reconsidering a nursing career

daisymae0 · Nov 13, 2009

Thanks everyone for the answers and support. It was excatly what I was looking for.

I'm looking for a career that is more fulilling than being a desk jockey for the rest of my life. My job now can be crazy but I have learned several skills including, lol, how to bite my tongue. It seems like everyday my brain is slowly being sucked out of my head by ******* (insert your own words) people who can't think for themselves on a regular basis.

guest64485 · Nov 13, 2009

Being a nurse gives you the best and the worst of a profession - (in the hospital) both ends of the spectrum to the extreme. It is both a wonderful career in that you can and do make a substantial impact on the lives of others, and are honored to be a part of some amazing moments of life. It can also be terrible, to the point that I've spoken with 4 nurses who have all independently stated they had been hoping for a car crash on the way to work, and countless others who have independently stated that they get chest pain, had to start medication (anxiety and depression meds), or have their life outside of work routinely negatively affected because of work and an additional one who had the location, method, and means picked out for suicide.

Why such strong negative effects? Many hospitals purposefully short staff, to the point where you may at times be honestly concerned about one of your patient's lives because of it. As trimm eloquently mentioned earlier, you have to be on top of your game at work to ensure the safety of your patients, and you must be current on a vast array of topics to remain a safe nurse. Mistakes can delay surgeries, cause additional time in the hospital, cause pain, and cause death. And when the nurse is overloaded with patients that s/he doesn't have the time to be carefully checking the doctor's orders for errors or to ensure safety and smooth and appropriate patient care between all of the specialties, the patient is the one who suffers. That is the kicker.

I have had some incredible experiences as a nurse, was privileged to be with patients during death, and incredible recovery. You learn as much from the patients as they learn from you. You get such joy from figuring out an intervention that works and really helps the patient have a better quality of life. I have some incredible experiences that I treasure.

But I also will never forget the sheer fear of knowing that my patient might die because I was too overloaded with patients, (just like everyone else was), like the time there were no ICU beds for one of my 6 patients, and I pleaded with management for help, to no avail. While that patient did live, he DID have complications directly related to the fact that I could not be there to monitor him as was needed. I know I did what I could... but that horrible experience will stay with me.

Stress levels at the hospital are incredibly high and you are dealing with people in pain and at a crisis, oftentimes without enough staff or equipment (sometimes basic equipment such as christmas trees! (oxygen adapters) ) to do what you know needs to be done. It was sad when one of my coworkers came up to me asking if we could take the oxygen off of my patient (who was on 1L), to give the christmas tree to another patient with more significant difficulty breathing.

I have had the fortune of working with mostly wonderful coworkers, however!

Thankfully the nursing profession is also a very mobile one, and you can switch settings and specialties to find better fitting jobs and better working conditions.

bill4745, RN · Nov 13, 2009

I had several careers before nursing and have found the same bull***t in each one. Also, keep in mind that people with negeative viewpoints are more likely to take the time to write about things.

scoutsmom · Nov 13, 2009

I sometimes float as a nurse in a large facillity, and yes "floating" is crazy at times-- but you do miss a lot of the "politics", and move on the next day, but it's the same on every unit, people are always "talking" about someone, what someone didn't do, or did wrong, it never changes!! I wonder if it is the stress of nursing that does it?, no matter what it is,.. it is the biggest downfall of nursing. I know it is there with any job, but in Nursing it is soooo Big, .. and SAD!! the best to stop it -- is don't get involved in it, It is hard , but do your job, and get home!!

proudnurseRN · Nov 13, 2009

For me the worse job I ever had was working a Customer Service job via the phones. It was awful. The company laid off workers prior to retirement for petty reasons, jobs were going overseas, and it slowly became more of a "sales" job than customer service. Hated it.

I floated in my hospital for a year before getting a home unit. I came away with the units I liked and the ones I didn't, and based my decision on where I would go on that. I wasn't determined to have a speciality. I was determined to work with a group of people I could get along with.

Now, I'm pretty easy going. It takes a lot to get me stirred up. Frankly, I could care less if people talk behind my back, although I don't think anyone is. I fess up to my stupid mistakes. I clock in, do my job, help out who needs help, and clock out. If I don't know how to do something I ask for help, and pay back the person helping me by doing something I do know how to do with ther pts.

I love my job. I often say if I can't win the lottery and sit at home rich than this is the next best thing.

mmmc2 · Dec 9, 2009

There's so much backstabbing and what-not in nursing because it is a field made mostly of women. It is just how most of us naturally are, unfortunately. Many women feel better about themselves by bringing other women down who threaten them. What a shame....I knew that I would encounter this when I got in this field because it's just how it is. I worked construction with no other women out of high school and this kind of backstabbing and gossiping just didn't happen. Men are not as petty as we women are, for the most part.

I actually welcome men into the nursing field...Please, more male nurses!

Cari001 · Dec 3, 2010

Hi Lola,

I read your original post and I can definitely relate. It's scary to leave a familiar, stable 8-4 job. I am scared of the crazy hospital hours that nurses work. What did you end up doing? Are you in NS now? Good luck with whatever you decide!

Cari