Another nurse here stressed out from the profession, to be specific, beside nursing. I really need some guidance because i feel as if I have lost a piece of my soul that I will never get back. I still love nursing. I love impacting people's lives and having the knowledge and experience that I have now, but I just can't handle this stress anymore.
I started off on a medicine floor and worked there for 1.5 years. Now I am in the medicine ICU and have been here for 9 months now. My attitude has changed. I remember once I was an extremely tolerant, stress free person. I have never been so discouraged in my life.
I have read many posts from other sites of stressed nurses on the floor. Main stressors being paperwork, poor managmement, workload. I can handle irrate family members, needy patients, even management (to a point). I'm not stressed by any of the paper work, patient care, or having to wear MANY hats with this profession.
My BIGGEST stressor are fellow co-workers. Giving report is where I get my biggest stress. I HATE getting talked to by a co-worker about something I didn't do or questioning me as if I was an idiot. Most of the time for petty things. I am not one for confrontation, especially not at the work place. I have noticed this culture EVERYWHERE in bedside nursing. It's disgusting that fellow RNs act this way. I do my best everyday but it's never enough. Someone will complain about something. When you've had a long 12 hour shift about to leave and having someone tell you basically "You didn't do your job" or "You didnt do your job well" is extremely discouraging. I would mull over these things for DAYS.
All this is leading me to not want to come into work and leave bedside nursing. I just can't take it anymore. RNs deal with too many people and to get attitude during report from a fellow RN who KNOWS how things are, is just ******. It's horrible. I'm a grown man and I have never been stressed from "bullying", but all this is taking its toll on my mental health. I'm still a young nurse and there is definitely a lot that I do not know, which is what makes me feel like crap when I get talked to.
I am thinking about doing something outpatient but staying with the medical center. I love working with people especially during times of great need. The politics are killing me. Does anyone else here find this as a stressor? Have any of you moved to OP settings and felt great happiness? I love nursing but I need to find a way out of this stress. PLEASE HELP! Thank you for your time.
I'm sorry to here this man. Our institution actually has started an anti-bullying campaign to raise awareness about these things. I hope things get better for you. Your mental sanity is worth a lot.
but aside from the toxic work place, i find nursing in itself stressful especially if you are a responsible and caring person. I feel like crap when I miss a med! So yeah, I compensate and balance my life by partying more than ever. good thing I live in Vegas so that makes partying easy. I don't "party" with co-workers either. and i'm going to school for NP so i'll never have to get treated like a grunt.
I learned early on that there are some coworkers who will always, and I mean ALWAYS, find something you didn't do or give you attitude during report. You could have had the craziest shift and still have managed to finish 99% of everything and then they will give you attitude about the fact that forgot to put SCDs in the room (even when there weren't any clean ones on the unit). I want to/need to stay in my current position at the moment so I get by by remembering my work ethic and how much I know I care about my patients. There are just some people who will never be happy with you no matter how hard you try.
IcanHealYou
174 Posts
I'm sorry to here this man. Our institution actually has started an anti-bullying campaign to raise awareness about these things. I hope things get better for you. Your mental sanity is worth a lot.