Nurses 'In Droves' Nominate Profession as Worst Job

Published

Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

Mark E. Dixon

The good news about a survey ranking nursing No. 10 among the "Worst Jobs in Science" is that it was not scientifically conducted. The bad news is that, according to Popular Science magazine, more nurses were motivated to trash their own profession than those in any other field.

Among the positions considered better than nursing were public-school science teachers and nosologists (professionals who study death records to calculate mortality rates).

"Disillusioning, high stress, poorly compensated" is how the magazine summarized the complaints of anonymous nurses who "nominated themselves in droves" with comments that included:

- "Still a no-respect profession. Doctors treat you like slaves."

- "The pay is substandard for all the training."

- "Just look at the current shortage."

The magazine's list was compiled from responses by 500-600 self-selected visitors to the magazine's web site. Despite the casual nature of its fact gathering, however, the magazine noted that its results echoed nurses' widely documented dissatisfaction with their profession.

"Nurses are fleeing the profession because of stress, long hours, low pay and lack of advancement opportunities," wrote William Weed, author of the survey. "The cost? A recent University of Pennsylvania study found that surgical patients at hospitals with the worst nurse-staffing levels (ergo the most overworked nurses) have a 31 percent greater chance of dying. If this trend doesn't improve, we might soon find 'patient' topping our list."

Weed added that nurses were "most prominent" among those who selected their own profession for the list. Professionals who did not themselves work in those fields nominated most other jobs. Jobs earned their "worst" status based on 19 different factors, including generally disgusting, tediousness, risk of death and olfactory overload.

Topping (bottoming?) the list was the position of anal-wart inspector, a position whose primary responsibility is to visually screen patients' orificees for the human papillomavirus. This STD can cause cervical cancer in women and anal cancer in both genders. "A giant anal wart can be a couple inches large and blocking the anal opening," nurse practitioner Naomi Jay of the University of California at San Francisco told Popular Science, which classified her position as "generally disgusting." The bright side? "In 13 years I've only been pooped on twice," she said, "and that's not bad."

Following Jay's position were worm parasitologists (No. 2), who track intestinal parasites; lab animal veterinarians (No. 3), most of whom enter the field because they love animals, but wind up euthanizing them; and "tampon squeezers" (No. 4), who must manually extract women's secretions from tampons in order to conduct epidemiological studies.

Also (slightly) worse than nursing was the job of "Iraqi archaeologist" (No. 8), who gets to work in the cradle of civilization but must also face the hazard of being kidnapped or killed, or both. More than 30 important historic digs have been looted, but researchers will likely never know what's been taken. Such factors led Popular Science to damn the position for its futility, heartbreak and risk of death.

Considered barely superior to nursing was the position of computer help-desk tech. People in these positions earn only about $35,000 annually and have no job security since they're being offshored to India in high numbers. In the meantime, these folks - most of whom are computer enthusiasts - work in windowless rooms, answering simple questions. A tech in Delaware recently handled a call from a user complaining that his computer's "coffee cup holder" (actually the CD drive) was broken.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am very surprised it was only rated 10th worst, given the way the survey was conducted. One thing I always notice in a group of nurses is that every one has a story to top the worst story anyone else has. My biggest questions are to the nurse practitioner who (one must assume) applied for, was interviewed for, and accepted the position of "anal wart researcher": Exactly what were you expecting the job of "anal wart researcher" to entail, and is the job market so tough that you haven't been able to find anything better for 13 years?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

Lol...very good points, USA. ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Room.

i read that article a couple of months ago too. there is also a website called aboutmyjob.com where people talk about the worst jobs ever and yep you guessed it, it's mostly nurses on that discussion board. it is sad to read how dissatisfied most nurses are with their jobs and the only reason they stay is because they have bills to pay....like everyone else. some even say that they stay because when they tried to find other careers, they were not compensated as well as they were in nursing. so the whole thing about low pay confuses me. sometimes the only solution is to leave. i truly believe that if a job makes you that miserable, leaving is the only choice you have. nursing is hard and unfortunately everyone can't do it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just find this so sad...nursing is a difficult enough profession without nurses turning on each other. I knew when I became a nurse that I wouldn't be making enormous sums of money or be cannonized for my bedside manner, but that's not why I became a nurse in the first place. Sure, it's rough working 12 hour nights in a busy ED; being confronted by drunken, combative pts; parents who don't know what Tylenol is for; 4-6 hour waits to be seen; ambulance after ambulance; trauma after trauma; and well, you get the picture. It's thankless at times, disgusting, (esp. certain body fluids), and physically and emotionally draining. But...

I love being a nurse, esp. in ED/trauma. I'm fortunate that I've been exposed to a wide variety of situations which have led to enhanced skills and education, and I utilize this knowledge daily. I love performing ACLS and TNCC skills; I love "snatching someone from the jaws of death", to coin a phrase, but I also love communicating with family members; educating an otherwise ignorant public perception; assisting families with their grieving process; holding infants/children when they come in for tummyaches, earaches, whatever; and so on.

Sure, I've had really bad nights when I've felt like chucking it all and working at Walmart, but I stay, because I love what I do. I've had bad employers, thoughtless managers, and rude docs, but I'm assertive in standing up for myself and advocating for my pts. And, if I've felt my principles compromised, well, I've got two feet and a set of car keys.

I'm also fortunate to work in a facility where our manager really cares about her nurses (and ancillary staff); coworkers who fully understand the concept of teamwork; a majority of ED docs who support the nursing staff, also understand the concept of teamwork, and are willing to work with the nurses toward the best interests of the pt(s). If I had to do it all over again, I'd still struggle through the university while raising my children on my own, and I'd still follow the career path I've chosen. Call me idealistic, but being a nurse isn't just what I do, it's who I am, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Funny thing is, that most of my friends and family envy how much I love my job! Don't get me wrong, nursing has a lot of issues--misunderstanding about our role, low autonomy, low pay and respect, etc. But, there are positives too. I love, love working only 3 days a week (12 hrs of course); I love the flexibility, you can go agency, or per diem, or go into research, teaching, etc. There are hospitals everywhere, and a better sense of job security. I think what my brother notices is that while i do work 12 hrs, with his commute he is away from the house the same time that i am. 9-5 doesn't always mean 9-5. And...when you punch out, that's it, you're done. No homework, work to bring home, that project to think about, etc. You also have a sense that you are doing something that matters. And, it's interesting, and challenging. Don't get me wrong, I am unsure if I would stay at the bedside until retirement, i would like to try other things, but I think nursing has a lot going for it!

I also love the fact that for my job I can look over from writing my notes and see a little baby with bright eyes looking right at me! :) t.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Perhaps nurses just are the best at moaning about their job!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Perhaps nurses just are the best at moaning about their job!!!

Could be. I know a more than a few long-suffering martyrs. Or maybe some nurses' moaning might be legit....... :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Room.
Perhaps nurses just are the best at moaning about their job!!!

i agree. i also find that the nurses that complain the most, also do more shifts and more OT than anyone else. go figure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Perhaps nurses just are the best at moaning about their job!!!

that was essentially the point i wanted to make. well put!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You know I don't think it is the job of nursing. It is the fact that managment continues in most cases to treat nurses like crap that causes the problems. My adult children and husband complain about their jobs also. However, I am close enough to their situation to see that they are actually treated very well in most cases. From the very beginning of nursing school I always felt happy when I was in the room with patients. Every day it gets harder to get in the room with them due to the ever increasing paper work load. It also gets harder to get in any particular room due the ever increasing number of patients I have. Nursing the way it was meant to be is a very satisfying profession. Hardly anyone gets to practice it the way it was meant to be. Managment knows those satistics on patient safety very well or better than I do. Yet they persist in understaffing and over working and over papertizing the job. Why? They say because the can't afford to staff the way they need to. PS When I say paper work I also mean computer work. Many people promised that changing to computers would make my job easier but I don't see that happening, the addition of computers has always resulted in more desk time in my case.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
You know I don't think it is the job of nursing. It is the fact that managment continues in most cases to treat nurses like crap that causes the problems. My adult children and husband complain about their jobs also. However, I am close enough to their situation to see that they are actually treated very well in most cases. From the very beginning of nursing school I always felt happy when I was in the room with patients. Every day it gets harder to get in the room with them due to the ever increasing paper work load. It also gets harder to get in any particular room due the ever increasing number of patients I have. Nursing the way it was meant to be is a very satisfying profession. Hardly anyone gets to practice it the way it was meant to be. Managment knows those satistics on patient safety very well or better than I do. Yet they persist in understaffing and over working and over papertizing the job. Why? They say because the can't afford to staff the way they need to. PS When I say paper work I also mean computer work. Many people promised that changing to computers would make my job easier but I don't see that happening, the addition of computers has always resulted in more desk time in my case.

Well-put, and without moaning and whining even!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion