RNattie

I've been a nurse for 2 years already and I feel like I hate it more with each passing day. I've hung it out this long for various reasons. First being that I was a new graduate and thought I'd get better in time. I don't feel like I have. Second, I thought nights might have been having a negative impact on me. As a result, I have recently switched to days. I hate it more so than ever. I feel overworked, underappreciated, and, most scary of all, like there is so much that needs to be done that I sometimes overlook critical information on patient's health. Most days, I feel like a chicken running around without their heads. It extends into my personal life as I obsessed over everything I did wrong and I dread going into work. There are days when I find it difficult to just get out of bed. Sometimes, I feel like quitting but this is a second career for me and I gave up a lot to be here. I love nursing because I love caring for others and I love that I learn something new everyday. But I honestly feel so burned out and depressed. I really cannot see me doing this for the next 25-30 years of my life.

Unfortunately, I have tried to stack my days together but my manager won't allow it, claiming he needs to change my schedule based on "the needs of the unit."

This really would be the perfect solution and my current job allows you to self schedule. I often place my schedule so that I am able to lump my days off together but I never get the schedule I ask for. When I approached my boss about this, I was told he had to make changes based on the needs of the unit. However, I've noticed my other co-workers seem to get the schedule they ask for.

You get back Tuesday morning and have to sleep, leaving Tuesday ruined and then need to be back Wednesday night, leaving Wednesday ruined. I definitely feel this way!

So many people are envious of nurses working 12 hours shifts and having 3 to 4 days off but I truly dislike this shift. I work nights and often only get 1 or 2 days off in a row. That often results in me sleeping through the first day and running around completing errands on my second day. I have no balance in my life and feel like the job is consuming me. Previously to becoming a nurse, I worked 8 hour shifts and found I had a more balance life: work, family, friends. Does anyone else feel the same way about 12 hour shifts? What are your opinions on 12 hour shifts?

I know you're being sarcastic but good benefits is something to seriously consider when looking for a job.

I recently received a job offer but I am having a hard time deciding whether or not to take it. My current job is in my hometown. The salary is high. I live with family which means I save on rent and can focus on paying off college loans and saving for my own place. However, job benefits suck and my company has such high standards, you get in trouble for the most minute offenses. Many have left because of this The job offer is far from home. I lived there for over a year. I found it lonely as I had no friends or family and hated the town I lived in. The pay will be low and I'll have to rent. Rent in a decent neighborhood is extremely high. However, it comes with exceptional benefits that cannot be beat and job security (meaning you wont get in trouble for dumb things). If faced with the same decision, which would you take?

I'm not quite sure what was making her desat. She is an obese patient so the theory is that her weight was obstructing o2 flow.

What I liked about school: I'm an extremely shy person so making friends isn't easy. Nursing school is very difficult but I was able to find a group of students I got along with great. We leaned on each other during school for support and have continued to support each other as we are working. What I like about the job: I've only been working a few months. Some days I absolutely love the job, some days I hate it so much I want to quit and never return. However, I honestly don't think I can see myself doing anything else. The fast pace environment, the knowledge you gain, seeing someone heal and get better, the humbleness you feel when you get to be there for a family during the last moments of a person's life. It's a weird kind of thing where I both love and hate it. I've had the pleasure of shadowing different departments within my hospital. As interesting as I found many of those to be, I still can't imagine doing anything but nursing.

I'm a new nurse that recently faced a situation I don't think I handled well. I would appreciate any advise as to how I can best handle similar situations in the future. A patient was admitted to my unit for over two weeks with respiratory issues. I had her every shift I worked during those two weeks so I got to know her well. Two days before her discharge, something seemed off about her. I repeatedly assessed her throughout my shift. Her vitals remained within normal limits and she continued to read normal sinus rhythm. Her skin color was normal and warm to the touch. Capillary refills occurred in less than 3 seconds. She was alert and oriented times three, same as always. She verbalized that she felt fine and couldn't wait to go home. Still, something felt off about her. I wanted to tell the doctor but knew he wouldn't do much since my assessment did not reveal anything out of the ordinary. When I came back the following night, the nurse I handed her off to told me the patient constantly desatted during her shift. The patient is stable now. However, I can't help but wonder if I could've done something more for the patient since I knew something felt off about her. In such a situation, what else could I have done?

I'm in a similar boat. I am about to get off preceptorship and I don't know if I can make it. I don't think I'm cut out to be a floor nurse either but I don't know what else I can do with a lack of experience.

I'm a new graduate nurse working on a med/surg floor and I absolutely hate it. Even as a student, med/surg was my least favorite clinical. What I like about med/surg is that it gives you so much insight into various diseases and how to treat them. But I hate the stress of the job, particularly caring for 8, sometimes 9, patients at once. Is there a field in nursing where I can continue to learn about these different medical conditions but without the stress that comes with being in med/surg?