After reading tons of negative posts about the nursing profession, I have really thought twice about going into the field. I am currently a ADN student, and having read post after post of how nurses are taken advantage of, horrible wages concerning nurses, lawsuits, people running for the doors after thier first month, and other various posts. These situations make me REALLLLY question this profession! Can someone give me some positive outlooks to look forward to in the nursing field? It seems like a large portion of nurses are pissed off, due to poor workplace conditions, or on the other hand nurses that have 30+ years experience expecting new grads to already know everything! I think a big thing that really scares me is starting on the floor, and having to work with all of the pissed of cranky RNs that really hate what they do. I realize not everyone or every situation is negative, but after seeing what a lot of you guys post, its just simply a let down.
I understand exactly what you are going through. I just graduated as a LPN last month and am now working in a hospital. During all of my clinicals, I always felt like I could do it. I loved just about every minute of it. Now I'm about to start my 3rd or 4th week (I can't remember, its all a blur in my mind:-), and I am really discouraged. I love my patients, I love joking with them, or listening to their fears and concerns. However, I hate the way I feel when I keep getting told to hurry,hurry by the nurse I am paired with. We have a wonderful program at our hospital that allows new nurses time to get used to the fast pace of a major hospital, but I still feel stupid as hell. I am slow, I will admit that. All the other nurses keep telling me keep up the good job, that it will get better, telling me their "war" stories and in general trying to make me feel better. But the one nurse I'm put with (who has to put up with me slowing her down, which I'm sorry for), will one second tell me I'm doing good, then make me feel like the stupidest graduate nurse out there. Twice she's accused me of being late from break, which is not true. The second day, I timed it and came back to the floor 2 minutes early. I know I'm just discouraged and shouldn't be upset, but I've gotten to the point where I don't want to go to work. I still love nursing, I really love my patients, but I hate going in there with her. Just let me state, I will not give up! I love what I'm doing and I realize that there will come a point where I will hit my rhythm and will keep up on my charting (my biggest problem), and will feel better. I'm hoping that is what will happen, and am looking forward to that time. I think we all have to go through that period, which I was warned about in school, but it will pass. We just have to have enough guts to get through it and realize that we can do it, we can put a smile on our patients face, we can get ten billion meds passed by 0900, plus assessments and all the other stuff, we are nurses and HEAR US ROAR!!!! Sorry, got caught up in the moment:-) Anyway, you can do it if this is what you want. Keep up the good work!
I think I would go in and ask your manager for a new preceptor. NO new grad should be made to feel as she is making you feel. She obviously does NOT like precepting or is uncomfortable with the role. You deserve better.
Please keep in mind that bulletin boards are typically top-heavy with negative info, bad news, etc. Typically (for any forum, not just this one in particular) forums are places where people go to vent their spleen. Happy/satisfied folks don't need the means to vent, so you just don't see as much of the good stuff. It's kinda like reading a newspaper. If you thought that the only things going on in the world were what's reported in the paper, everyone would jump off a bridge (how many "happy" stories do you read on any given day?) out of despair.
I can see where the OP is coming from as well. I am pre-nursing student that will finish up my pre-reqs this semester. I have had many people try to talk me out of going into the profession and a couple tell me I am making the right choice... it weighs heavy on your mind. Here are a couple of reasons why I am still trucking forward with my plans and actually looking forward to it..
*I have always been one to help whenever possible and grew up volunteering for every organization you could think of to be active in the community. I knew I wanted to be involved in healthcare and that I wanted to somehow be able to give back some of what I have gotten over the years.
*I suffered a major knee injury when I was 9. I just had surgery #5 to try to fix what is going on with my knee. My first orthopod had me so turned off on the idea of nursing because he made it seem like it was a second-rate job for those that couldnt go to med school (and he believed women should not be MDs in certain field.. ie.. HIS!)... this is almost my way of proving him wrong (in more ways that one)...
*Last year I was debating between going to school to be a surg tech or going into a RN program. I had the best discussion with these 2 little ladies one day. I was waiting for my appt and one of them had been a nurse for many many years... and the other was married to a MD. I left the conversation knowing exactly what I wanted to do.... go to nursing school.
*With each encounter I have in the healthcare field (either with myself, family, or friend) I tend to meet a nurse that I admire and one that I always say I will never be like. I have made my friends and family promise me that if I turn into the burned out bitter nurse they will tell me.
*Sure there are hateful people, bad situations, poor management... but heck... find me a job that doesnt have those. You gotta get what you can from a situation and learn to deal with what you cant change.
*And... with so many different areas of nursing you can always learn and have the ability to move to another area if one isnt working for you.
I was told when I said I wanted to become a nurse that I would have to learn to develop a thick skin to the outside but never to loose the velvet hands when treating your patients. And that it was never a bad thing if a situation touched you enough to make you think... it meant you were human. Human... all nurses are them... which means that we all have bad days and need time to rant and rave... and cry and complain. Forums like this are great for it. And sometimes the good does get overlooked but it doesnt that it isnt there... just something that is often taken for granted.
I agree with cyber kat, i am ex F/A (hence the name) who just left his job last week. There are many F/A around and believe it is exactly the SAME. And working online is the same too. people doubt about their job, it doesnt make them happy. They found their work environment bitchy and hard.
It isnt just in nursing, i bet you in the same in other sectors/industries.
What motivated me to quit my job for a nursing career in psychiatry is a book called Welcome to my country wrriten by Laura Slater as well as my degree in Psychology.
There have been times when I have really questioned whether my decision to come into this field was right or not. My soul searching at those times has always reaffirmed my self acceptance, that I still feel like a hero at the end of the day, justifying my decision. Any job is going to have customers you don't like, co workers you hate, bosses you fear. At the end of the day I'd rather be in a field where I can make more $$$ than if I had gone with some of the other fields I've looked into, but more importantly, I look back at the shy, backward, nervous girl I was and the funny, warm, feeling person I've become and I wouldn't have it any other way. It was like nursing took me by the hand as much as I took it by the hand.
Couldn't have said it better, Sherri! Yes, I've been frustrated with nursing many times, but it has helped me learn and grow so much. Plus, the patients and their families, most of the time, make the job worth some of the hassles that come with it. I have some wonderful memories of some wonderful people I never would have met it it weren't for my nursing career. I'll always cherish those.
You know what, every time I see this post it angers me. Those who are in the profession and despise every minute of it should either get out or stop whining to those who *do* want to be an RN. Sure, there *are* some tough moments and some tough days, but there are far more where you feel confident and have a supportive team around you.
Always remember...*they* have a choice, and *you* have a choice.
They (other RNs) can choose where and what they want to do. One of the beautiful things about nursing is you can change positions to a specialty that you do like. Don't like giving a ton of bed baths ? Go to the ER...they are in and out. Don't like the grown-ups ? Go work with the kids. Don't like 12 hr shifts ? Go work in an office or with an insurance company. The list goes on and on. Those who continue to do nothing but gripe about their jobs are people who are limiting themselves because they get more enjoyment out of hearing their own whining. If they would invest their time and energy into finding a department or career path that better suits them, we would all better off.
*You* have a choice...use your school time to explore different opportunities. Community Health, CCU, burn units, cardiac rehab, Dr's offices, corporate health nursing, etc.etc. Before you let burn-out settle in on you, stop and remind yourself of the many opportunities available to you.
There have been times when I have really questioned whether my decision to come into this field was right or not. My soul searching at those times has always reaffirmed my self acceptance, that I still feel like a hero at the end of the day, justifying my decision. Any job is going to have customers you don't like, co workers you hate, bosses you fear. At the end of the day I'd rather be in a field where I can make more $$$ than if I had gone with some of the other fields I've looked into, but more importantly, I look back at the shy, backward, nervous girl I was and the funny, warm, feeling person I've become and I wouldn't have it any other way. It was like nursing took me by the hand as much as I took it by the hand.
Oh. That is beautiful. It's like you took a page from my own book. Yes it's a difficult profession, but there are so many opportunities for growth, as a person as well as a nurse. Just as a non-nurse doesn't realize the difficulty and scope of the job, they don't realize how much the changes you have to go through can make you a better person. Bravo.
After reading tons of negative posts about the nursing profession, I have really thought twice about going into the field. I am currently a ADN student, and having read post after post of how nurses are taken advantage of, horrible wages concerning nurses, lawsuits, people running for the doors after thier first month, and other various posts. These situations make me REALLLLY question this profession! Can someone give me some positive outlooks to look forward to in the nursing field? It seems like a large portion of nurses are pissed off, due to poor workplace conditions, or on the other hand nurses that have 30+ years experience expecting new grads to already know everything! I think a big thing that really scares me is starting on the floor, and having to work with all of the pissed of cranky RNs that really hate what they do. I realize not everyone or every situation is negative, but after seeing what a lot of you guys post, its just simply a let down.
I was searching this site for info for a paper I'm doing - I graduated with my ADN, 30 years ago and FINALLY, after raising 4 children, am pursuing my dream of getting my BSN, with plans to go for my masters - I want to teach nursing students. I read your post and felt I should reply. First of all, don't let my "name" fool you - its our ranch brand!! :chuckle I'm not cross!! I DO remember what it was like as a new grad and I HOPE I never treat anyone with disrespect - I admire everyone who choses nursing as a profession. I am very proud of you and don't give up. It amazes me those "pissed off cranky RN's who really hate what they do" Yes they are out there, but don't let them bring you down. Try to find the positive ones and band with them. I went through burnout about 20 years ago and HATED nursing. I took a short break - stay at home mom. When my youngest was 6 months old, I decided to go back and have been happy ever since. Just remember what you are saying now about those nurses who hate what they are doing. If you ever get to that point, get out and try something different for awhile. When a person gets to that point (in any career) not only are they miserable, but so is everyone around them, including their patients. Also, remember, there is so much more to nursing than hospital nursing. We are so fortunate to have so many opportunities and specialties we can chose from. Good luck and hang in there!!
When I see something so outrageously wrong, I have a tendency to lose my focus and go off down the wrong path. Without going into details, that happened to me last week. It caused no harm to the patient, just really made me look foolish. Of course my boss called me down about it, told me that when I get angry about something, I lose focus, which I do and I did. Told me there was a concern about that, and that that wasn't good critical thinking, Course I was feeling stupid and ashamed already, but then the boss brought up an "incident" that also occurred that same shift. I was told that one of my coworkers was accusing me of telling her to substitute one drug for another. My jaw must have dropped all the way to the floor, but I told the boss emphatically that I never made that statement. They brought said employee in and she insisted that I did make that statement. (they said they believed me, but also said that she probably really did think that what she thought she heard was the truth). Granted she was dealing with a critical patient at the time, so I have to think that she was so upset that she didn't know who had told her what; it's better than thinking that she out and out lied, but it made me so angry. Unfortunately when I get really angry and cornered, I have a tendency to almost hyperventilate, and that makes me crazy cause I can't even talk. The upshot was that I decided then and there that I couldn't deal with someone lying about me, and I was over dealing with all the nitpicking, backstabbing, whiney, crybaby tattletails where I work, so I told them that I would just transfer someplace else. What really slays me is that the boss didn't act like they cared one way or the other. It was like "oh well, I've got plenty of applications, losing her is no big deal." That kind of sealed my decision to leave. Anyway, my DB is upset that I am "running away" but I think it is just time to take a step back and figure out what I really want to do when I grow up. By all means though, everyone is right, there are good and bad in every profession so just because we come here to vent doesn't mean nursing is bad. It's nice to have a place to let off steam to people who understand where we're coming from and can sympathize. Don't let any griping and complaining discourage you from doing what you feel you want to do. Thanks for letting me vent about my bad week.
1. Gentleman said to me "Thanks for helping me wash", I responded "That is my job", gentleman stated "Don't give me 'that's just my job', you put a little more into it than that", this guy was so enjoyable to be around.
9. Making up patients for your co-workers and assigning them to empty beds on April Fools. The usual suspect and I were banned from working April Fools together, we made up really good patients. :rotfl:
Based on personal experience. I have a few hundred more.
1- Reminds me of a lovely elderly Russian man I took care of, spoke very little English but kindness is universal. One night he took me by the hand toward the closet, pulled out his wallet and tried to give me $20. I tried to politely refuse and explained that the hospital would pay me "for all I do to take care of him" He replied in his thick Russian accent with just the right amount of arm movement "You! More than hospital! You! Friend!" What to do? I thanked him...accepted his gift and slipped it back to his daughter. (now I'm crying!)
To stop the tears...
9- we add April fool's patients to the OR schedule emergency-list. A few clever nurses make up terrific dx!
and one of my own- tonight a toddler I've taken care of for 2 years feel asleep the only way she could- with me lying in her bed, she cuddled on my tummy while I patted her back and stroked her hair!
1- Reminds me of a lovely elderly Russian man I took care of, spoke very little English but kindness is universal. One night he took me by the hand toward the closet, pulled out his wallet and tried to give me $20. I tried to politely refuse and explained that the hospital would pay me "for all I do to take care of him" He replied in his thick Russian accent with just the right amount of arm movement "You! More than hospital! You! Friend!" What to do? I thanked him...accepted his gift and slipped it back to his daughter. (now I'm crying!)
To stop the tears...
9- we add April fool's patients to the OR schedule emergency-list. A few clever nurses make up terrific dx!
and one of my own- tonight a toddler I've taken care of for 2 years feel asleep the only way she could- with me lying in her bed, she cuddled on my tummy while I patted her back and stroked her hair!
Your experience with the Russian gentleman reminded me of the time I had a CVA patient. When I assessed him in the morning, I could tell that it had been days since he was shaved. When I commented that I was going to see to it that he was shaved that day, his face just lit up. After his shave, he was like new man!!! Each time I had this gentleman, I made a point to shave him. His wife also tried to slip $20 (which I declined). Sometimes, the simplest things can make a big difference to a person.
BETSRN
1,378 Posts
I think I would go in and ask your manager for a new preceptor. NO new grad should be made to feel as she is making you feel. She obviously does NOT like precepting or is uncomfortable with the role. You deserve better.