What is the toughest part of nursing?

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Am curious - if you had to pick one thing related to the nursing practice that is the toughest, what would it be?

delrionurse said:

Doing the best for your patient, then getting critical labs called from the lab and a host of other issues then having to give report to mean 'Debbie' in the morning.  And she questions every little thing and rolls her eyes on why something wasn't done. 

I feel sorry for nurses like that. Debbie gonna roll her eyes and suck her teeth, then get the hell on and do her job. If she wants to be passive aggressive or believe herself to be a martyr, so be it. I'm going home LOL

Specializes in icu,prime care,mri,ct, cardiology, pacu,.

Personalities are the toughest to work with 

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

The hardest part of nursing is dealing with health systems that are not about health but are about generating profit.  

Specializes in Cardiac surgery.

Not being able to be in 4 places at once. 

Bearing all the responsibility but not having the power or authority to affect change.

Patients are admitted to the hospital, only when they are very ill.  Patients that are very ill may be rude. It is still your  job to care for them.

Specializes in Psychiatry/Nursing Research.

We need an education campaign for patients to realize what we are trying to do, and what we need from them (respect). And then a course for nurses on how to respond to it professionally patients just aren't able or willing 

Specializes in oncology.

This sounds like a good campaign for the ANA. Well, it would be the if organization that says they speak for us....The American Nurses Association would DO for US.  Where are they? (processing Magnet programs and Certification programs that earn them $$$$$)

we need leadership!! and we need it NOW

Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

I work in older persons mental health. 

I have a scenario of a patient who had had multiple admissions post substance misuse. Currently on the ward and very vocal about the situation they are in and how much they hate it despite the fact its very much of the patients own making

I find any patients lack of insight and inability to take responsibility for their actions a challenge. If I am able to gently challenge their perspective and world view and they decide to make changes in their life I feel very privileged to be a apart of the process. 

When its patients like the one above, I still do the best I can. I remind myself that the patient has to be the one to make the change and to quote the cliche 'you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it. I ensure I also have good stress relief strategies in place. 

DavidFR said:

[...]there's a difference between being inappropriate because you're stressed and anxious and being just plain rude.

Sometimes we over-excuse what is just plain discourtesy.

Agree. I have come to the conclusion that nursing is wrong in teaching that all is understandable (excused) due to illness/stress. My observation and experience is that when sick/very stressed, people are still generally some version of who they always are. With some exceptions (such as when the medical condition itself is directly causing a loss  or alteration of usual faculties) people with even the most basic manners don't suddenly start throwing urinals and hurling personal insults just because they are ill enough to be hospitalized. They just don't. The might be a little more short or a little more demanding than they would be on a good day or forget to say thank you when they usually would or even raise their voice/speak more bluntly or harshly than they normally would, but they aren't incorrigible and don't try to hurt people (physically or emotionally).

Specializes in nursing ethics.

Rudeness can be subjectively perceived. A tone of voice, wrong choice of words, anger at something or other or reluctance may seem disrespectful. Sometimes these things are misinterpreted and taken personal. I'm not talking about name calling or rude hand gestures. I know of patients who are misunderstood because of their negative tone of voice, or angry for being sick, and  just for not stating her birthdate fast enough to a receptionist. (she thought that was rude, called security.) 

A  real sign in a doctor's office: BE NICE or GO AWAY.

Specializes in ER.

Two faced administration saying "we're behind you" "we support you" but theres no evidence of that except a new checksheet we have to fill out every year. It's very discouraging to bust your butt, and then reprimanded for not going above and beyond. I don't have fecking wings.

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