New nurses thinking of leaving nursing

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Hello,

I am sure that all of us remember our nursing school days, and how hard it was to finish. I just finished last December of 2008. I worked so hard and I thought now I was going to have a big pay off. I was WRONG! Apparently that is why nursing school is like being in the military. My unit is full of backstabbing, backbiting and judgemental people. The hospital right now is cutting staff due low census and expecting more. We have to rotate all around the hospital even to units that I not comfortable with practicing on. I no longer have had a choice. It has been made clear to me several times that there are plenty of new grads that are graduating that will take my job. What has happened in the last 2 years in treatment of nurses. Was it always this bad! I thought it was supposed to be better? Should I stick it out in nursing is it going to get better when the economy rebounds? I try to compare it to my friends experiences that are equally overwhelmed at their jobs, but to be frank, I am responsible for people's lives and am able to be held liable. This makes that stress worse. All of the more experienced nurses out there. is this going to get better? Should we all start unions. (I actually mentioned the word "union" at my job and one of the older nurses told me never to say it again b/c I could get fired) We can get written up for opposing anything, or saying anything negative. Just Scary!

I too am a later start nurse. 20 years of other work/school experience. I see what you mean. Thanks for your replies! I see you are an educator. I've always thought teaching may be a good fit for me after a many more years of school.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
I am a new grad LPN at a rehab facility. I am shocked at the expectations placed upon nurses! I'm also mortified at what some nurses call pt care. :eek: Those nurses get out on time, don't check placement on tube feedings, perform lame assessments, chart next to nothing, don't provide education, etc, etc. What did we spend all that time in nursing school checkoffs for if we aren't really doing what we were taught? I appear to be incompetent because I perform tasks the way we were taught in school (with sound nursing judgment and rationale), stay late to get charting done as requested by the facility expectation, listen to the patient/family concerns and address them, provide education to patients (after all we are rehab), and provide much needed TLC to them. When a patient verbalizes to me that they want to give up and just die, I'm not gonna just walk out and go assess the next guy. Caring takes time. Quick once over = good nurse, thorough = bad nurse. :confused:

I thought nursing was about taking care of the patient. I refuse to lower my standard of care just to get off on time to keep a job, that is unethical in my brain. I get kudos from family who say I take great care of the mother/father. I'm not saying I am the be all, end all when it comes to nursing after 1 yr of LPN school. I just NEVER had any idea that nursing care and work conditions were sooooo poor. I am getting totally burnt out, have no social life whatsoever. I can see why nurses take shortcuts to get out of work on time, doesn't make it acceptable though. We all have families to get home to. I just don't feel that's in the best interest of my patient to cut some of the corners I see getting cut. I know I am doing the right thing, its just hard to see the other nurses laughing and joking... done with "cares" and I am wearing myself out everyday!

I wanted to become a nurse to take care of people. With a 13 to 1 ratio, I feel like the previous posters do. I pass meds, assess as fast as possible, chart, talk to family, enter orders, fax to pharmacy, lab and xray. This is not patient care. This is paperwork care, legal care, budget care. I agree with you, RNman09. When will nurses get together and be nurses? i.e... advocate for our patients who are the ones who are losing in this "do more with less" battle. I know the economy stinks and budgets are an issue. But as one person mentioned earlier, why flat screens and all the fancy "stuff"? Weren't we taught in school to prioritize care, use our critical thinking, best nursing judgement, etc? Half the patients can't even hear or see the TV anyway. Where's the critical thinking in that. Hire one extra nurse and save money on some of the fluff.

I have always hated politics, but this new career of mine is inspiring me to get more involved and push for better standards in all types of health care facilities.

Any suggestions on how you nurses with more experience and solid ethics are surviving? It appears on here that complaining or even kindly requesting assistance from management just makes a one's life at work more complicated. Who does one talk to when you get off of work in the middle of the night and all your friends are in bed? I really don't believe in airing my concerns at work. It's hard to keep your chin up and leave the frustration at the door crossing over the threshold of the facility. I am managing so far though. :uhoh3:

Thanks!

When you are a new grad time management is difficult to master but you will I promise improve with experience. Then you will have more control over your daily activities you will be able to manage your care effectively.

Make each visit with your patient count

When you are passing meds and assessing patients you are actually spending time with that pt and can make that interaction as pleasant as possible. Remain bright, cheerful ask lots of questions. You might have only been with them a very short amount of time but it will make a difference. No moaning or complaining and always ask what you can do for them. Most pts dont have hundreds of needs but are happy you asked.

Yes it can be an illusion but I promise you it can be effective-pts know you are busy and appreciate any time you spend with them.

Now I know this may seem like I am a 'MARY POPPINS' of nursing but I provide quality care because I can cram a lot into a med pass, or a pt assessment. I know the right questions to ask, I know the questions which I can answer quickly and the questions I need to spend time answering. I know which pts I need to give more input just by my initial nursing assessment. I listen to report and ask questions about the pt which will help me manage my day. I dont need to know indepth information about their illness I just need their diagnoses, tests, results and what the pt knows.

I know which labs are priority and which can wait. I also know that some days are horrendously busy but there is always other days which are quieter.

Looking after pts for more than one day is always a bonus because on day two you already know a lot about that pt, so can spend more time educating the pt, talking to them about what is important to them, knowing what they may need on discharge because you will already know about their home situation.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

You are replaceable. And now that there are so many nurse (experience and new grads) unemployed you are even more replaceable than before. There is no longer any need to keep nursing staff happy, because there are a line of other nurses that will take your job that currently can not feed their family.

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Madwife2002 - Thanks so much for the encouragement and tips!

Hearts Open Wide - Thanks for that reminder. We are all replaceable and some of us could be considered irreplaceable at the same time. Irreplaceable because some of us place a higher priority on providing good care than others do. I realize that "Momma said there will be days like this" and then there are better days. (Yesterday wasn't too bad.) I know that no management can guarantee staff happiness in any career. Happiness is a choice we make. Providing good care makes me happy! Again thanks for that perspective. In this economy I KNOW i am lucky to have a job at all!

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Specializes in "Wound care - geriatric care.

As the job market is abundant with nurses, hospitals become more abusive grilling nurses who stick around because the market is tough. Eventually it hits a ceiling where is impossible to survive wording conditions. Hospitals are just like markets that will go to the "highest price the market can bare". If the economy improves for real, nurses will leave in droves just like they came in and formed the glut situation. On the other side of town many nurse students leave school or simply decide to go some other way, creating less new nurses available. As the economy improves the new grad glut has already gone either to their jobs or simply have quit after 2 years of looking for work. At the same time patients are running to the hospitals after finally landing jobs, hospitals are now running like businesses and the techs are nursing, patients begin to die and at the same moment we see the executives handing sign up bonuses to any nurse that has a pulse...and this is the little story about the nursing ups and downs.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I'm not thinking of leaving nursing, but I have no intention of working many areas...ever. Primarily because of the constant staffing issues everywhere, lack of resources, and too much to do in the shift. I'm a second career nurse, so I've learned to take care of myself first. I don't think these issues are unique to nursing. Employers everywhere like to take advantage where they can.

Eventually, my plan is to either work OR, psych or find a clinic job. Better hours and not as much stress. These are all areas I really enjoy. As for med surg or acute...been there. I'd have to be desperate for a job to return to those environments.

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