In your opinion, is there an area of nursing where you actually help people? I mean, I know you can help people in any area, but I feel like most nursing jobs you help maybe 30% of the patients and the rest are noncompliant, drug seeking, crazy. . .and yes, I know these people need help too but I don't feel like I can do anything in the hospital.
I'm so tired and burnt out.
I lost my temper with a patient earlier this week - an A&O pt who was being a complete jerk, verbally abusive, manipulative. And I am so mad that I allowed this patient to get under my skin (although in my defense, this patient also made the nursing supervisor, two case managers and a patient advocate very angry too lol)
I feel like I work my ass off, but nothing changes, the same patients come in over and over with the same problems (SOB, acute back pain, chest pain, CHF exacerbation, AMS) Education goes in one ear and out the other. The patients don't take their meds, don't see their doctors, then come in and demand IV pain meds, benzos, cheeseburgers and coffee NOW and what do you mean I can't go smoke a cigarette and NO I don't want SCDs on or IV fluids and STOP DRAWING MY BLOOD and I want a private room NOW. We get old, very sick demented patients from nursing homes who honestly should be DNRs but instead we stick them and poke them and tie them down and fill them with ABX and eventually put in pegs and do random tests and surgeries and they linger and languish and eventually die.
I love the days I feel like I make a difference - they are so far and few between. I wish there was more of them.
Thanks for letting me rant. And I am serious about wanting opinions about areas of nursing where I could actually make a difference.
