Nursing is not what it is made out to be..

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · May 21, 2017

I agree with the OP, and think people are being a bit nasty to her.

I've been in nursing thirty years, and we ARE treated like dogs. As professionals, we don't get to regulate our own workload, we get floated to areas we aren't trained for, we have to abide by hospital policy even regarding tattoos or head coverings, let alone procedures policies that haven't been updated for ten years. AND we snipe at our own, almost every unit has someone looking for errors and writing people up. Discussion and education is rare. But you'll be kicked off the unit if you don't do the annual glucoscan education.

I stay because I've finally found a good group of supportive coworkers, and I make a difference for the patients we serve. Administration is the same almost everywhere, their goal is to stay within budget and have QIs improve. A good nurse can make the whole experience better when the patients' world is falling apart. That's where I want to be.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 21, 2017

I just have to wonder "what it is made out to be" ~ and by whom?
I am expecting ALL of the worst things, after hanging out on these boards -- and if I get a more rewarding experience than that, I will be thankful and pleasantly surprised. I think a lot of this has to do with a person's life experiences and mindset.

Those are certainly important factors, but you can have a great mindset and get a horrible boss or backstabbing coworkers and have terrible experiences, all of which tend to make you miserable if you let them. And a person can resist only so much for so long. We all have a breaking point.

Simplistic · May 21, 2017

I agree with you 100%. Being a nurse does suck.. Np for the win!!!

Semper_Gumby · May 21, 2017

Just as a reminder, I wasn't asking for anyones opinion or discussion. I am aware that not everyone will feel the way I do. I am only a portion of many perspectives out there and I just wanted to share *MY* experiences with others who may be considering nursing as a career. Just because you guys feel different does not mean my perspective shouldn't be treated with any less value.

Whether you ask for it or not, when you post on an internet forum, you cannot control the responses of others. You can only control your own response. I didn't see anyone treating you or your perspective with less value, although it seems you are trying to do that to those who disagree with you or have had different experiences than you.

I forgot to mention that you will be working with a ton of vicious, ruthless, and egotistical folks you will have as coworker... :-)

I sincerely hope this remark is referring only to those you have had the unfortunate experience of working with, and is not intended as a snipe towards members of this board (which is the first thing that struck me about it, whether intentional or not).

YOU are a true caring nurse..all you others that feel the need to belittle my situation should listen and learn! Im outta here.

As I said above, I didn't see anyone belittling you or your situation. I'm sorry you've had crummy experiences. I have also had crummy experiences in nursing but you know what? I'm making changes--new hospital, new unit, new city, whatever it takes, until I find that sweet spot that suits me, or at least a place I don't mind working. Life is too short to be miserable, and it's too bad you got offended at the nurses who asked (quite reasonably, I might add) why, if you hate the field so much, you stay in it.

Sometimes, when it seems everyone else must be the problem, one must look at the common denominator...

OrganizedChaos, LVN · May 21, 2017

I agree with you 100%. Being a nurse does suck.. Np for the win!!!

I'm so confused. You say being a nurse "sucks" but "Np for the win!!!" What is the first word in NP? Isn't it nurse? So doesn't that make you a nurse? So you completely contradicted yourself.

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · May 21, 2017

I agree with this to a point -- and I've only been on my own as a new RN for nearly 4 months.

My experience, however, is what I tried my hardest to make it out to be. I made sure I would position myself to 1) get into a hospital setting, 2) go directly into my specialty of choice (because I'm old and a 2nd career RN and I have no time for this "be an adult med/surg RN 1st and then branch out" thinking), and 3) be in a supportive environment because I know my limitations and there's no reason to be miserable working with people who add to the misery. I succeeded on all 3 points.

However....

The business of nursing is tough regardless of what kind of paradise or hell you find yourself working in. You have to work as part of an interdisciplinary team (ahem....) and god help you if you work at a teaching hospital and you're a new RN and find yourself teaching residents who give ZERO ***** about oncology or pediatrics or both (although, it really makes the wonderful residents stand out even more -- and when they are amazing they are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and you'll fall in love and it's not fair that they leave to go on to spiffy fellowships somewhere far away). Anyway...back to the concept of working on the interdisciplinary team. You will find yourself at the center of this team and catching all the dropped balls. You will wonder to yourself why it is so hard to get certain things done. You will have those residents who don't care tell you "that's a day shift problem." You will have nights/days where you don't eat for 13+ hours because everything that could go wrong did go wrong and everyone else's things that could go wrong did go wrong as well. You will have parents/patients ***** about you in their native language (that, while you can't speak it well, you sure do understand it) because they want their food reheated when you're trying your damndest to get their treatment started on time (which, for some godawful reason was advanced to the beginning of the shift). You will have to bite your tongue to maintain a "therapeutic environment" while fighting back tears of frustration and wondering WTF you got yourself into. You will be endlessly disappointed in people's decisions about their health and lives and endlessly frustrated at their complete lack of understanding or willfull ignorance that turn what could have been a simple resection and 6 weeks of treatment into a year and a half of back and forth nonsense, failing to make appointments to progress treatment and ultimately turning a curable cancer diagnosis into a terminal one. You will wonder if the things you are being exposed to as a nurse (especially you wonderful ED and ICU RNs) are going to have lasting consequences (health, mental, or otherwise).

You will be pushed to your limit. Repeatedly. You will extend your limitations. Repeatedly. You may be pushed to the brink of feeling unsafe. And then, you'll catch and error made by a veteran RN -- a good nurse -- and you'll remember we're all human and this is all nonsense. You'll put up with a treatment-delaying error made by the shift before you and push and push and PUSH to make it right. You will marvel at the consequences of human error. You will grieve the consequences of human error.

You will see far too many wasted lives, wasted potential, potential disabled by the life-extending (but not quality-increasing) treatments modern medicine can provide.

And yet, you'll keep showing up. You'll almost have a sick love for the torture. You'll swear that you won't stay in bedside longer than the minimum commitment. But, really, what would be different? Human error, apathy, patients being non-adherent to their plans of care -- what will ever change?

In fighting the tears back, there is the clarity that this shift will end. Things will get done. You will be better for it and the next time when you have an even harder shift, you'll laugh at how you thought this hard shift was actually difficult.

And then, you'll have a beer at 9AM with your donut and say, "Hell yeah, I deserve this."

But, honestly, I don't know how long this lunacy can last. If I could somehow make the living I make now with my face in a microscope 8 hours a day M-F, I would be there in a heart beat. So, when people say they want to go into nursing, I say, "Are you really sure? There's still time to do something else."

OrganizedChaos, LVN · May 21, 2017

I agree with the OP, and think people are being a bit nasty to her.

Who is being mean or belittling the OP?

It is silly to make a thread on the internet & on a forum telling people you don't want a response. Then getting irritated when you get responses & those responses aren't the same as yours. Not everyone has the same ideas/feelings/beliefs/opinions. But to come on a forum, want to vent & to expect no one to reply is just silly.

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · May 21, 2017

I just have to wonder "what it is made out to be" ~ and by whom?
I am expecting ALL of the worst things, after hanging out on these boards -- and if I get a more rewarding experience than that, I will be thankful and pleasantly surprised. I think a lot of this has to do with a person's life experiences and mindset.

While you're in nursing school, now is the time to prepare to set yourself up to work in the best possible environment. But, nursing in and of itself has some major challenges that can make even the most ideal environment sheer hell. Still, you don't have to settle for some place that automatically makes you miserable.

Creamsoda, ASN, RN · May 21, 2017

Im not really sure what your wanting from this field then (or any field really wether it be customer service to a CEO or astronaut). Ultimately you are here to take care of patients. Like any other career in the world, how often are you expecting accolades and pats on the back? Ive been a nurse 13 years. I get acknowledgement from coworkers and physicians in the form of an unspoken "we recognize you are a competent/ more than competent nurse. Carry on". This is more just we all are able to acknowledge our roles we play in healthcare, we work together to get crap done and move on. Just as when we work with wonderfull doctors, I thank them for their help with situations etc but go about my day. I don't bow down to their feet and say, "why thank you wonderful doctor, your amazing!". Even though, most of them ARE amazing, we just leave the day knowing that we worked together. I will agree that I think administration can definitely have their heads up their butts most of the time, but in general if they have anything bad to say about me, I know I can back up my practice with whatever crap they throw. I have figured out the little stupid things they pay attention to, I do, and make sure I do them and they generally can't say much about anything! If I can justify all my actions they have no ground to stand on. And if they still try to say crap...buh bye! But maybe I'm lucky that I work in a decent hospital?(not without its issues, but when it comes to what my role is at work, I don't have many concerns. I just do my job)

Creamsoda, ASN, RN · May 21, 2017

As a tall nurse, I thank you. Maybe I'll post one---would one FROM a tall nurse count?

Ill post with you as a fellow tall nurse! I even wear danskos which make me about a 6 foot woman. Whats with that!!! Oh man and the pain of finding scrub pants long enough. Thankfully the scrub fashion world has caught up I think in the last few years.

Ruby Vee, BSN · May 21, 2017

If your thinking of going to school to become a nurse please take a moment to reflect on my experiences during the 17 years I have been in nursing. To be honest up front, nurses are treated like dogs. If you have the compassion to take care of others then thats awesome but I must warn you that no one is going to foster that compassion once your in the real world. You will be expected to never make a single error and even to the point as having to consistently correct a physicians mistake. Oh yea, thats right. You must tell the physicians what needs to be done all the time and catch all their errors or else you the nurse will be punished or scolded. Most of you who are not a nurse probably think nursing is very rewarding. Wrong again. Nurses are not commended for a good job done because it is expected even when you correct errors there is no special recognition. Also the attitudes of todays patients aren't very grateful but can be downright mean and hateful towards nurses. Furthermore, physicians hardy even assess their patients adequately leaving you to wonder if the doctor really saw everything with the patient that needs to be assessed. For instants any skin issues or wounds. Most of what is the duty of the MD the nurses wind up doing.
Look, I can go on and on but here is some helpful info to help you decide if you wanna be a nurse for the rest of your lives.
Do a google search for "the truth about nursing" and see what comes up. This is a great way to see just how awful the nursing profession is.
Thank you, and good luck choosing a career.

Nurses are treated like DOGS? Where do I sign up? My dog always has a full tummy, has fresh, cool water available at all times and gets plenty of rest.

No one expects you to never make an error for the rest of your life. What is expected is honestl and openness in admitting your errors so that harm to the patient can be prevented, reduced or minimized. The nurse without the integrity to own up to her errors to prevent harm to the patient is going to be a whole lot more dangerous to her patients than the nurse WITH integrity who notices her mistake, shares it with the appropriate people, immediatly setting out to mitigate the damage to the patient.

Yes, our job includes advocating for our patients, because physicians make mistakes as well. Just like new nurses, new physicians learn. It's not like we're ALWAYS catching mistakes. You just pay attention and ASK "Did you mean to not restart Mr. Hyde's Welbutrin?" Or "Are you sure you want to do that now, DOCTOR?"

Nursing is very rewarding. When you've done a good job, you KNOW it. That's a good feeling. Perhaps you don't get the "Atta boy"s you feel you deserve, but nursing rewards you in it's own way. Feeling competent, realizing you made a difference -- those are rewarding in and of themselves. You shouldn't require a pat on the back, satisfaction comes from within.

Nursing isn't an awful profession unless you make it so

allnurses Guide · May 21, 2017

I don't think the answer realistically is to leave as I have worked very hard to be where I am today and have spent a lot of time and money to go to school. I know I am just one life but its mine and I am not about to flush everything down the drain. Where is the compassion for the people who are expected to be the most compassionate people in the world so to speak? "If we don't like it then just get out"?. If I took that approach with a patient I'd be fired. Why can't someone understand us as we are to be sooo understanding of other? I know for a fact that I am not the only one who feels the way I do. Why doesn't the system improve? I guess since we clean crap, others think we can just eat crap too.

Your initial post was basically sounding the alarm for people who are considering nursing as a career. But you seem so miserable, a bunch of awesome nurses noticed your advisory warning was a lot rnore burnout than warning. They tried to help you even though you didn't specifically ask for help with whatever led you to believe your sweeping characterization is actually a personal vent.

Its unfortunate that you don't care for the response to questions you didn't ask, but I wonder why you so quickly changed the subject from the student advisor to sarcastically complain about how badly you're treated here.

As far as the apparent point of your post, again, we're understanding and compassionate towards students who might believe your condemnation of all things nursing, when it is "your perspective", so they added their own. The more perspectives the better!