Newly Qualified and Disheartened Already!!!

[kittom]

Hi,

I have recently qualified as an RMN and came out with a BSc First Class Honours. Whilst my grades could not have been any better and I am very pleased that all my hard work paid off for such a qualification, I am disheartened at the prospect of even continuing in to nursing as a career. Too be honest my placements were mainly good but there was always those nurses that like to make students know their place and as a mature student, this drove me up the wall. However, for the sake of getting qualified I gritted my teeth and tried to let comments and remarks go over my head. Unfortunately, now that I have completed my training the prospect of going in to a profession which is under a lot of pressure to save money, staff shortages, and worst of all (for me anyhow) is that as a caring profession, I have never met such a bunch of opinionated, nasty, back stabbing people in my life and the thought of joining the ranks to work 12 hour shifts without adequate breaks, and having to provide a high quality of care with less resources, not only frightens me, but is making me physically and mentally ill just at the thought of 'having' to go in to the profession.

I feel that my last three years studying at this level has been all for nothing. I know I have transferable skills but not sure what careers are open to me with this kind of qualification. I really want to get away from healthcare as it just fills me with dread. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I do not know what to advise you to be honest. Your experiences to date have tainted your view of what is possible. I am "just" a 2 year RN. I work on a busy hospital floor, never have more than3- 4 patients and have had no problems at all with lateral violence, back stabbing or anything like that. Not everywhere is awful.

If you truly want to leave health care, then your only option is to get another degree. But if you just are wanting a better situation, then look for one and recognize no job or person is perfect. There ARE better places out there.

[kittom]

Thanks for your reply not.done.yet,

You could be right about the experiences so far tainting my view of what is possible, but you would think that having experienced many areas of mental health nursing through a variety of placements over a 3 year period that I would have a good idea of what to expect from the profession. It isn't just the eye opener of seeing what I can only describe as bitter, nasty, back stabbing nurses, it is my disappointment that these nurses are trying to juggle a lack of resources (namely staff shortages which I don't think is safe practice) and the expectations of management still demanding quality care (one can maybe understand why nurses end up with such 'sour working relationships'). I also believe that having to work 12 hour shifts with hardly any breaks, expectations of having to work night shifts on a regular basis, which research shows, effects mental and physical wellbeing, that the whole thing ''stinks''.

I don't necessarily think another degree is my only option as I do believe I have many transferable skills from my training, which I am willing to put to good use. I apologise if I sound ''bitter'' and ''defensive'', that is not my intention at all, I was perhaps just hoping for a little support and that I am not on my own in how I feel about a profession that I truely thought was right for me.