Nursing School Blues - I feel trapped!

Nursing Students General Students

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I'm sitting here in my bedroom, mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. In the back of my mind is the nagging reality that in just a few hours my freedom will come to conclusion, that my joy will be spoiled by time constrains and all the other evils that come with this profession. I ponder about how my day will go. I begin to feel uneasy at the thought of reliving past nightmares, and my heart races just thinking of my impending hours of doom. My mind contemplates all the possibilities. A drug addict patient that saps my energy and time, rendering other patients with less care. Perhaps being understaffed and experiencing that anxiety that I will never catch up, that time has become my nemesis. Perhaps it'll be the kind of day that my patience will be challenge by unruly family members. Perhaps it will be day I am not able to adequately nurture my body the nutrients it needs. Perhaps it'll be the type of day where all I can do is let the tears stream down in the solitude of the restroom. Perhaps it'll be the kind of day where my lack of time is translated to patient as lack of care. Perhaps it'll be the day that all my walls come closing in and that my skies fall and I say enough is enough and leave this profession forever - that situation is my most feared. Hunger and the need for a roof keeps my torture alive, and my torture keeps me alive.

Specializes in General Surgery.
Moved to AN's General Nursing Student forum for member advice and support.

There are bad days as students, especially sleep deprived Fridays as having to hand in the dreaded care plan. Then you get that rare complex patient that you dread seeing. You assist the primary RN in a very complicated dressing change then bathe the client muttering supportive comments -- a ray of sunshine escapes their face and they thank for for making them feel whole again!. The aha!!!! moment when it all clicks together.... These tidbits of thanks and hope, along with saved patient notes are what you drag out during the dark days.

Hoping you see the nursing light someday.

I am a registered nurse. Not a student. But thanks.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
Naw but for real, if you feel tortured going to work everyday, you do need to find a new path. No one wants a nurse who doesn't wanna be there. And most mental health professionals would probably say you're hurting yourself and those around you by being such a freakin drag.

Well you can pay for my bills then. Your solution is easier said than done. I am 22 and have no other career to fall back on. This is my first career. So trust me, I dislike bedside and I will not be there long. I will take what I can and go where I know I can thrive once I have the experience I need, as torturous as it may be. I particularly enjoy teaching my patients. I love discharge teaching. I enjoy teaching a patient how to wound care for when they are dc home. I enjoy teaching a patient about pain management. About the surgery they're about to have. I also enjoy counseling my patients through their hard times, being someone who will listen to them. I hate hate the time constraints the role bedside places on me, and the spontaneity of everything and anything that can go wrong going wrong at the same time.

A drag? Because I come to a safe online forum to vent. I find it better than being a crabby cake at work or being mean spirited to patients.

The biggest thing I fear is the unknown as a new nurse. I'm scared of what's going to happen next, how I'll manage it, if I'll make a mess of it, or if I'll be victorious... and maybe this is because somewhere deep inside I care. I don't want to give crap care.... aaaand we go back to the time constraints.

Note: I'm a registered nurse not a student.

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Specializes in General Surgery.

Admins:

Please move thread back to General Nursing Discussion, as I am an RN not a student.

Thanks!

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Specializes in General Surgery.
Naw but for real, if you feel tortured going to work everyday, you do need to find a new path. No one wants a nurse who doesn't wanna be there. And most mental health professionals would probably say you're hurting yourself and those around you by being such a freakin drag.

Are you a nurse? I looked through your threads and it looks like you're a PRE-nursing student. So please, realize that you don't know what being an RN entails. I don't care what experience you have (unless it's RN experience), who in your family is a nurse, or if you're a paramedic or ancillary staff.

Until you're a bedside nurse (medsrg, ICU, peds medsurg/icu, telemetry etc.) Then honestly, you do not understand.

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Specializes in General Surgery.

I just realized I titled it nursing school!

Gosh what a goof mistake. Nursing school was fun looking back. Lol.

No wonder I'm getting replies from fresh and determined nursing students, shaming me for my feelings of dread about nursing.

This whole title mistake in itself has made these 12 hours that more enjoyable and comical, and realizing I have had time to nevigate allnurses at work today was the cherry on top.

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In the back of my mind is the nagging reality that in just a few hours my freedom will come to conclusion, that my joy will be spoiled by time constrains and all the other evils that come with this profession. Hunger and the need for a roof keeps my torture alive, and my torture keeps me alive.

It doesn't matter who I am or where exactly you posted your whiney vomit. It was all very negative (nothing positive or hopeful), and if you actually feel that way about your job, you should figure out something else to do with your life. You haven't even been a nurse long enough to earn your jaded attitude. Save the drama for your mama.

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Specializes in NICU.
I think you need to realize that not everyone is as perfect as you are. Not everyone is the patron saint of nursing. Not everyone is the mighty nurse, that you are.

Excuse me while I kneel before you and forgive myself for feeling frustrated in the phase of adversity, a learning curve, and acuity that's driving me off the wall. Excuse me while I kiss your Danskos. You are after all Gods gift to Nursing. You are the prime example of nursing. You are the REINCARNATION of FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE herself.

TOS edit.

Oh please.

I had some sympathy for you as sounding like someone in a situation you didn't want to be in. Not anymore.

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Specializes in CVOR, CVICU/CTICU, CCRN-CMC-CSC.
Admins:

Please move thread back to General Nursing Discussion, as I am an RN not a student.

Thanks!

I had to laugh a little at this. I vote to keep this in the Nursing Student forum d/t lack of maturity on the part of the OP. If you want to be treated like a real (read, professional) nurse, it would behoove you to act like one even in an anonymous forum.

I wish you all the best as you (rightly, IMHO) re-examine your career path.

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Well you can pay for my bills then. Your solution is easier said than done. I am 22 and have no other career to fall back on. This is my first career. So trust me, I dislike bedside and I will not be there long. I will take what I can and go where I know I can thrive once I have the experience I need, as torturous as it may be. I particularly enjoy teaching my patients. I love discharge teaching. I enjoy teaching a patient how to wound care for when they are dc home. I enjoy teaching a patient about pain management. About the surgery they're about to have. I also enjoy counseling my patients through their hard times, being someone who will listen to them. I hate hate the time constraints the role bedside places on me, and the spontaneity of everything and anything that can go wrong going wrong at the same time.

A drag? Because I come to a safe online forum to vent. I find it better than being a crabby cake at work or being mean spirited to patients.

The biggest thing I fear is the unknown as a new nurse. I'm scared of what's going to happen next, how I'll manage it, if I'll make a mess of it, or if I'll be victorious... and maybe this is because somewhere deep inside I care. I don't want to give crap care.... aaaand we go back to the time constraints.

Note: I'm a registered nurse not a student.

im not going to bash you like everyone else here.... i do want to point this out however. you have a interest in teaching and apparently case management; have you considered either of those? They dont require bedside care. I think you will do fabulous in that sort of environment.

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I'm sitting here in my bedroom, mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. In the back of my mind is the nagging reality that in just a few hours my freedom will come to conclusion, that my joy will be spoiled by time constrains and all the other evils that come with this profession. I ponder about how my day will go. I begin to feel uneasy at the thought of reliving past nightmares, and my heart races just thinking of my impending hours of doom. My mind contemplates all the possibilities. A drug addict patient that saps my energy and time, rendering other patients with less care. Perhaps being understaffed and experiencing that anxiety that I will never catch up, that time has become my nemesis. Perhaps it'll be the kind of day that my patience will be challenge by unruly family members. Perhaps it will be day I am not able to adequately nurture my body the nutrients it needs. Perhaps it'll be the type of day where all I can do is let the tears stream down in the solitude of the restroom. Perhaps it'll be the kind of day where my lack of time is translated to patient as lack of care. Perhaps it'll be the day that all my walls come closing in and that my skies fall and I say enough is enough and leave this profession forever - that situation is my most feared. Hunger and the need for a roof keeps my torture alive, and my torture keeps me alive.

Is this posted in the General Nursing Student section because you are having the blues because you went to nursing school in the first place and now regret going even though you are now an RN? Just curious. In any event, I can understand not liking bedside nursing although I am a student. My background in EMS and the tactical environment will probably have me bored out of my skull when I graduate, pass NCLEX, and get hired. That's why I am already planning my path once I'm done. Is there perhaps a nursing area you would be more happy in? You say you are 22yo. Why did you pick nursing? I'd go back and look at your original decision making process as a start. Was there something else you really wanted to do? If so, can nursing help get you there? Have you considered the ER, Home Health, taking a contract overseas, etc.?

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Specializes in General Surgery.
It doesn't matter who I am or where exactly you posted your whiney vomit. It was all very negative (nothing positive or hopeful), and if you actually feel that way about your job, you should figure out something else to do with your life. You haven't even been a nurse long enough to earn your jaded attitude. Save the drama for your mama.

And you haven't even entered the world of nursing to be any type of judge as to why I feel this way.

Stay in your lane.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
It doesn't matter who I am or where exactly you posted your whiney vomit. It was all very negative (nothing positive or hopeful), and if you actually feel that way about your job, you should figure out something else to do with your life. You haven't even been a nurse long enough to earn your jaded attitude. Save the drama for your mama.

Nursing students getting mad because they see nurses complaining about nursing. Oh in this case ... PRE-nursing. Lmao.

I used to be in that position. I was a nursing student that would become annoyed with nurses venting or complaining.

NOW looking back, I completely understand and regret ever thinking "if she hates nursing maybe she needs to get out".

Because the reality isn't that simple. Not as simple as. Change careers overnight.

So I will stay in the bedside, continue to do my best despite how bitter times may be and wait until I find the position that suits ME.

Once again, it does matter who you are. Because you don't have a lick of nursing experience, you're nobody to tell me how I should be feeling.

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