RK694

Most of these places are like this and they don’t give a d*mn about you, your license, or the patients. Get out. Quit. They will not change.

Yes, you can be treated horribly at work - even abused - and can’t do a damn thing about it if the company won’t do anything. The only legal route is if there is some sort of discrimination. Maybe she can look into being discriminated against and fired because of her age.

Going into the excruciating detail about bowel movements is absolutely mind-numbingly boring. Those of you who find this kind of topic fascinating by writing long, drawn-out paragraphs about it... Sorry, but I must ask: What’s WRONG with you??

Unfortunately, you have to call these guys to handle these kinds of jobs.

How long have you been doing this kind of work?? Are you new to the field? Despite what others here say to the contrary, your question is that of someone who is very new to the nursing field. And from reading your other posts, that's not the impression you seem to want readers to believe. Also, I can decipher from your question that you're asking about cleaning the patient; however, I had to read it twice because it actually asks how a nurse would clean herself after she (or he) has had a bowel movement in a bedpan, or after she defecates on herself. Lastly, is there such a thing as, "super strong and thick paper towels the size of bath towels?"

Bullying IS abuse.

You don’t need to wait 3 years to get an RN. First, it sounds like you have many prerequisites already done so that you can apply to an RN program, making it much shorter. Second, there are one year accelerated BSN programs and 1 1/2 year accelerated BSN programs that are part time. Third, there are RN and BSN online programs that are much quicker - like Excelsior College and other ones. You do need to have an LPN, Paramedic or other related healthcare license to apply. Fourth, there are also programs you can enter to quickly get an RN or BSN or NP whereby you don’t need any healthcare experience at all. Do your research.

The nursing field (I’m talking about bedside nurses), is notorious for this kind of cliquish, cruel, bullying, Junior High School behavior by many nurses toward other nurses. It’s pathetic that direct patient care nurses (the few that don’t do this are an exception), act like a pack of hyenas. Because primarily bedside nurses engage in these childish, inhumane behaviors toward their peers, is it any wonder nursing is viewed by the public, and those in higher positions in medicine, as a Blue-collar profession rather than a professional career? No matter how various nursing organizations try to push the notion that floor nurses are professionals, most people don’t believe it; apparently, including nurses themselves.

Nothing ever changes in the nursing field. I am so glad I made the decision to get out and have been happily out for the past couple of years. This complaint has been happening for YEARS. Floor nurses are STILL treated like crap.

It’s not the exception anymore. Studies show that it is perfectly acceptable now for nurses to move from job to job.

The transition from nursing student to practicing nurse is notoriously stressful and difficult. Give it some time -- I'm not saying you'll grow to love med-surg, but you'll feel better about your job than you do now. And, all that stuff people say about the benefits of starting out in med-surg? It's all true. A basic foundation in med-surg will benefit you wherever you go in the future. On the other hand, if you start out in a specific specialty and later want to, or need to, make a change, you may find your options seriously limited by your limited and specialized experience. Best wishes for your journey! No, EVERYONE doesn’t hate their first 3 months of work after they get out of school. While many nurses do indeed hate nursing - especially patient care, and for many legitimate reasons - it is not in any way normal or healthy for this to be the case. It never ceases to astonish me how many nurses believe they must take a job they hate “to get experience”. In no other field would someone make this kind of statement.

Hi, I don’t know how long you looked for work in the area you’re interested in, but maybe it wasn’t long enough. I know many brand new nurses (including myself - when I was doing nursing) who got the job they wanted right out of school. It is nonsense that anyone should have to do something they hate before doing something they love. Talk about old-school thinking! It is a waste of your time, not to mention physical and mental health, to spend time at a job you hate. You don’t need to explain or justify the fact that you hate med/surge nursing - you just do! Don’t waste one more minute of your life doing something you abhor.

I don’t understand the introduction to this article. Doesn’t the writer mean the DOCTOR - not the NURSE - has a response of a blank stare, red face or is defensive?

Why don't you get a car?

It's called abuse - physical abuse. Can't you all GET this fact?? It doesn't matter what shoes/inserts you wear. NO ONE is meant to be on their feet that long!! Jesus!! WAKE UP!!

I want to add a couple more reasons to my earlier post as to why I hate nursing and got out: * CEOs of hospitals lobby (bribe) Congress to keep patient/nursing ratios absurdly high. Congress members accept the bribes and staffing levels are kept so low that it is impossible to provide good - let alone barely adequate - care. Yet, most nurses don't realize this is the case so they bicker amongst themselves, complain that the shift before them did not do their work, etc. It is ALWAYS the owners of a hospital/nursing home that are responsible for this. * Nurses are expected to make extremely important decisions (sometimes life and death decisions), after being on their feet for 12 hours, often barely having time to eat during the shift, or having enough sleep the night before. * Nursing has a long history of being considered a subordinate position. In fact, even as recent as the 1960s, in some hospitals, nurses were made to stand up when a doctor entered the room. * It has only been recent that nurses don't have to wear those silly hats and starched, white uniforms. Scrubs are better, but why are nurses the only ones who must wear a uniform? If nurses are supposed to be professionals, why do they have to wear a uniform? What other professionals wear uniforms? * The nursing State Boards are a bunch of Nazis. Their objective is supposed to protect the public, yes. But, their tactics in dealing with nurses who make mistakes or are accused of doing something wrong, are horrid. You are guilty until proven innocent and you better darn well be able to afford an attorney, otherwise, they will do everything they can to ruin your career. Did you know that nursing is the ONLY licensed profession whereby someone can complain to the State board about something you did OUTSIDE OF WORK? And, the board WILL investigate it. You can have your license taken away for something like simply being seen in a bar drinking. No other licensed profession has to deal with this. * The hierchical system in nursing is often absurd and arbitrary. In one state you are allowed to perform a procedure; in another state you are not. An LPN, for instance, can be trained to do almost everything an RN does. It is NOT rocket science. But try to get that across to people and they just don't get it. I know by law these sorts of things are not allowed. But it is ridiculous! Everyone is kept in their little box.

Why don't you change careers??

Writer/Editor

The problem is, they ask on an application if you've ever been treated for a mental illness. When doing a drug test, they also ask what medications you are currently taking and why. It is unfortunate that employers are now allowed access to our most private information. It is sickening, actually. There have been countless cases whereby people have not been hired because they have been forced to divulge this information. Not everyone is understanding about mental illness and if an employer can hire someone who does not have a mental illness, they will hire this person over one who does. Discrimination? Yes, of course. But try and prove it.

The following reasons I hate nursing (I quit because of them) - and it was always and only while hired to do direct patient care. * Absurdly long shifts while constantly on your feet.Barely time to go to the bathroom or eat. * Because of the long shifts, you are sleep-deprived and it is extremely difficult to find the time to take care of yourself (exercise, eat healthy, etc. Plus, you don't have a normal family/social life. * The shocking amount of cruelty, hostility, bullying, etc., between nurses and management. * Being treated like a child - must get a "note" from a doctor if you are sick; cannot participate in making any decisions to improve the workplace; nurses "take orders", punishing attitude for making mistakes, etc. * You are placed in a box in your job and to veer outside of that box with new ideas, creativity, etc is forbidden. * Many families, managers, CEOs, patients, State Boards, physicians, treat nurses horribly - like they are expendable subordinates. They are not respected. * You constantly hear that the nurse is a "professional". Yet, they are treated just the opposite. Nursing at the BSN level is a blue collar job no matter what anyone says. If you have to wipe a butt, clean up vomit or any of these kinds of disgusting things, you are NOT a professional.

You sound like you have really low self-esteem and let people walk all over you. Almost like you want to be invisible. What's up with that??

Yes!!!

I second this!

Nothing unusual about this. Nurses are almost always treated like they are expendable. They are also treated like children - having to bring a note from the doctor to prove she was sick! How stupid! She is a PhD for God sake! Even if she wasn't, these facilities will use nurses then throw them out like they are pieces of trash.

For some people it might take a year to know for sure if they hate something. For others (myself included) I know within a few days/weeks. I also have a couple different careers. For example, in nursing, I knew the first DAY that I HATED working in nursing homes - the smell, the institutional-like environment, depressing atmosphere, staff who clearly don't want to be there, etc. Give me ONE HOUR with certain jobs and I could tell you which ones I despised. In fact, some of them I wouldn't even need to try them; for instance, I would hate cleaning outhouses, teaching adolescents in a public school, working with Hospice patients, working in a factory doing repetitive, mind-numbing work, and so on and so forth. This is simply because I know who I am and what I prefer.