WHY do so many people hate nursing? Sigh.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Feb 15, 2016

I can't speak for everyone, but I HATE my job at this current moment. I was a new grad and was hired straight into an ICU. The hospital that I work at is unionized and upper management sucks. My schedule sucks, I get calls to try to make me come in almost every day that I have off, we are very short staffed, I'm working 4-5 days a week. My insurance sucks - I can only go to certain places and even then get sent bills and have to fight to not have to pay them, we have paper charting, etc.
I agreed to take the job because they offered it to me as a new grad. I'm going to stay there a year I guess. Only 4 more months, but I have been miserable. No one is happy and over half of our staff are travelers.

In a union, seniority gets the pick of schedules. Stinks, but that's life. As far as insurance goes, Obamacare made all insurance pretty much the same across the board, what gets paid and what doesn't. And your employer decides costs and premium rates, and they most likely are in line with what's going on in your area. Not what you want to hear, but its pretty much like that everywhere

NurseDiane · Feb 15, 2016

My counter question to the OP is why do so many people feel nurses must love their job and have a passion for it to deserve to work as a nurse! I don't see people voicing these expectations for other jobs like secretaries, accountants, or even doctors. Instead there is the outright indignation of how dare you not love your job! Followed by, only nurses like me who love their job deserve to be nurses and I want your job! The newbies and wannabe's and their self righteous opinion is tiring. And the wannabe's who are alarmed at all the negative posts and feel it is our duty to reassure them that nursing is all that and a slice of bread too. Why aren't you all loving it when its my dream so why isn't it yours!
The reality of nursing, especially bedside nursing, is it can be very stressful and a drudgery at the same time with all the nitpicking, micromanagement, lack of adequate equipment, short staffing, long hours, etc, etc. I just got written up for a minor thing that was the CNA's job but of course the nurse is always to blame, not even a med error and I'm not feeling charitable to the person who did this. I will remember this petty ******** especially when I find serious med errors and the like from other nurses and it was probably a perfectionistic newbie that wrote me up over the I & O and the nurse is lectured instead of the CNA. This is just ridiculous!
I'm sorry I don't have the energy to claim I love it. I don't enjoy being forced to take ICU patients on the floor, punching a time clock where one minute late counts as a sick day, etc etc etc! I love flowers, gardening, decorating, nature and wildlife. If I were a rich and well connected person like a Clinton or a Bush I would be an interior decorator and travel the world relishing in all the colors and beautiful objects to decorate a home. Sadly there are not of lot of job openings for this position especially for ordinary Americans! But of course there are plenty of job openings for an experienced bedside nurse. Gee I wonder why! Because it is such a wonderful and glamorous job no doubt where you are exposed to body fluids, and forced to break your back! To me nursing is like an educated blue collar job and I feel in many ways like a factory worker except without the strong union to provide decent pay, benefits and working conditions! Oh well I guess I should be glad they can't outsource my job to Mexico or China! lol Sorry I just can't tell you I love nursing or that nursing is all flowers and rainbows. But I'm sure others out there will jump to tell you how they love nursing inspite of the realities because so many of us feel we must love nursing or else we are less than. How dare we not love it! I just can't give you the answer you are looking for.
I wish you luck and hope you can maintain your passion for nursing when the reality hits. Maybe you are built of stronger stuff and stress will roll off your back! I hope you have a strong back because you will need it!

The fact that somebody would write a nurse up for I&O is absurd to begin with. And that is what makes you bitter. Instead of the dreaded "write up", what happened to talking to someone first to let them know they messed up-----because, guess what folks? WE ALL MESS UP SOMETIMES BECAUSE WE ARE NOT PERFECT!!!! Nurses that have been nurses for a while realize this, for the most part. We don't have time to waste on writing another nurse up for bullsh**. And we know the difference between bullsh** & the important stuff. New nurses seem to have this "attitude"----maybe it is because they are not sure of themselves or what. Maybe it is because it was pounded into their heads in nursing school that nurses are not allowed to make mistakes. Maybe it is because their parents treated them as if they never made a mistake while they were growing up. Who knows. But they see themselves as these pink & purple butterflies flying through the air with the greatest of ease, making everything they come into contact with a little prettier. The thing is, NURSING IS NOT LIKE THAT. Then, they're all disappointed when they don't get a 2 year orientation and because they feel "unsure" of themselves doing certain things. Guess what? Until you've put in a couple dozen Foley catheters, you're not going to feel secure. Guess what? Until you can start an IV on a rock, you're not going to feel secure. Nobody is going to hold your hand every time you have to put in a Foley or start an IV. You just have to do it.

Speaking of the "educated blue collar job", I was stunned a few years ago when I read that factory workers for the Detroit auto companies were making between $70-$95/hour. WHAT? I went into the wrong field.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 15, 2016

Why do so many people hate nursing?

Most people are exactly as happy as they make up their minds to be. Happiness isn't about getting a "dream job" or having the perfect house, car, wardrobe, etc. Happiness isn't about having what you want; it's about wanting what you have. Many people hate nursing because they haven't yet figured that out.

Many people hate nursing because it's their first real job, (or maybe their first job EVER) and they've never had to learn to get along with people who aren't like them. People from other cultures, from other socio-economic strata, etc. Maybe they've never had to ask for a schedule or a holiday without their helicopter parents paving the way.

People hate nursing because, face it, you have to deal with people you don't like, people who are unlikable, people who are mean or nasty. It may come as a surprise to some that you have to deal with people like that if you work at Walmart, if you work at a prestigious law firm or if you're the president of the United States. You're going to have to deal with people you'd rather not deal with for your entire life, no matter what you do for a living. But people blame nursing.

People hate nursing because their co-workers and preceptors aren't all kind, motherly, nurturing, and full of easily elicited wisdom like the coworkers and preceptors they see on sit-coms and in their dreams. They find that their colleagues are real people, just like them. Some of them are princesses, some are curmudgeons, some of them are wonderful, kind, motherly, nurturing, and full of easily elicited wisdom, but the wisdom came wrapped around a message you don't like. Or they forgot to mention how wonderful and perfect you are BEFORE they told you that you did the I & O wrong.

Some people hate nursing because they'll hate anything.

I personally have had a wonderful life -- nursing paid for a nice place for me to live, reliable cars, fun vacations, and enough discretionary income to do anything I wanted to (although not everything.) I've enjoyed an interesting, challenging and flexible career where I am respected. I've had flexible hours, made some lifelong friends (including my DH) and met some interesting people. I haven't regretted it (except for a few days back in 1994, but that's a completely other story).

RachealAnne · Feb 15, 2016

Why do so many people hate nursing?
Most people are exactly as happy as they make up their minds to be. Happiness isn't about getting a "dream job" or having the perfect house, car, wardrobe, etc. Happiness isn't about having what you want; it's about wanting what you have. Many people hate nursing because they haven't yet figured that out.
Many people hate nursing because it's their first real job, (or maybe their first job EVER) and they've never had to learn to get along with people who aren't like them. People from other cultures, from other socio-economic strata, etc. Maybe they've never had to ask for a schedule or a holiday without their helicopter parents paving the way.
People hate nursing because, face it, you have to deal with people you don't like, people who are unlikable, people who are mean or nasty. It may come as a surprise to some that you have to deal with people like that if you work at Walmart, if you work at a prestigious law firm or if you're the president of the United States. You're going to have to deal with people you'd rather not deal with for your entire life, no matter what you do for a living. But people blame nursing.
People hate nursing because their co-workers and preceptors aren't all kind, motherly, nurturing, and full of easily elicited wisdom like the coworkers and preceptors they see on sit-coms and in their dreams. They find that their colleagues are real people, just like them. Some of them are princesses, some are curmudgeons, some of them are wonderful, kind, motherly, nurturing, and full of easily elicited wisdom, but the wisdom came wrapped around a message you don't like. Or they forgot to mention how wonderful and perfect you are BEFORE they told you that you did the I & O wrong.
Some people hate nursing because they'll hate anything.
I personally have had a wonderful life -- nursing paid for a nice place for me to live, reliable cars, fun vacations, and enough discretionary income to do anything I wanted to (although not everything.) I've enjoyed an interesting, challenging and flexible career where I am respected. I've had flexible hours, made some lifelong friends (including my DH) and met some interesting people. I haven't regretted it (except for a few days back in 1994, but that's a completely other story).

I pretty much love this comment.

Thank you for your honest response.

RachealAnne · Feb 15, 2016

My counter question to the OP is why do so many people feel nurses must love their job and have a passion for it to deserve to work as a nurse! I don't see people voicing these expectations for other jobs like secretaries, accountants, or even doctors. Instead there is the outright indignation of how dare you not love your job! Followed by, only nurses like me who love their job deserve to be nurses and I want your job! The newbies and wannabe's and their self righteous opinion is tiring. And the wannabe's who are alarmed at all the negative posts and feel it is our duty to reassure them that nursing is all that and a slice of bread too. Why aren't you all loving it when its my dream so why isn't it yours!
The reality of nursing, especially bedside nursing, is it can be very stressful and a drudgery at the same time with all the nitpicking, micromanagement, lack of adequate equipment, short staffing, long hours, etc, etc. I just got written up for a minor thing that was the CNA's job but of course the nurse is always to blame, not even a med error and I'm not feeling charitable to the person who did this. I will remember this petty ******** especially when I find serious med errors and the like from other nurses and it was probably a perfectionistic newbie that wrote me up over the I & O and the nurse is lectured instead of the CNA. This is just ridiculous!
I'm sorry I don't have the energy to claim I love it. I don't enjoy being forced to take ICU patients on the floor, punching a time clock where one minute late counts as a sick day, etc etc etc! I love flowers, gardening, decorating, nature and wildlife. If I were a rich and well connected person like a Clinton or a Bush I would be an interior decorator and travel the world relishing in all the colors and beautiful objects to decorate a home. Sadly there are not of lot of job openings for this position especially for ordinary Americans! But of course there are plenty of job openings for an experienced bedside nurse. Gee I wonder why! Because it is such a wonderful and glamorous job no doubt where you are exposed to body fluids, and forced to break your back! To me nursing is like an educated blue collar job and I feel in many ways like a factory worker except without the strong union to provide decent pay, benefits and working conditions! Oh well I guess I should be glad they can't outsource my job to Mexico or China! lol Sorry I just can't tell you I love nursing or that nursing is all flowers and rainbows. But I'm sure others out there will jump to tell you how they love nursing inspite of the realities because so many of us feel we must love nursing or else we are less than. How dare we not love it! I just can't give you the answer you are looking for.
I wish you luck and hope you can maintain your passion for nursing when the reality hits. Maybe you are built of stronger stuff and stress will roll off your back! I hope you have a strong back because you will need it!

I don't think nurses MUST love their job to be a good nurse, it was just general curiosity on why or what they didn't like about it. Thank you for wishing me luck and your honest response (:

jena5111, ASN, RN · Feb 15, 2016

And so here is a perfect example of hospitals spending money to orient & train new nurses, only to see them walk out there door shortly thereafter. Why?
To be perfectly honest, after you graduate from nursing school, the only place you're really qualified to work in is med surg. You don't have enough knowledge to work in critical care, peds or NICU. The only difference is with the OR, because no matter where you've worked or how much experience you have, you need a rather extensive orientation period because the OR is unlike anything else.
In nursing, as in many other professions, "from the frying pan into the fire" is how it sometimes works. As a CRNA, when I went to school it was "See one, do one, teach one". We didn't get our hands held for a long time before we HAD TO do things. That's the only way you learn, by doing. There is only so much time that can be granted for someone to "feel comfortable"----sometimes you get thrown into a situation & you have to find a way to make it work. I'm not sure if new nurses have a need for these extended orientations because that's how their schooling was(as far as I'm concerned, a 6 week orientation for a med surg unit is WAAAYYYYY more than necessary) and why they feel they need such long orientations. When you're a new nurse, sometimes you're uncomfortable with things, but you have to get over it. I think my orientation on med surg was about 2 weeks----that's it. Then I was on my own, and I made it work. You can only have somebody walk you around while holding your hand for so long, and then it's time to do it on your own.

As a new grad RN who's been a nurse for about 6 weeks, I completely agree with this post.

I'm a little more than halfway through a 13-week orientation on a med-surg tele floor (we also care for post-heart cath and post-CABG patients). Most of my nursing school clinical experience happened on adult med-surg, so coming into this job I at least had a frame of reference for what it would entail.

Even if you're lucky like me and get 13 full weeks with a preceptor mixed in with nurse residency classes, I would encourage new grads to step outside of their comfort zones and start DOING stuff ASAP. That doesn't mean not asking questions or independently doing procedures when you're unsure of the steps--it means calling the doctor or talking to that challenging family member YOURSELF while your preceptor is there for support. The first time on orientation that I cared for a patient with a critical lab value, my preceptor said, "Do you want to call the doctor about this, or do you want me to do it?"

Of course I WANTED my preceptor to do it! But I also knew the only way to break through the mental barrier was to do it myself. So I pulled my mobile hospital phone out of my pocket, dialed the number for the pager service, waited for the return call, and spoke to the doctor (despite a racing heart and feeling like a general idiot the whole time).

Every shift I have to decide between "just" letting my preceptor do something or doing it myself. In the short term, it would probably be easier to let her hang that bag of fluids or deal with that already-sleeping patient whose family doesn't understand why he can't have an Ambien while I work on my charting. But in a few short weeks, I won't have that safety net. I'll have my coworkers in a pinch, of course, but with a 6:1 patient-nurse ratio on nights, I need to take advantage of orientation to learn how to be as self-sufficient as possible because we're ALL busy.

So my approach on orientation is to do as much as possible while I have the luxury of that 1:1 support person. Hopefully I'll be better prepared to work on my own once orientation ends.

For the record, I interviewed for an L&D GN position just before graduation. My classmates were so impressed! But something didn't feel right about a specialty orientation period barely longer than my current M-S orientation with a LOT of classroom stuff to boot (so far my time working on the floor has been far more useful/relevant that my nurse residency didactic classes). I honestly wasn't comfortable enough with the basics, such as IV starts and doing really good, thorough head-to-toe assessments, to think that specializing right out of school was a bright idea. At least for me.

So far, it's worked out great. I have learned more in the past seven weeks than in all of nursing school clinical combined. Plenty of nurses on my floor see M-S as a springboard to a specialty, which is absolutely their prerogative. But I feel like it's a specialty in itself and I'm happy to care for these patients/have this job!

mrsjonesRN · Feb 15, 2016

Why do so many people hate nursing?
Most people are exactly as happy as they make up their minds to be. Happiness isn't about getting a "dream job" or having the perfect house, car, wardrobe, etc. Happiness isn't about having what you want; it's about wanting what you have. Many people hate nursing because they haven't yet figured that out.
Many people hate nursing because it's their first real job, (or maybe their first job EVER) and they've never had to learn to get along with people who aren't like them. People from other cultures, from other socio-economic strata, etc. Maybe they've never had to ask for a schedule or a holiday without their helicopter parents paving the way.
People hate nursing because, face it, you have to deal with people you don't like, people who are unlikable, people who are mean or nasty. It may come as a surprise to some that you have to deal with people like that if you work at Walmart, if you work at a prestigious law firm or if you're the president of the United States. You're going to have to deal with people you'd rather not deal with for your entire life, no matter what you do for a living. But people blame nursing.
People hate nursing because their co-workers and preceptors aren't all kind, motherly, nurturing, and full of easily elicited wisdom like the coworkers and preceptors they see on sit-coms and in their dreams. They find that their colleagues are real people, just like them. Some of them are princesses, some are curmudgeons, some of them are wonderful, kind, motherly, nurturing, and full of easily elicited wisdom, but the wisdom came wrapped around a message you don't like. Or they forgot to mention how wonderful and perfect you are BEFORE they told you that you did the I & O wrong.
Some people hate nursing because they'll hate anything.
I personally have had a wonderful life -- nursing paid for a nice place for me to live, reliable cars, fun vacations, and enough discretionary income to do anything I wanted to (although not everything.) I've enjoyed an interesting, challenging and flexible career where I am respected. I've had flexible hours, made some lifelong friends (including my DH) and met some interesting people. I haven't regretted it (except for a few days back in 1994, but that's a completely other story).

I love this! What a great perspective!

rninkentucky · Feb 15, 2016

I have to disagree. I have friends at other hospitals, some neighboring, and it is not like this. And, seniority has nothing to do with our schedules. Even the most senior doesn't get to pick her schedule, sadly. We were told that self scheduling gives us too much power and they're afraid it will go to our heads. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½

Dnp2016 · Feb 16, 2016

Yes... Nursing is no longer what many of us signed up for decades ago...

i still love helping patients...

but as I age and the people change... It does give me pause...

it is not what it once was... But cannot imagine doing anything else...

Dnp2016 · Feb 16, 2016

Wow

the man is beating you down.. For sure

/username, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2016

It's not that stressful. I can always take a break when my admission arrives or my patient codes. It's just too stressful and untherapeutic for me.

Farawyn · Feb 16, 2016

It's not that stressful. I can always take a break when my admission arrives or my patient codes. It's just too stressful and untherapeutic for me.

Hahhahahahaha!