When will being an RN stop sucking?

Nurses General Nursing

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Why does it suck to be an RN these days, it is everywhere, in every area, I am so tired of being treated like dirt! We nurses do most of the work and the docs and big hospital systems treat us like peons. When did we lose the professionalism? WHen did being an RN become a negative profession? Where did all the jobs go?

I am completing the last two semesters or prereqs, then on to nursing school. Some of you have scared me to death. I think of the expense of nursing school, the prospect of not being able to get a job once I complete school...and now the prospect of hating what I do. Have you ever worke in a call center? Sit in a chair all day with a earpiece on your head, and an angry customer on the other end of the line cursing you because their GPS unit is not talking loud enough - seriously?! It is not life an death people!! Get a map!!! But you can't say this. Give that job all you've got. Do every thing by the book and abide by all the rules of the company...then they tell you, you qualify for a .05 cents a week raise in pay. Then the yearly earnings report comes out and you see that the company is rolling in money becuase they pay cash for everything and have no loans against the company. Yay them!! So you end up making less than $12 per hour at a job you really hate!! I will take my chances on nursing. Talk about hating your job!!!

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it sounds like its time for a change of pace. Go somewhere else, transfer units, maybe another field of nursing... have you considered hospice? infomatics?

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Gonna have to agree with some people that it is NOT that easy to change jobs, and that it is no longer true that a nurse can work in any of the nursing "fields." It has been my experience that, by and large, a nurse who begins in one area is painted into that corner and it is extremely difficulty to change your specialty. "Once an ortho nurse, always an ortho nurse" and so on. For some reason (and this is TOTAL BS in my opinion), it is sometimes seen as easier to train a new grad than to re-train an experienced nurse from another specialty. Even worse, some jobs will ONLY consider you if you already have experience in that area. "Job opening: GI lab RN. Candidates without at least 2 years of GI lab experience need not apply."

Secondly: nursing DOES suck. No ifs, ands, or buts. I don't know of any other profession in which people are verbally abused by their patients (or "customers") and talked down to by their managers while, concurrently, dealing with being on their feet for 12-14 hours at time while, often, not eating/drinking/peeing. There aren't many other professions where you literally have people's lives in your hands, but are routinely given more to manage than feels safe to you. My current hospital is pushing customer service very hard right now, but then staffing ratios are such that you can barely even pass meds in the time you're given, much less "always listening" or "always explaining" plan of cares, or "always responding in a timely manner."

In the end, there are many, many, many sucky sides to nursing. But what I have found is that if you just try to give each patient the best you can, many of them will respond to your efforts and will feel that you've made a difference. And if a patient FEELS that you've made a difference (whether you think, medically, you have or not) then that is often what matters most. I can't tell you how many times I feel like I've had a crappy, horrible day and all my patients should feel outraged at the care they've received (not due to effort given, but due to having to share their nurse with so many other patients), but then a patient will thank you for everything you've done, or seem very sad that you have the next day off, or tries to keep you in their room to finish a conversation even though they know that it's time for you to go home. Because any time a patient does that, you know that you're doing someone right. It doesn't completely make up for all the other crap you deal with, but in some ways it more than compensates.

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Specializes in NICU, Newborn Nursery, Pediatrics, CM.

I totally agree that it is quite challenging to change specialties in nursing. Yes...there are many options for nurses to choose from, but (and I speak from experience here) once you go into a particular area (mine is Neonatal ICU and Pediatrics) then need or want to change, you will find the selection is almost non-existent. Most areas require 3 to 5 years of experience for a job in their area. I have been looking for a job for over three years. Yes...I have a disability, so it does limit my choices, but the answer is always no because I have no experience in that area. I am currently fighting my way through Vocational Rehab to see if I qualify for them to even help me! There are over 900 nursing jobs in my city, yet their answer to me is always no...sorry...you don't have any experience and they are NOT willing to train! And so much for EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer)! They hide behind a new work requirement that states you must be able to lift 50 pounds effectively eliminating anyone with back or neck injuries from being hired! Yet disability states that because you can do desk work/case management you don't qualify! Attorneys agree with it so you get left in the wind. What happened to training?? They say we eat our young, but we also seem to abandon our older nurses! And as far as the required BSN crap...that's what it is...CRAP! If you want to be a manager and work your way up the corporate ladder, fine! Be a BSN or an MSN. I am a Diploma RN. I went to that school because it was more suited to me and my best way to learn. I didn't want to be a manager. I wanted to be a bedside nurse! I took the same Nursing Boards that ADN's and BSN's took and passed with flying colors! So there is NO difference that I can see except for where you can go futuristically and I was fine with my choice. But to demean a RN because she is not a BSN is ridiculous! To not hire someone to work on the floor because they do not have a BSN, is stupid!

But back to original post...please do not hesitate to do something you love! Make that change as soon as possible! No reason to be miserable!

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I'm so sorry that nursing is not working out for you as you had hoped. That being said, it sounds as though you are young enough to try another career option, or another field of nursing. Don't wait until you so bitter that nothing sounds feasible. Your unhappiness can bleed through into your work performance, and believe me, the more experience you have, the harder your employer will look to find an excuse to fire you so they won't have to pay your pension and retirement benefits. It is a sad commentary on hospitals that they look at the bottom line rather than the experience and skill of their employees.

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WoW I sure am lucky to work where I do. I love my job and the people I work with. The hospital is a very small one and there is only nurse with one HCA when we are on the floor. Its not all smiles and love but for the most part we have a great staff and providers.

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To some degree, our credit and appreciation should be advocated by our nurse managers and supervisors, failure to do so, in my opinion leads to situations where we feel unappreciated.

We also have a team meeting two times a week with our Nursing Mgt, to clear the air of our issues...there are still many that are lingering, but it does help to have a forum to voice concerns.

I also think it's important to band together with your colleagues. Find out if you all feel the same way...unappreciated? If so, band together and problem-solve a way to approach mgt or the union for support to improve the situation.

Regards,

Colleen

Correctional Nurse

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As a new grad looking for a job I find this post very interesting b/c doesn't a nurse have to start at Med/Surg? Don't we need the Med/Surg experience to become a great nurse having the foundation of Med/Surg?

If the answers to these questions is NO, then show me the way;) A nurse can work community health, psych, hospice, school nursing and STILL be considered a GOOD nurse? I say this a bit sarcastically, but these options sound really good compared to the high stress of working THE FLOOR. The nursing floors are freaking crazy!! Too many patients for one nurse to maintain truly safe patient care, and comply with the ever increasing standards hospitals demand. I don't care if there is a "herd" of new grads out there, safety is safety and THAT should be the highest priority in the hospital setting. Too many patients, too much stress, and disrespect to boot could make anyone hate their job. But the MONEY is not there to hire more nurses on the floor. That would fix this.

THANK YOU so much for this website. I have complained b/c I can't find a hospital job, but tonight...I rest my worries. May I be blessed with the right job for me so I may truly bless others, which is the reason I became a nurse in the first place: compassion, caring, understanding, trust, gratitude, love, and a kind & gracious heart.

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As a ADN RN, I am slightly offended. I am a damned good nurse and would put myself up against most BSN's and even MSN's I know. They may have more theory/managerial/whatever education, but doesn't necessarily mean they are a better nurse. I have much respect for your BSN (maybe I will go back to get mine one day), but I have respect for my ADN, too ( and the LVN I had before going on). Just saying...

I could not agree with you more. I know thought that in my area you pretty much have to have a BSN to work in a hospital and a years expierience as an RN but they dont say ADN or BSN experience. I know that after I get my 2 year and pass my boards I am going to apply at all places that I can apply to right away to get a job and start building experience abd then Im going to go get my BSN I feel that a hospital setting would be better for me.

But if I was ever in a DON/ADON position in a nursing home and it was 100% my choice I would look at back ground careers like Were they a CNA before being a nurse? Did they have a "people" oriented career like waitress or cashier? ect. Even though my family owns a operates a landscape and nursery shop there is one thing it has taught me and thats experience over education. I myself would rather have a 30 year experienced LPN and/or ADN RN over a new grand no experience MSN RN take care of me any day! But if I was in a hireing postion I would also only hire so many new grads a year so that they can gain experience.

I also feel that ADN programs need to stick around because I would rather spend 2 years of money on school and find out that I didnt want to be a nurse rather then spend 4 years worth of money on education. I feel to that it needs to be like it was back in the 1950's (from what I understand) you learn it and then you go apply it on the floor that very same day!!! It would also teach us better on bedside manor and hospitality and feel confident when we got our first jobs. Plus it would weed out the weak. IMO there should be more programs out there like that!

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Work at a Magnet hospital they are known for treating nurses with respect. I work and one and wouldn't have it any other way. I have previously worked at non Magnet hospitals and there really is a difference. Second thing you can do is find another area to work in. Maybe you haven't found your niche yet.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

That's the thing to remember....every job sucks to some degree. The grass is not always greener on the other side, and you will experience good and bad days wherever you go. I'm a second career nurse. Everything that nurses complain about...coworkers, politics, hierarchy, poor management, overtime...well guess what? Same story when you work in hotel management, and really anywhere else. My pay was also much lower then. If you are truly fed up, then figure out how to change your situation. Yes, the economy is bad, but if you have experience, there are options within nursing itself. Good luck :)

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The reality of it is that hospitals are using non licensed personnel for more, hiring less, and demanding more from each nurse. They want one person to do the workload of 3. And the nurses are staying longer due to finances, so that leaves fewer openings. Regardless of ADN or BSN, hospitals are trying to increase profits and get more out of each nurse.

THIS!!!!!!

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