It seems like every time I come onto AN these days, every other post is "I'm sick of nursing/I want out". I understand the nature of this site and forum and all are welcome to come on and vent, but this post type really irks me. Instead of responding to every post, I wanted to make a blanket reply to all posts.
Ok, you are sick of nursing. For reason A, B, or C , you had a revelation that this is not the profession for you. Lets start with that revelation.
First of all, give it more than a few days before posting about how its time to throw in the towel. Everyone has bad shifts/days/weeks, that is life. After giving yourself some time to cool down, you may realize you are overreacting. Also, can you think of a job prior to nursing that you weren't eventually sick of? Isn't that a part of the reason why you went back to school to become a Nurse? Any job you have had/have/will have will always have negative aspects along with positive aspects. Every job I have ever had its share of poor management, gossip, redundant/ludicrous policies, ungrateful/manipulative customers, and a poor ratio of work put in to compensation. You can try to improve your work environment best you can, you can cope with it, or you can just flat out leave and find work elsewhere. I really can't help you there, that is a decision for you to make.
Doctors are disrespectful and talk down to you? Welcome to nursing. For every difficult doctor (in my opinion, seems to be a 4:1 ratio) you will find one that is respectful and understanding. Some people are easier to work with than others, same goes with co-workers that are RN/LPN/CNA. Again, if you don't like it than fix it - have you tried telling them flat out when they are being disrespectful? You would be surprised how well this works.
Difficult patients? Welcome to nursing. Believe it or not, but people do not like to go to the hospital. They may be difficult for you, but you are as equally difficult for them. When it is medically necessary to be in a hospital, it is not a good experience. When people are in pain it affects their mood. When people are sick, they will get cranky and may say or do things that they wouldn't otherwise. Try to keep that in mind.
Unsafe work environment? I have been on both sides, and I can say now that I am in one of the safest working environments I have EVER been in. If the patient:nurse ratio is too high, look at the patient acuity before crying unsafe. If I am on the floor and taking care of a high ratio (7-8:1), the person that created the assignment probably factored in that these patients are stable and/or easy to care for. If I have a 3:1 ratio, it is probably because these patients are much higher acuity. Take a look at what you perceive as unsafe and what unsafe truly means. When I worked agency, I would be put into low-staffed nursing homes where I was responsible for 45-60 people on a shift - sometimes it was manageable, other times it was VERY unsafe. When I truly feel that patient care is compromised, I speak up. I have refused assignments before, which is a good way to get management to take your concerns seriously. I didn't last there very long due to the frequency of unsafe assignments. When I realized it was unsafe, I found a different job. If you feel safety is compromised, don't keep returning to the same work environment. I don't remember where I heard this, but there is a saying: Insanity is performing the same action(s) and expecting different results.
Ok, whatever has lead you to the decision, you are tired of nursing.
Find a different job. Maybe its not nursing that bugs you, but rather the circumstances of where you work. Nursing as a whole is an increasingly dynamic career path. Not feeling challenged in the nursing home? Work your way up to ICU. Want more autonomy and less care plans? Try Air Care. Too stressed? Take up office nursing or teaching. Don't want to touch people anymore? Go back to school and get into nursing research. It is going to take some time to find what fits you best, and its going to take longer to achieve that position. That's life, you work hard for the job you want.
Take a hiatus. Just because you have the licence doesn't mean you have to use it! I knew a guy that got fed up with nursing and moved on to bartending. He was a bartender for six months and came back to nursing refreshed. Nursing is a very difficult profession, and its okay if you need a break from time to time.
Go back to school. If money is not enough or work is leaving you in a rut, advance yourself. Can't afford to? Baloney! If you sit down I am sure you can figure it out. I am up to my neck in debt, but I still feel that going to school for nursing was the best decision I have made in my life.
For every post that reads "Sick of Nursing" there are at least 10 posts that are "Would do anything - Can't find a job in nursing!" . **** or get off the pot! People would die for your job right now, especially in this economy. You are not doing anybody any good when you hate nursing, yet you sit on your job. It reflects on your patient care, it is taken out on your co-workers, and it keeps good, hard-working, passionate people out of the profession. If you are miserable then leave! If you feel you can fix your attitude, than at least try to fix it. Don't sit around and mope; you are a professional, start acting like one.
If this post comes across as insensitive, than grow up. You are an adult. You made the decision to go to school, you made the choice to work at your job. You have the power to change your job. You have the power to leave at any time.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
