The things you absolutely cant stand about nursing.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey Guys,

I've worked as a CNA/GNA years ago and really enjoyed working with the patients, but after the birth of my child I managed to get away. Today I work at a University in the billing department; sitting on my butt, bored, answering phones and clicking the mouse all day.:crash_com Anyways I've decidied to return to school and I'm hoping to enter the nursing program next fall. I'm wondering if there are things that you can't stand about your job, well besides all the charting. :angryfire I know nowadays it seems to be more about the paperwork and less abou the patient.:heartbeatSo I'd like to know what specialty you work in, what shift, and the various things that really tick you off at work?

Pain in the butt co-workers, supervisors, and managers who don't know or don't care about the concept of "cooperation" in the workplace. They just go around making it miserable for everyone else all the time. Everything is made into a problem. All conversations turn into contests and challenges. You can't get a simple question answered without getting a bunch of grief. Also people who are in management positions who are liars. Everything has to be checked when it comes from their mouth, because you never know what is valid and what is the next lie. Of course, there are others. The list goes on and on.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh boy. "MAID, WAITRESS AND PUNCHING BAG" YOU ARE. And don't you forget it. Oh, and, YOUR GOING TO LIKE IT TOO. It's in your job description under "all other indicated".

And a secretary, "NURSE, get my pager, my cell phone's ringing, too. And I need a 2-0 VICRYL ON A SH.""WHO's ON THE PHONE "(as you are acertaing that info). WHAT IS THAT PAGE ABOUT.?" You tell him. "WHO, WHAT?". Then the finale....."WHY HAVEN'T YOU GOTTEN MY SUTURE?"

What's Not to Love;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mixed Level-1 ICU.

As usual, most nurses complain about the behavior they haven't the courage to change.

Don't like being a maid, then tell the family member, "Sorry, getting that coffee will have to wait. Patient care that comes first."

You let yourselves be pulled in too many directions by not. Prioritize your care and then say "no" loud and clear when you are being pulled away.

Can't say "no", then you are destined to be miserable until your retire.

Learn to say "no" and you'll start taking back your practice, and a little more joy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

All of the little things and not so little things that do not allow me to care for my patient. When I became a nurse I did it because I like patient care, but everything else that I have to do keeps me from spending any time with my patient.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Family Practice, Urgent Care, Cardiac Ca.

I love nursing. the things that drive me nuts about it areHonestly...the things I dislike the most about nursing are

#1: The culture of $#!t-talking: I have listened to countless RNs, LPNs, and other nursing staff unload their self-important opinions about families, fashion, patient values, religion, and whether or not patients will go to hell or not when they die. It seems like a way to make up for not feeling important in a team: make your personal opinions important. ARG!

#2. The CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING STAFF! I understand when people have to vent because their job is stressfull, the patients, stressful, the hours crappy, the pay not-ideal, but when you are complaining about your nails and sex life when you just changed the dressings on a person with 80% 3rd degree burns...your priorities might need a reboot.

#3. Have to agree with the WebMD patients. Whenever my assessment starts out with, "I read on the internet..." I usually have to take a deep breath.

Otherwise, Don't sweat the small stuff!

:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Please tell me how to say no to the MD's that built the facility and invited their favorite personnel from other hospitals. In orientation they had us repeat, "Yes Sir, Doctor. Right away Doctor." 100 times.

Mostly, I was just describing a very typical day in the OR, in what was suppose to be, a humorous manner. If I didn't love it...I assure you, I have "the courage" to change it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, ER.

I'm in orientation in the ER now, and what I can't stand is that I have to discharge someone BEFORE I take care of someone else's pain. Because the time that I take to discharge someone is counted against me, but the time I take to help someone who is crying and suffering doesn't really matter to anyone who counts. At least that's what my preceptor said in not so many words. :scrying:

Because the only thing that matters is the little numbers that show up at the end of your name each month.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontology.

The idea that one unit/area is better than another. ICU is regarded as better than Geriatrics. ER is better than med/surg. You know what I mean.

People think that nurses working on the sub-acute floors are somehow less smart/able than those in ICU or ER.

We cannot grow stronger as professinals as long as we are fighting within ourselves. We need to realize that sub-acute or ICU, we all have our strenghths and abilities.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.
As usual, most nurses complain about the behavior they haven't the courage to change.

Don't like being a maid, then tell the family member, "Sorry, getting that coffee will have to wait. Patient care that comes first."

You let yourselves be pulled in too many directions by not. Prioritize your care and then say "no" loud and clear when you are being pulled away.

Can't say "no", then you are destined to be miserable until your retire.

Learn to say "no" and you'll start taking back your practice, and a little more joy.

That is great advice for nurses with management that will back them up.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The whole "customer service" thing. Giving food to an NPO patient or giving a diabetic amputee three helpings of ice cream isn't "customer service". If you do a search on "customer service" on these boards you'll find out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

the surveys, the general lack of respect for nurses by some family members, the lack of respect by certain members of my family who ask me a question and when i finally answer after much hesitation and hemming and hawing, get very quiet, then say, "uh... do you mind if i check that out with my neighbor___ (who is a cna and webmd graduate), or cousin ___ who has kids and i don't. never mind that ___ is a cpa, she has kids. i hate that some people think i chose psych because no other department would have me. psych is a field which requires excellent assessment skills, what my dad used to call a good b* meter, and a heckuva lot of knowledge. oh, and the idea that if i'd been good academically, i'd have been a physician. aaarrruuugggghhhh!:banghead:

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

ps -- scrubbing moss covered dentures and long crumbly toenails...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
What ticks me off is to have a manager go into a room where my pt is perfectly happy and bother them enough so they FINALLY have a complaint.

Agreed. I have no idea why they do this. We had a cold day a couple of weeks ago and no heating. Had a lady up in her wheelchair with two layers, found her a fleece jacket from lost and found, had a lap blanket on. After much questioning and egging on to complain she said, "Well, I'm just a bit cold" Guess which dept got the blame for her being cold, maintenance or nursing? :banghead:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment