Stressed out and Getting Out

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I am making the most of this beautiful and unusually cool August morning, by sending out resumes to prospective employers. Why? because the stress level has gotten so bad where I work, that people are actually exchanging fisticuffs with each other. Only two days before, our supervisor had had a staff meeting, to publicly announce her concerns with Upper Management "at all levels"...and to hold an improptu Stress Management seminar. It didn't and isn't working. A co-worker and I aren't even speaking to each other, after I turned her in a couple of weeks ago, for flying into me for "having less work than she did". Give me a break! :angryfire

I don't need this s---. I even applied for positions at Wal-Mart and at another retailer yesterday. I have had enough , and am getting out, while I still have the sanity to do so. :(

It seems to me that nurses in the USA get much better money than those of us working in Australia. I was just reading someone's reply to this thread about getting into retail when it offers less money and just as much stress.

I too am thinking of leaving nursing. I have found it very stressfull and demanding. Also, I am sick of working with horrible people that feel they need to prove something and do this by making everyone else go through hell.

I am also sick of the pay. I get $18 an hour. That in Aussie $ is very poor. Teachers start on 40,000.00 a year nurses on about 30,000.00, police get much more, so do paramedics.

Garbage men in Australia get approx $25 an hour (my father is a garbo), I know they work dam hard but no degree, no stress, no responsability and more money??? Please explain this to me!!!

My friends in retail here are on at least $20 an hour and they have all been offered positions in management and get many perks in their jobs.

I am 25 and I struggle on $18 an hour. A friend of mine is 46 and she only gets $26 an hour. We both work in Oncology.

People say, "but you don't do nursing for the money" why the hell NOT! Don't most ppl work for money? Do nurses not have bills to pay???

I am frustrated and fed up! A friend of mine worked in a hospital in New England, Ummmmmm Vermont I think he said it was. He said the money in America is great. I think I'll either pack up and start a fresh in a new job, or pack my bags and head over to the good ole United States!!

I can see the potential in being a nurse and I love Australia with all my heart, but I don't think I can do it anymore. I just don't think I can handle so much responsibility, bodily fluids, unpaid overtime and STRESS for so little money anymore.

Cheers,

Scotty

(Sad and frustrated Registered Nurse)

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

I'm looking for NON-nursing work myself. I'm so sick and tired...sick and tired...sick and tired...:stone of the EXTREME STRESS of working hospital nursing. The bickering, the cat fights, the "he said she said drama", the pettiness, the disrespect...........it's unending! :angryfire

If nurse recruiters want to recruit nurses from countries outside the United States to come over here and deal with the CRAP that American nurses have been tolerating for a long time now...I wish them well in their quest. It won't be long before the very nurses they recruit from those countries realize WHY American Nurses are fed up, and they will leave too. Then who will man the inpatient units? Managment? The hospital CEO? The doctors?

I'm looking at libraries, bookstores, marketing myself as a nurse, and other NONstressful jobs right now. Life isn't worth living if it is lived under extreme unnecessary "bullcrap"! :rolleyes:

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I think American nurses and Australian nurses have the same crap, but you guys get more $$$

In fact I think nursing is prolly the same the world over, but why???

I meen think about nurses, there are so many of us. Why is it that we put up with CRAP?? We have a voice, we should band together and use it!!!

I must say in Melbourne (AUST) we have a nurse patient ratio in place of 1 nurse to 4 patients. I think this is rare though to have set ratio's like this.

I remember a time though when we had 6 or more patients, I don't know how we ever got through the work!

Does anyone else have a set ratio where they work?

Cheers,

Scotty.

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

I got a callback from one of those retailers I applied with, and have an interview today. Will keep you posted! :)

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Scotty, you will make more $$ here but will likely not see an improvement in working conditions...sounds like you have a better ratio in Oz and except for California, we do not have set ratios. I hear vents are 1:1 in ICU in Oz and I will likely have 2 or 3 here in my ICU. Union areas seem to have the best condiitons but not all areas are unionized. (Texas and the south in general is NOT)

BUT sometimes a change is good for the soul...come to the US and give it a shot if you feel like traveling. Maybe a travel contract to check things out? You may like it here and we enjoy those lovely Aussie accents. ;)

MY DH is going on a business trip to Australia soon and I'd love to go with him but Lord, the airfare is horrendous!! (but I just might have to save up for it...can't pass up the chance to travel a bit)

Yes I wish nurses would band together and I suspect we do not because traditionally we are women, with focus is on home and family vs profession. Until we show some solidarity I doubt we will improve things, sadly. :(

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

The interview went great! :) I was interviewed by two assistant store managers, who told me that as soon as they completed my background checks, they'd let me know something. I was almost giddy afterwards, as I made the 15-minue drive home (it takes a minimum of 90 minutes for me to commute one way to my present job), as I thought of the prospect of being able to leave the hellhole I work in...and leave nursing all together. Keep your fingers crossed! :chair:

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It's seems as though people are under the illusion that working a retail job is totally carefree when it's not. You can have really bad degrading managers there just like in any industry, and you still have to put up with the public. Also your hours can be cut back during the slow seasons.

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Sometimes though a change is good for the soul...good luck to ya CseMgr1. Nursing will always be there for ya if you want to get back into it some day.

So true about putting up with the public but at least we're not responsible for their life which immediately drops the stress level to me.

To be honest if I changed careers it would not likely be customer service oriented. I have really had it with that. :(

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Specializes in med/surg, neuro, ortho, cardiol.

I too, after 25 years of nursing, all of it being in hospitals, am getting out. It has been a month since I have worked. I have always wanted to be a vet, I love animals, have even raised a baby squirrel. On monday, I will be applying for a receptionist position at an animal hospital. Hopefully, once I get my foot in the door, they might let me take on other responsibilities, like helping out with surgeries, giving animals their shots, or dang, even cleaning out the dog cages. I do have much experience in cleaning up poop !!! It has become too hard to stay in the hospital....all the back stabbing, blaming, name calling, and your good is never, ever good enough. The money will not be near to what I was making..and a tight budget will be required. Good luck to all that are changing jobs.....I so understand the need to get out of nursing..Maybe some day I will go back, but for right now...I need a break.

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Specializes in Geriatric Psych, Physicians office, OB,.

I, too, know about that stress!

I am an LPN on 11-7 shift in LTC. We have been very short staffed lately, so I left my position on 7-3 and went to help out with the 11-7. I had planned on returning to 7-3 once the night shift was filled, but it just isn't working. We hired 2 new LPN's, and the day nurses have already "run them off". The first new 11-7 nurse was berated by one of the day nurses, and she left. The next one, after orienting 2 nights, was told he had to work the back station by HIMSELF (over 35 residents....and a temporary license??) and he wouldn't do it, so he quit. Back to just me and one other, who calls in practically every night. She's literally called in for the last 4 nights, including this weekend. "Her nerves are bad".

Our facility has 136 beds, with a census of 85 right now. Our facility is divided into 2 nursing stations with 3 halls each. If you are at the front, you can't see the back, and vice-versa. I have been made to work the entire building alone for short periods of time, because they will have the 3-11 lpn stay over until 3am. Then I have to come up and count with her so she can leave. Then I'm alone with 4 or 5 cna's for 85 residents until the next nurse comes in around 6 am...then I have to go back up front and count with her. My DON has informed me that according to the state (Arkansas) they only have to have 1 LPN on the night shift, and I shouldn't complain. Hello?!?!?!?! This is my license we're talking about! I am totally NOT comfortable being put in this position and have told them repeatedly, but they still make me work by myself. I can't just leave, because I don't want to abandon my residents, so I put in my 2 weeks notice. Can anyone show me in BOLD PRINT where the staffing LAWS are for the state of Arkansas, so I can print them out and show them to the other nurses where I work? Every place I find says something different....and it's nothing close to what our DON is saying!:angryfire Please help me prove I'm right - I mean, what would I do if 2 residents coded? And I'm the only LPN?!?!

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.
Sometimes though a change is good for the soul...good luck to ya CseMgr1. Nursing will always be there for ya if you want to get back into it some day.

So true about putting up with the public but at least we're not responsible for their life which immediately drops the stress level to me. :(

That's it. One of the assistant store managers I interviewed with yesterday said the very same thing, that even though there remains a level of intensity with dealing with the public in the retail business, you don't have the unceasing life-and death issues that we have to put up with now. He understood completely why I choosing to leave, adding that he needs an experienced, mature individual to run the registers and work the floor.

In the meantime, another general alarm went out from my big boss at my current job, crying out for more nurses to work this weekend...and in the midst of a hiring freeze. Too damn bad, as I was off yesterday, and had the auto-reply set on my e-mail...letting her and everyone else know that I'm off until Tuesday. And, if things work out for this new job like I hope they will, I will be off FOREVER.

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Specializes in ER.

Good luck to all those who are trying to make a better life for themselves. I can't see my self getting completely out of nursing, because I don't think I can ever afford it. BUT, my husband and I are working very hard to get things paid off and minimizing our expenses so I only have to work part time. If I could get it down to 1-2 shifts per week I think I would be much happier. I had a friend who worked home health, had finally gotten enough and went to work selling purses at Macy's, and loved it. If there was something else that would pay the bills, I would do it.

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