Share why your current job sucks and what you hope will be different in nursing!

walktheline · Dec 16, 2007

ToreyJane:

I am thinking about taking a phlebotomy certification class next January so that I can get a job in the health sector now. Can you tell me about it, and maybe a typical day for you? It sounds interesting to me. Also, was it hard to find a job after you became certified? I've seen a couple of ads for the job, but they all want experience first. Did you have this problem?

Thanks.

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2007

I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but many of the complaints I'm reading on this thread concerning other jobs are the same things that happen in nursing.

To the RDH who said DH is hard on the body; did you know that nurses suffer more on the job injuries every year than police, construction workers, and dock workers combined? Many nurses suffer chronic, 24 hr a day pain. I am one of them. (by the way, thanks for your helpful post a while back on dental implants).

One poster said that being in law, you have to argue all day- there is a lot of arguing, and fighting to get what you need in nursing, as well. So many conflicts with pts, their families, doctors, admin, and on and on. It goes on all day long.

Also, much of what nurses do is boring and repetetive (paperwork) and doing the same mundane tasks over and over again.

Some non-nurses think our pay is very high. When you consider the level of resonsibility and the overwhelming amount of work, it is not.

Just come into nursing with your eyes open!

Dental Hygienist · Dec 16, 2007

I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but many of the complaints I'm reading on this thread concerning other jobs are the same things that happen in nursing.
To the RDH who said DH is hard on the body; did you know that nurses suffer more on the job injuries every year than police, construction workers, and dock workers combined? Many nurses suffer chronic, 24 hr a day pain. I am one of them. (by the way, thanks for your helpful post a while back on dental implants).
One poster said that being in law, you have to argue all day- there is a lot of arguing, and fighting to get what you need in nursing, as well. So many conflicts with pts, their families, doctors, admin, and on and on. It goes on all day long.
Also, much of what nurses do is boring and repetetive (paperwork) and doing the same mundane tasks over and over again.
Some non-nurses think our pay is very high. When you consider the level of resonsibility and the overwhelming amount of work, it is not.
Just come into nursing with your eyes open!

I knew this was coming and I do appreciate it! This is all part of why I'm on this board, to make sure that I DO have my eyes open before I enter the demanding field of nursing. I've also signed up to volunteer 3 hours a week at a local hospital because I don't want to have rose colored glasses on. About the "hard on the body" issue, I'm aware that there are a lot of on the job injuries and back injuries in nursing; but the difference (in my mind) is that you would probably have an EVENT that happened causing the injury (such as lifting such and such patient on such and such date) and fill out an incident report and apply for workmen's comp and if need be get put on light duty or change into another field of nursing that isn't aggravating that specific injury.

As a RDH our injuries are cumulative and repetative in nature. There is no paper trail established to verify your injury because for 1 you probably work for 2 or 3 different dentists just to get 30 hours a week and they all think it isn 't their problem, you may or may not even HAVE health insurance unless you buy private ins. If you do manage to get an injury established on paper, there is no "light duty" available or any other part of dental hygiene that you can spend your career in. And because most employers are a "small business" of less than 50 employees the FFMLA doesnt' apply to them and they dont have to secure your job while you rehabilitate; they don't have to do squat. they don't even have to secure your job if you go on maternity leave, and most won't. You're basically on your own for everything. There is no HR department. There's a dentist and he's the owner, manager and clinician, he's too busy to deal with "your silly back ache" his back aches too! He'll just put an ad in the paper for a new RDH to wear out.

You can see I'm venting now! But did you know that the average career of a full time RDH is only 7 years? 7 measly years. Most exiting the profession site muskuloskeletal problems. Now considering that we make $35-40 an hour....there's got to be some serious body damage done in that short 7 years to cause us to leave that good money because our bodies "just can't take it" anymore. I don't think that nurses have it easy, but I'm just hoping that they have support and strength in numbers.

And for the record, I do not think the pay is high. I am astonished that nurses do not make more! The pay-cut that I'll be taking is seriously weighing on my mind....but still it seems worth it to me.

But, thank you for your concern. I'm still VERY worried about the work-related injuries that do occur in nursing; I'm trying to get all the details that I can. Ask me in 5 years what I think about this thread and we'll have our real answer! :lol2:

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2007

I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but many of the complaints I'm reading on this thread concerning other jobs are the same things that happen in nursing.
To the RDH who said DH is hard on the body; did you know that nurses suffer more on the job injuries every year than police, construction workers, and dock workers combined? Many nurses suffer chronic, 24 hr a day pain. I am one of them. (by the way, thanks for your helpful post a while back on dental implants).
One poster said that being in law, you have to argue all day- there is a lot of arguing, and fighting to get what you need in nursing, as well. So many conflicts with pts, their families, doctors, admin, and on and on. It goes on all day long.
Also, much of what nurses do is boring and repetetive (paperwork) and doing the same mundane tasks over and over again.
Some non-nurses think our pay is very high. When you consider the level of resonsibility and the overwhelming amount of work, it is not.
Just come into nursing with your eyes open!

No offense, but I really think that it is ridiculous to compare the level of argument required in law to the "arguing" that you do in nursing. It isn't your job to argue as a nurse, rather, it is occasionally incidental to the other tasks you need to perform. Your patients don't expect you to be a no holds barred shark on their behalf.

As for the pay, it seems pretty darn good to me, given the education you need to become a nurse. I understand that the work is hard--my mother is a 25+ year nurse, and I've been volunteering in a hospital a few hours a week for several months now. I also worked in a group home with severely disabled persons for several years. I like hard work...sitting around all day, or not having enough to do to "get your hours in," stresses me out far more then having alot to do. And frankly, the level of stress in nursing seems significantly less then other professions I've been exposed to. For example, in law, if you don't complete what you need to complete in a given "shift," you stay late, or you take the rap with the client (and possibly stand to lose your job). You might occasionally stay a couple of hours late in the nursing field, but it seems to be a rarity--rather, you are more likely just to pass the case on to the next shift. In nursing, you have set working hours, and the nurses I know don't have problems taking time off when they need to. That alone (not having to worry every month if I've complete the required number of "billable hours") is worth its weight in gold to me.

But please...do tell...would you not do it all over again if given the chance? Do you feel that other jobs are better?

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2007

WantAccelBSN,

I've been an nurse for 17 years, and no, if I had it to do over again, I would not be a nurse. Sometimes, it is like pulling teeth just to get the simplest thing for a pt. The sytem is set up so that there are many obsticles in the way.

I do not pretend to know what being in law is like- I've never worked in that field. I am very aware, however, of what nursing is like. When you complete your degree and start working, you will know exactly where I'm coming from. :specs:

As for this statement: "And frankly, the level of stress in nursing seems significantly less then other professions I've been exposed to." You've never been a nurse- how do you know? Repeating what others have said to you and making observations in no way compares to living it yourself.

Read this:

"People working in medical professions have the second most stressful job"

http://www.wytv.com/news/health/2788381.html

"Studies indicate that eight of the 12 most stressful jobs today are positions in health care. In a 1990 survey half the nurses polled admitted that they've even considered leaving the profession"

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_n5_v8/ai_12561240

TOP 10 STRESSFUL PROFESSIONS (Law didn't make the list!)

Information technology

Medicine/caring profession

Engineering

Sales and marketing

Education

Finance

Human resources

Operations

Production

Clerical

TOP 10 WORK STRESSES

Workload

Feeling undervalued

Deadlines

Type of work people have to do

Having to take on other people's work

Lack of job satisfaction

Lack of control over the working day

Having to work long hours

Frustration with the working environment

Targets

SOURCE: SkillSoft survey, 2006

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/classifieds/news/jobcenter/news/stories/DN-ITstress_21emp.ART.State.Edition1.296a36b.html

Dental Hygienist,

Nursing injuries are also cumulative and repetetive. My worst pain is from leaning over pts. I've worked in a number of specialities that requiring leaning over pts for a period of time- just as RDs do. I've had to change specialities, because the leaning puts me into such terrible spasms. It's not the lifting that hurts me- no problem with that- it the leaning, and bending.

It is not that difficult to become a nurse, and the pay is relatively good, yet- there are many, many nurses who have left and are leaving. New nurses are leaving faster, and in larger numbers than in the past, and men leave twice as fast as women do. There are very valid reasons for this. If nursing were as rosy as some non-nurses think it is, this would not be the case.

"New nursing school graduates are leaving the profession faster than their predecessors, and male nurses are leading the charge, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia"

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3689/is_200211/ai_n9162907

"A recent American Nursing Association (ANA) poll indicates that 18.8 percent of nurses in the U.S. do not work in nursing. A study by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research reveals that 22.7 percent of nurses plan to leave their hospital jobs in the next 12 months. Despite record-breaking salaries and bonuses, nurses are leaving hospital jobs in droves, resulting in the nursing shortage that has captured the attention of the American public."

http://pr-gb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10510&Itemid=9

"Recent graduates of US nursing schools are leaving the profession more quickly than their predecessors"

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2194671/Men-most-likely-to-leave.html

"Recent nursing school graduates are leaving the profession more quickly than their predecessors, with men bolting at almost twice the rate of women, a study finds."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E5D6103EF934A3575AC0A9649C8B63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/M/Men

WantAccelBSN,

I am not telling anyone not to go into nursing. I'm just saying keep your eyes open, be realistic, and wait until you have walked a couple of miles in those white shoes before being so sure you know the score.

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2007

WantAccelBSN,
I've been an nurse for 17 years, and no, if I had it to do over again, I would not be a nurse. Sometimes, it is like pulling teeth just to get the simplest thing for a pt. The sytem is set up so that there are many obsticles in the way.
I do not pretend to know what being in law is like- I've never worked in that field. I am very aware, however, of what nursing is like. When you complete your degree and start working, you will know exactly where I'm coming from.
As for this statement: "And frankly, the level of stress in nursing seems significantly less then other professions I've been exposed to." You've never been a nurse- how do you know? Repeating what others have said to you and making observations in no way compares to living it yourself.
Read this:
"People working in medical professions have the second most stressful job"
http://www.wytv.com/news/health/2788381.html
"Studies indicate that eight of the 12 most stressful jobs today are positions in health care. In a 1990 survey half the nurses polled admitted that they've even considered leaving the profession"
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_n5_v8/ai_12561240
TOP 10 STRESSFUL PROFESSIONS (Law didn't make the list!)
Information technology
Medicine/caring profession
Engineering
Sales and marketing
Education
Finance
Human resources
Operations
Production
Clerical
TOP 10 WORK STRESSES
Workload
Feeling undervalued
Deadlines
Type of work people have to do
Having to take on other people's work
Lack of job satisfaction
Lack of control over the working day
Having to work long hours
Frustration with the working environment
Targets
SOURCE: SkillSoft survey, 2006
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/classifieds/news/jobcenter/news/stories/DN-ITstress_21emp.ART.State.Edition1.296a36b.html
Dental Hygienist,
Nursing injuries are also cumulative and repetetive. My worst pain is from leaning over pts. I've worked in a number of specialities that requiring leaning over pts for a period of time- just as RDs do. I've had to change specialities, because the leaning puts me into such terrible spasms. It's not the lifting that hurts me- no problem with that- it the leaning, and bending.
It is not that difficult to become a nurse, and the pay is relatively good, yet- there are many, many nurses who have left and are leaving. New nurses are leaving faster, and in larger numbers than in the past, and men leave twice as fast as women do. There are very valid reasons for this. If nursing were as rosy as some non-nurses think it is, this would not be the case.
"New nursing school graduates are leaving the profession faster than their predecessors, and male nurses are leading the charge, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia"
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3689/is_200211/ai_n9162907
"A recent American Nursing Association (ANA) poll indicates that 18.8 percent of nurses in the U.S. do not work in nursing. A study by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research reveals that 22.7 percent of nurses plan to leave their hospital jobs in the next 12 months. Despite record-breaking salaries and bonuses, nurses are leaving hospital jobs in droves, resulting in the nursing shortage that has captured the attention of the American public."
http://pr-gb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10510&Itemid=9
"Recent graduates of US nursing schools are leaving the profession more quickly than their predecessors"
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2194671/Men-most-likely-to-leave.html
"Recent nursing school graduates are leaving the profession more quickly than their predecessors, with men bolting at almost twice the rate of women, a study finds."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E5D6103EF934A3575AC0A9649C8B63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/M/Men
I am not telling anyone not to go into nursing. I'm just saying keep your eyes open, be realistic, and wait until you have walked a couple of miles in those white shoes before being so sure you know the score.

Having worked doing research for several years, I know that most studies--particularly in the social sciences (for example, getting people's opinions about the most stressful positions) can be VERY dependent on the types of questions asked, what options the respondents had to choose from, etc. I too can provide ample internet data about law being a very stressful profession (since you felt it was necessary to point out that 'law didn't make the list!'). Here's one that says that "70 percent of lawyers surveyed said they would start a new career if they could." http://www.vault.com/nr/printable.jsp?ch_id=242&article_id=19329&print=1

Here's another one from the Wall Street Journal talking about how lawyers have higher depression rates then other professions, saying "It’s a widespread problem in the legal profession — some studies show nearly 20% of lawyers battle depression. Some lawyers battle depression because of the adversarial nature of the work and the non-stop deadlines. Others, including the ABA, criticizes the billable-hours system as “corrosive.”" http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/12/13/why-are-so-many-lawyers-so-depressed/

Also, here's a top ten list much like the one you produced (nurse isn't on it, but lawyer is number 2!)

The Top Ten Most Stressful Jobs were:

1. Office Clerk

2. Lawyer

3. Restaurant or Hotel Manager

4. Ticket Agent

5. Secretary

6. Claims investigator

7. Messenger

8. Bookkeeper

9. Truck driver

10. Cashier

and here's the site: http://keygroupconsulting.com/ezine10-05.php

And here's one about America's top 50 jobs, listing Registered Nurse as number 1. http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/americas-top-50-jobs/

And here's another about there not being any jobs for law school graduates: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119040786780835602.html

And another one about the horrible legal job market: http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2007/09/more-on-law-job.html

And an interesting quote from one of the articles you cited (this one--http://pr-gb.com/index.php?option=co...10510&Itemid=9): "nursing is more than a profession – it's a calling that attracts the "best and the brightest" who want to make a difference in people's lives.You won't find a more caring group than nurses. Try having an anaphylactic reaction at a lawyers' conference and see how many people come to your aid without a business card in hand."

You are right. I'm 100% sure nursing is stressful. I may be totally incorrect to think that the stresses are more bearable then those of other professions. You are right that my experience is only vicarious and from observation. Since you wouldn't go back into nursing if you could do it over again, what would you do (considering factors like the job market, etc.)? What do you think you could do that would make you a similarly decent salary, with less stress? Do you think nursing is a bad profession for anyone to choose, or just those with certain personality characteristics? I'm sorry you aren't happy in your job. Do you think there is another area of nursing you could go into and get better job satisfaction? One of the things that attracts me to the field are the varied opportunities in different specialties.

If nursing really is that bad, then I guess those of us in this forum would really benefit from some "first-hand" information to assist us in making an informed decision. I'm really not "so sure know the score," but I definitely wouldn't call myself uniformed...I've feel like I've done my proverbial homework, and continue to try to gather information to make an informed decision. So, how is it "like pulling teeth just to get the simplest thing for a pt.?" How is it that "the sytem is set up so that there are many obsticles in the way?" What makes your day to day work life so bad? Do you find communicating with others to get what you need to be the biggest issue you have?

birdy88 · Dec 17, 2007

Yikes, this is all really helpful information for us to know what we're getting into, but is anyone else getting depressed? there's no perfect job out there, just the type of job and purpose fitted for each individual person, no one can say what one person will like or won't like about anything. Stress to one person is totally different to someone else. I have to ask then, if anyone is a nurse and would change careers, what would you change it to?

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2007

Yikes, this is all really helpful information for us to know what we're getting into, but is anyone else getting depressed? there's no perfect job out there, just the type of job and purpose fitted for each individual person, no one can say what one person will like or won't like about anything. Stress to one person is totally different to someone else. I have to ask then, if anyone is a nurse and would change careers, what would you change it to?

Thanks Birdy. I second that.

lifesacomedy · Dec 17, 2007

I guess I just don't understand why veteran nurses are coming to this thread in the first place. This is open to all, and I value all opinions, but it is posted in the pre-nursing forum. We all reserve the right to change our minds about nursing, and I believe that education is golden, but frankly, the questions was:

why does your current job suck and what do you hope will be better about nursing?

All professions have their ups and downs. I think we're all aware of this. But please, veteran nurses...let us have a few moments of excitement before we face the struggles of nursing. I'm sure not one among us thinks there won't be bad days.

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2007

I guess I just don't understand why veteran nurses are coming to this thread in the first place. This is open to all, and I value all opinions, but it is posted in the pre-nursing forum. We all reserve the right to change our minds about nursing, and I believe that education is golden, but frankly, the questions was:
why does your current job suck and what do you hope will be better about nursing?
All professions have their ups and downs. I think we're all aware of this. But please, veteran nurses...let us have a few moments of excitement before we face the struggles of nursing. I'm sure not one among us thinks there won't be bad days.

Having created the thread, these were my thoughts, almost exactly.

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2007

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/ready-call-quits-269555.html

polishgurlrn2b · Dec 24, 2007

Okay, I am back for another post. here's the deal. I have been following up and reading about the different jobs and "why they suck". but some posts are getting on my nerves. I respect that nursing isnt a Sunshine and Roses kind of job. Not a major cake walk. i have met so many nurses and are friends with a few and they all say the same thing. It's not easy, you dont go in it for the money, and there is so much bs you have to put up with-not to mention the hours on your feet, and the aches and pains, and the lack of appreciation from patients. but if you still find it appealing, then maybe its for you. We all here understand that and are not arguing that our jobs are worse than nursing. They just aren't what we want. We will never know if it is for us unless we get in there and try. But please stop trying to talk us out of it before we ever get into it. If you dont like it, and the pay sucks that bad, get out of it, cause i wouldnt want you caring for my family if you are that bitter about your job. And sometimes people (even nurses need to vent) but this is the wrong thread for it. Although we are aware of the negatives about the job, if you are going to do something, you should have a POSITIVE attitude going in. not going in with wool over your eyes, but a positive attitude. i have learned that from experience. so, while i (speaking for myself) appreciate the realistic input, share something positive that you do like about the job, or go find another thread to vent on.:icon_rolleyes: for those fellow students out there (or perspective students) keep on truckin with a huge smile on your face. and keep the attitudes positive-though do know there are downs to every job. not just the ones we have. and to ALL of you (even the negative one) i hope you all have a merry christmas, happy hannukah or whatever you may choose celebrate, and a happy new year. (as for me its "merry christmas"... :) )LOL