Unhappy and Depressed

[PraiseMariahCarey]

I'm in my third semster of nursing school will be graduating in December with a BSN and just got a job working at a local big hospital here in Atlanta, Ga as a tech. I'm at near wits with nursing and haven't even began to work. I hate going to work as a tech because the environment is so gloomy. I hate the 12 hour shifts there so long and exhausting. Its so much paperwork and charting. The nurses and the techs are always running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They seem to complete tasks simply to "cover their a##" and are always getting chewed out by management, families, doctors, and who ever else thinks everything they do should be absolutely perfect. It takes me forever to get tasks done, my feet hurt, all i want to do is sleep and when i'm not sleeping i'm studying. Nurses sre so fake and they look down on each other and talk about each other in the breakroom. Nobody really wants to help and look at you sideways if you ask for help and when you do something wrong people say "Why didn't you ask for help". I don't think being a nurse is any less stressful than being a tech. Medical equipment never works, supplies always out, staffing always short. I'm not looking forward to the verbal abuse and physical exhaustion. I'm so lost and depressed. People tell me it'll get better, but I'm not sure if I can deal with this for 5 or even 10 years. I like the scientific aspects of nursing and learning about disease processes but I hate patient care. It's so strenuous and time consuming.

[catshowlady]

If you are working and going to school, you may be experiencing some burnout. I worked full-time as a PCT on a busy intermediate unit and went to NS full-time, and I burned out doing it. I was cranky and I hated my job. Now that I am out of school, I am much less stressed, and I like nursing again. It helps that I have found a good unit to work on. There is still some back-biting and gossip, but not to a toxic level.

Also, I haven't worked in a field or workplace yet that didn't have its share of drama and complaining. I think it is just human nature. We have to work to live, but most folks don't have the luxury of being independently wealthy or making a living at a job that they would work for free, just because they like it so much. So people aren't always happy to be at work. Just my .

:paw:

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

I would say, look into your heart, and if you really, really hate it all, leave. You can always go back later and finish what you started if you want to. Will you get credits for what you have done if you want to pick it up later? Go and talke to your university/college counsellor re this first b4 dropping out though. No point leading a miserable life.

It could also be the place you work at, also you are not doing nursing yet, once you get a bit more experience nursing can be enjoyable (I hesitate to use the word fun), as I find the shiftwork gruelling now I'm getting older.

You could at least try to finish the degree, then you have that behind you, but if you really can't, it's better to take a break then go back later. Though you will need experience after finishing the degree to get employment, which can be hard and you will be older when you graduate.

I would go see one of your senior nursing tutors and a counsellor for a start b4 making any hasty decisions.

[BrookeeLou_RN]

Why are you working as a tech if it is so bad? You do not have to for school. I know it is good experience and all but at the rate you are going you will never finish.. can you concentrate on school and not work? If you have to work could you do something else?

Atlanta has quite a few hospitals could you try to get job in another place or another unit? Past BSN what is your goal for employment?

[PraiseMariahCarey]

Thank you all but I'm working as a tech/ student nurse extern because I'm gaunranteed an interview at the hospital when I graduate, I'm also prn but I have to work at least 2 shifts every pay period but the thing is I have to pay out of pocket for college tuition my last two semesters so I'm technically working more to meet the goal. I can't just change my major 2 semesters before I graduate with my bachelors how will I pay for another year and half of schooling because I have to be in nursing school to keep my tech position. I don't know maybe I'll go for business and go into administration I thought I would like health care because my mom father and step mom all work in it but sheesh nursing sucks so bad. Maybe I'll do it to pay my loans back then go for something else like education or business. What's a good paying degree out there with job security requiring a bachelors?

[HollyBerryRN]

Well PraiseMariahCarey- did you ever graduate? Are you now working as an RN? I hope you finished BECAUSE you can do so many things in nursing besides hospital staff nurse. I have been an RN for 11 years and about every position I've held I could have written what you did in your original post about it. I have found not patient care dissatisfying, but everything else that nursing seems to be. I actually love patients, love making a difference in their lives, but dislike being an RN. So, I'm in Family Nurse Practitioner school. I hope that by becoming an FNP that I can eliminate many of things that you mention in your post-all of which are true. With your BSN you can open so many other doors for yourself. I do hope you finished and are doing well. :)

[snobanda]

I work in atl and a massive hospital with limited resources. I LOVE what I do. It's hard, it's frustrating, emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting but it drives what I do and it's so rewarding. I didn't start having that passion until I changed units. I was in med surg and liked it but didnt love it. Now I'm in the icu and I love it! you might be in the wrong unit. Look around. Hell you might be at the wrong hospital. Also change your shoes. If your feet are killing you, you need new shoes. Good luck!

[missladyrn]

Honestly I wish I figured out what you have when I was still in school so I could have changed majors. Sure it gets better, but it gets worse before it gets better and takes a few years to level out. Nursing has aged me - mind, body, and spirit. If I had it to do over, I think I'd have chosen something else.

Time for some soul searching, can you do this type of work for a few years to get the magic experience? Or would you be happier elsewhere? But doing what?

[HollyBerryRN]

I personally feel that I will be much happier as a family nurse practitioner. I have 11 years of varied clinical experience, I've gotten to see and do a lot from neonatal to oncology/hospice to travel infusion nurse to traveling float nurse to stroke/ortho to endoscopy. You name it. But I've never been professionally satisfied as an RN. At one point I was even completely burned out mentally, physically, emotionally, psychologically- I felt I had nothing to give as an nurse. I then left to travel out to CA as an RN b/c there they have nurse to patient ratios of 4-5: 1 and I was able to rest, regroup, recoup so to speak. When I didn't have to worry about drowning in my work with unsafe patient loads and high acuity I was able to get ME back. Once I did, I decided that the one thing that has been consistent throughout my misery of being an RN was that I truly do care for my patients and want to help them, want to spend time with them, want to listen to them, want to make a difference. So, I decided to finish my BSN and then apply to FNP school. I did and I've been accepted and start in 3 weeks. I have read all the posts from those who are beaten down, chewed up and spit out and over it and I KNOW how that feels and I have read the posts from nurses who can't relate and say: get out of nursing and do us all a favor if that's how you feel about it. They don't have a clue why there is a critical and GLOBAL shortage of nurses- it is NOT because we don't CARE! I understand and I've stood on both sides. I encourage all of you feeling the same way to find the job that you love. It is out there. I've had some nontraditional roles as well as a field based educator, doing telephone triage out of my home office..... there are options. Pursue something else if you are miserable. You worked so hard to get to this point of having your RN and there must surely be a way that you can still use it without it costing you...YOU. Find what that is.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

But Holly, that's just it. There is no critical or global shortage of nurses. The only tidbit you got right there is that there is an unwillingness to hire for decent ratios. All is corporate now, and all decisions are made with the goal of reducing nursing staff.

[HollyBerryRN]

Just because some of the retired nurses came back to the field to work to take up the slack from their unemployed husbands in our US recession doesn't mean there still is not a critical and global shortage (global as in WORLD WIDE). There still is a shortage and projected to increase. Communication skills are very important in nursing and how we speak to each other and communicate to each as colleagues matters. I don't dispute what you are saying about corporate (nor was that even the point of my post), nor will I tell you the only tidbit you got right with your post. MY post was meant to encourage those who are burned out. I hope that it does encourage some of you out there to keep searching for a position that makes you feel good about being an RN and gives you a patient load that you feel you can manage safely for both your license and the patient's well being. I was not trying to be RIGHT with my post but only to share that I understand burn out and offer encouragement to those who are suffering from it. Thank you netglow for your 'input' on my post.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

ok, you've had a chance to vent. good on ya...this is a generally safe place to do that, in that if anyone flames you it's easy to hit "delete" or scroll away. you are not invested in anyone here, so it doesn't have to matter.

that said... almost everyone here is right. it's great that you are almost finished with your school, your degree will open doors for you that you can't imagine right now, it won't always be like this, and meanwhile, get some better shoes. :hug:

[uRNmyway, ASN, RN]

Ok, maybe my opinion is different than some. If you have done what others suggested, and found that you really dont enjoy what you do...I would say..YOU ARE ALMOST DONE!! Finish what you started and what you have been paying for! At the very least, you have something to fall back on. There is a recession going on right now, and people are having a really difficult time finding work. Here you are, with a job, and a fantastic, pretty safe profession to fall back on. Dont quit now.

As others have said, there are so many things to do with an RN licence. I currently work in home health, in an office. Very little actual patient care, mostly evaluations if I do any bedside at all. Try other hospitals, other departments...

By the way, I am also in Atlanta and looking to find work in a hospital, could you PM me to let me know what hospital and department you are on so I avoid it like the plague it sounds like?