Stressed out and Getting Out

Nurses Safety

Published

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. :(

Specializes in Government.

I just want to second the motion of looking throughout nursing for a good fit. I'm a community health nurse. I love it. My time is my own, I have essentially no boss, no scheduling issues, autonomy to do my work as I see fit. I have wonderful benefits and a great pension plan. Compared to hospital nursing, this is a very low stress job.

However, I make a whole lot less money than hospital pay. Often people say "money isn't everything" but they really want a low stress job that pays as well as the hospital. To me it was worth the adjustment. To many, they don't want to see their check go down by 1$ no matter how much better the job. It is all in your priorities.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can relate to how everyone feels to have a pain in the orifice to work with!

I stopped working as a M.A. to be a stay at home mom. After several years, I decided to go get a job at the high school I graduated from...just for the insurance.

The dept. head was soooo hard to get along with. My husband just thought it was me, and told me to keep quiet, and pretty much to deal with it. At the end of the second school year, he agreed she was a control freak, and didn't like her as well. I came home every day stressed. It seemed not one day could pass without this lady saying a rude comment....she even commented once that the steamed veggies I ate for lunch stunk. Oh she made me so mad....

Needless to say I quit mid-year during the 3rd year working there. The money wasn't enough to put up with someone like that, and I don't think even nursing pay would offer enough if I had to work with her again.

My whole family would suffer because I came home so stressed. I'm glad that I had the option to quit. I feel sorry for those who without that option available to them for monetary reasons.

However, I'd definately say find a different position, even at a different location.

I had a sister that worked at Wally World.....Retail is NOT the way to go!!! Stay in your profession. You worked hard to get where you are, and you deserve to find an employer that appreciates that. From CNA to MSN....you are in healthcare for a reason, don't give up your dream. Don't let someone take your life's meaning away. Many of us in healthcare have always wanted to be in it because we care and want to help make people better. No one should be given the chance to get you out!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can relate to how everyone feels to have a pain in the orifice to work with!

I stopped working as a M.A. to be a stay at home mom. After several years, I decided to go get a job at the high school I graduated from...just for the insurance.

The dept. head was soooo hard to get along with. My husband just thought it was me, and told me to keep quiet, and pretty much to deal with it. At the end of the second school year, he agreed she was a control freak, and didn't like her as well. I came home every day stressed. It seemed not one day could pass without this lady saying a rude comment....she even commented once that the steamed veggies I ate for lunch stunk. Oh she made me so mad....

Needless to say I quit mid-year during the 3rd year working there. The money wasn't enough to put up with someone like that, and I don't think even nursing pay would offer enough if I had to work with her again.

My whole family would suffer because I came home so stressed. I'm glad that I had the option to quit. I feel sorry for those who without that option available to them for monetary reasons.

However, I'd definately say find a different position, even at a different location.

I had a sister that worked at Wally World.....Retail is NOT the way to go!!! Stay in your profession. You worked hard to get where you are, and you deserve to find an employer that appreciates that. From CNA to MSN....you are in healthcare for a reason, don't give up your dream. Don't let someone take your life's meaning away. Many of us in healthcare have always wanted to be in it because we care and want to help make people better. No one should be given the chance to get you out!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
There are days I want to scream and go out and sit on the patio and be left alone. Mike

Me too Mike...I've just finished a MONTH of these type days....

I just took a week off to think and as of now have canceled my agency shifts for a loooong sabbatical. I'm going to look for the 'right' part time position in other areas of nursing than hospital. Sad, but I realize I cannot handle the workplace politics and gameplaying of hospitals anymore. This is hard for me after so many years as a hospital ICU nurse but I can no longer continue to be seen as part of the hospital scam...they only 'care' about lining the pocketbooks of CEO's, upper level management, and stockholders; and they use nurses as scapegoats for the system toooo often. The overwrought nurses tend to turn on each other, making the workplace intolerable for me today. Used to be I could tolerate things because I worked with good people who got each other through a tough shift...but today I see nurses turning on each other more and more. :o

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, ortho, rehab, ltc.

CseMgr1,

Congrats on the successful garage sale! I agree that it will do you a world of good to get into an easier job at least for a while. I spent three years on a med/surg/ortho floor and the last 3 months almost did me in. The hospital was bought by HCA and the employees were eventually so overworked that they became hostile toward each other. The charge nurse would regularly YELL at the CNA's. When I complained to the nurse manager she didn't believe me. (Favoritism.)

I chose to work outside of nursing for a year. When I came back I had a better perspective. Best of luck to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LDRP; Education.

CaseMgr1: I feel your pain. I am also for the first time contemplating getting out.

I applied at the Humane Society for their staff develpment position. I wish you luck; keep us posted.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Utilization Management.
I really don't understand how people who are used to making good money as nurses, can go work in retail for peanuts and be able to pay their bills. I've worked in retail and other service related jobs and there is alot of stress there as well. Just my 2 cents.

I loved my cashier job. No responsibility at all compared to nursing.

I love nursing, and I suppose I'll stay till I can't handle it physically anymore, but for those of you who contemplate leaving, please be reminded that you have skills that make it perfect for you to own or manage your own business. Nurses are managers, are autonomous, have great critical thinking skills, and are self-starters.

So if something happens and I can't be a nurse at some point due to physical or emotional issues, I'll probably open a restaurant or something. Or a "Weekends Only" HHC agency. Something like that....the possibilities are endless.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, ortho, rehab, ltc.
Yeah, nurses listen, there is not a nursing shortage, the only reason there are fewer nurses in the field is because we are treated so poorly... If we were treated better you would have an over abundance of nurses. It's really disgusting at my hospital, they rant and rave about how they need us to work overtime, etc. because they don't have enough staff, and then they literally make our LPN's into CNA's. They were working out of their scope of practice they told us.....well now they are working beneath their scope of practice, plus we now have less staff then we did. Not only that, but they (hospital) then told the LPN's that they would no longer be needed in two years if they didn't get their RN....Well, the nursing schools are booked solid so these LPN's who were employed by my hospital for more then 30 years are now basically being thrown out of their jobs. I'm so sick of hearing that there is a nursing shortage when I KNOW there isn't. How could they do that to the LPN's if there was a shortage? Is this happening anywhere else? Tiliimnrn

Same thing happened at my last hospital. At a staff meeting the Nurse Manager announced that the hospital corporation would no longer be using LPN's. (We had 2 that had been there over 20 years.) They were given the option to stay on as CNA's and were told they would never be eligible for a raise. It was the same thing as firing all of the LPN's in front of every staff member on our unit. Real professional. There was no concern for the dignity of these valuable nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sooo...CaseMgr1...how's it going? We are anxiously awaiting your report on the new job! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You got that right! After I was asked (for the 900th time) to work overtime again today, I turned it down. Why? Because by the time I pay for commuting costs, and witholding taxes (40%), I've got nothing left.

Hey, do we work at the same hospital :chuckle

I am also considering a career change. I can't imagine doing this job for 25 more years :o You would not believe the turn over in my department. It is so sad. I took a chunk of time off work several months ago and I couldn't believe how much better I felt. No more headaches or stomach aches. I slept better and was less depressed.

Nursing is the strangest profession. I mean, how many people in other occupations receive magazines in the mail every week with stories titled, "How to Survive...", "How to Protect Yourself...", "How to Avoid Burn Out...", so on and so forth. There just seems to be so many uphill battles in the Nursing profession. I wonder why?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hey, do we work at the same hospital :chuckle

Nursing is the strangest profession. I mean, how many people in other occupations receive magazines in the mail every week with stories titled, "How to Survive...", "How to Protect Yourself...", "How to Avoid Burn Out...", so on and so forth. There just seems to be so many uphill battles in the Nursing profession. I wonder why?

LifeisBeautiful -Very witty (and truthful) obserbvation!!:chuckle :chuckle :rotfl: Thank you, I really needed a laugh!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LDRP; Education.

How does one get out, anyway?

I mean, sure, I can probably get hired as a cashier at Kohl's, but for any other job in another industry that would be equivalent pay, it would seem that alot of RNs may be "overqualified" for many positions outside of healthcare.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment