Nursing is slavery Period!!!

[sonia211]

I am probably going to offend some of you and I apologize in advance for that.

However I really need a safe place to vent my frustrations about nursing and

this is the place.

A little background:

I have a Bachelors in Business. I worked in that field for just under 8 years. I liked it but it was starting to get boring and I felt I needed a challenge. I got my BSN and started working as a nurse for a big hospital. I didn't expect it to be all roses however I have to say what I have found in this profession has quickly turned me negative. I have been in this profession for over 2 years now and while I know that isn't long I have to be HONEST and say that I don't feel that I can honestly make it in this job.

Here is what I have noticed about the roles a nurse plays:

to administration: cogs (yet they don't want to pay the price required to keep us

so they keep increasing our task list, Responsibilites, documentation requirements,

etc while not increasing our pay)

to Dr: waitress/slave

to families: waitress/slave

Every job I have done went by satisfactory meaning I have never been written up or even had a verbal warning given. In this job people get written up for stupid stuff and no one thinks to give verbal warnings. The amount of demoralization that takes place on new grads is profound and now I understand why the smiles on new grad faces quickly turn sour. Every Dr I have s/w told me the same thing which is "get out of nursing or go higher fast . . . but do not stay in it"

Thus the message is clear that this profession needs a Major rehaul. Policies change on a daily basis (No Joke) and there is no effective means of getting the information across to all employees such that NO ONE has any idea what is the proper way of doing anything anymore. Everyone I've asked has a different idea and the new policy is not always on the intranet. The more nurses I talk to the more I realize they are not leaving this profession only because they do not have another option. The ones that do take it QUICK!

I keep hearing people tell me that nurses make such great money at the bedside but I have to say Nurses earn every single $ they make NO JOKE. We are expected to work tirelessly without taking bathroom breaks, lunches, etc. There is no regard for our healthy while all focus is given to patient safety. Now I know why nurses burn out at the rate that they do.

And after all is said and done the amount of responsibility and liability that a nurse carries is starting to increase. We live in such an age of Entitlement where people want the best care and they do NOT understand the stressors that are forged upon nurses such that if you don't bring them their cup of tea on time they get upset with you. I thought about pursuing my MSN in the clinical arena however after much deliberation I realized despite the fact that my desire to help people is strong I don't want the amount of liability that comes with it. I am working on getting out of it. Although I do feel like a failure because I will always remember that I wasn't able to make it in nursing.

I have spoken to other new grads about this and they feel the same way in fact a lot of them didn't even finish 1 year bedside nursing before they turned around and enrolled themselves in NP programs to get out of this dreary profession.

Please feel free to comment on this post. . .

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

I can imagine so many unemployed nurses and new grads out there reading this thread ... fuming and thinking, "****, if you hate it so much, get the hell out already so I can take your job and wholeheartedly appreciate having it more than you do."

Sent from my Samsung Stratosphere using allnurses.com

[PennyWise]

I can imagine so many unemployed nurses and new grads out there reading this thread ... fuming and thinking, "****, if you hate it so much, get the hell out already so I can take your job and wholeheartedly appreciate having it more than you do."

Sent from my Samsung Stratosphere using allnurses.com

I agree with this, but not completely.

The problem I have with this topic and many others here on AN is that we don't know all the facts. We only know w/e it is that the OP tells us. That's one side of the story. If we knew them on a more personal level, we'd be more equipped to make a judgement call on what it is they are saying. On chat forums, the ability to give issues that require a "case by case" approach the attention they deserve requires a leap of faith.

I work on a unit that has nurse retention issues. There are a lot of new nurses working there. A few of them are major prima donas. They like having the title of "nurse" a lot more than they like nursing. Some of the complaints I hear coming out of their mouths are just trite beyond compare. Some of them, with every word they speak, expose the fact that they are not ready for nursing, or the real world for that matter.

On the other hand, I have a great many co-workers who I believe exude professionalism and other qualities I would like to emulate. We are always learning as nurses and I have a handful of people I can learn much from.

I believe this forum has people from both groups on it. Problem is, who the heck posts anything like this: "I am an average nurse who passes their meds then spends the rest of the shift on AN and chatting with my friends. The other day, this old hag nurse gave me a hard time for not noticing my patient was presenting with increased oxygen needs. Why do nurses have to eat their young? I feel bad that he coded a half hour after my shift ended and all, but that's not my fault and they do say nursing is 24/7. She needs to get out of nursing, Im tired of these bitter nurses."? No one does, so we have no way of telling which is which.

Now, if I imagine someone from the first group writing the OP, I would have a reaction much like yours. There are more than a few I'd like to see quit. On the other hand, if someone from the later group wrote the OP, I'd be inclined to listen to what they have to say and to sympathize with them.

Much of what I think about the TC has to say comes from what I know about them. Since I don't know them, I have to take it at face value and formulate an opinion of it without being biased. This from time to time leaves me with nothing to say because there just isn't any way to approach it on a "case by case" scenario.

We all float down here.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

It is not the best job but it is a job so I don't except it to be good. i have been working since I was really young and most of my jobs have been in some sort of customer service: restaurants, clubs, offices, etc it is all the same. The public is the same everywhere but even worse when they are sick . I do it for the money and can not see myself being able to find another type of job I would tolerate more that would pay the same and have similar hours. . Rude drs, I give it back to them , as long as they aren't right. Rude family /patient: I ignore and request a different assignment, just like everyone else does. THe housekeeping for nursing phase: well if I have time I might clean something up but guess what housekeeping isn't doing my work and I am not going to stay late for that. It does annoy me when nurses get blammed/whined to about rooms not being cleaned properly, drs not ordering certain meds, tv not having enough channels, although it does have cable, meals not being to pt's likening etc. I try to let it just go all through me. i go in with the mindset that I am there to make money and will tolerate a certain amount of things for it and that is part of the process. My hospital was severely short staffed for months meaning we all take more patients and no aides and nurses are responsible for everything for 6-7 pts. It caused massive burn out and exits but so what , there are new grads galore and next month more and more and adminsitration knows it. There were units where the most senior nurse had 1 year expereince. lol. This is at a major regional hospital. Staffing improved a bit and with that everything became more tolerable because it was at a smaller scale.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

off the clock.

And yeah, I care about the patients. That's why it's so frustrating, precisely because I care. All of the above negatively impacts patient care and safety. When I can't provide the care my patients deserve because I'm stretched so thin that I can't even take the time to empty my bladder, how is that good for patient care? How is that safe?

When was the last time I took the time to listen to a patient? With WHAT TIME? I can't just magically pull more time out of my behind.

I saw the writing on the wall and saw a sentinel event coming, and I didn't want it to be on my watch. And that's what it's going to take before anything changes and the pendulum swings back the other way to where we have decent staffing levels, decent patient to nurse ratios, and adequate resources.

. It's invalidating and unsupportive to attempt to make a person feel like their concerns are small because someone else has it worse.

!

Exactly. It is also upsetting to some nurses BECAUSE they care about patients. I see a lot of nurses tolerate bad staffing where I work BECAUSE THEY DO NOT care about the patients. so what if wound care isn't done, pt's aren't helped with ambulation, meds not given, resp tx not done, pt not bathed. they do not care. the ones that get upset and emotional about it are the ones who care. only to get accused by some of "being in it for a easy job or for the money( horror) not for the precious pts"

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

Ok, first of all, no one said nursing was going to be easy. It is a calling, plain and simple. Clearly you don't enjoy the compassionate side of nursing either. Yes, it's hard work, but didn't you realize that in nursing school???? Did you ever stop to think maybe your thought process (negativity) is what shapes your view?

Sorry, but it sounds like you went into nursing for all the wrong reasons to begin with.

Did you ever stop to think that the issues mentioned in the OPs post affect patients? Even nurses who hung up on the call know that. It is hard work. WE ALL KNOW THAT. The issue many have is that we can not do all of the hard work and patients suffer because of it. Not everynurse complains because she/he wants to sit at the desk eating and flittering with drs. Some nurses complain because it is UNSAFE for PATIENTS and staff and death may occur because of it.

[BlackieRN]

sonia211- I am a bedside RN and I LOVE my job!!! I have been at the same hospital for >10 years. I work in a small, rural, union organized hospital. I believe people should get in to Nursing when they have had a "calling" to it. I knew I wanted to be a nurse when I was 15, I have never had a problem with poop, vomit, blood, etc.... and I loved taking care of people. I can care for ANY patient as long as I feel nurtured, by my home life, my work life(co-workers understand what you are dealing with better than anyone), AND by Admin!!!

But you are right, when a nurse is not respected in her job by the patient, administration or physicians it makes the job much more difficult. Doing "waitress" type work is part of caring for your patient, doing "waitress" work for the visitors is good for the FACILITY. Unfortunately healthcare has become a business and EVERYONE but the bedside nurse is worried about the bottom line. The bedside nurse just wants what is best for her/his patient.

So I think you need to figure out if it is Nursing you don't like OR if it is nursing in your current situation that you can't stand.

I hope you find some peace and satisfaction soon-

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Wow this thread has taken some turns. First the semantics of slavery and now the BS of nursing being a "calling". We needed a good page turner thread like this. It had been awhile

[Hygiene Queen]

I was also waiting for when someone was going to sling out the word "compassion"!

Now, that is always an enormous slap in the face for nurses and aides who have, literally, destroyed their bodies giving years of physically hard work and dealt with the mental/emotional drain.

We all have our personal reasons for joining nursing, but I'm sure we all share a degree of compassion...

We are just secure enough in our motives that we do not need to advertise it.

Even in a negative post about a very unhappy person, compassion is assumed and lends to part of the writer's feelings of hopelessness.

I have to wonder about people, who are so distrustful... and tend to think the worst in people, in that they will assume people are lacking in compassion.

Most people possess this trait (that is bandied about here like a exclusive holy badge of honor) and to smugly attack others-- for presumed lack of it-- radiates a few personality issues we aren't even going into.

Bottom line, the compassion is there...

but it's not put to much use when you are stuck doing all the stupid stuff...

that keeps you away from the patients you thought you were going to be caring for in the first place.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

You need to try another position somewhere. It could potentially be a much better experience.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

My theory: if it was all fun it wouldn't be called work and we would be paying them to do it.

Every profession has it's pros and cons. Find one you can live with and just do it. Or marry rich.

[Stephalump]

So if you find yourself in an environment where you are overworked to the point you can't get to the bathroom, treated like a waitress and working in a chaotic environment as far as policies and procedures what would the right reasons for getting into nursing have been?

Anyway, she said the reason was she was bored after 8 years in the business world and wanted a challenge. Sounds fine to me!

I have no idea! I'm just slightly amused that the "reason" for becoming a nurse was for a challenge - seems like OP's job is a winner!

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Exactly. It is also upsetting to some nurses BECAUSE they care about patients. I see a lot of nurses tolerate bad staffing where I work BECAUSE THEY DO NOT care about the patients. so what if wound care isn't done, pt's aren't helped with ambulation, meds not given, resp tx not done, pt not bathed. they do not care. the ones that get upset and emotional about it are the ones who care. only to get accused by some of "being in it for a easy job or for the money( horror) not for the precious pts"

I am so glad to see that someone else gets this. You know, if I didn't care about patient safety, it would have been easy to show up for my shifts in the ED, take as many critical patients as my charge nurse wanted to heap on me, take all of my breaks, and use the restroom without a thought as to what might be happening, unnoticed, to my patients in my absence. After all, it's a job, and I'm getting paid very well to do it. I'd still be working there if I didn't care.