Leaving Nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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Lately, I have been terribly disappointed in the nursing profession. I have been nursing since 2014. I feel as of late we have really been taken advantage of. So much so that I have actually made the decision to leave the profession by applying to grad school for an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. The consistent short staffing and unreasonable expectations have just completely turned me off. Seems to be a thing at both of my nursing jobs. Not to mention my one job which is PRN is consistently short, so we are already above the 1:4 expected patient ratios. Nearly every time I work I get dumped on (i.e. surgicals or admits) right at shift change, sometimes 5-10 minutes after my shift has ended and that 30 minutes we are given for report and change of shift. Now here is where my frustration is....every time I have worked I receive a complaint from the oncoming nurse in which my manager texts me about and I need to come in a discuss with her. Usually how things are not completed or something of this nature. Well the first time it happened I thought well maybe I did forget something because I was in a hurry to get out of there. The second time I got dumped on at change of shift I stayed late by 2.5 hours, set up IV fluids, vital signs, charted, passed meds, initiated care plans, made sure all ordered equipment was in the room, labeled all tubing. I was sure I didn't miss anything even checked with the nurse before leaving to make sure there was nothing else I could help her with. I mean I was already there late. Well low and behold I find out today that nurse filed a complaint against me. This was kind of my breaking point. I don't want to be part of a profession where I busy my butt only to receive complaints of how I'm not doing good enough. Feel defeated. My plan is to put my application in to some other job opportunities outside of nursing just to get out while I finish this masters program. Thanks for listening.

This is why I think we should refuse to participate in these little games of reporting each other.

There's yet another post here today about lateral bullying.

Can't any other nurses see the irony?

But, just as curious: Your plans. I hope for your sake that your thought isn't that you're going to rise above pettiness.

Sounds like you are in a toxic work environment. If you are "disappointed" after four years, imagine how I felt after 30.

I chose to get out of bedside nursing ( insurance work) instead of higher education.

Best wishes.

Well I feel so crappy about it that I'd rather be working as a waitress or really just anything besides a nurse right now. Actually, I am going to put my application in to a few places tomorrow. Saw a few openings for bank teller, shift supervisor jobs at target, and starbucks. So I guess I will see how it goes. I am ex military, and former combat photographer/journalist but nothing really open in that field in my area.

This is exactly how I feel "I must not be a good nurse if every time I come to work I get a complaint filed against me"....mind you these are never patient complaints. Just other nurses, and usually the nurses with uppity attitudes. It's so embarrassing. Every day I work I'm called to the office and told of some sort of complaint, and how I need to work harder or do better. I'm just over it.

I vaguely remember the discussions in nursing school about the "professionalism" of nursing, but never one mention of how the behavior of nurses contributes to a reality that is anything but professional. I discovered that on the job. At least with other lines of work, you might not be so disappointed going in if you remember that individuals determine their own approach to matters and there are fewer unrealistic expectations.

I scared and sick to me stomach when I go to work. Not even sure I will have enough in me to finish out my shifts thru the next month. Just another day to get dumped on and expected to do more then possible just so I can get pulled into the office before I go home just to be told what a terrible job I'm doing or why my meds were late or some other frivolous issue just so I can go home feeling like a miserable sack of sh-t. Or getting written up for not doing a pain assessment within an hour...or being put on the spot about not offering aromatherapy... The profession has literally pushed me out. I guess I'm just not a good enough nurse. Besides all this it just isn't safe for me anymore.

Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.
Not to mention my one job which is PRN is consistently short, so we are already above the 1:4 expected patient ratios. Nearly every time I work I get dumped on (i.e. surgicals or admits) right at shift change, sometimes 5-10 minutes after my shift has ended and that 30 minutes we are given for report and change of shift.

Sounds like my first job in inpatient psych. The ratio is 1:6 (not a mandated number) but someone called out almost daily, so the rest of us always end up picking up more.

Specializes in school nurse.

Good for you for moving on.

One request-

Please resist becoming one of those healthcare administrators who perpetuates the practices and policies that help make nursing so difficult...

It sounds like your workplace is toxic.

First, nursing is 24/7. We run out of time. The next nurse is expected to it. Heck, we even miss things and, thankfully, the next nurse notices. We are not robots. We are not perfect. It sounds your coworkers are pretty petty. They should bring these things to your attention before running to your manager.

Second, what's up with your manager? Why is she/he even giving these petty complaints the time of day? And then making you come in? Really? That's ridiculous. I hope you clock in for this time!

I suppose I'm only hearing one side of the story. Some things can be left to the next shift. Ordering a IV pump for the admit that rolled in 5 minutes to shift change? Punt. Hanging an antibiotic that's due an hour before shift change? Yeah, you better get that done.

This really hits home for me. Healthcare is my second career (I've worked as a CNA for 5 years, getting the results on my NCLEX today hopefully). I started out as an English teacher.

This reply will be insanely long if I try to type out all of my feelings that led me to quit education and go into healthcare, but one thing that attracted me to nursing vs. education was that there are so many "flavors" of nursing. I completely, 100% empathize with the defeated feeling you describe here so well, but are you sure you're ready to completely leave it behind and go to another field? Have you looked at other opportunities (long-term care, hospice, desk work, etc.) You sound like someone who genuinely cares about the work you do, and that it's some sort of toxic coworker-clique environment that's making you feel this way.

On the other hand, I completely understand leaving a field to escape the stress and that terrible feeling of giving it your all and being under-appreciated and disrespected on a daily basis. It's always a hard decision, and I'll be rooting for you, whatever you decide.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Good for you for moving on.

One request-

Please resist becoming one of those healthcare administrators who perpetuates the practices and policies that help make nursing so difficult...

That was my thought exactly as I was reading the OP. Will she become just another administrator who is in charge of the policies and practices that often cause nursing to be so stressful? Or will she actually be able to withstand the pressure of her "new" field and colleagues and improve anything? Once she becomes an administrator, she will be pressured to maintain the status quo.

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