after 22 years i am leaving the nursing profession. i have spent almost half of my life taking care of other people, and it is now time to step aside and let someone else step in.
i was very young when i started out, and i often say that i chose nursing the same way many women choose a man, for all of the wrong reasons although i was good at it, i never harmed anyone, i worked hard, cleaned pts real good, cleaned nails, ears, etc. made beds, toe pleats and all, passed meds, did IV's, blood and all of those other tasks they added to the list over the years. everyone was well taken care of, except for me. i silenced my own voice.
so, it is time for me to leave. after numerous injuries, (back, wrist, neck), backstabbing managers, obnoxious families and insulting doctors i just can't do it anymore. i'm tired and just have done all i can do. i have worked everywhere and seen it all from the ER to the OR. i didn't do it for the money, it's really not that much for all of the b* i have to deal with. i feel sorry for the shallow person who wants to do nursing for the money. i would not want them standing over me.:chair:
if i had it to do over, i would not. but i can't undo what is already done.
i love kids, i love art. i have a degree in art and opportunities to teach it are coming my way. not the same money but much less stress on me, no injuries and no more palpitations and bradycardia. i don't like telemetry either-- working in it, or laying down in it. the beeping really creeps me out, and when i look up and see "50" on the screen that does not help. :redbeathe
i did not wake up and decide to quit, it has taken me a long time to get to this place and i realize that it is either remain in this relationship (profession) at my own expense, or get out now while i still have my physical and mental health and strength. i have seen too many of my commrades die prematurely. i don't want to be next, before my time.
good luck to you all, be safe, CYA, and most of all when the going gets tough, get out!
Is this an offer? I can sit down? - I'll take it, whatever the pay. We all know everything is a conspiracy anyway, right? I can handle it, would you like to be my assistant?
Heh Heh, we're starting something, folks! Being as we all know everything is a conspiracy, we'll need lots of people on the payroll. Think we should have the CIA pay us, no? Whadya think, Chadash, my lovely assistant?
O.K. so who else wants in? Please send all cover letters and resumes to Brian, :rotfl: who I'm certain will be more than pleased to sort through them for the proper degree of paranoia.
Shall we work from home? Sitting down, of course. What hours? Hmmmm... I'll suggest 11 am to 5 pm. Any other ideas? No weekends, nights or holidays, naturally. And never any on call. Wear pajamas, kiddos around is no problem. Nor are the pets. Don't havta put on make-up - no one will know. And potty breaks allowed whenever necessary. Needless to say, an hour for lunch. Any suggestions for what hourly wage we should seek from the CIA?
Ah, this is getting better and better. Gonna hand in my two weeks notice first thing in the morning!!
Hi sorry everyone: I have always posted replys but how do I start a thread?
somewhere.
Hi Cathleenmermaid,
On the upper left hand side, above the posts, is a blue oval(?) marked 'New Thread' - you just click on that, and make a title, then post your message.
As if this job isn't hard enough, just reading the paper, the hospital I work at was on the front page, apparently a family member was busted by the nurse as they were holding a pillow over the face of the 92 year old patient. Now that nurse's paranoia actually paid off! Can't imagine what kind of paperwork this event would require!
I just finished a BSN program and yeah, it can be pretty tough. But it really depends on where you are and what specialty you're in. I'm going into psych and I can tell you that it doesn't involve all the bending and wiping. Some of our graduates are going directly into business/pharmaceuticals to apply their nursing knowledge. Besides, later in your career there are so many opportunities if you want to go into advanced practice. I have a feeling that certified diabetes educators will be in high demand in the future, they teach newly diagnosed patients how to manage their condition. So, basically you tough it out a good amount of years and change to a position that uses all your knowledge before burnout hits in. This is what I'm hearing...
Hope that helps,
Marc
As someone starting pre-reqs next in the fall to join the nursing program in a couple of years, all I can say to this is, yikes! This is one of the posts that scares me. For all the dozen that you see that say it's the best profession they chose,... you see another dozen that hated it.
But...
Congrats to you for making the life change you found necessary. Other's would not have been so brave. I hope you find what comforts you like you comforted many others. :)
Hey Chris--best wishes in your new profession, and congratulations for taking the plunge into something different! I've been in this for 28 years and have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly also......Nursing has taken it's toll on me as well--just had a spinal fusion in February and now how a rotator cuff problem as well as a labral tear in my hip, not to mention the stress-related stuff in dealing with patients day in and day out. I think I've lasted longer than many, but it's no longer a game of endurance for me--I need to segue into another profession that utilizes my knowledge and skills, but doesn't tax me the way nursing has, both physically and emotionally. I'm still trying to figure out what that profession is :smackingf , but figure it will come to me at some point......there is no utopia, but there's gotta be something easier!
You are making a wise choice! I've been in nursing myself for 22 years, and now along with all the physical injuries, mental aboute from either docs, paitients, or supervisors, I am stuck with an addiction problem which I myself need to take control of my life, and not work in such a demanding profession. Money is ok, but there is more to life than $$$$$$$$$ You take care! I wish you all the luck in the world. I wish I had more talents myself! I'm thinking Real Estate!
I could have written that 3 years ago, but add failing eyesight and spinal arthritis to the incompetent management, backstabbing doctors, unreasonable families, and work load that kept increasing because staffing was cut by attrition.
I keep saying that if they want to do something about the nursing shortage, they're going to have to do something about the JOB. Just throwing money at us won't help the fact that it's about the heaviest physical labor out there combined with the most stressful emotional and mental work. Throw in the fact that we do it for 12 hours at a crack and desk jockeys feel they can ORDER us to do additional 12 hour shifts at THEIR convenience, and you have a prescription for getting as many nurses out of the profession as possible.
There is only so much time they're going to buy themselves by raiding the third world for nurses. Eventually they're going to have to address working conditions.
Heh Heh, we're starting something, folks! Being as we all know everything is a conspiracy, we'll need lots of people on the payroll. Think we should have the CIA pay us, no? Whadya think, Chadash, my lovely assistant?
O.K. so who else wants in? Please send all cover letters and resumes to Brian, :rotfl: who I'm certain will be more than pleased to sort through them for the proper degree of paranoia.
Shall we work from home? Sitting down, of course. What hours? Hmmmm... I'll suggest 11 am to 5 pm. Any other ideas? No weekends, nights or holidays, naturally. And never any on call. Wear pajamas, kiddos around is no problem. Nor are the pets. Don't havta put on make-up - no one will know. And potty breaks allowed whenever necessary. Needless to say, an hour for lunch. Any suggestions for what hourly wage we should seek from the CIA?
Ah, this is getting better and better. Gonna hand in my two weeks notice first thing in the morning!!
Sorry! Your lovely assistant fell down on the job! I think (shh!) some shadow nursing wedsite has been messing with my emails....and then there was that June 6, 06 thing...just could bring myself to log on!
Wear pajamas, kiddos around is no problem. Nor are the pets. Don't havta put on make-up - no one will know. And potty breaks allowed whenever necessary. Needless to say, an hour for lunch. Any suggestions for what hourly wage we should seek from the CIA?
weetziebat
775 Posts
Is this an offer? I can sit down? - I'll take it, whatever the pay. We all know everything is a conspiracy anyway, right? I can handle it, would you like to be my assistant?