What is Your Biggest Challenge as a Nurse or a Nursing Student?

[Brian]

Take a brief survey here : What is your biggest nursing challenge?

We've had several articles and threads recently dealing with many problems and challenges that nurses are facing today. We get so caught up in caring for others that many times we forget about taking care of ourselves. So many issues nurses face on a daily basis can lead to emotional and physical burnout, job dissatisfaction, anxiety, illness, and more, unless we learn how to cope with the stresses that won't go away. Although the root of many of these challenges seem unsurmountable, there are things that can be done for how we react under the stresses many of you are experiencing.

This got me to thinking…...what can we do about this? I know many of you come here to vent about the challenges you are facing. And that is good. But how can allnurses be more supportive to you than just offering a sounding board?

I'd like to know: What is your biggest personal challenge as a nurse or nursing student? What's keeping you from enjoying your job or your preparations to be a nurse? What is taking the joy out of your life?

I'm really curious and I want to know. In order to help, we need to know more about those stresses you are facing at work or in school. So please take a few minutes to answer some questions.

Click here to answer a few questions.

Your feedback by participating in this short survey will be instrumental in helping us as we develop things that we hope will help you with your challenges....before you reach the state of burnout. This is your chance to have an impact on our plans for future developments and offerings through allnurses.

To express our appreciation for you taking time to answer a few questions, we will be having a random drawing of (4) $50 gift cards to those who complete the questionnaire.

I look forward to hearing from you!

After taking the survey, please feel free to share your feedback in this thread. Go ahead and vent. Sometimes talking about it is very therapeutic.

Thanks

[jjones4ever]

All i can say is i have neglected myself-while taking care of everyone else for the last 15 years.

Well......that's about to change. I will not stop being a loving and caring nurse, but it's time

to love me more....................

[Davey Do]

Thanks for asking!

"Like" buttons are great! We all enjoy positive reinforcement, but...

How about something like a "Dislike" button? Or a "You need a Positive Critique, Child!" button?

Have a Member earn the Right for such a button. You know- so Trolls and Chronic Malcontents can't go button-pushing happy?

Thanks again!

[Farawyn]

I have had three shifts from hell in as many weeks and I just can't believe this is what nursing is supposed to be. I feel like a firefighter with a garden hose trying to put down a three alarm monster most nights. At least the charge brings a bucket for me and my fellow nurses aim their little hoses my way when it gets really bad. Then they have to go back to their own fires and I am left to burn.

Apt.

(And this answers my next question, "Where the hell have you been?")

[Farawyn]

Thanks for asking!

"Like" buttons are great! We all enjoy positive reinforcement, but...

How about something like a "Dislike" button? Or a "You need a Positive Critique, Child!" button?

Have a Member earn the Right for such a button. You know- so Trolls and Chronic Malcontents can't go button-pushing happy?

Thanks again!

Nerd alert:

On one of my old LOTR boards we had "modding powers" if we had enough posts. We could mod a post "up" or mod them "down", so we could give strokes to the many awesome posts and/or sink trolls into oblivion, publicly.

Good times.

We also need a Nerd Alert button.

[Nei77, MSN]

I struggle with the fact that I got into nursing because I like to take care of people. And because of ridiculous rules and HCAPS and nurse patient ratio that is almost impossible. My first year as a nurse was spend with me suffering from UTI's dt not drinking enough water and not going to the bathroom as often as I needed, nightmares, social isolation, and pain all over my body dt stress from work and being sick most of the time. Now I am in the process of finding another job. And I struggle with going back to the hospital and killing myself for another year just to get enough experience to get something else. Or, try to get into a small practice with less stress even if that means no advancement in the future and less money. So, there is my struggle right now. I am 38 so I my time for advancement is limited. Thank god for my supporting husband. :)

[Donna Maheady]

You are not alone....many other nursing students struggle with mental health challenges. Try to get connected with other students with similar issues.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

My biggest challenge is when I care more than the patient, student, parent or family. I strive to provide quality skilled care. It drives me nuts when I do all the work.

Not always the case, and when it is collaborative, it is validation of my career choice.

Regardless, I would not change what I do.

[S00147954]

A few different things!

For me, the biggest struggle is overcoming my own issues to be a good nurse. Specifically, my lack of confidence and reserved personality. I tend to sit back and observe, and also tend to defer to those with more experience. I struggle with 'putting on a front' and being outgoing/personable.

Also, as a male I find it difficult sometimes working in a predominately female environment. Most of the nurses I've worked with so far have been awesome, but I find a few seem to have the mentality that men shouldn't be nurses, and so aren't very friendly (as I said, most have been great but the odd few can make life difficult). (Not to mention working with mostly women I always get called on to reach the high shelves or move anything heavy, not that I mind ).

I find as a student also that your day so much depends on who you're working with. I hate to be the young upstart that rocks the boat, but I always try to think about what I'm doing and come up with new ways to do things if I think I could do better for the patients, or be more efficient. However, particularly some older nurses seem to be 'stuck in their ways' and will tear you to pieces if you so much as suggest there's more than one way to do things.

But overall, those are pretty minor. I haven't lost a patient yet so I figure I'm doing OK!

[Geoffrey100]

my biggest challenge is how to get into the nursing program. I have been studying really hard to take the test but most of the time, I felt I am not ready yet. Its my dream to become a Nurse and I hope that dream come to reality one day.

[MadisonG]

My biggest challenge at this point in my nursing program (4 months and 3 weeks left to go) is just trying to find the motivation to study!! Also, there are some people who love to act as if racism doesn't exist, but I also find it hard sometimes being an African American woman in this field. I have had to deal with prejudice instructors who give me a hard time and it honestly makes me work twice as hard. Sometimes I feel as if I stand out, this is not all of the time but a majority of the time. I have made some really good friends who don't act different after clinical when they get around their other friends. Other than that I just ignore it. It doesn't bother me but it is a challenge to be around sheltered people who look at you or treat you different because you do not look like them. Anyway, the next challenge will be to pass NCLEX !

[colleenwrn]

Trying to help patients who aren't willing to help themselves. You educate, educate and educate, and then they make dumb choices anyway and end up sick again. Then they want a quick fix and say they don't understand why this stuff happens to them, UGH!!!

[navarrofutureRN]

I'm a newly licensed RN in labor and delivery.. I'm a man.. Enough said , huh?