I recently got a comment: I struggle with the question of why I am changing careers. I used to LOVE being a nurse – I loved my job and my patients and their family members could tell. As the years progressed, I fell out of love with nursing. Admittedly, I have only worked at one hospital, but the red tape just kept coming and I knew I couldn’t continue to work as a nurse.
I think nursing and hospitals face the same issues and problems that other professions and businesses have: incompetent management, too much red tape, not enough supplies to do the job effectively… the list could go on.
There’s a lot of paperwork that one must keep up on just to be a nurse. There’s licenses to keep current, education requirements to fulfill, proof of those education hours that needs to be kept, competencies on different machines and procedures that need to be renewed (and the proof kept). We each have little folders that we must maintain that contains all of these myriad papers.
Every once in awhile, “management” comes up with yet another piece of paper or activity that we need to do or keep track of. One afternoon, my colleagues and I were sitting around the break room table one day, preparing for shift report. We were complaining amongst ourselves about the latest memo that came out saying that we must now keep track of such-and-such. It quickly went the route of the “This is what’s wrong with nursing today!” conversation. The unit clerk was also sitting at the table and at the first pause in the conversation said, “Well, that all may be so, but you guys are living the dream!” Meaning, of course, that most of us had wanted to be nurses. We went to college and trained for years in order to be able to work at our chosen profession. She got quite a laugh, and the conversation was diffused, but I think she has a point.
Many people complain about their jobs. Some people really had no idea what they would actually be doing as a doctor, nurse, lawyer, astronaut, whatever. But if you used to love being a nurse, then it’s really a shame that you’d feel like you had to leave. It’s different from getting out of school and discovering right off the bat that it wasn’t for you.
I also strongly feel that nursing is different at different hospitals. If you truly enjoyed nursing, just try a different hospital before leaving the profession altogether. I’ve gotten really lucky with all of my jobs. I’ve been very fortunate to work with very talented, fun, interesting people. Are there problems? Yes. Every unit is going to have problems… but there are problems that you can live with and some you can’t. I happen to work for a hospital that has problems that I can live with. There really are hospitals out there that nurses like working for. Or if you didn’t want to work in a hospital, go to a school, doctor’s office, research facility, children’s home, nursing home, rehab facility, home care… the list goes on! We need good nurses staying in the profession.
You know, living the dream.
I am Gina. I have been an Intensive Care nurse for 14 years. This blog is about my experiences as a nurse, and the experiences of others in the healthcare system - patients, nurses, doctors, paramedics. We all have stories!
Comments
Hey Geena, great response. Nurses aren’t considered the most ethical and respected profession in america for nothing.
On another topic, you might want to check out this link, since you seem to get a lot of female readers: http://democracyforvirginia.typepad.com/democracy_for_virginia/2005/01/legislative_sen.html
I find it frightening.
added by dr. charles on 01.09.05 9:48 am | Permalink
Geena, You are so right — nursing IS different in different hospitals, and in some even the department you are in can make a huge difference. Or as you said, a different type of facility.
I would also recommend some sort of change before leaving the profession altogether.
I’ve also seen older nurses who are completely burnt out, and no longer find any pleasure in the work — that’s a different story.
added by diana on 01.10.05 10:15 am | Permalink
Geena,
Once again, you are right on. I spent 22 years in varying aspects of a “dream job” — working in radio, one of the top ad agencies in a big city, then moving on PR, which most people think is a pretty cushy job. Each place has its drawbacks. And yes, documenting training is part of the deal whereever you go. People need to cover their backsides and there needs to be info carried over from one shift to the next to one political administration to the next.
I know a nurse who hates nursing. She wants to be an editor. She has no idea of the boredom, thanklessness or frustration that goes into editing poor writing. Been there. Done that.
I tried to encourage her to go to a different hospital or work for a doc or do something different in medicine. She loved it once and with all of the investment in her training and flexibility, I think she should give it another try.
added by Anonymous on 01.11.05 5:34 am | Permalink
Geena,
Once again, you are right on. I spent 22 years in varying aspects of a “dream job” — working in radio, one of the top ad agencies in a big city, then moving on PR, which most people think is a pretty cushy job. Each place has its drawbacks. And yes, documenting training is part of the deal whereever you go. People need to cover their backsides and there needs to be info carried over from one shift to the next to one political administration to the next.
I know a nurse who hates nursing. She wants to be an editor. She has no idea of the boredom, thanklessness or frustration that goes into editing poor writing. Been there. Done that.
I tried to encourage her to go to a different hospital or work for a doc or do something different in medicine. She loved it once and with all of the investment in her training and flexibility, I think she should give it another try.
added by ThirdDegreeNurse on 01.11.05 5:35 am | Permalink
Maybe editing is boring, thankless and frustrating (as nursing can also be). But at least being an editor doesn’t require you to be everything as nursing does. As nurses, we’re expected to be confidants, counselors, psychics, pharmacists, nursing assistants, cooks, housekeepers, mothers, computer operators and bookkeepers. And, the list just keeps growing. After only 12 years in the profession, I’m done.
added by Pammy on 02.08.05 3:06 pm | Permalink
i am trying to become a rn as of right now but i don’t know if i am making the right decision.i read all the stories about so many people that hate being a nurse. and i’m just hoping that i won’t become one of them.however i do feel that it is something that i should do right back ladyla21@ yahoo.com i need advice please
added by indranie on 11.26.07 11:30 pm | Permalink
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