When nurses become jaded and angry every day, what are they, and those around them, to do?
A new piece in NursesTogether.com says if you’re a jaded nurse, it’s time to reevaluate and ask yourself why you got into the profession, how you have made a difference so far, and what you love about nursing. If these answers are enough to remind you that you want to be a nurse, then reset your attitude and give it your best, columnist Stephanie Staples argues.
However, the column also prompts nurses to ask themselves in times of stress if you are giving the best care, bringing colleagues’ attitudes up or pulling them down with your attitude, and whether they have any energy or emotion left for family at the end of the day. These are certainly tough questions. Though some nurses might say that the answers depend on any given day, if you reevaluate yourself enough and realize that your job is detrimental to your health and happiness, as well as those around, you may have some tough decisions to make, says Staples.
The column urges nurses who are no longer happy at their jobs to move on. That’s a tough message, but Staples argues that unhappy nurses create ripple effects that affect not only colleagues in their units, but also patient satisfaction and safety. Unless you can overcome the challenges of nursing and ultimately come through with the same motivation that led you to join the profession, it may be time to move on.
What do you think about this opinion? Have you dealt with a similar issue? Please let us know by commenting below.
September 18th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
The life expectancy of a bedside nurse has dwindled due to the fact that nurses are taking care of higher acuity patients and face the threat of legal retribution on a daily basis. The paperwork requirements have tripled and the time for patient:nurse interaction has become minimal.
When a nurse is faced with this type of dilemma there should be extensive thought put into their decision. The nurse should first remember the true reason that she chose the art of nursing. If it was for anything other than caring and compassion than by all means…..GET OUT! If the nurse truly does care for the patients that need her but has become burnt out over time she should consider other areas of nursing. Nursing education, patient teaching, writing and various other specialties are out there waiting for a someone to fill the void.
One should make their decision with much thought and feeling from the heart.
September 21st, 2009 at 10:12 am
As a residency coordinator with new nursing graduates, I face 2 huge challenges in trying to help these fledgling nurses enter & stay in the nusing workforce in a positive way.
1) Finding & keeping enough knowledgeable, caring preceptors that are capable of helping teach & nurture these new nurses appropriate, instead of being all too ready to cast them out there quickly so they have better staffing. Training helps, but only when there is support from management/adminstration as well.
2) Lack of commitment & support on the part of some unit nurse managers & adminstration. Verbal support is provided, but with some, nearly constant monitoring is necessary to try to prevent abuse of these tender new graduates. No matter how hard you try, a program to ease them into this new role will not work if adminstrative & managerial support are lacking. It seems to have worsened with the economy & the movement is back to the old “any body with a license will do…and new grads are cheaper licensed bodies to fill the holes on the schedule” even if they are not competent or confident in that role yet.
3) Misplacement in their original unit of hire. Nursing school really does not, by & large, provide with a real-world understanding of what working on a particular unit will be like…whether or not it will actually be a good fit for them. Ever hospital & every unit is different, not just because of the type of nursing done there, but because of the culture of the entire group of people that make up the “family” on that particular unit. They really can’t know until they give a unit a try whether or not it is fits them like home…or whether they will fit in. When they are hired directly out of school for an nursing position on a particular unit, all too often, they find that it is NOT where they really feel they ought to be. Maybe hiring them in as a nurse tech who rotates to several units over a 2 month period before deciding on “home” would be a better approach. It would also give both the new grad & the facility the bonus of making it much easier later on when staffing adjustments need to be made that require pulling nurses to other units….they would have at least been to a few of those & not feel so alien in that arena.
Another problem I see crop up over & over is that students (doesn’t matter what school of nursing from which they come) often have instructors that have convinced them that they really “need” to start out on a med-surg type unit to become good nurses. I’ve taught as nursing faculty in schools of nursing for better than a decade now & I have to say, we have got to do away with this old school line of thinking!! We have so many nurses who come to the profession as a second career, at a later time in their lives. We also have a tremendous number (easily found in the nursing literature on the shortage & nursing retention) of new grads who will leave their first nursing job within 6 months (about half of them in fact), and & significant chunk of those will leave nursing altogether at that point, losing them as the assets they could be to our profession, possibly simply because of a bad experience in their first postion. I have to wonder how mnany of those leave because they weren’t in the right area of nursing on on the right unit with the right preceptor with appropriate managerial/adminstrative support?? If the reason I got into nursing is because I loved my experience giving birth & the way the nurses helped me there, then why in the world is it necessary that I start out on a med-surg floor? Especially if I only have 10-15 years before retirement age?
I know about this experience personally…
Back in the dark ages when I became a brand new nurse (25+ years ago now), I was placed in absolutely the wrong place with only about a week of orientation to work in a specialty unit I’d visited all of twice as a student nurse. Terrified is a pathetically weak word for what I felt there as the only RN taking care of extremely ill patients. After 6 months of crying almost every night that I had to go into work & praying that I didn’t accidentally cause harm or death to my patients, I went to our DON telling her I needed a transfer to an area with more support & that was a better fit, or that I was prepared to get out of this gig altogether & go back to working at Wendy’s & Burger Shack (the jobs that got me through nursing school.)I was as serious as I could get at that point, & luckily had a DON who listened, understood & allowed me to move to the pediatric unit….which truly is my passion in nursing. I had wonderful support there & it completely changed how I felt about nusing as a profession. That experience is why I snapped up this position when it became available…to create a program that would help new grads avoid that sort of trauma & hopefully decrease the risk of losing them to the profession altogether.
The burn-out topic spurred me to write about this because I think it applies in several ways. Burnt-out floor nurses & preceptor, burnt-out & disconnected managers/adminstrators & misguided new grads who are subjected to those folks will only worsen our problems with recruiting & retaining new nurses to help alleviate the shortage. They will burn-out as well, like shooting stars in the heavens, if we don’t start nurturing them as we care & concern as we would expect of nurses caring for patients.
Off the soapbox for the day
& Thank you for providing this forum to discuss the effects of burn-out on all of us…well seasoned & new alike.
September 28th, 2009 at 10:49 am
[...] Should Unhappy Nurses Quit the Profession? [...]
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:47 pm
I have been a nurse for 13 years and I only wish that I could flip burgers at McDonald’s and make what I make as a nurse. If I could………….I would gladly give up my license. I have absolutely no compassion left in me anymore.
May 18th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
20+ years in surgery, i love the work. i hate the endless documentation. admininistration wants faster turnovers and with a flawed computer documentation program(it’s still problematic after 2 years in place)it’s not possible for “real time charting” our hospital has become a joke. we have to document implants, sometimes 10, 20 or more implants in the computer and the same old paper implant record we always used it’s become as ridiculous as it is irritating. if an implant is new we have to fill out an extra sheet with the implant info as well as th other docs. triple redundancy is the norm here. i finally said enough and quit, im taking care of a sickly mother and was out of paid time off, sick time and occurances so it was time. the stress was killing me, now 2 weeks of not working, i really never want to go back to nursing unless im just first assisting or scrubbing i think i’m done with the paperwork side of insanity. the hospital blames everyone except administrations poor choices i.e. buying a defunct hospital to keep a larger hospital from obtaining it, building a 1/2 hospital to be finished over the next several years (patients are not sure where to even go) scratch that…yes they do…ANOTHER HOSPTAL.. and thats exactly what they have done. we are losing 2 million a month as the high, last month we lost a modest 60 grand. i’m a really good o.r. nurse some people have told me i’m the best, i’m certainly not mediocre, we have had over 50 years of o.r. nursing experience walk out the door in the last 6 weeks…i had 20+, the other 3 nurses had 9,10 and 12 years experience all at this hospital, i traveled or 8+ years and this is as redonculous as i have seen.
June 5th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Kasey, have you found a new profession yet? I admire you for realizing that it is time to get out but maybe you need not leave nursing entirely. Just get away from the bedside. What your feeling is very common.
June 17th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Nurses such as myself. Get stressed out very subtly. It started in Nursing school. Something messed up I could not put a finger on. Stress of being only American Born Nurse with a group of Nurses from another culture. Learning nursing and dealing with another culture. Hanging in there - stress does not go away it is getting worse. Try harder. Get tired look for different position. Get new Position like it. Hospital downsizes - you lose. Sorry. Not your fault. Get another job. Slowly like a morphine drip you slowly realize that nothing will change. You will always be understaffed. You will always be in conflict with some Nurse over ?. You continue to turn all the stress inward. Everybody who is not a Nurse say that you are complaining to much. Get another position. Work in another unit with another foreign culture ( they like to specialize). Only this one is different and do not want you to be their coworker. They have no bones about not liking you (Ethnocentric extreme) I call it inbreed. Change job again work with Insane Physicians who abuse to be like everybody else. Got to fit in. Stress must be internalized nobody seems to care anyways. Or they are from a culture unlike yours. They look at you like your crazy. Sorry you are part of the culture. Deal with Pompous MD showing off his $40.000 watch. You are not part of the club sorry. The CEO pops his head in to see if the slaves are not stealing the diamonds and are as productive as they dictate you should be. Oh yea they are not Nurses. But oh they make decisions for you. Do not complain. You try to be a robot. not humanly possible. Feel helpless. Nursing Administration Promises, Management says they have your back. You complain to protect your patient. Get pulled all over the place. You do it becouse you still have faith in the Hospital Philosphy. Unable to keep stress under control as good anymore. Get fired for something that is a lie and you know it. Leave after many years of above average work and wonder what the heck just happened. Slip into depression. Spouse gets you help (Thank god somebody loves me). You realize that You are on the wrong planet. Nobody cares. Nothing will change. You have to change youself. But now you know the truth. yes it took a long time and it almost killed you. But now you realize that it was stress, not your fault. You realize that you are a good person. You were in a situation that maybe a very passive person or the threat of being deported could only do under duress. Its time to go back to school hope for the best. Never will be a doctor. Never part of the inner sanctum. Money Talks, The truth Walks. Thank god you never
Facilitated anybodys demise. But you know alot. You are an insider. You could become a Legal consultant and try to let the law get some revenge for you. Or get another job and work until that becomes impossible. But you do not lie, you do not fudge alittle. Why are you so hard on yourself? Becouse you truly are the best Nurse and you are working in a system that does not care if you live or die. Just import some more Nurses and pretend that there is not a man behind the curtain. I am the Great and Powerful Health Care Reform. Nurses are asking what about us? We don’t count. Not alot of hot air. More like flatus being injected into your veins, with a smile and a coffee mug on Nurses week.
Prove me wrong. appeal to my intellect. Just your own facts. You do not know me. And you never walked in my shoes if you disagree with me. Also Mcdonalds is worse than Nursing
Mcdonalds is worse than Communism. Great Junk food. But such slave drivers. used to be good like Hospitals now I hope I dont catch MRSA/VRE from my next Hamburger. Nurses need to stand up and tell the Money that they care so much they can take care of the patients. Until Nurses get it written that they can make independent decisions and Charge for care of each patient. I made $27.75. after 20 years. Great. thats $4.50 to take care of 5-10 patients. thats about 40 cents/hour to care for 8 patients. Patients are on our side. We just need to scare that man behind the curtain. But I need you help.
But you are scared you need the income. Best of luck. I wish you never experience what I did. But from what Ive been reading on the internet I know I am not alone. The people that write that your a whiner! are they really a Nurse or some administration schlub who is part of this sick system saying they are a nurse. For all those who quit and turned their backs. I hope you still care. Well thats were Im at. 49 and worse off than when I started. I really care about fairness. I do not need a $40.000 watch. I need respect and power over my profession. Sorry for all those that sold out and found out that they were suckers. That really hurts. what happened to Womans lib? Nursing is not about change? I am a male and I love women of every stripe. I forgive those that did to me what they thought was right and I just want the best of a really bad situation. AMEN!!!!!!!!!! Now I am a criminal for speaking my mind. I need a new heart, brain and Courage. Glenda the good witch please help me! Time to make a stand. I will follow up. But I understand if you do not want to rock the boat. I never walked in your shoes. Believe my story is the tip of the iceberg. I was being polite.
June 26th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
I have been a nurse for 35 years!! I was burned out 10 years before I finally am not doing nursing. It was the best day of my life when I got out of nursing!! No more dealing with nurses who think they are the only ones that know how to do everything and they have only done nursing for 3-4 years! No more Director of Nurses who haven’t been on the floor for years and think that you should do everything and more and threaten your job if you don’t. Doctors who have no respect for nurses and want things done the second after they say it, no matter how busy you are or if you have a dying patient in another room. Doctors have no respect for nurses!! If a patient goes sour and dies unexpectedly, it is always the nurses fault!! Where was the doctor when you needed him? No where to be found!! I wonder how many patients have lost their life because doctors didn’t care enough to come and check them and have done what needed to be done to save the patients life!! It is always the nurses fault for everything that happens to a patient while they are in the hospital!! As nurses, we try to make sure the patient is comfortable in every way. We encourge the patients and listen to their woes, knowing we have 5-6 more patients out there that need our attention and caring ear,also. There is never enough time to do things right with the patient and by the end of the shift, the nurse is dragging physically and emotionally. Your heart just wants to cry out and many times tears come to your eyes because you know that you did all you could do with the amount of time that you had to do the care! It is never enough!! I just can’t do it anymore!! Doctors and director of nurses turning on their staff and blaming the nurse when the doctor could have been there and save that patients life!! There is no appreciation for nurses today by the hospitals, doctors and other nurses!! Everyone is out for number one-themselves! Who cares about others around them?!!
June 27th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Sue: I couldn’t agree more. The stress has gotten to me after 25 years to the point that I had a “meltdown”, I’m walking from nursing. I am doing a litle writing and taking an online AHIMA accredited medical coding course. Coders alone don’t make too much, but it can be finessed into managing a clinic or office, working at home, etc. I was invited to go into real estate by a local office, and I’m outgoing and fun(at least I always have been), so that might be something I could do very well at. If you will share,what are you doing for a career, and what do other nurses who leave nursing seek out for careers? Still need money coming in.
July 21st, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Hello nurses, I just found this site and I am so glad I did. I was wondering if I was the only nurse with 30 years of experience , ready to walk!! this is all I know and love it but I am sick of all the corporate world dictating to me what kind of nurse I should be. I had a meltdown at my last job of 19 years!! and took a severance pkg for 6 months. I have been looking for a job and boy have things changed. remember when you filled out an application in person and they asked when can you start? now its on line and no one calls you back. I am trying to do home health or hospice prn , thats all I can take. I am trying to decide what I can do besides nursing, its a shame because I have always wanted to be a nurse. we make good money but there is a price, thankfully hubby says do what I want to do. Lets pay our bills off so we want have to be servants to the corporate world, who are not nurses.. take care everyone.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:08 am
Hi Nurses! At last, a place for us to vent. I agree with Diane, Sue, Anita and especially David. I too, quit nursing after 35 yrs, for the same reasons you have. And the main reason was the way the new nurses attend the patients. They were texting, and shopping online, while their patients were crying, needed suctioning, ringing the light. And when you ask them to help, they are “busy”. And i just couldn’t believe how a hospital could hire these nurses and risk the liability. I was OR and ICU most of my carreer. I became disgruntled and stressed with the mandatory overtime, and lack of vacation time, and although the money was great, I started to stockpile the money, and just quit, and am not working. The best thing I ever did to keep me in nursing all those years was to work other Perdiem jobs at the same time, to give me a different perspective, home care part time, and on call for recovery room.Anyway, do not go to an insurance comapny. I did that thinking being in an office would be great! It was the worst. Assembly line, no thinking, rote responses from a script, and nothing is right unless you save them money. None of the other career choices you mentioned looks promising after a burnout. The best idea is to go to school for another degree. Especially higher nursing degree. There, you can work part time in a clinic, as a practitioner, and an office, and leave the stress to the ancillary help!
July 27th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
After being a nurse for 29 years, I got my first rejection email! I cried I have never experienced a NO before. I need to work. I am constantly thinking about what I can do besides nursing with a RN. I also am thinking about medical billing and coding, but I dont know much about it.. any help? thanks
August 12th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
So glad to meet you all! I was an LVN for 4 years and completely burnt out so I bought a dog and cat grooming shop which I had for 15 years. That was a great 15 years away from the slavery of the LVN world. I then really did not know where to turn so I found the world of “paperwork nursing” and the start of Case Management (inferno-hell!). C.M. was a good gig in the beginning but now is indescribable torture. I worked insurance, hospital, worker’s comp, appeals, HEDIS, authorizations, you name it. Then after being an LVN for almost 25 years I made the decision to get my RN. Somehow I thought that if I finally completed my RN, then maybe I could shut the door on it. No, nothing really changed but it did feel good to go from being “Just an LVN” to “Just an RN”. I’m not sure if the jobs got worse or better. I was not even being paid more in every case! I am soooooo burned out I cannot stomach the thought of one more day as a nurse. I think I would actually vomit. If it was not for my boyfriend I would be homeless. I did become a hypnotherapist for smoking cessation, but this good side business does not provide a regular income by any means. So now what? Where does a highly skilled competent on-the-ball 52 yr/old go for work? I am thinking about a slow doctor’s office. Maybe an old doctor ready to retire, or maybe a busy plastic surgery office with insecure women who want lots of procedures and I can re-assure them. Reiki anyone?
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:49 pm
I graduated from a diploma nsg program in 1976 and have been employed full time since then. Many things have changed in the nsg profession over that time. Some things have gotten easier such as computer charting, and access to pts information. It seems though that the more technology improves the less time nurses spend with their pts. Jacho and other accrediting agencies have made it so nurses spend much of their time documenting and less and less with the pts themselves. I realize that these organizations are attempting to improve pt safety standards but in real life they have the opposite effect. Every Jacho staff should have to work on a nsg unit for a week before they pass any requirement on to hospitals. Insurance companies and medicare require certain data if you want them to pay for certain procedures. Core measures etc are published and often the data does not accurately reflect what a hospital is doing and how they are caring for pts. Nsg as a profession creates ill feelings among nurses by constantly separating out associate , diploma verses BSN nurses. All of the above take and have to pass the exact same nursing boards to be come licensed as a RN. However BSN programs teach that they are the professional nurses and the associate nurses are techncal nurses only. I am all for higher education but most of your BSN nurses return to school almost immediately for a NP, or MSN and have never really had alot of clinical experience caring for pts. In the end your educators with MSN and PHD’s who are educating new nurses and making decisions that affect nursing care and practice in every day life have little or no clinical experience themselves. The criteria to apply for an advanced RN position is 2 yrs experience with pt care. Have you ever known anyone who was able to become an advanced practationer in 2 years time?
So today we have all this data, all these reported numbers and statistics, we have all these awards ie Magnet status,the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality award, practicing evidence based medicine. Everyone is so into the numbers and data they fail to even look at the inidividual pts.
I became a nurse so that I could be a pt advocate and the voice for the pt who could not speak themselves. Nursing requires an individual to be responsible for their individual practice and take responsibility for the decisions they make while caring for pts. A certain standard of care has to be expected by nsg managers and administrators and individuals have to be held accountable to that standard. You can’t change the level of that standard ever time you have a nsg shortage and need more nurses. I totally agree that if you are burned out you need to get out of nursing. The last thing a sick pt or grieving family needs is a uncaring nurse who really does not want to be there taking care of you or your loved one. You would not want someone like that caring for you or a family member of yours.
I love my job, I love being a nurse…yes there are times when I am frustrated and overworked and bogged down with paperwork with no end in sight…but at the end of the day my patients and their families always have more on their plate they I do and yet they have such strength and endless faith and voice no complaints. I look at the situations they have to deal with and think I really don’t have it that bad. They give me strength each day to be the best that I can be and do the most for the pts and families who will never forget your words of kindness or your acts of compassion. Their graditude for the extra minute you took to show you cared makes everything I find frustrating and negative about nursing worthwhile.
September 4th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Just an update, I did get a job with a Hospice company. I am working in the inpatient unit and doing home visits and soon to be training in admissions. I realize after talking with the “older nurses” like myself,, I am 52,, and not so old, that they all feel the same way we do. Some of these nurses have various degrees and work along side of me. I am still very discouraged but this job I have control over my schedule. I did not need the benefits and did take a cut in pay. Being unemployed as a nurse was very emotional for me and thankfully I did get a good job and made it. I have met several new graduates, one was a volunteer, she is 53 yrs old. She says as a new grad RN, she has applied to over 80 jobs and no one wants to hire her, not sure what else is going on, but I think it is sad. I truly think this will be my last nursing job, I am planning on taking an online class in something. I was born to be a nurse and love my patients but I just cant deal with all this anymore. Take care.
September 20th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
I have been an RN for 4 1/2 years on a post-surgical unit. I achieved my BSN 2 years ago and have been looking for something new ever since. I want less stress! I like helping the patients and doing patient teaching, but when it comes to critical situations, I get too stressed out and worry about every little thing. Every night after work it seems I make up things to worry about. I want something new. I have worked hard for my degrees, so I don’t want to give up nursing all that quickly, but I am getting so burnt out. Any suggestions?
September 26th, 2010 at 1:39 am
I can’t believe there are older nurse out there who feel the same way I do and aren’t afraid to post it. I say DITTO to all the above posters. I thought I was the only RN w/30 yrs of hosptial bedside nursing who experienced all the downsides, disappoinments and disillusionments of nursing. Had been unemployed for months- I did go to unemployment. I like for our number to be counted- some how hospital administrations seem to be able to fly under the government’s radar with all the concentual discharges of nurses. I fear there is alot of nurses out there who do not contact unemployment and end up withno health insurance, no income and lots of forclosures and bankrupties after years of hard work and aggravation. From the above positings I see we are a vast number and from all the specialities- mine is med/surg/tele. I too have had it with the corporate, nursing management BS and their bullying of the staff nurses. I hope to never set foot in a hospital nursing unit again. I will miss the money but not the atmosphere,liability, and routine.
October 11th, 2010 at 9:47 am
It is disheartening to read all the negative attitudes towards the nursing profession. However, I do understand those attitudes even though after 35 + years of nursing I still love being a nurse and regret that an injury removed me from bedside care. I feel very sorry for those of you who have lost your love of the profession based on the outside pressures to “perform”. Nursing is from the heart. Yes, the work load is tremendous and at times ridiculous and yes there are managers and bosses that really do not understand what nursing is really all about. We have only ourselvees to blame.
Approximatly 25 years ago we allowed nursing to begin to disevolve from being a profession in it’s own right and bowing to the pressure that only a college degree made a “professional” nurse. That is a lot of hogwash
A BS degree only means you can read books and retain some written knowledge. A nurse must be empathic, caring, concerned and able to do bedside nursing with compassion and knowledge. I’ve work with all different degreed nurses, some with diplomas, others with BSNs, and still others with PHDs and MSNs. It still boiled down to did they care about the patient or just about the job and the money available because of an advance degree.
I’m all for nurses continuing their education, we all need to continue to learn and grow however, nursing will never be the best paying job in the universe and if anyone went into nursing for the money they need to leave now not later. As to those nurses that are “burned out” yes, if you are truely burned out you need to take a break and reassess your options. There are many aspects of nursing that are available to you. Due to my injury I had to leave my beloved job as a psych nurse and am now a compliance officer for a home care agency. No, it’s not the same, the stress is different and I no longer deal directly with patients BUT I am still an nurse at heart and care deeply for the clients we serve and strive to set the example of what real nursing is all about.
For those of you who stay in nursing but “hate” it I say get out now, find a job you can love, it will reduce your stress and will make you happier. You spend way too much time working to hate every moment that you are there.
November 14th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
I got into nursing because of the money. That’s pretty much it! I needed a career that would support me, becase I am unfortunately single. I initially wanted to be a scurb tech until I found out how much they made, so decided to be an OR nurse. Some days I hate my job but most days it’s just ok. I definitely don’t love it. I wish there was a job out there that I would love but there just isn’t. I’ve only been a nurse for about 2 1/2 years (I’m 36)so I have a looooong way to go til retirement. I’m currently enrolled in a BSN, although I’m not really sure why. I hate every second of it! If I had to do over, I wouldn’t go to nursing school. No matter WHAT happens, it is always the nurse’s fault. That is the main lesson I have learned as a nurse. Doctors don’t respect us. Management doesn’t respect us. Other personnel doesn’t respect us. It’s a thankless, stressful frustrating job. And it is MUCH easier said than done when people say,” Oh just go find something that you like and quit nursing!” Umm, ok are you going to pay me $60,000 a year while I figure out what that is??I’m pretty much stuck in this career and I get up every day and put my 8 hours in and that is my life. Most of the scrub techs I work with want to be and are currently going to school to be nurses and I have to ask them, “WHY?”
November 24th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Hi Everyone! My name is Tijera. Right now I have been in the Army for 5 years. Orignally I wanted to go to college and be a nurse but at the same time wanted to be more independent and also have my education paid. I joined the Army in 2005. Now it’s almost 2011 & I am completely burned out. With most of the complaints that I heard on this website, they sound a lot like the Army, the only difference though is that you can’t get out and people won’t work with you to get the help you need (in the military). Before I joined the Army I was a medical assistant and could handle stress really well. Now it’s a completely different story. I was in Iraq for 15 months and the stress you deal with over there (including how your SGT’s act) is unreal!!! People have talked to me about becoming a nurse in the Army because my education would be paid for but I found out that if the Army needs you at a particular area/unit you might not be able to practice nursing for 2-3 years and in my opinion if I took the time to go to school and work my butt off, I should be able to be a nurse and do my job well.
I know your wondering why I am on a Nurse website talking about the military? It’s because I want to make sure I want to be a nurse and know what I am jumping into before I start prerequisites/Nursing school. I want to know the pros and cons because when I joined the Army I was only told the pros and not the cons. Trust me, the cons outweight the pros!! I would love to work in Pediatrics. I love children and I love helping people.
If anybody wants to write me back my email is foxxythang08@hotmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
November 24th, 2010 at 9:27 am
I got one more comment to say…I know nursing has it’s cons but God it sounds so much like the Army. For me I work 60-84 hours a week…with no overtime and I’m treated like a baby. I have to leave my phone on when the weekends hit and supervisors have a mapquest/googe map to your house. Like I said before I would love to work in Pediatrics but I am also interested in Psych. And I do have a little idea of how you guys really feel. I was a medical assistant at a hospital. I was suppose to be working in admininstration but got stuck in the recovery room doing bedside care and messing with bed pans. Some of the doctors would treat the nurses so bad. I would see them running off and crying. One Dr. tried to talk to me crazy and I corrected him in front of everybody. I told him that I might not be young and have a million degrees but I am gonna get respect. And you know what?!? He never talked to me crazy ever again. But in the Army it’s a little different. When they yell you are suppose to take it and if you talk back you can get demoted and loss $$$ plus to 15-45 days of extra duty.
Reading these blogs have made me realized that no job is the perfect job. I thought when I do become a nurse that I would be happy because almost every nurse I have talked to told me that they love it but I hear all of the blogs and I’m like wow!!! I am glad I am getting the darkside of it instead of the good side. If anybody wants to reply back to me I would be glad to hear your input and/or pros and cons about nursing.
**Tijera
November 30th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Interesting viewpoints here. I’ve been an RN for 16 years and while it’s still better than being a carpenter, which is what I used to do, the paper work, has become a nuisance. The main reason for me is the hospital I’ve been at for the last nine years has bought the Cerner program. And rather than buy the whole package at once, they implemented it piecemeal. It’s very buggy and our nurses spend an inordinate amount of time fighting with the computer. Also, in the past year we’ve begun using the Dolphin med administration system, which effectively doubles the amount of time we spend passing meds - and that’s when it’s working properly, which isn’t often.
A big part of this job is upper management’s endless quest to find more work for their nurses to do. I simply decided the days of me getting worked to death so someone else can get a bonus are over. When they put new work off on us, I get the time back from something else. I’ll chart when and if I have time but there’s no way I’m staying over an extra hour or more to write a book about every little thing. That line, “If it wasn’t charted it wasn’t done” really is bs. My minimalist approach to charting cuts about an hour off my workload - which rebounds to my patients’ favor. My patients are happier because of the personalized care I’m able to give them and I’m happier because I’m less stressed.
I’ve noticed a lot of nurses, not just the newer ones, going back and forth many times to their patient’s rooms. No wonder they’re exhausted after their shifts. Smart nurses learn to cluster care. Nurses should concentrate a lot more on developing personal strategies to make the job easier rather than burning out trying to meet managment’s unrealistic expectations.
December 2nd, 2010 at 6:33 am
I have been a nurse for 19 years, I have suffered burnout for the past 7 years. I laugh and say I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I took a job in a psych hospital and loved it, thought I had found my calling. Now with all the paperwork and the responsibility, I don’t have time to listen to my patients. Management says we are over our numbers with 16 pts to 2 nurses and a tech. I feel like I work a assembly line, get them out so we can take in more. There have been days when I haven’t even discharge one when I’m taking one in for that bed. Where is the job where I can listen and talk with patients, and get my compassion back?
February 4th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
I think anyone who’s unhappy with their profession should quit.
February 28th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I am so glad I found this website. Oh,how I can relate to all of you. Have been a nurse for over 20 years and have been burned out probably for the last 5. I want to get out so bad. The paperwork is over-whelming and takes priority over patient care. I loved being a nurse at one time but the stress is just too much anymore. I am over 60 and want to work for another couple years. I don’t think I can stomach this anymore. JACHO and the others that make all the rules and demands are totally out of touch with bedside nursing. Dealing with the patient is okay but having to deal with their family is sometimes torture…they are rude, don’t follow the hospital rules and think they can just take over or they try to tell you how its going to be. Where can you make this kind of money and work 3 days a week. I have been looking daily for a different job for at least 3 years. I don’t know what I am going to do. Am too old to start over. When I see these student nurses coming in I just want to take them aside and tell them to rethink their decision. Do something else and do it now. I have become so bitter…..I need to make a change…somehow.
March 2nd, 2011 at 2:44 pm
I have been a nurse for nearly 30 years {gulp} and love the fact I have this job. It has never been about the money because nursing won’t get you rich by any means.
I am extrememly proud of my profession and realize that “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side”. But at least with nursing I know that I can be caring and make a difference everyday I work. I have worked in NICU,chemical dependency,CCU, employee health, and a high risk children’s group home. I learned so much about myself in each position.
I too don’t like the paperwork and computer work somedays. Somedays the work load can be overwelming and stressful but that’s when I talk with friends and other RNs for the motivation I need again.
I can tell you the “if it isn’t written than it wasn’t done’ absolutely does matter~ just spend a day in court testifiying and you will see it does. Somedays my hours are stretched to the max and I don’t know what a 8 hour shiift means now that I am salaried. But I know that what I give makes a difference.
I am thankful to work in an organization that, while far from perfect, listens to the nursing staff and wants critical thinking. Not all my jobs were ideal, I even left the group home because I began to question the safey of the children in my care due to poor training and orientation. But the beauty of nursing is just that, you can move on to something else within nursing to find the area you feel passionate about.
So would I encourage someone to go into nursing~ absolutely!!! We need compassionate,caring,educated nurses to continue to come into this profession.
March 12th, 2011 at 2:22 am
I have been a nurse for 25 years and for the most part enjoy it. More and more feel that I don’t have the support I need to do my job. Initially people hired into management were high energy exceptional nurses. Now, it is not what you know, it is who you know and more and more not nurses but people with an interest in business coupled with unlicensed personnel. Would more than likely prefer insurance or work from home doing coding as the risk is too high in current environment. Holding hands and signing Kumbia is not going to do it.
March 26th, 2011 at 5:19 am
I was a “nurse” for a whole year before I got burnt out. I know what you’re thinking, “That long huh?” Well let me tell ya… I worked in a med/surg unit, because as was mentioned in another comment, I was taught that if I could do a few years there I could do anything. I was extremely enthusiastic about it all. I worked as a tech while going through school and then transitioned to a externship, which was basically a glorified LPN. It was stressful but I never attributed the stress solely to the work because I was in nursing school for heavens sake! Stress is the way of life during nursing school. Point being, I naively thought that when I became an RN the sun would shine and birds would sing and all my little girl dreams of changing people’s lives and making a difference would finally come true. And, guess what? It happened! For about two months it was great. I don’t know if it was the high of graduation and passing my state boards or just finally having the autonomy I had been craving for so long and being the one in charge of my team, or if I really did make a small amount of good for someone somewhere in there… I don’t know. It didn’t last long though.
As a new grad, I found my self extremely well prepared to pass a test (not so important in real life), and keep a pt alive (much more important), moderately prepared to manage all that a 12 hour night shift on an extremely strict and understaffed med/surg floor entails, but absolutely and without question completely unprepared to have the optimistic wind knocked out of me with the unrelenting beating from every direction that a nurse takes almost everyday. From above, administration, physicians, even a times those nurses who like to give a little bit of the crap they got when they first started back to the new ones coming in to the game. Not fun. But then from “below” the patient and their family, who despite your best effort to meet their most important medical need, don’t care that you are on literally your eleventh hour, they want sugar in their coffee and they want it now!
I read all your comments and see the 20yrs+ as nurses and just now getting to burn out stage and all I think is God bless you for making it that long. I am out of the world of nursing after a horrible year on med/surg, many tears, much deliberation, and ultimately coming to the decision that I was going to get out before I quit caring completely. It was hard to face the decision and in essence say that all the schooling and hard work had been for nothing. Very difficult to let go of the steady and larger-than-they-had-ever-been paychecks, which was never the lure in the first place however it became a major con when deciding to leave or not to leave. But most of all, I hate that I had to do something so contrary to my nature for the sake of my happiness and well being, and that is quit. I am not opposed to never doing anything else in field of nursing but I’m so emotionally scarred that even now when I think of returning it produces a softball size lump on my throat, instant heaviness to my shoulders, and profound nausea. Anyway, I hope to find a new path soon, but for now, I’m greatly relieved I’m no longer forcing myself down the wrong one.
April 11th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
hello, my name is janette ince, i am a registered nurse since 1986, what have i gained from working as a registered nurse for more than 15years fulltime at both hospitals and nursing homes, i have gained homelessness, foodstamps, degregation, scorn, hate and rejection, a place on the welfare line at the nearest social services office, people cursing me where ever i go to live, people constantly harrassing me for monies to pay debts that they themselves owe,audits from the internal revenue department every year, no savings, no credit cards, no monies, 911 follows me where ever i go, 54 short-term different addresses,when i work , my yearly salary is always 40,000 dollars less than what i actually worked for, i am only paid enough to pay 0ne years rent regardless to where i work,a dup,a fool, RN Profession ? or a snag ?
April 13th, 2011 at 10:34 am
I’ve been a nurse for 12 years. I was a struggling artist wannabe, in other words, a waiter. I gave up my dreams and I went into it for the money — a friend said I would be able to dictate my own salary with a nursing shortage looming. I breezed through school and found I was very effective as a nurse. Loved the new money (although now it is still not enough); and the rewards are immense, the sense of accomplishment and helping others. I thought, it’s good karma.
But I burn out so easily because I have high compassion for people and I told myself I would never be mediocre. I went from Med-Surg to Hospice to Case management. Still, It amazes me how many nurses and doctors drop the ball and pass the buck. Healthcare has become all about profits. I have also learned that medicine today does not heal anyone but only prolongs the cycle of disease to keep the money machine turning. It’s digusting. SO, now I am 48 and want out, but feel I have little options. I am a single guy and don’t have a husband to fall back on. My plan is to finish paying off my debt and then, alas, I will have to backtrack to a lower-paying job just to keep my peace of mind. Although I will continue to honor the work I have done and those I have helped, I feel the good nurses’ codependency is the only reason they stay. The others let it roll off their backs and are not that good and are merely pawns for what has become an industry in which they are robots. I have attained some karma, and I have a great understanding of humanity, but it is not positive. Also, seeing my own mortality everyday has darkened my soul.
I need to get that back with something more life-affirming. I am seeking an alternative.
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:51 am
Hi all, I have just finished my first term of LPN school and I totally despise it. The stress has been overwhelming and I can’t stand the hospital! I am in the process of withdrawing and plan to go back to school to get my Associates degree. The school I am in is giving me a hard time about leaving. We started with 32 students and are down to 22. I was one of the ones that passed all of my classes. We have 4 instructors that disagree with each other and it is so confusing, I don’t know how I passed. I really love people and thought I wanted to be a nurse, but frankly I am terrified I’ll get something and bring it home to my family. I made a list of everything I liked about PT care and what I didn’t and wow the didn’t s won out. My family has been neglected, my son’s grades have dropped, some A’s went to C’s, my house is a wreck and so am I. Financially I have to work as well and I will have to give up over $700 a month to continue and I told them I can’t do that. They asked me if I could get more loans to help out, uh no! I was trying to leave on a good note and have the option of coming back to the night and weekend program but a friend made me realize it wouldn’t make any difference if I really didn’t like it. I have found so many boards with Nurses hating it and I am so glad I am not alone. I know I haven’t really gotten a taste of Nursing but I can tell you from the little I have experienced, it is enough! The floor I was on for clinicals, the nurses wouldn’t help and they complained about us being there and the things I saw that weren’t sterile! There was one nurse that was great, but I never got to be with her. One of the CNA’s that already worked there got first dibs. I feel guilty for not finishing what could possibly lead to a decent paycheck but I think my hearts just not in it. I will have to find a career that I can use to help people in another way. Thank you for letting me vent.
April 25th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Went to RN school as a non-trad in 1991. Made it through and thought I had the world at my fingertips. Good money, good company. Well, that was true for a few years. Then got a job in a huge hospital on the cancer floor. The money was even “better”?????? That was the beginning of the end. 20-30 pts a night, THREE nurses. It was awful. I cried every day on my way to and from work. Got a different job in an office. That was perfect for 9 years. Then the paperwork started to escalate and the management got raunchy. I began to get bullied by two younger people in the office. I was daily hit with questions of “why are you doing it that way?, why is that pt still waiting?, are you sure that is what the dr meant?,. The first thing I saw when I logged on to my computer each morning was a note about what I had done wrong the day before from the DON. Could be as ridiculous as “laughing out loud in the hallway”. Now, the DON was in a different location so I was being reported on daily. The 2 younger (and lower paid) employees had done this before and I should have seen it coming. The last nurse had given up 6 months before me. My last month, after I gave notice, was awful. They actually destroyed a sterile field I had set up just a few minutes before a procedure. I had a flat tire 2 days in a row. My lunch was in the trash can when I went on break. My personal pictures hanging in my cupboard were destroyed with a Sharpie. I could list a hundred evils. They were obviously “hitmen” to get me out. I guess they have already started on another “overpaid RN”.
Just to think that the DON condones this behavior is nauseating. What is her job about anyway. Ahhh, yes, saving money. Forget the patient, lets get rid of the organized, critical thinking, experienced RN and replace with a new medical assistant who gets $12 LESS per hour. Nevermind that she cannot pronounce the word colonoscopy and couldn’t triage an appy if it fell on her.
The bullying was the last straw but I have to tell you that the nursing atmosphere has been crashing for years. The amount of paperwork is unbelievable. Prior authorizations for procedures and medications are out of control. And, the push to save money where there is none to be safely saved?????????????
I am now home and love it. Can’t imagine going back to nursing. It is a homewrecking, lifewrecking occupation. Thanks for letting me vent.
June 1st, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Wow! It was great reading all of your comments. Somehow it is so validadting. I have been a nurse for 33 years and have always disliked it and most of the time hated it. I was lucky enough to stay home with my kids for a glorious 10 year span and those were the best years of my life. Now I really hate my job, but so far havent figured out what I should do that would be better. I am 55, with a great personal life, but I can’t stand going to work! It makes me miserable. I work on an endoscopy unit that is rediculously busy. It has become “hurry up, but don’t dare make a mistake or you are out!” THe pressure is out of control, more and more paperwork! We are always expected to do overtime, more and more emergency ad on cases. I am considering home care, or a doctors office. Anyone have any thoughts or opinions to share? My email is kjablon442@aol
August 4th, 2011 at 12:19 am
All the information and commenting are usefully for newbie nurse to learn,thanks for you guys
August 6th, 2011 at 8:21 am
I have been a nurse for 15 years and hate it. I cannot handle any more stress, its affecting my marriage and most of al my well being. I am trapped. I worked LTC, hospice and home care, agency ad none of it makes me feel like Im in the right place in life. I am 38 , married with a preschooler in tow and need the money. I make 40 bucks an hour o a med surg floor so I only need to work 3 days a week but I find I cant even handle that. Sad. I have devloped an anxiety disorder over the years and find that I cannot handle any more stress. My mind becomes frazzled and disorganized and I find it hard to complete tasks at work. I am sad I couldnt go back to school to discover what other talents and potential I may have. Its hard with a little one. I want to take a class per semester but Ill never graduate at this point. What have other former nurses transitioned into for work? I need out soon! I am making stupid mistakes at work and am afraid.
August 19th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Every body knows that modern life is very expensive, but different people require cash for different issues and not every man earns big sums money. Thus to get good loans and just consolidation loans would be good way out.
September 3rd, 2011 at 3:02 pm
I have been working a med/surg unit for 22 months now. This is my first job after graduating into this new career at age 50. I love people, their stories, and providing a helping hand if possible. I chose nursing to earn a livable wage, be of service in a positive way, and stay in NW Montana. The economy changed and I had to relocate.
After this past week it is now very clear to me that I am in the wrong job. I reacted poorly under three days of constant stress with no breaks. Specificaly, I yelled at a patient and my CNA. A very needy pt. and a CNA not performing tasks I depend on. No excuses, a knee jerk response instead of a professional approach. I know we all make mistakes, but I cannot accept making a poor situation worse with my negative influence. My primary attitude is to do no harm. I know the work load and environment is not going to change.
My RN experience has taught me that nursing is not a healthy profession to be in, and the hospital’s priority is loyalty to the business model over patient care. If you hate what you are doing it will soon surface, get out, do no harm.
I can relate to previous comments, what do I do now? At my age and with all the time, effort, and expense of acheiving my RN license I feel lost. Yet, I believe this will lead to something more in line to my true nature.
I believe you all have sincere concern for our fellow humans, we all must find a way to express our caring nature without continually sacraficing our own health.
September 16th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
22 years experience here and let me tell you- I have done a lot of different types of nursing. med surg, home health, motherbaby all ICU’s - many many years, and now dialysis. I even did a little radiology… boring.. It has just gotton ridiculous….. I went into it because I care and I love people. But hospitals only care about computer charting and bullsh*** managers that couldn’t take care of a really sick patient if their life depended on it. And these new grads that know it all and wnat to manage me? HaHa Ha. Hope I never see them as a patient, because they could care less!! I’m so fed up seriously thinking about just working 2 jobs for a while paying off my bills and sititng my behind down. The doctors aren’t any better! They could care less, they just make referrals to other doctors… pass the buck!!
October 9th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
I have been an RN for going on 11 years. I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE my med-surg job. I used to feel blessed to have my job, now I feel like crying almost every day. The last couple of years have been difficult d/t being a primary caregiver to a (now deceased) sibling on top of working full-time. Now I am caring for my elderly mother. I am just plain tired of taking care of people. Thankfully I have no family of my own to tend to, otherwise I might really lose it. I was thinking of switching to a clinic position.
I am just glad I found a place to vent!
October 27th, 2011 at 2:44 am
Thank God I have found you all!! Have been in Home Health for 10 years after 3 year stint in a pediatric convalescent center. Thought Home Health was my passion and calling. I have cried buckets of tears for all of you people and I commend you all for posting your thoughts about the whole nursing scene. I too am an older nurse with alot of compassion and integrity. Except changes in the home have made it difficult to enjoy my job any more. I’m experiencing burnout from all the changes and budget cuts. Family dynamics are in the toilet and now after having the same patient for ten years with improvements in his overall wellbeing, I’m called out on the carpet because I refuse to accept abuse by my patient any longer!! I’m jaded, I hate nursing and am up right now at 3:30 posting this because I’m losing sleep over what is going to be a melt down. Because of the current economy, I hesitate to quit. I live in a small town where good opportunities are few and far between. It’s time for a change but where does someone my age go?? Thanks for all your support and letting me vent!! It’s good to know that all the self-degradation is totally unnecessary as I’m not the only one on this sinking ship called healthcare!! I wish the very best for all of you!!Thanks again for letting me vent!!
November 15th, 2011 at 11:48 am
Suki, I completely agree. I pray when its time for my mom to go, it’ll be in her sleep at home. My sister died in hospital and it wasn’t the best death. Not the worst, but definitely could have been better. Her last nurse was clearly not suited to a dying pt. She had the nerve to tell me after my sister died that we needed to get out because she needed the bed for an ER pt. What a heartless or just plain rude bitch.
Misty, I wish you luck in finding a new position. I know change is difficult.
I am actually in a better place spiritually and emotionally than I was when I wrote what I did above. I finally got more manageable assignments and pts that reminded me why I’m a nurse to begin with. I also realized I need more self-care. I’m working on that. We all need something to look forward to.
January 11th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
Great blog here! Also your site loads up very fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol…
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:00 am
i need to leave this profession… but me not finding other best career….
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:26 pm
MJD,
I understand what you mean about facing your own mortality.
I have been a nurse for 14 years, Oncology care for the past 9 years.
I know that I could change jobs, but I feel stuck. What else would I do? I only have an associates degree, and am so limited by this. We have moved to a new state and have two small children. Not working is not an option for me. Going to school is expensive, and there is NO way I will work full time just for tuition reimbursement!
Luckily I only work per diem, one 12 a week…..14+ in reality.
My problem is that I feel like nursing is killing me. The constant suffering, death, paperwork, short staffing, blah, blah, blah. I think about death a lot. Like my life is almost over. We live, but die so soon! I’m only 36 and feel crippled by this! I am sick with anxiety for days before my shift. Useless to my family days after. I’m pathetic! Another thing I find is that I just don’t want to take care of ANYBODY but
myself anymore. I feel terrible putting that down in writing. I am sick of caring! Help me! I feel so toxic and I’m imploding!
February 3rd, 2012 at 8:30 am
Great site for ”Awakening Nurses”… I’ve been Med-Surg RN for years- Long story short- hated 1st job -cried nightly- lost great husband sudden to brain aneurysm-ended up where I am now as charge nurse 3-11 most nights w/o a CNA where patients/families don’t share the PRIORITIZE rule of nurseswhen fluffing their pillow or finding a remote IS priority- I see daily a lot of unnecessary health conditions and surgeries that probably could have been prevented which led to my becoming vegan/raw vegan.
I am now planning my escape even though I work at one of best med-surg nurse to patient ratios out there (evenings w/ 1:6) and most employees are awesome- I even love my boss- but I DON’T LOVE waking up at 2am worrying if a decision I made is going to lead to someone’s death. I would rather be poor and happy than rich and stressed. I became a mostly Raw Vegan after seeing on a daily basis how important ACTUAL good nutrition is for humans (who- by the way– are the only ones who cook their food on the entire planet) -so many health care problems could be prevented if we grew our own food and went outside and played in the sun and put our feet in the earth more.
No- I ain’t crazy- I’m just awake and am planning my escape from stress- I recommend a little book “”The Richest Man in Babylon” to anyone thinking of getting out… I put away just 10% of every paycheck to a second bank account -across town- that I DON’T have a debit card to or online access to- I don’t pay close attention to the total. I’m looking around at the employees of stores I go in to and watching for who looks happy- that’s what job I’m going to go for. I won’t lose sleep over selling customers green beans and toilet paper!!!
( med-surg floor for maybe 1 year at the most- stockpiling money-paying off debt- and watching for that happy low stress cute little job 
oh yeah - and start buying non-expensive produce that I’ll have to scrub down w/ dawn soap to avoid bacteria and pesticides if possible because the healthiest is the most expensive… If anyone finds the perfect low-stress job w/ family plan- please post position- so far it’s looking like Aldi’s cashier for me… ”Thank you- Have a nice day” 
and check out my guru- dan macdonald on youtube liferegenerator
It doesn’t matter how much you make - it’s all about insurance… And- the more money you make– the more money you spend! So- my plan is to keep it together as charge nurse on my crazy hectic (mostly CNA-free
Thanks- Cheryl
February 3rd, 2012 at 8:47 am
Correction to above post… ”CNA Free
” that’s sarcasm and then a frowny face - my employers would rather pay an RN overtime to do charting than hire another CNA– (more sarcasm)