Nurses are the most intelligent and compassionate people in the world. Nursing is the most fulfilling and rewarding profession in the world.
Why, then, is there so much bitching going on? We're a bunch of nice people in the world’s greatest profession, yet whining often takes a prominent role in our conversations.
There may be a couple things going on. One is that we, by nature, are martyrs. The other is that we don't like change. Those two characteristics cause us to stay in jobs we don't like. After a while, our inward martyr becomes outward bitchiness. Our desire for stability makes us resentful of feeling "stuck". More bitchiness.
The truth is lots of nursing jobs out there suck. There are too few nurses, too many patients, too little budget, an over-abundance of lazy or mean supervisors, and a few narcissistic docs.
Here's the bigger truth: There are millions of nursing jobs--and most of them don't suck. Most of them are in caring environments with great staff and management.
I propose if you're reading this and are in a job you don't like, quit bitching and just quit. You'll have another job in no time. Have you not read about the nursing shortage? You're in high demand, for crying out loud. Go find a job you love.
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
||
search realityrn
sign up for weekly cartoons, tips, and blog posts
register for RealityRN community and win a $100 gas card!
|
|
|
 |
October 27th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
The fact is all nursing jobs suck! I’ve been an Rn 5 + years and worked in 3 different hospitals. They are all the same. NURSING SUX!!! I’m happy to be adding to the shortage. Leaving it!!
October 29th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Think this through with me, Greg. If all 3 jobs sucked and you were the common denominator…
I hold to the truth that Nursing is the greatest profession in the world, and if you stick with it, you will find a job you love. If not, leave before you become a virus and ruin it for the rest of us.
October 29th, 2007 at 7:05 am
I was in the corporate world for 11 years and held several jobs. There was only ONE JOB that I truly loved and that ended due to downsizing.
I have been an operating room nurse for two years at two different organizations. The first OR sucked - not because of my job reponsibilities - but because of the people. I am so much happier in my current job because of the support and the camaraderie of the staff.
Sure, nursing is tough, but I love what I do. There isn’t a job out there (nursing or non-nursing) that doesn’t have its challenges. At least I know that at the end of the day, I positively impacted someone’s life. I never felt that way about putting together a spreadsheet.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
your comments hit it on the nail-head!
Often in a work enviroment and multiple changing shifts , peer relations are an important factor. Working with ‘toxic’ personalities or ‘control’ freaks, back stabbers and those that bring their nasty sides of their personality to work instead of leaving it at home , create many nurses, male or female to leave the bedside nursing positions and seek other avenues. It is not worth it to endure. I know I did. As much as I miss working in an acute care setting, I would not go back to such set ups. It is not just one or two work places out there…it festers in many of the work places but it seems to be worse in nursing for some reason. Maybe it is because they are allowed to get by with such behavior.
I remain in a different type of nursing area now.. and younger nurses tell me of the hostile work enviroments where they work (acute care & clinics )..be it with peers or management.
Those nurses telling me of their mandatory 16 hours and being on mandatory call-back..why would I ever want to step back into that, even on a PRN status. So, acute care places, nursing homes etc.. continue to replace with less and less qualified staff.
Making a profit all the past years and to remain competive in the medical business world has created much of what is facing the nursing profession now.
I work with LPN’s that do RN tasks, CNA’s that work as LPN’s ,yes they are outside of their parameters according to Nursing Board Rules.. but …. the job has to be done somehow. Interesting how this will all turn out.
October 30th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Bravo for speaking out!
I agree with what you said, Jana!
Find an environment where teamwork is valued.Units that have a alot of micromanagers usually don’t foster teamwork.
I’m very happy to be on a unit where teamwork is rewarded and plan to stay there as long as it is. I also work in a hospital where nurses are highly valued and expected to remain professional. You put professionalism and teamwork together and you have a successful combination!
October 31st, 2007 at 11:51 am
I would really be interested in strategies for creating boundaries and dealing effectively with nurses who have toxic personalities and/or control freaks,back stabbers; and nurses who bring their nasty personality to work and get away with their behavior.
October 31st, 2007 at 4:23 pm
JT I’ll tell ya man,
I’ve been a nurse for 3 1/2 yrs. and been at 4 different hospitals, and at every one, and at every unit I was associated with I have come to find that there are at least 2 nurses that LOVE negativity and “drama”. They didn’t want to see other nurses get ahead and were constantly concerned with “fairness”. I say instead of worrying about someone screwing them over with a pt load or whatever else. they need to trust the charge nurses that they have and let them work it out, if it’s not resolved take it to a higher level. Nurses can’t get ahead if we keep tearing each other down. That’s why we can’t make anymore money than we do, we don’t advocate for each other. We as a profession, can demand soooo much more if we come together like a fist!! But until we figure that out. We will always be trampled on.
October 31st, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I just started a new position on a medical surgical unit of a small community hospital.I am entitled to 6-8 weeks of orientation.The nurse whom is my preceptor is on light duty for a injury.After about 3 weeks,a particular nurse became irate due to her workload. Instead of taking her issues to a higher authority,she made everyone on the unit uncomfortable,especially me. I am getting so tired of bully nurses.Not all folks who decide to go into the profession are good,kind souls.Many are bratty,spoiled and selfish.I feel team work and fostering a sense of compassion not only to your patients but towards one another is not stressed enough by our managers.Nursing is difficult enough,one day I hope to be in the position to not tolerate bully behavior,either get along and help one another or find a new profession-please.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
I work in a high dementia care nursing home and its full on. Mondays arvos arent good to work coz of the RN who works then. She’s an ‘old-school’ nurse, who always goes on about their training being better rah rah. And she thinks its our job to do the shitty jobs like lifting people. If there is a spill, she demands we pick it up.
One day whilst hoisting a patient to bed, we noticed he was bleeding somewhere. Found the source, went to find the RN who complained that we should do something about it. We were like ah yeah we did! We called you, and cleaned it up! I felt like swearing at her, coz we are not here to do wound care.
Monday shift, tea time, I was feeding a patient, she asked me to mind the med trolley while she went to the toliet. 30mins later, wondering where she went, coz we had to do our own work, and then i heard someone calling for help. The other RN wanted help to get the patient off the floor. THe other RN just came back, didnt say thanks for staying with the trolley, even though it was locked, and didnt bother to help us lift the patient. It took 5 nurses to lift the guy, and her help may have been appreciated.
And at the start of the shift, when allocating patients, she like muttered under her breath when I told her I have to work in the ladies end as my specialist told me to do light duties. I was like ah hello, your lucky that I bothered to show up, i shouldnt be here!
Most of the bitchy nurses that ive seen or heard of, are the middle aged ones who think they rule the roost. But like others have said, you get bitching in any job.