what is the worst part of the job?

sasha2lady · Feb 23, 2010

For me the worst part is the families that are chronic complainers who come in looking to gripe, then there's issues with coworkers who just don't want to work but there's at least one anywhere you go not to mention the enormous amount of paperwork that's involved. Working short sucks too pulling unexpected double shifts is no fun either. Legalities of the job are scary sometimes. Poor mgmt and communication pile on the stress too. I think in general it takes a committed person to work in nursing and that includes all areas degrees and fields from aides to nurse practioners and all the in betweens. As for clinicals you don't get to pick and choose you do it all. If not then you'll either fail or drop out. I despised ob and Peds every second of it, but I had no choice but to go thru it. I also hated dialysis because it made me sick from smelling the chemicals they used. Everyone is different. It's a choice you'll have to make and just keep in mind that just because someone works in Peds you will still be dealing with numerous adults .... The parents.

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 23, 2010

lateral violence.

nursehopeful117 · Feb 23, 2010

For me the worst part is the families that are chronic complainers who come in looking to gripe, then there's issues with coworkers who just don't want to work but there's at least one anywhere you go not to mention the enormous amount of paperwork that's involved. Working short sucks too pulling unexpected double shifts is no fun either. Legalities of the job are scary sometimes. Poor mgmt and communication pile on the stress too. I think in general it takes a committed person to work in nursing and that includes all areas degrees and fields from aides to nurse practioners and all the in betweens. As for clinicals you don't get to pick and choose you do it all. If not then you'll either fail or drop out. I despised ob and Peds every second of it, but I had no choice but to go thru it. I also hated dialysis because it made me sick from smelling the chemicals they used. Everyone is different. It's a choice you'll have to make and just keep in mind that just because someone works in Peds you will still be dealing with numerous adults .... The parents.

I don't mind the parents at all, ok for a standard BSN degree, what do the clinicals comprise of? What do you have todo during each clinical? Ex: a friend told me about changing adult diapers, I'm not looking fwd to that..I'm curious about the worst hands-on stuff also? Thanks!

ItsTheDude · Feb 23, 2010

it depends on where you end up working (people don't always get the job they want) and what you consider bad (blood, vomit, poo, pee, someone dying in front of you, guts, std's etc).

in nursing school you do a clinical rotation through various areas of nursing (so you're competent in various areas of nursing), so you're going to deal with adults, kids & babies.

nursehopeful117 · Feb 23, 2010

in nursing school you do a clinical rotation through various areas of nursing (so you're competent in various areas of nursing), so you're going to deal with adults, kids & babies.

More details about the clinical rotations and what you do for each please? (or a link to..thanks)

ItsTheDude · Feb 23, 2010

look, you're going to have to learn to be a nurse, that means "total care" (wiping butt, measuring pee, sticking people with needles, inserting things into every orifice the human body has, cleaning up things that come out of every orifice of the human body, life, death, contagious diseases and the list goes on).

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2010

Lateral violence and family that I can never seem to please even if I gave them the colthes iff my back.

pistolchick · Feb 23, 2010

I agree with the lateral violence (or horizontal hostility). For me, it blows any "icky" patient care job or annoying families out of the water. Nothing has made my life more miserable than co-workers who set out to do just that, and succeeded, for the better part of a year. And it's even worse when management is sucked into the hierarchy and lies. Co-workers who want to make your life hell can and will do it, and THAT is the worst part for me. It makes me thisclose to wanting to quit nursing altogether.

As far as duties go, a previous poster mentioned something lots of people don't realize - there's going to be poop and pee and LOTS of it. And you're going to change adult diapers. Lots of them. And wipe lots of butts... you're definitely not getting out of school without it, though you MIGHT be lucky to find a niche in nursing where some of that won't apply.

ItsTheDude · Feb 23, 2010

violence happens in a lot of jobs, nursing is far from a very dangerous job due to violence.

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 23, 2010

violence happens in a lot of jobs, nursing is far from a very dangerous job due to violence.

For your information:

Lateral violence a.k.a. "Horizontal Violence"-

Definition: "Overt and covert non-physical

hostility, such as, criticism, sabotage,

undermining, infighting,scapegoating and

bickering.

Lateral violence has nothing to do with physical violence.

Cheers,

Diane, RN

stelon · Feb 23, 2010

The days no matter what you do, it's not enough. For ANY of your patients. You go home feeling unappreciated and wonder why you got into this. Lots of poo. Sputum. And lets not forget the REALLY bad pressure ulcers that need to be packed. Had a patient with an ulcer that was open enough I could slide a hand completely under the skin on her bottom during school.

And that's nowhere NEAR the worst pressure sores.