"You've never said you liked nursing." A vent.

[dudette10]

Had a really tough shift the other day, and I brought it home. My husband asked me what was wrong, and I just rambled for 15 minutes. When I was done, he said to me, "You've never said you liked nursing."

He's right. I've never said that. Ever. I didn't even realize that I've never said it.

I've been on these boards since I was in nursing school. I read the descriptions of experiences by so many other posters, I talked to nurses in my family, and you never really get a good perspective on it. You think, "Maybe it's the facility; maybe it's the manager; maybe it's the unit."

I float now. Same ****; different place. Acute care floors are all the same.

Oh, yes. There are days where I feel like I truly cared for my patients and watched out for them. But those days are maybe one day a week, if I'm lucky. The rest of the time? I'm frustrated with so many things that end up sucking my time from taking care of patients. Vitals machines not working, glucometers not being docked in a timely fashion, meds missing that need to be tubed, orders put in by residents that need to be corrected or parameters entered, no one able to help on a complex sacral dressing change for a 400 pound patient because who has 30 minutes of spare time.

It's so difficult to find your niche in this profession without job hopping like crazy. I see posts by people who were miserable in one area, but found a job they love, and I'm happy for them. And jealous. There is one specialty unit I float to that I actually like, though. Hrmmm...

I have time off coming up in January, and I need it. I missed three weeks of work due to a medical condition that wasn't fun, but other than that, I haven't missed a single stinkin' day of work in the past 18 months, and I've not taken any PTO. Time to destress and consider my options.

This whole post is a ramble, but I just needed to get it off my chest. There's a lot more I want to say, but, quite frankly, I can imagine the posts I would read in response, and I'm just not putting it all out there. Anyway, thanks for reading!

[fissileflower]

Thrust me you are not alone. I hope you feel some stress relief after this ramble.

[nursel56]

Sorry you're going through this, dudette. Throughout all your posts here as a student and a new nurse I've felt you will be an asset to the world of nursing. It's absolutely a good thing that you will have the chance to step away for a breather and evaluate your situation, what you can change and you can't, etc Even when I have "liked nursing" (or parts of it anyway) I never felt actually enthused or cheerleaderish about it. I suppose the most fulfilling thing is knowing that you can do for your patients what nobody else can as a nurse. Most people do appreciate us for doing a good job. Few say so, but I think they feel it.

But isn't is a shame that almost every nurse you talk with, no matter where they are from or what area they are working the story is the same. I have worked 40 years and retired, but nothings changed. Why is that? My theroy. Too many Chief Nurses playing the good ole boy game to keep themselves safe at the top, and selling the staff down the river. Thoughts?

I think that's a big part of it. I also think that nursing has become more punitive. I can't believe how often nurses are being written up these days (usually it's a very inexperienced or a very experienced nurse who gets it) and how often it's setting management in a position to fire the nurse. I don't remember we were shaking in our shoes over a minor med error the way it is now. Used to be handled in a very matter-of-fact way but now it seems people describe their relationship with management as like Dorothy getting yelled at by the Wizard of Oz.

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I have been a nurse for 10 years now. Most of it in ER. I have done staff, per diem and travel nursing. I have worked in over 30 hospitals. I have had some horrible experiences and some great ones. Right now I am working in the ICU in a small hospital. I work with a great group of people and I don't mind coming to work. I have always been fascinated with the science of medicine, and trying to figure out what's wrong with the patients and how to fix them. And I have made some great saves. There is nothing like knowing you saved someones life.

So where do you float that you kind of like?

I hope that some day soon you will find an area that you really like. I didn't even become a nurse till I was 45. I have noticed that things have gotten really weird since the economy went up in smoke. Poor moral, trying to do more with less equiptment, less staff etc. I am glad that I only need to work for about 6 more years. By then I will be ready to get out.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

And yet...

...if you say you're in it for the money and the security, you get piled on.

I agree.

I think if more people treated nursing like a job and not a calling, we wouldn't have as many complaints as we have now. The way I see it, it is a job. You don't have to take patients or co-workers back home, my wonderful grandmother always reminds me. Once you've clocked out....let it go! And if the job is abusing you, not giving you adequate pay or breaks, etc, you just find another one or keep reminding yourself that there is a reason nurses get paid a nice penny for their sufferings.

I'm not here to be a martyr, and I don't live to work, but rather I work to live. I'm a chronic job hopper. If I'm not happy, I leave or transfer. But one thing is for sure; I NEVER quit unless I have another job at hand.

There is no loyalty among employers and employees, so there should be no guilt in job hopping or cutting ties. If an employer treated me terribly, I wouldn't stick around out of "fear" of retaliation. Life is too short to deal with such abuse!

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

I'm so thankful I am dating a nurse. We get to vent to each other and we both understand what the other is saying so well. Its just we have a rule that you get to **** and moan about work all you want as soon as you get home. But once the subject has changed, it is over. It is good to be able to vent, but I cant bring my job home with me. It is just that, a job to me. Nothing more.

[amygarside]

It is ok to rant, it helps you get it out of your system. But I do hope you will be able to resolve your issue with your frustration.

[PalmHarborMom]

I understand that nursing is not cut out for everyone. Having spent a great deal of time in hospitals with my husband over the last few years, nurses are fooling themselves of they think that patients can not tell that they are there just for the money or if they hate their job. We have had many nurses at hospitals that obviously were not there for the patients. Yes, they at times still did what was required but it was obvious that the hospital was not where they wanted to be. We have fired MANY home health nurses. It is bad enough to put up with someone who doesn't want to be there in the hospital but I will not put up with it in my own home. I will say that the those nurses are the ones that inspired me to go to nursing school. Patients deserve to have a nurse that wants to be there.

My best suggestion for anyone if they do not like their job.... Make the best of it. Not everyone has the dream job but we can all make a plan to get where we want to be. That may mean a career change, getting more education or just a different location. The choice is yours. Choice is the important word here. It is your choice to stay in the healthcare industry, so try to look for the good (no matter how small). Finding things to be thankful for makes all the difference in a person's ability to be content with where they are in life.

And before I hear about it.... Yes, I am a nursing student. BUT I have a tremendous amount of first-hand experience of the negative impact that healthcare workers that hate their job has on the patients.

[DoeRN]

And yet...

...if you say you're in it for the money and the security, you get piled on.

Love this. And yes I work so I can live. I wouldn't do this job for free. I've heard people say this and I shake my head.

[Music in My Heart]

And yet...

...if you say you're in it for the money and the security, you get piled on.

Straight up... I'm in it for the money and the security.

Sometimes I like it, mostly I tolerate it, and on occasion I despise it.

I have the benefit of perspective from several career incarnations prior to becoming an ED nurse.

It's my job... not my hobby and certainly not my calling nor life's mission... just my job.

[ll9919]

Although I love caring for patients and feel that in a perfect world, nursing would be my career of choice, it's hard--period. I have been known to "complain and rant" to a co-worker or two, even though I do enjoy caring for people. I have no doubt that a "negative or bad" attitude such as this affects patient care, but you learn as you become an experienced bedside nurse that it is hard with the current culture of healthcare in hospitals to always be 100% there and with a patient in terms of your attitude and your time. I think as nurses that we are all human and although we may try to not let issues such as short staffing, management, providers, technology, hospital culture, etc. interfere with care, it does-- even to those with the best intentions. It truly takes a person of steel to resist persistent and numerous difficulties/roadblocks at work. I have worked with nurses who do, but it is only a few.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

It pays the bills. And no, I don't like it.

When my kids were younger and in school, I'd run into old teachers who were just mean. You could tell they didn't even like kids anymore. They just stayed teachers because it paid well and they didn't know how to do anything else.

That's me, only substitute nurse for teacher.

[RadBrad]

But isn't is a shame that almost every nurse you talk with, no matter where they are from or what area they are working the story is the same. I have worked 40 years and retired, but nothings changed. Why is that? My theroy. Too many Chief Nurses playing the good ole boy game to keep themselves safe at the top, and selling the staff down the river. Thoughts?[/quote

Tell it like it is!