Does it ever get better?

[jsmythee]

I got into nursing later in life and thought I knew what I was doing but now I am not so sure. The past 4 years of this life transition have been brutal. My first year out of a tough nursing program I worked on a med/surg floor. The nurse to patient ratios and patient acuities were high with no aides and management accepted nothing but 100% on customer satisfaction scores. I loved the work but hated how nasty some patients could get despite the disgusting things you did for them. One night, I started the shift with 2 patients coming, 2 patients going, a patient load of 8 patients, and two patients in crisis. The one crisis patient had an escalating blood pressure issue. During an attempt to give the patient meds for the BP, it was discovered the patient had been hoarding meds all day including some potent narcotics. The patient had a history of suicide. The other patient in crisis had DKA. I was in and out of the patient room all night trying to stabilize the patient. In the morning, the patient's roommate complained to management. The complaint cost me two days pay. Three months ago, I transferred to a trauma level 1 emergency center hoping to avoid being called off 1-2 times per pay. It was a huge mistake. Only processing 38-58 patients during a shift, I was considered too slow and it was recommended I "continue my journey as a nurse" elsewhere. I've loved nursing but hate the beating I've taken as a new nurse wondering if it ever gets better. Firemen, Policemen are treated like heros for sticking their neck out for another person. People will tip a waitress or hairdresser. For some reason, no one ever thanks a nurse. Instead, for some reason, people think they have the right to literally beat the crap out of a nurse without just cause and that is OK.

[canigraduate]

I'm sorry you've had such a rough experience. It does get better.

The trick is finding a unit that doesn't suck, or leaving the hospital altogether. I have had good experiences and bad.

Perhaps the answer for you will be to find an environment that doesn't require as much constant high-level stress, perhaps a rehab or oncology unit. You can also consider home health, where you only have one patient at a time.

Good luck to you. I hope you don't let these bad experiences drive you away from nursing.

[Raviepoo]

You can look at your experience from several different points of view. You could say that you're not up to the job you're being asked to perform and you suck as a nurse. I prefer to see it from another viewpoint. You happen to have fallen into environments where you are being asked to do super-human things. The expectations placed on you are not realistic.

Environments that have unrealistic expectations are bad environments. Get out and find a place where you can thrive. They exist. You deserve to work in that type of environment. In fact, we all do.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I think you have mainly had very bad jobs.

When you do find a better job, you will have something to compare it with. Having a bad job for a short time isn't always a bad thing.

Thanks are extra. I choose to see thanks as an extra rather than an expectation.

It sounds like you need to start looking for a new job. Now that you have some hard won experience, maybe you can find something better.

[nurse lala, BSN, RN]

I agree with my colleagues. The jobs you have had do not seem to be the right fit for you. Please do not give up hope on nursing though. There is a job out there, somewhere that will be perfect for you. Really.

Is it going to get better? Well that is another question altogether. I have to wonder about how you are coping with the challenges. A nurse responding to two crises has a legitimate reason to be unavailable elsewhere. What happened that you were taken off duty for two days? You don't explain the nature of the complaint.

Yes, Nursing school was tough because the practice of nursing is tough. I think it is safe to say that most of us struggled the first few years. I was like you in that I struggled longer than my friends from school. It happened with every job I had. And I had many jobs in the early years, never staying more than 1 or 2 years. Always trouble with managment, peers, clients. In time it dawned on me that I was the common denominator. My problems followed me until I faced up to them. I started to show myself the same compassion I show my patients. And it started to get better.

I could be way off the mark here. I just wanted to put that out there. Sometimes we have to take a look at what we contribute to a problem. I wish you the best.

[geminiBSN75]

It seems like we all have the same advise, move on to your next chapter in nursing. It does get better you just haven't found your fit yet. Keep looking! It might not be the next job you get but I feel that everything happens for a reason, so keep your head high and move on. You can do this!!!!

[firstinfamily, RN]

All the posts here are pretty consistent. I think all of us have been over whelmed by the demands of nursing at one time or another. I am surprised that your patients in crisis were not moved to a unit where they could have been taken care of with a less nurse to patient ratio. I can't imagine taking care of 8 patients and having two of them in a crisis with no support from management. Every environment is different. I truly loved sub-acute nursing, the patients were still sick, but more stable than in acute care, however, the repercussions of being in a LTC facility were more than I could handle, so I returned to acute care. I also tried home health when I left acute care years ago. I liked home health and I knew I could make a difference, however, the pt load was 8-9 patients per day and that did not include travel time, I was putting in about 16 hours a day by the time I got the documentation done. Just because I had one patient at a time did not mean the pt load was easier and believe me you are on your own doing home health, there is no support staff. It takes time to find your niche and even then the niche may not quite fit. Nursing is grueling sometimes, just try to find a happier environment. Mother-Baby is a happier environment, it has its ups and downs as well. Don't give up on Nursing, you do matter, but I would be looking around to see if there is another environment that would suit you. Urgency centers and out patient centers may be more to your liking.

[LakeEmerald]

You lost 2 days pay because a patient's roommate complained against you? Is that legal? How is that even done? I would not work for a company that would do such a thing to me. I hope you find a better place.

[No Stars In My Eyes]

I think the expectations are not only unrealistic, but unsafe and UNETHICAL. Not just for your paycheck (those scrimey rats!) but for your license. GET. OUT. OF. THAT. PLACE. FAST!​

[SmilingBluEyes]

Your answer is yes and no, to "does it ever get better"? NO, It does not if you do not make changes, whether they be career path or job changes or just move on from nursing.

Conversely, YES it does get better, if you make the changes needed to make it better. After 4 years, you should see whether nursing is for you or not, and only you can decide.

If you are asking if it gets "easier", I would say no. It does not, but you get used to it.

Wishing you the best and the strength to make the positive changes you need to in order for things to go better.

[Techy214]

I'm not really that much more experienced but I find nursing has improved over the last few years. I was on a nice unit and decided to try a different branch of medicine. I didn't like it so I'm going back to my old unit. Thankfully they will take me back. The experience has taught me that once you find a good fit STICK WITH IT!!!!! Funnily enough many students come and hate the unit I'm on. It's different things for different people but just find somewhere that works for you. The situation you describe is the norm unfortunately. Once you put that uniform on you are in a role... You're not really a normal person anymore for better or for worse. You get used to that and only you can decide if the pay is worth it. I don't care being treated badly by patients and their families. I am used to it and endure it to pay the bills!

[Susie2310]

I loved the work but hated how nasty some patients could get despite the disgusting things you did for them.

I was surprised to read your words above. Did you really mean to say this? What disgusting things are you referring to? Do you mean actions that are within your scope of nursing practice? Are you referring to assisting patients with toileting, or taking care of patients who have diarrhea, or who are vomiting, or are incontinent? Or something else?