Sick of NURSES who say they HATE NURSING!! Another Vent

Laught3r · Aug 3, 2009

As a nurse who is often a patient I understand the poster's issue. I have had to work with nurses who continuously tell how much they "hate it here" but want leave because the money is good but they are mean to the patients and at times sloppy with meds a patient care.

As a patient I have waited hours for pain medication and when I complain the nurse will tell me "well you are a nurse you understand how busy it gets" Yes I do. But my patiants do not wait 2.5 hours even if I have to get an order for the meds. Do i think that some nurse need to quit yes. Do i think that some great nurses just need a long vacation definitely. I just took 3 wks off and i couldnt feel better.

chctwqueen · Aug 3, 2009

As a nurse who is often a patient I understand the poster's issue. I have had to work with nurses who continuously tell how much they "hate it here" but want leave because the money is good but they are mean to the patients and at times sloppy with meds a patient care.
As a patient I have waited hours for pain medication and when I complain the nurse will tell me "well you are a nurse you understand how busy it gets" Yes I do. But my patiants do not wait 2.5 hours even if I have to get an order for the meds. Do i think that some nurse need to quit yes. Do i think that some great nurses just need a long vacation definitely. I just took 3 wks off and i couldnt feel better.

I think with any job, it's easy to get burned out (especially with Nursing). However, when it gets to the point where you constantly feel like you "hate" your job, I think it's time to move on. Scary too, considering that you literally have people's lives in your hand.

chctwqueen · Aug 3, 2009

To the OP: You will be where we are someday and you will see how hating your job is kind of a pandemic among nurses. However it is a transient feeling that we get over. Like you, we are venting about our frustrations. I can understand you being annoyed though. Like I get annoyed when I hear a skinny person c/o being fat, you just want to slap them.

LOL!!

SDA3694 · Aug 3, 2009

Being a nurse can be tough, doesn't always mean you hate it. Now if you hate it, I feel sorry for you because it is a tough job to do all the while hating it. Nurses aren't robots. They need to express their fustrations from trying to give their best and sometimes it goes unappreciated by their boss who expects more and more and more. I have been a PCA/CNA for several years and I can somewhat understand why nurses feel the way they do. I can't totally understand because I am not a nurse yet. I am glad that nurses don't quit when things get tough. I would rather them complain because if they were to quit, we might not have many nurses left on the floor, lol.
For the nurses that only need to complain and vent, to get through their day, please do so, we need you on the floor. Heck cry in the supply closet if you have to. Just hang in their until you absolutely can't anymore. Thanks for all you do to keep the floor running.

Who said quit when things get tough?

blueheaven · Aug 3, 2009

I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired of hearing one of my coworkers talk about how much she hated nursing and working in the ICU here. She's got a lot of time in so that quitting and finding another job is out of the picture.

One day I had it!! I went off. I told her in no uncertain terms that there were plenty of positions available for her outside direct patient care. At least she has an opportunity to apply for them (she has a BSN). I told her I was stuck where I am because I don't have a BSN even though I would be qualified for some of the slots. So I didn't want to hear it anymore!!!!

Aimee03, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2009

And lets just see your dream job will be stress free,perfect,sight......

The is a reason the work dream was in quotes. :banghead: There is no perfect jobs, but some jobs are a better fit than others. Not perfect, just better. Else I get to stay where I am and continue to complain until things change

tinderbox · Aug 3, 2009

The is a reason the work dream was in quotes. There is no perfect jobs, but some jobs are a better fit than others. Not perfect, just better. Else I get to stay where I am and continue to complain until things change

Aimee,

I just want to second calltodo's comments. I agree, at least you realize that nursing is not for you and are willing to get out of it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Nursing school does not prepare most people for the real world, and it is definitely not for everyone. I don't think enough people give nursing students the REAL 4-11 on what it's really like at the hospitals. I guess if we did, though, there wouldn't be enough bodies to fill the nursing slots of those who quit or move on.

MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2009

New grads and nursing students have no clue what it's about until they are TOTALLY responsible for their patients. I can't blame them for their view of us complaining of about frequent flyers, PIAs, managment, customer service or the myriad of other problems we face daily. HOWEVER, I believe most nurses are FRUSTRATED with the systems in which they work-everyday it's work with less and do more!

Business models have replace medical models-the patient and the nursing staff are the primary losers under this situation. Good nursing care, the stuff taught in school exists in hospitals with ratios and hospice-I don't believe it can exist elsewhere. One needy patient can suck you dry leaving the rest of your patients wanting-usually they need the least of your time (why they have so much energy to harass you).

We are not a service industry; we are a profession-as long as we are TOLD how to practice based on SERVICE industry practices-no one will be happy or safe.

Nursing students and new grads have a reason to be mad, they were promised jobs that just don't exist! Don't blame the working nurses, we need the help-BLAME MANAGMENT and a medical system that makes us part of the room cost as opposed to a revenue making entity.

M

tinderbox · Aug 3, 2009

I also think that, no matter how burned out you are, you should leave the complaints at the nurses station/break room and OUT of the patient care areas. No matter how much you hate your job, sick and disabled patients don't have the energy or desire to listen to that crap, and they shouldn't have to. As long as you leave it out of patients' earshot, I don't care what you say. I'm good at tuning people out when I need to. LOL!

allnurses Guide · Aug 4, 2009

New grads and nursing students have no clue what it's about until they are TOTALLY responsible for their patients. I can't blame them for their view of us complaining of about frequent flyers, PIAs, managment, customer service or the myriad of other problems we face daily. HOWEVER, I believe most nurses are FRUSTRATED with the systems in which they work-everyday it's work with less and do more!
Business models have replace medical models-the patient and the nursing staff are the primary losers under this situation. Good nursing care, the stuff taught in school exists in hospitals with ratios and hospice-I don't believe it can exist elsewhere. One needy patient can suck you dry leaving the rest of your patients wanting-usually they need the least of your time (why they have so much energy to harass you).
We are not a service industry; we are a profession-as long as we are TOLD how to practice based on SERVICE industry practices-no one will be happy or safe.
Nursing students and new grads have a reason to be mad, they were promised jobs that just don't exist! Don't blame the working nurses, we need the help-BLAME MANAGMENT and a medical system that makes us part of the room cost as opposed to a revenue making entity.
M

Amen to that! I think that in reality, a minority of nurses actually vocalize their frustrations to their patients or even to co-workers on a continuous basis. Those that do are the ones we remember, as we try to avoid being around them for more than is absolutely necessary. Most nurses do the best they can, and wish in their hearts that nursing COULD be the ideal that THEY thought about when they entered the field.

When they add this customer-service BS, making nurses say catch-phrases like, "is there anything I can do for you right now? I have the time", when anyone who still has their faculties about them can SEE that isn't true, it's demeaning. I would think it would backfire anyway. Nurses should be trusted to build rapport with patients as much as they can based on the individuals involved. Trying to jimmy in a pre fab statement might make me think my nurse was a little off. :uhoh21:

dream'n, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2009

I'm sorry but I have to agree with Trish!!!And frankly I dont understand why didnt you get the hint earlier in nursing school that nursing might not be for you..I mean you spend in nursing school 2 to 4 years so you should have arleady known if you will like nursing job or not!!!!

I am going to bite the bullet here. Since this thread is dedicated to the things one is "sick" of, I will post about one of my own annoyances. I am sick to death of hearing that nurses that are unhappy in their current position need to "get out of nursing" and that "nursing is not for you". Perhaps those that are unhappy just haven't found their niche in nursing yet. To tell an educated professional that their FEELINGS of burnout make them subpar and they need to leave the profession is in my opinion very inappropriate.

MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2009

I am going to bite the bullet here. Since this thread is dedicated to the things one is "sick" of I will post about one of my own annoyances. I am sick to death of hearing that nurses that are unhappy in their current position need to "get out of nursing" and that "nursing is not for you". Perhaps those that are unhappy just haven't found their niche in nursing yet. To tell an educated professional that their FEELINGS of burnout make them subpar and they need to leave the profession is in my opinion very inappropriate.[/quote']
Again in defense of newbies and students; what they see is the outer shell until they are in the midst of the action and the ridiculous ideas that a business manager has regarding disease process and what they consider adequate care. As most are not nurses or they are nurses who have migrated to the dark side, they have no stake in the patient's care (or liability) other than the bottom $ line!
You can't understand that until you are told to work with less or without supplies, with less staff, sicker patients, more patients and all new grads who while hungry to work, have no idea how much danger them, their patients, and their licenses are in! There is nothing quite like realizing that you have seniority in an ER and have only been working 3+ years! Then looking around and realizing everyone else has been there about one year! Very scary for those who really think about it!
Just making it through the day, doing something once, or wanting to do it doesn't make a nurse good at it! Administration thinks covering a spot is adequate, maybe to them-not to those in the know and not to the patients who do not get the care they would have received from an experienced, full staff of properly prepared nurses.
So are nurses frustrated? You bet! But just as I would never judge a new grad wanting to enter a specialty area first, be careful new grads. Don't judge your current or future co-workers. Let the rose tinting come off the glasses and take a good look around. People don't complain for no reason-if it's more than one person-it is probably legit!
M