what a terrible job I'm doing or why my meds were late or some other frivolous issue just so I can go home feeling like a miserable sack of sh-t. Or getting written up for not doing a pain assessment within an hour...or being put on the spot about not offering aromatherapy... The profession has literally pushed me out. I guess I'm just not a good enough nurse. Besides all this it just isn't safe for me anymore.

*****

Wait : Aromatherapy. ?!?!?!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

No go to school and get a law degree or something. You won't be able to change much with your MBA. It goes so much higher in the food chain to make change. You'll be frustrated at best. Be an activist/lobbyist and work for change from the direction. Otherwise you'll see quickly you'll be making the decisions that make nurses miserable and won't be able to change it.

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I reread this comment a few times before responding. What she describes is anything but "pettiness." It is bullying. It wouldn't hurt to inform H.R. and her union if she has one.

It sounds like this nurse has worked very hard to try to follow the rules and be of assistance to her colleagues. If that is the case, leaving that environment might be best. But, I do agree that leaving nursing altogether may be a bit extreme so young in her career.

She has gained knowledge and has much to offer! Perhaps some time to recover and then find a new perch...?

Even in Administration one can find people who are not easy with whom to work.

Call it whatever you like. My point was that my own observations don't lead me to believe that the world involving the business of healthcare is going to be any more pleasant or ethical, so that I hoped the OP didn't believe that acquiring a HCA MBA was going to be anything other than worse.

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Well I feel so crappy about it that I'd rather be working as a waitress or really just anything besides a nurse right now. Actually, I am going to put my application in to a few places tomorrow. Saw a few openings for bank teller, shift supervisor jobs at target, and starbucks. So I guess I will see how it goes. I am ex military, and former combat photographer/journalist but nothing really open in that field in my area.

At least waiting tables you'll get tips. I did it for years, nice dinner house so no much flak from customers.

Most places you'll wait tables you will really find out what it is like to be a servant...

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Well it's been a week since I wrote this. Still want to leave and very much feel like calling out on the remainder of my shifts. I know it sounds terrible. But it's just at that point.

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