The worst job you had before becoming a Nurse?

CardiacDork, MSN, RN · Mar 29, 2016

My worst pre-nursing job was a summer job as a maid at a highly overrated "nice" hotel in the Berkshires. My coworkers mostly hadn't finished high school, but they were nice enough. The customers were nightmare. Hell hath no fury like a rich person inconvenienced.
One woman yelled at my partner and me for 10 minutes because she couldn't figure out how to use the air conditioner. People who wanted extra shampoo would accuse the maid of not leaving any in the room. One maid missed lunch because a customer demanded she retrieve their toothbrush.
The worst part: no one tipped. I worked when the prestigious college nearby had its alumni weekend. The hotel was full. I made $3.85 in tips all weekend.

$3.85 ... What year was this in?

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Mar 29, 2016

It was summer 1997. I think I made $6/hour, but no one tipped the maid.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Mar 29, 2016

My worst pre-nursing job was a summer job as a maid at a highly overrated "nice" hotel in the Berkshires. My coworkers mostly hadn't finished high school, but they were nice enough. The customers were nightmare. Hell hath no fury like a rich person inconvenienced.
One woman yelled at my partner and me for 10 minutes because she couldn't figure out how to use the air conditioner. People who wanted extra shampoo would accuse the maid of not leaving any in the room. One maid missed lunch because a customer demanded she retrieve their toothbrush.
The worst part: no one tipped. I worked when the prestigious college nearby had its alumni weekend. The hotel was full. I made $3.85 in tips all weekend.

I've found the wealthy and powerful to be some of the *worst* patients ever.

kiszi, RN · Mar 30, 2016

It was summer 1997. I think I made $6/hour, but no one tipped the maid.

:ninja: I didn't know you were supposed to :blink:

EmRN14 · Mar 30, 2016

When I was a hostess at the Cracker Barrell. Worst. Job. Ever.

CardiacDork, MSN, RN · Mar 30, 2016

When I was a hostess at the Cracker Barrell. Worst. Job. Ever.

I like that they sell tons of cute stuff though. I haven't been in a year though.

darliff · Mar 30, 2016

I'm not seeing near as much service/restaurant industry as I thought I would. Something like half my classmates when I was in nursing school were servers, bartenders, or BOH. Or maybe those jobs just rock. I might be biased. I still work part time in a bar/restaurant on top of my nursing job. Been cooking for 16 years no reason to quit now. Lol

CardiacDork, MSN, RN · Mar 30, 2016

I'm not seeing near as much service/restaurant industry as I thought I would. Something like half my classmates when I was in nursing school were servers, bartenders, or BOH. Or maybe those jobs just rock. I might be biased. I still work part time in a bar/restaurant on top of my nursing job. Been cooking for 16 years no reason to quit now. Lol

I knew of a cardiologist through some other nurses that works as a bartender. No shame in that game, I suppose! Must be a release for her. :)

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Mar 30, 2016

Worst: Surprisingly, my 'dream job,' working in a developing country on a public health water filter study. We knew within weeks that the study was a bust and would ultimately harm the population more than it would help them, but we followed through with it anyway.

Best: During the above project, simultaneously moonlighting as a bartender at a local backpacker party hostel to get a free bed. I'd probably still doing that if I actually got paid, lol.

Why nursing rocks: In global health, I felt that I had no true skills; no matter how hard I tried, my projects had few tangible positive outcomes on people. I could give you a water filter, but that won't fix poverty, political instability, or lack of infrastructure and a functional sewage system. In nursing, I have a practical, useful skill set, and I immediately see the positive impact that I have have on my patients. Instant gratification.

audreysmagic, RN · Mar 30, 2016

Canvassing. It was an environmental group with a cause I believed strongly in, but...wow, for a job I was depending on to pay the bills... I had a minimum to make each week in donations or I made minimum wage ($5-something an hour at the time) for miles of walking and knocking on doors and having said doors slammed in my face. I rarely made that figure because I don't have it in me to be aggressive with people, especially for what's basically charity. I observed "no soliciting" signs on houses and moved on whereas the ones who did well in my group were always, "It's not soliciting if you're not selling anything!" And they didn't take no for an answer at first. I finally quit when I couldn't take it anymore...the people I worked with were awesome but it was NOT the job for me.

audreysmagic, RN · Mar 30, 2016

I have more..
I lasted a month or so doing door to door soliciting for a non-profit environmental activism-type group. I got the most donations in the poorer neighborhoods, though they were smaller. Rich folks didn't answer the door half the time.
Cons: my pay was based on how much I got in donations
I didn't really feel strongly about the views I "supported" nor did I jive with my crunchy granola co-workers
I got so freaking bone cold walking door to door for hours; that was the final straw one night. I went up to my boss when he came around in the pick-up van and said "I can't do this anymore." He looked at me like "yeah, I know." I was awful.
Then there was my brief stint as a knife salesman. I made one sale, to my Dad.
Thank God for nursing

OMG, I had the exact experience in my short canvassing career! Rich people slammed doors in my face; the poorer people were at least kinder at saying no. It sounds so identical to my gig, I wonder if it was the same one, LOL. Super crunchy but kind coworkers I never 100% gelled with...and I never made "goal" because I couldn't get aggressive.

laceymelissa · Mar 30, 2016

Not that my previous jobs were awful, it's just nothing was ever satisfying the way nursing is. I would have to say my "worst" was working at a call center.