The Effects of Nursing on Nurses
Hi, welcome to my blog post. I have never had a blog post get more than 50 comments, so I am a bit overwhelmed. After responding to many comments, here is a note:
Note: I wrote this blog entry at the end of my 3rd 12 hour shift in three days. I was tired and I was emotional. It is a blog post, not an “article.” It is not researched or sourced, it is purely opinion.
The point of this post is that nurses (and many other professions) need to take the time to practice self care and to encourage one another to practice self care.
My biggest mistake in this post (and there are many) was to use “her” or “she” when I should have used “they” or them.” I ignored my male coworkers, and I should not have. You have my apologies, and I have corrected the post. I have left “she” and “her” in place in the portion where I talk about my coworker.
I have read every comment posted and deleted some very nasty comments that were not helpful to conversation. If you feel this is the place to spew your vitriol, it is not.
August 11, 2013
This morning, while I was giving report to the day shift nurse taking over my patients, she burst into tears.
She’s going to miss her children’s hockey play offs due to our strictly enforced every other weekend schedules. You work every other weekend, no more, no less, unless you are going to college (I work every weekend because I’m in college). She’s their hockey coach, and inevitably, each year, their last game falls on a day their mother has to work. I’ve come in early for her before.
So I offered to come in on my night off for an hour and a half so she could get to the game. I’m coming in that early because I know she won’t be done charting.
She turned me down until another day RN got involved. I reminded my coworker I only live a mile from the hospital, and it really wasn’t a big sacrifice for me. She finally agreed, and calmed down. We got permission from the charge nurse.
Nursing is one of the largest professions in the world. If you don’t know a nurse, I’m really surprised. Nurses talk a lot about the rewards of nursing. Catching that vital sign, saving lives, providing comfort, but nurses, by nature, are taught to martyr themselves on the altar of nursing.
When I was a new grad, I hated coming to work so much that I would wish I’d get hit by a car on my way to work just to get out of work. One night, while checking medication sheets, I confessed this to some experienced nurses and found out some of them still felt the same way.
In nursing, it is NORMAL to have days where you wake up and just can’t mentally and emotionally face the day at work. I swear, the only other people who can understand this are nurses.
Nursing is emotionally, physically and mentally taxing, and some days you run too low on what you can give emotionally, physically and mentally. That minor back injury you don’t want to report to HR because you don’t want it on your record. Having a patient with constant diarrhea who can’t get out of bed and needs to be physically rolled and cleaned several times an hour. The cold you got from the two-year old someone brought in. The sorrow that comes from supporting someone who has just found out they were dying, holding in your own tears so you could wipe theirs. In one day, all of those patients could be yours.
I don’t know a nurse who hasn’t taken a mental health day. Some do it by requesting more vacation than others. Some do it by calling in sick, but it’s all time off because we are too drained to give anymore.
So if you know a nurse, and that nurse mentions to you that they feel like calling in because they just can’t take it another day, don’t give them a hard time. Especially if you have an 8-5 job with weekends off or some other really great schedule. The 12 hour shifts nurses work mean we miss the entire holiday we work with our families. Night shift nurses have to choose between holiday dinners or sleep. Often, if a nurse chooses to sleep rather than go to the holiday dinner, guilt ensues. Even though I’ve told my mother-in-law repeatedly that every nurse has to work holidays, she makes a point to say how horrible it is my husband has to be alone for a few hours. What about me? Working my ass off while everyone else celebrates?
We work hard. We are intentionally understaffed by our hospitals to improve profit, even if the hospital is a non-profit. We help people at the worst times of their lives, and often have no way to debrief, to get it off our chests. We don’t just bring warm blankets and pills. We are college educated, degreed professionals who are often treated like uneducated, lazy servants. We get sexually harassed by our patients. We get groped, punched, cut, I even know of a nurse on my floor being strangled (she survived).
Nursing can be rewarding. But nursing is a fucking hard job. If you are afraid of healthcare rationing, you should know it is already happening. Nurses are unable to give everyone the care they need, so patients with smaller problems may not get the same level of care. A nurse may be pressed to only give the minimum amount of care to a patient if they have 5 or more very sick patients. If you don’t want healthcare rationing, talk to your local hospitals about their nurse to patient ratios. Talk to your doctors. If you hear of legislation to support nurse to patient ratios, vote for it. Support it.
So if a nurse needs a day off, you support them. If you’re in a position to help like I was this morning, do so. If you are a nurse, go easier on yourself when you think about the things you didn’t finish, or the things you should have said. It’s a 24-hour a day job and you don’t have to do it alone.
As of January 27, 2014, this post is no longer accepting comments. I am doing this as a practice of self care. Tending to this blog post, several times a day, has become a burden. It has had over 2 million hits, and I am tired. The post has become a platform for people who want to propel their own agendas and are using my space to do so. Thanks to all who said such nice things, and to everyone else, go write your own blog.
Posted on August 11, 2013, in Nursing and tagged Health care, Nursing, registered nurse. Bookmark the permalink. 2,612 Comments.
ofcourseitsaboutyou 
It’s a tough job, but there are a lot of tough jobs. There are also a lot of other healthcare professionals that work very very hard and long hours and holidays.
hear hear!!!!
She didn’t say there were no other jobs that were hard. She’s just talking about her job, this is what she knows best. Go write you own article if you don’t like this one.
I never said their weren’t. This blog post was specifically about the need for self-care and the need for nurses to look out for one another.
My perception is that this article is not saying that there are not other ‘tough jobs’ out there. I feel it is a message to other nurses to support and care for each other and be aware of our mental health.
I am your patient, the one who came in during the night with complications of surgery and is frightened and in terrible pain. Yours is the face I see when I ring the bell to ask for something to ease the pain. Yours is the name I write down in my patient folder so that when I leave the hospital I can write to the hospital supervisor to commend you for your kindness and attention to my calls. Those commendations go into your record and may make a difference when you might be considered for promotion or a raise. My son is a urologist who deals with cancer and treats his patients, their families and the nurses with respect and care. My daughter has been an Occupational Therapist for over 30 years with a back that aches from transferring obese patients by herself because she often can’t find a nurse to help her. My granddaughter is in her first job as a Nurse Practitioner; her new husband is in his first year of medical residency. So I see these people both as medical professionals and as family members who are frequently exhausted, sometimes burned out and wondering if they had made the wrong choice of making a living.
So don’t think that all patients are ungrateful and unaware of your mental and physical fatigue. Chances are that you wouldn’t trade places with them. By the way, thank you for being my nurse.
The majority of my patients are very kind, and if they are not, they are usually exceptionally ill. I really appreciate the time you took to write this. I really enjoy working with my patients, even if my shift is stressful. You are what makes my job worth it. Thank you.
This article is dead on…and I could elaborate for hours. It is horrible how you get treated as a nurse by patients, Doctors, and administration. Everyone has their own personal agenda and you are the middle man for all three. I can count how many times I have had patients screaming and cursing at me to see their Doctor, yet the Doctor walks in the room, and they all of a sudden turn into the politest human being since Mary Poppins. We are nurses because we care about people, and we want to make sure our patients are provided with the best care possible, but it is always a challenge, between hospitals administration pushing discharges when patients are not even stable to leave, and doctors taking hours to return phone calls as their patient screams at you for pain medication which you have no order for. Laymen I do not think will ever get it. As nurses though we have an obligated duty to be there for our other co workers, and when it comes to working holidays. Do the right thing, you are not the only one with a family! Happy New Year to all my brilliant hard working nurses out there…from a fellow nurse.
I agree with Sybil – I was a Medical Clerk in a Hospital – Worked every other week-end – every other Holiday – Sometimes a double shift – 16 hours straight if the next shift couldn’t make it in – My husband & 3 sons would visit relatives & enjoy the evening while I was at work – I was NOT a nurse – But still a demanding job – I loved my job – But, it was still demanding !!! I guess my title was Ward Clerk – so I worked right with the nurses !!!
This article mentions that nurses are “taught to martyr themselves on the altar of nursing” – and then celebrates the martyrdom by doing just that. If the point is to raise awareness for the nursing profession and the state of the healthcare industry, the author fails in this by focusing on things that supposedly “only nurses” can identify with. If you really think that you are alone among support staff, military personnel (!), teachers, humanitarian aid workers, immigrant day laborers (I could go on) in being overworked, robbed of family time, and under appreciated, you need to get out more and/or switch careers and/or realize all the ways in which you are incredibly lucky and privileged to be doing the work you do. I have the utmost respect for most of the nurses I have worked with in the last five years, but I have no patience for the whining and self-worship that sometimes accompanies this profession. (Nor do I have the patience for it in any other profession.) I have noticed this article being shared by coworkers who have less than five years’ experience working in the field – even though my institution started them out at $80k with amazing benefits and they enjoy excellent management. So while I agree with much of the content of this piece as far as nurse appreciation is concerned, the tone and delivery are completely off-base in their exclusion of anyone who isn’t a member of this mysterious and misunderstood “RN Club.” Some of us understand it much better than you think.
JL, you obviously are not a nurse! I have worked many, many days overtime… Days off and many 16 hour days to help out with shortages… Even with my hundreds of hours overtime… I have never made $80,000 per year!!! I have been in the medical field since 2007… If you were in the medical field… I do believe that saving lives and others’ lives in your hands would be terribly stressful to you too…. ESPECIALLY with all the other conditions listed looming over your shoulders! So, maybe you should stop your whining while you keep your Cush $80,000 per year job… Because someday… More likely than not, it will be a nurse saving your life!!!
Couldn’t have put it better myself. I know plenty of nurses, and the nurses I had when I went into premature labor completely alone were amazing, they were the only reason I made it through. I don’t take them for granted, or think their job is by any means easy. But this article just sounded like a passive aggressive rant about poor management, and not being given a ton of respect along with her paycheck.
Agree with everything you said and I am a nurse! Unbelievable article. The tone comes off as a bratty spoiled person if you ask me.
Hear hear
Nurses get great conditions, meal breaks, compulsory staffing ratios, and these things constantly pop up on Facebook. “Only other nurses would understand” other professions don’t get the luxury of “mental health days”. And it is always the junior nurses who are propagating them.
No….really, you don’t truly understand. When’s the last time you were doing compressions on a patient with no stable airway, anesthesia was simultaneously trying to trach the patient at the bedside, and blood was squirting on the wall because the patient also had coagulopathy? Or were you there holding a family member so tight as she threw herself on top of her dead mother and screamed like she was getting murdered. I have no patience for people like you who think they really understand. Those experiences are ever so slightly skimming the surface. I didn’t go into nursing with the intent on being a martyr but don’t preach to me.
I have recently witnessed my coworkers cry out of frustration at work, and it’s because they can’t give the quality of nursing care they know they are capable of, and that their patients would benefit from. It’s not about money, schedules, or being tired. It’s about doing what is right, and best for the patient. Not being able to do that because of inadequate staffing is soul crushing.
LIKE!
Yes.
I couldn’t agree with you more!
I recently experienced this with coworkers and and had my own moment. ..its sad that we r pulled in so many directions bc we have a 6 pt ratio….I have had my fulfilling moments and my down ones….the down moments stick out bc u feel like u failed! 😦
amen!
I feel the fact that so many suffer from PTSD and this is not addressed. No one in administration , state board or any other aspect of nursing gives a Ratsass what happens to you just as long as you drag your corpse to work on time and your turnover productivity times are good. 30 years of nursing I have had many nurses commit suicide , lose their license due to drugs or alcohol abuse. At work we are verbally abused , physically attacked , then go home and do it again. The public is not educated in what are our education requirements they feel we pass out pills, wipe butts , and do what the Drs. tell us . I love the friends I have made in nursing but advise no one to go into the field . You lose yourself at the end because people will suck you dry then ask “what is wrong with you ?”
I love my interactions with my patients and their families. I try everyday at work to make a difference! YOU ARE SO RIGHT ON WITH YOUR COMMENT! I am 3 classes shy of my ADN and I really am not sure that I want to do it anymore!
“In nursing, it is NORMAL to have days where you wake up and just can’t mentally and emotionally face the day at work. I swear, the only other people who can understand this are nurses.”
Then there are plenty of other professions you don’t know much about.
Unless you work with living people instead of things you can’t really understand the stress of dependent living people – who might die. I was recently a patient in ICU for three weeks at the verge of death – the nurses were a godsend!! I am a retired teacher and I feel the nurses’ pain.
Thank-you to ALL nurses!!
AGREED!
Well if that’s the only thing you can identify with in nursing, consider yourself lucky.
My sister-in-law is a nurse. Any job where you are required to put other’s needs ahead of your own is extremely taxing. I give kudos to all the nurses out there who bust their butts. This world is a better place because of you. Thank you.
What a nice thing to say!! It is rare to get a kudo in nursing, but greatly appreciated when you do!
What about techs? Its the same with the exception of a college degree at times (and we cannot give meds) only we typically have 10 – 12 patients that we need to help roll and clean. Most of the nurses I work with are helpful, but there are far too many out there that have the attitude that it is not their job to help techs even though a patient may be 2 assist. Apparently, one tech is two people…great that you think we are able to do that, but please recognize one is NOT two…
Techs are greatly appreciated when they do their part… But, please remember that apart of a nurse’s job is not just passing meds, but critical thinking to save lives and catch mistakes that can hurt the patients…. Or worse….
I was a tech prior to beocming a RN and believe me, I know the work is hard. However, nursing is harder because of the level of responsibility and the ever growing list of things that must be accomplished by the end of the 12 hours. When I was a tech, I always got a dinner break. Now that I’m a nurse, I’m often lucky if I even get to go to the bathroom. There is a difference. I am not downplaying the work you do, because you work your ass off, but coming from one position to another, I have found being a nurse to be more difficult.
As far as nurses who don’t feel the need to help the tech, I have NO respect for those nurses. Many patients are too difficult for one person to roll or move. It is the nurse’s responsibility to know when a patient is 2 assist, and to be there when the tech needs assistance.
Actually, the two roles are in no way even. I respect the aides I’ve worked with over my 11 years of nursing but going from an atl telemetry unit were the nurses had 6 tele pt and the techs had the same amount of pt, to Bay Area were we had no aides and the nurse to pt ratio was 4:1. I clearly saw the difference. A lot of times aides complain about nurses because they really don’t have a clue as to what it is WE do! The make assumptions, based on what they see: “she at the nursing station she should be helping me”. They don’t know if we are reading the pt chart, charting, checking labs, and if we are it doesn’t matter. There are aides that request help from a particular nurse that’s busy when others are available…. I could go on and on but the point is simply the post was about NURSES….. And quite frankly as the she state: if you aren’t in fact a nurse you really can’t get it!
Yes there are other a host of allied health groups but the have the luxury of performing task with in the skill set and be done. Nurses function as nurses, respiratory therapist, nurses aides, monitor techs, phlebotomist, housekeepers, physicians, supervisors, quality control, operators, educators, all in one shift! But we are who we are! This is what we do! I care for my patients and treat each one as if they were a member of my family and how I would want my child or parent to be treated that makes it effortless. I love nursing but I quit 6 months ago to pursue medicine, the emotional and mental toll I can handle but the
Physical? (Even with the lift equipment that have been implemented, and the use of lift teams that are never staffed) Why put my body through that if I can go back to school.
As a nurse, I salute to Stephanie Lynne’s comments. Without these techs, nurses will not SURVIVE the 12 hr shift esp at night when at times there’s only one tech for 20 pts. Techs work hard to keep our patients ,( those who are incontinents & obese) safe , dry & clean. Nurses & techs MUST work as a TEAM . We all sign up to work for that 12 hr shift to take care of theses patients. We all know how hard it is but knowing that you are schedule to work on that day , you have to be ready physically & mentally. .
Having been an ICU nurse for 20 years, my advice to those thinking of becoming a nurse……DON’T. You are smart, go into a career that pays better, less stressful and given more respect.
Having been an ICU RN for two years I strongly disagree AMD think it’s one of the most rewarding professions and I don’t regret my decision to be an RN and soon NP over MD or any business or “better paying” profession. Its not about the money and of it is you should find a new profession because I wouldn’t want you as my RN.
Well that’s incredibly supportive of your fellow nurse….perhaps her experiences are much different than yours. 20 years……2 years….I wouldn’t want you as my coworker.
It is not about Nursing- it is poor management & rigid scheduling- which occurs in many occupations: retail, airport workers, military, law enforcement. Teamwork & caring for each other make it worthwhile.
-RN/NP since 1988
AMEN!!!!!
I would like to know if Kelly is a nurse. She states that “Nursing is a hard job. But when you are going for that college degree, you have to know what you’re getting into. 365 days, holidays, overtime, not spending enough time with family. That’s what nurses sign up for. This blog made me feel like it was a lot of complaining. Every person getting into nursing should have expected all of it.”
So what Kelly if the blog made you feel like it was a a lot of complaining. Everyone complains about there jobs now and then. The nurses that are going to college they study their asses off for one!. Second, these nurses WANT to HELP the sick. It is in there heart to help the sick. If you are not a nurse and have not walked in their shoes shame on you!
“Shame On YOU, Laura”… A person doesn’t have to “walk in someone shoes” to comment on complaining… I hear bitching all the time from people about there jobs.
I, for one, am tired of pieces like this that put one profession above another because they think they’ve got it so rough in their job. My mom is a nurse, my wife was also in the profession for a stint… and they will both tell you they CHOSE to be in it. Just like soldiers chose to enlist (won’t get any special sympathy/respect from me for making that choice… admiration for doing it, but no pedestal), teacher choose to teach, and like practically every other stressful profession in the country everyone CHOOSES their path.
If it gets to the point you want to whine about it… it is time to find something else. I understand that the article was trying to bring to light the demands of the profession, but it is not necessary to call out “shame” on someone who points out that it comes off as complaining in points… I saw it too…
Yawn…I’m growing tired of responses like yours. Come to work with me for one day.
Wow, is all I can say. Some posts are minimizing nurses and their work. Yes we all chose it, because it is rewarding. And until you work weekends and 12 hour shifts that keep you away from your children’s extracurricular activities and family holidays. Yes we knew this when we signed up. Luckily I work in California where nurse/patient ratios are adhered to as much as possible. It is a selfless job. We do our very best to give the best possible care to every patient. Sometimes I catch myself not smiling because I’m in a train of thought and a family member is looking at me like I’m rude. Now I have to apologize and explain why I’m not skipping around with a non stop smile. Yes we cry when we did everything we could have, and a newborn baby doesn’t survive. That people is the worse feeling in the world. Yet we come back for more, because the premature baby that came 15 weeks early needs our skills, our passion for our profession, our ability to help parents cope with this life altering event. And we cross our fingers we are scheduled on the day when that bundle of joy gets to finally go home. I don’t doubt that there are stressful jobs that are m-f, but working with human lives is a whole new ballpark. We take every patient that comes through that door even if it means being out of ratio. None of our work can wait for tomorrow, there is no “to do box”, it all has to be done, just a matter of prioritizing. And unfortunately we can’t answer every patient need at one time. And you as a patient think your need for water and pain meds needs to be done now, little do you know that down the hall another patient is dying and we are trying to save them. So for all nurses I apologize that you have to wait sometimes, it is not with intention to make you suffer.
And for nurse’s who are going to work sick because you feel guilty, we all go through the same thing, but you are not doing your patients any favors if you are not 100%. And for the outsiders who think nursing is a cushion job, think again. Why do you think it’s so competitive to get into a nursing program? Because they only accept the best. And it’s not just pill passing and IV starting. It’s critical thinking, making a plan for this patient to get well and go home. And that includes advocating for you, which can mean arguing with the Dr., teaching the residents because they are new and confused and really need guidance , we do that too. So you can admire those 12 hour shifts we work, which equates to work, eat, shower and sleep, for 3 or 4 days. Then those 4 days off, 2 are spent recovering or thinking about the patients you had been caring for. And if you throw night shift in the mix, it’s a whole new ball game. Because no matter what people claim to understand, you sleeping at 1pm is frowned upon. Yes we work holidays which means choosing sleep or family when you get home. Family almost always wins. On Christmas Day I was awake for 30 hours straight, because I don’t want to miss anything and I am a people pleaser. Common traights among nurses, we are people pleasers, we all have OCD to some extent, and no matter what anyone says we take our work home. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally. You bet your ass I call and check on that baby that I was caring for while I was on for 3 days, that baby who weighed a little over a pound.
As nurses we are not looking for praise from everyone, but we don’t want to have our profession minimized.
Exactly!!!
Not trying to minimize… Not all nurses have the same stressful schedule that you describe… I was in the local hospital recently, visiting a friend and 4 nurses were standing behind the counter (directly behind the receptionist) for over 20 minutes carrying on a conversations about what was “on for after work”. My friend in the mean time was waiting for a nurse to return with an IV. So, again, like all professions… there are some that work their but off and some that “let it slide” now and then.
In the US, people choose their jobs. I am glad that dedicated, hard working people like yourself are in the profession. The profession is an honorable one… It is just no the only honorable profession. And pointing that out is not minimizing your profession.
The failures in this article are:
1. The comment that “the only other people who can understand this are nurses”. That is minimizing other people’s intelligence. We are not that stupid.
2. The idea that “The 12 hour shifts nurses work mean we miss the entire holiday we work with our families. Night shift nurses have to choose between holiday dinners or sleep.” Um, factory workers all over this country work similar schedules in very demanding situations (one prime example: underwater welders) and face similar schedules… the article has many points where it verges on “woah is me” complaining. It comes back to trying to put the profession on a pedestal.
So if GrimalkinRN really wants “If you hear of legislation to support nurse to patient ratios, vote for it. Support it.” it would be best not to separate non-nurse readers from the equation by such tactics…
This blog entry (I want to emphasize blog because it is NOT an article as so many people are calling it) was written with a great deal of emotion, and it is therefore flawed. In no way did I ever say that other professions do not work similar shifts. I am not a professional writer, and this is not a professional blog. I am pretty amazed so many people have taken the time to comment.
I went through a personal crisis with my husband, still had to look after my 4 pre-teen children and aging mother who ives with us, convert to fulltime for the hours and benefits when my husband lost his job and driving licence, I felt so robotic, going through the motions of getting up, going into work with dread and forboding, but as soon as I met my patients, i was glad I was there. I felt so fortunate where I could meet such wonderful and interesting people, asnd felt so gratified and grateful that i could look after them, advocate more than just delivering treatment for the admitting diagnosis. I ahve endured a period of stress leave, suffered at the hands of a cruel, indifferent manager and occupational health dept. And a couple of my peers (not all nurses are nice people) have made my working life hell, but still thank God for my vocation. How lucky I am to be exposed to others who have it so much harder than me. It keeps me grounded, forever appreciative, and always makes me feel grateful for what I do have! Thankyou to all of my patients, you have indeed saved my life from self centredness and self pity. I loved looking after each and everyone of you…. I can’t imagine doing anything else.<3
I can certainly empathize with you, as I am sure that most nurse can!
I can totally relate to this. I am sitting here at home with more chronic illnesses than I care to mention, all because I didn’t take enough of those mental health days. I credit multiple sclerosis with saving my life by saving me from my life in nursing. If I had not fallen ill with MS, I would have stayed and I would not be alive today. I would have died of a stroke or heart attack from the hypertension, anxiety, depression, and frustration I felt from the years of built-up nursing burnout. 30 years of nursing put me where I am today. Some women simply stay too long. I am one of the lucky ones. I became too sick to work. How sick is that? And, that, my friends, is what a life in nursing did for me. It was rewarding but bittersweet.
I thank God for nurses and until I read this article, I never considered all of the personal sacrifices that are made in various areas of their lives. I remember certain nurses who:
– pumped my dad’s chest for what seemed like hours trying to get his heart to start back up as he lay in ICU. As me and my family members helplessly watched in horror, I still remember the tears the nurse had rolling down her cheeks. The doctor came in after awhile and had to make her stop. I think she would have kept going for hours more. Even after my dad died there, I will never forget her and the other nurses that tended to him and who seemed to love him as well. This was 17 years ago and I still talk about those amazing women.
– delivered my two children, taught me all about the importance of breast feeding, and showed me how much they loved working with babies and mothers.
I urge all nurses to please take care of each other and themselves! When we are in the hospitals as patients or visiting loved ones, our entire experience can be positive if you are supported, rested, loved, respected, healthy, and focused. It’s an obvious bonus if you love what you do–we all benefit from it.
Thank you again for your hard work and care in your profession. Seeing death, witnessing miracles of birth and healings, assisting in the necessary care to keep patients alive, and being the eyes and wings of the doctors—very few professions deal with all of these elements in their everyday job descriptions! We love and appreciate you, nurses!
Tonya T, thank you, that was so great to read. I’m sorry for the experience of losing you dad, but love your perspective.
Diane, you missed the point I think. Just because you have family members that are health care professionals doesn’t mean that you get it. We realize that all patients are not ungrateful. As an RN myself, its refreshing to read this and know that there are others that feel the same way. Its nice to vent/debrief OK! Give us that much! What do you do for a living?? Just curious! And no we wouldn’t want to take the place of any of our patients, but that’s not the point. Bottom line, if YOU are not a nurse, then you wouldn’t get it, period. I hate taking care of patients like you for the simple reason that just because you have family members that are in health care, you think you understand, and know just enough to be annoying.
Thank you for your comment first! People will never understand it unless they are actually DOING it! Many people have a “glamorous” ideal of nursing… I sure haven’t experienced anything like that in my career! It has been very hard work… Which I love… But I miss out on all the fun with my significant other and daughter, and at our nursing meetings… We get our butts chewed a lot and rarely ever get a kudo… Which doesn’t really matter anyway… Patients healthy, safe and happy are enough… But it would be nice to hear more positive things than negatives!
Bravo! After 32 years i left nursing in June 2013. The final nudge was a NEW hospital system wide electronic medical charting. The old system was great for the emergency department. ..the new one was horrid. After 4 days of crying on the job, I finished my 12 hr shift, called my supervisor and said ” I’m quitting, I’ve already had cancer once and I won’t be stressed out and get it again. I’m giving 2 weeks notice but I am not coming back.”
What do I do now? I’m a proud Realtor with Keller Williams in Austin Texas. When people ask me if I like being in real estate I tell them I’m still doing the same thing…taking care of people and making them comfortable. . I am also quick to tell them that so far no one has thrown up or peed on me… no one has kicked, bitten or cussed me out.
I do miss my friends at the hospital and EMS….best bunch of people you will ever meet. So now I visit and drop off chocolate…hmmmm maybe I will volunteer!
Wow! And I thought that I was the only one who got so stressed out about going to work, that Some days I literally secretly think to myself while driving there “if I got in an accident then I wouldn’t have to go in….” How screwed up is that?! Pretty telling as to the fact how much is piled on our shoulders in terms of physical, mental and emotional stress in a 12 hour period…I think that this article is not only important for people outside of nursing to better understand us, but also I feel that it’s so important for all of us nurses, care aides, Everyone in the team to be understanding and COMPASSIONATE towards EACHOTHER AND SUPPORT EACHOTHER when someone calls in sick rather than all the gossip and hurtful things that can be said. Too much gossip going on everywhere I turn in nursing.. It needs to stop. It’s exhausting in itself. The job is tough enough without the high school politics. Be kind to one another, we’re all doing the best we can!
When I mentioned this secret desire to be injured before coming into work, other nurses laughed and told me it was “normal.” That’s it. That’s the job. I love my patients. I love most of my coworkers. I love my hospital. But sometimes, especially if I’m on the third shift & have already had 2 really rough shifts, I dread coming into work.
Grimalkinrn, don’t apologize shot a was at work and went into premature labor: I was happy when I was admitted to another facility (my hospital had closed it’s maternity ward permanently). I remember telling my BFF sweet this will be like a vacation!
What I find Ridiculous about many of these comments are the non nurses…. I would never enter a chat telling a group of people that I can’t identify with how to feel and what to say… Ugh smh…. GN
Amen sister!
THIS BREAKS MY HEART TO READ THIS AND KNOW MOST OF IT IS TRUE—THE MEDICAL FIELD IS HARD IN EVERY AREA —IT IS A SHAME THE CORPORATION OWNERS CARE MORE ABOUT THE MONEY THEY MAKE AND THAT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PATIENT CARE AND NURSES, DOCTORS, AIDES HEALTH ——–I HAVE TO THANK GOD THAT HE GAVE ME 40 SOME YEARS OF NURSING AND EVEN THO I AM WORN OUT —-I HAVE NO REGRETS —-MOST OF THE PATIENT’S WERE THANKFUL AND—–BECAUSE I MET A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE AND I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED ME—–I KNOW I WILL BE SEEING SOME OF THEM IN HEAVEN ONE DAY—AMEN —THANK YOU GOD
No need to yell… this is a friendly blog (at least it appears to be) 🙂
Don’t enter the industry if this is going to be a problem for you or get out of hospitals. Other avenues of nursing are available.
Actually, not as many different opportunities as you think out if hospitals. Nursing homes have way more awful staffing ratios. Doctors offices are trending the direction of Medical Assistants cuz, you guessed it, money! RNs are typically more expensive so, so called “easier” jobs are not always an option for an RN. Next time you see your doc, note whether the “nurse” rooming you is actually an RN or LPN or an MA/MOA. The difference is $ and level of education.
Being a career paramedic is much the same… We feel ya….
SUCK. IT. UP.
or HIM. Support HIM or HER.
at times, nurses work against each other…the other shift didn’t do this, that nurse didn’t do that. We are supposed to be in an alliance, it would be much easier on all of us if we didn’t try to compete with each other. That’s one reason we don’t get the resect we deserve.
I am a hospice nurse. Some people think that is a special job,and it is. But all jobs, in any business or industry are special. We all work as a unit…what if you had t take your own garbage to the landfill, or repair that pothole on your street, or wash the windows on the 26th floor of a tall building, make all your own clothes, work in retail, wehre the customer is always right, and take it out on you whe it isn’t right.. I love my work and my job. I have worked for not for profit places, so they say. I’ve worked for large corporations wehre the bottom line is the whole reason for the company. Finally after 50+ years, I work with a company who has one owner, who is interested in getting the patients cared for, I have not heard one nurse or aide complain about how hard it is, or about their schedules, they work together and make sure those patients and their families’ needs are met. We work together as a team, and our patients receive the best care possible, and the morale is high. We are not given bonuses usually, or a lot of perks, but there is not one day when the director, or the executive, does not say, Thank You.
And our numbers reflect the care we give. I wish all nurses could work for such a nice company. And not be so rigidly set into a schedule.
Nursing is hardass work, and we need each other. And we need good leadership who support and resect us.
Just one more thing, Stephanie Lynn, I think all of the nurse’s are very aware of the tech : patient ratio. Yes, you do have more patients, but you also have no critical thinking or anywhere near close to the decision making that we have on our shoulders. You don’t get it and you never will. I have worked with lazy techs and lazy nurses and I think the nurses should absolutely help the techs when they can. Elaine, why are you even commenting? If you are not a nurse, really you have NO right to say a thing. There are tons of other jobs in health care that have stress, long hours etc. This was an article about NURSING!! You will NEVER and I mean NEVER fully understand until you go to nursing school and become a nurse. This article was not asking for pity or sympathy. Do you not get that sometimes people need to vent. Good grief. I wouldn’t read an article/blog about policeman/air traffic controllers/fireman or any other high stress job and try to act like I understand their stress because its THEIR stress!!! How would I know what its like? Awesome article by the way! Spot on!
Thank you for your comment! You are so right on!!!!
Nicki, on our unit, you would kindly be shown the door by all the RN’s for such blatant disrespect of the tech, especially if you every talked in such a manner about one of are techs. You strike me as one of those nurses who was smart enough to pass the acedemic part of nursing, but lacks the most important part….compassion & and respect. You must be a joy to work with.
Nicki, you would kindly be shown the door on our unit by most of the RN’s for being so arrogant towards and your blatant disrespectful of techs. Your haughtiness gives us RN’s a bad name among other important healthcare team members. It is RN’s such as yourself that proclaim their superiority over others that prompted me to require both my daughters to work as techs before attending school to become a nurse/nurse practitioner, and an MD. I wanted them to fully understand the worth of each position and to feel the hurtful words of such nurses as yourself, so that they would learn how to properly behave and treat others when they acquire such noble positions in their profession. I suspect that you have the brains to be a nurse but possibly lack the heart of a nurse. I got a feeling most techs really don’t go out of their way to ever help you. Hint: Treat them with the respect they deserve,and they kill themselves to help you, and you won’t have to tell them how special you are…..they will already think that! Education doesn’t give you a right to talk down to people, especially to the ones that work as hard or harder than many RN’s and make your/our jobs a whole lot easier and provides us the extra needed time to do what we were schooled to do. I sorry if this reply sounds harsh, but I got a feeling you’ve never been told (enough) that your superiority complex is nauseating and people are not walking away impressed.
I am a CNA and going for my RN. Being a CNA for a t least 1 year should be a requirement to get into the RN program. If it were, it would probably weed out a lot of the people who don’t realize what they are getting into and don’t like it when they do.
Really you never had a tech or c.n.a who alerted you to the fact that a pt. had a change of condition and needed to be evaluated? Amazing seeing as where most techs spend considerably more one on one time with the pt. than the licensed staff, who spend more time with the pt. than the Dr. It really has to be a team effort. No R.N. is an island. Wow amazing that nurses are more stfessed than any other member of the health care team including the pt. and the family.
I have been a nurse for 35 years and one thing that has not changed is how much nurses love to complain about …..everything. It is the one part of nursing I do not like-I love everything else about being a nurse. I was thrilled when men began entering the nursing field because, to be very honest, the men I have worked with would come in and do their job and not spend hours and hours complaining about….everything. Nursing is a diverse and wonderful field to work in and if you find the area of nursing you are employed in too difficult or one that doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle needs, wants and desires then find another area. Fortunately the nursing field provides that opportunity. We are in hospitals, clinics, schools, businesses, courts of law, cruise ships, amusements parts, legal firms, universities, etc, etc. I am not saying nursing is easy, but for me it has been a career that I love and that has been very fulfilling.
Do your job. Self schedule. Have a trading system to trade off. Work together better. Do no eat their you instead nurture, coach , mentor the you. Have an awesome scheduler that developed 4,8,10,12 ,16, hr shifts or weekend only, have an awesome 1/12 in place for those that help you. Trader off when last play schedule comes our, have a trading system after the final schedule at 11/2 pay, teach proactive scheduling requests, have a great manager that rewards the ones that help out……. Everyone is treated fair n equitably. Because you have a great manager everyone will want to work I’m your dept….
Wow, I can’t even understand this!
Wow… Cry me a river. The day you start looking at your occupation as a blessing instead of a burden, you’ll probably start to enjoy it more. Is your job challenging? Yep, is it more challenging than say a construction laborer who would pray to only work 12 hours in a day? And who does that 7 days a week rather than 3, frequently in extreme weather conditions, in an environment that demands physical labor to a degree that you’ve probably never even bothered to imagine? And who does that for probably 1/3 of your wage, and likely doesn’t have a single benefit outside of his paycheck? I don’t mean to be rude, but this is just another classic case of having no appreciation for what you have. If it’s so terrible to have the opportunity and ability to have such a great impact on someone’s life, maybe you should seek refuge in a meaningless occupation selling meaningless shit to people who don’t have the money for it. You’re blessed, start acting like it. You and everybody else in our profession (that’s right, I’m one of you) are not special or unique in experiencing the stresses associated with a challenging job. “I swear, the only other people who can understand this are nurses.” Wake up.
There are always ups & downs in ANY profession…
Bottomline is, if it’s really your passion & calling as a nurse, you will pray & thank God everyday for Patience, Strength, Compassion, Empathy, Understanding, Flexibility, Assertiveness, Critical Thinking, etc. to help you keep the job you so worked hard for, & achieved… All to make a difference in people’s lives, as well as your own!
There are always ups & downs in ANY profession…
It’s not that we want pity from the non-medical, we want understanding, to be treated like humans, to be spoken to with respect. I’ve been an ER nurse since 2004 & I love my job, if I didn’t there’s no way I’d go back day after day after day. You see, I leave my sick baby with someone else so that I might be able to save yours. We “coded” your husband, then cried because we can’t imagine your pain & because we could not “fix” him so that you could have just one more day together. We worked, sweat and cried over the homeless man that we’ve come to love while no one else even looked his way. We worked, crired & pushed ourselves tring so very hard to save your little baby girl then just as fast as it started had to wipe away our tears and go to answer the call light to be cursed at because someone had to wait 10 minutes for a cup of water. I knew nursing wasn’t going to be easy. I knew I would be working holidays, weekends, missing my daughters first play but I expected to be treated different while I was doing it. There are many who work as hard, even harder & those who give up more than us, but please don’t treat us as if we are there to serve you. And as nurses we could not do our jobs w/o our support staff who give up time, who work frantically to save your father, who answer the phone & keep us “in-line.” We are there to save lives, provide end-of-life care, to be compassionate, understanding, to educate but not to be treated as your servant. So the next time you’re sick or your family is sick, please be kind to you nurse/medical provider………..she/he’s someones daughter/son, wife/husband, sister/brother, mother/father and think about how you would want them to be treated in return. Thank you to all my “medical” friends for giving of yourself so much, for not stoping to go to the restroom for 12hours, for not eating or drinking during your entire 12hour shift, thank you for not sitting to chart because you wanted to stay at your patients bedside so they wouldn’t be alone , thanks for giving your all & then some, thanks for coming back & doing it all over again. THANK YOU!!!!!!
AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN
This is so dead on and anyone that criticizes this is obviously not a nurse. I only lasted in a hospital for 2 years. I am thankful for the experience gained during that time and it definitely changed my outlook on life and death (in a positive way, I think), but it also made me realize that floor nursing is among the hardest jobs in the world. I now am a nurse working in a clinic, and although sometimes I don’t feel my job is as important as the job I was doing in the hospital, my quality of life is so much better, I don’t think I could ever go back. I commend you for continuing to do the work you do, and although I know it rarely gets recognized by patients, families, or your managers, know that you are appreciated.
and AMEN AMEN AMEN here, too! criticize and compare all anyone wants, but no degreed professionals get less respect and get more “clients/customers” showing you their as* (literally AND figuratively) when in a business relationship, than nurses.
Yea that sums it up in a nut shell!!!
I have to say this. This article reports to honor these college educated professionals who are self-sacrificing and patient centered. Unfortunately the author and supporters prove to be less than they tout themselves to be. A college educated professional is expected to develop solutions and overcome challenges, not be reduced to tears by the difficulties every other professional faces. 8 years in the military give me little sympathy for those who would cry over being treated harshly physically or emotionally. Two bachelor’s degrees (bio/psych) lead me to have little reverence for an education you can complete in two years with some pre-reqs. And I’ve been an aide transferring people to the toilet who started actively defecating loose stool as soon as I had them halfway from their wheelchair to the toilet. I didn’t cry myself to sleep. I took pride in giving them the care they needed.
Ultimately people who ask for sympathy and emotional support because they are so devastated by the rigors of their work should stop asking for help and seek out alternate employment. I work with brilliant nurses who have strong academic and emotional intelligence as well as outstanding interpersonal skills. They impress me everyday. They would not be caught dead crying for mercy like this. They would change that which they could and get over that which they cannot. I shouldn’t speak for them, but I’m sure they would say “suck it up”.
First, thanks for sharing truthfully what you have experienced, I could relate to so much of it as a fellow RN. I liked it enough that I shared it with my FB friends, many who are also nurses. Then I read some of the comments and am so disappointed in some peoples responses. The non-nurses who are so judgmental when they haven’t walked in our shoes. This article is by a nurse and is for nurses. Then there are the holier-than-thou nurses who criticize the author for being honest with her feelings. A big part of what’s wrong with our profession are those who are still of the old school “eat your young” mentality. In our profession we are nurturers toward our patients and their families but not of each other. There is something very wrong with that and I hope the next generation of nurses will change that. There is a difference between venting and whining. I didn’t hear a whining tone here but I do understand the need to vent. We vent to each other on my floor but we don’t take it into the patient’s rooms. We act professionally, we show compassion, we calm ruffled feathers, we hold hands, and we cry with our patients and their families. We get through the tough times by sharing and venting with each other and we have awesome teamwork on my unit. But nobody understands what we do and what we sacrifice and how we feel except for other nurses. This isn’t to cast dispersions on other professions but an acknowledgement of the unique calling of nursing with all its blessings and curses.
Read every bit & wondered about the vehemence with which so many people pushed back. I think that there are 2 things going on: 1) they don’t want to consider that the helping professions’ work situations are creating burned out workers who can’t do an effective job, and 2) the job has historically been a woman’s (one of only a few work roles allowed for women) & women are culturally encouraged to be martyrs to the point of being derided as uncaring hussies, if they demand time for self care. I’ve worked as a CNA, phlebotomist, lab tech, and more recently, teacher. It was never about money though I do deserve to eat & pay my bills. I feel I can best give to those in my charge if I am allowed to find a balance between work & recharging. It also seems that those jobs where my input is valued and suggestions considered, also create in me a sense of being empowered to do the best job I can. When I am at risk of burnout my profession requires that I find some way to alleviate that condition. If that means to terminate my current employment and find another job, then so be it. Unfortunately, often the condition occurs before the sufferer recognizes it. When it seems that all around you are showing their “arse” maybe that’s a sign that yours is hanging out even more. In a work environment that’s ideal when there is too much of the bickering, etc. good leaders intervene & try to salvage good employees (there is no substitute for experience) & let those go who can’t make the professional decision to leave and find a new career, or straighten up and work as part of the team. It’s been said that “nurses eat their young” but any out of balance work environment will engender the fear that causes the entrenched to bully the new workers who appear to threaten their job. Until the public recognizes these dysfunctional workplaces that dominate our culture are hurting us all, I’m afraid we have to hope we are sending our loved ones to be cared for by professionals who have found how to negotiate the tricky task of filling their own jar so they have water to draw out for those in their charge.
I really need to thank all the nurses for their comments! I do know that I am not alone! I have felt the same things in my career… And am 3 classes shy of my ADN, but have not been sure that I wanted to commit anymore to nursing. I love what I do despite the stresses of the job( emotionally, mentally and physically) but the unnecessary BS with clickish high school like nurses and management ( actually referring to my previous job who are frequently in the news for unfair labor practices). The job I have now is so much better, less BS, but because of the demands on nurses can still be taxing. I am very grateful to my new job and everyone of my teammates! We all act as a team, and I love most whom I work with now!
I’m a 3rd shift nurse and I completely understand your situation. Yes, it does take only a nurse to understand what a nurse goes through, but especially night shifters whose only day off is spent in sleep. I went to part time because I was not a mother or a wife anymore. Still..I have to wait till my position is filled till I can start. That could be anytime and I need it NOW. With high acuity, we don’t get any consideration for this and neither does the patient. If I have 5 to 9 patients and 5 of them are high acuity, I work my ass off and run for 12 hours because I care about my patients but physically it’s too much for any nurse! With cut backs, we are now doing the NA jobs, the secretaries jobs and have had more charting thrown at us. Where does the patient come in? Not very often. There needs to be the right changes and nurses need to be able to real nurses to their patients. Isn’t that what nursing is all about?
This article frustrates me! If you are wishing to get hit by a car on the way to work, then you are definitely in the wrong profession. If I were your patient that day, I’d probably feel like a burden because you did not want to be there anyway. Remember, there are other areas in nursing than a Hospital floor nurse. Recognizing burnout is not only important to the nurse but most importantly to the patient. There are mom’s all over this country who missed their kid’s ball games due to working very long hours. Holidays? Plenty of people work on holidays not just us nurses. I’ve seen plenty of labored workers that work 10 times harder than us nurses, pulling 14-18hr days. (out in 110 degree weather) with extremely low pay, barely able to fend for their families. Be grateful that you have a Job! Plus, you’re not getting paid popcorn either! Better yet, these hospitals need to can the tired complacent nurses who rant and start accepting and training WAY more new nurses. Let’s talk about why it’s so hard for new nurses to find a job? If there is such a shortage! Btw to all the Obamacare supporters, I am Sure the Nurse to Patient ratio will increase TO more patients per nurse. If you know your hospital is not practicing safe staffing then why continue giving your services to a job you apparently dislike not to mention unsafe for patients. Hospitals should be fined for letting this happen.
Nursing must be a lot like being a fire person or police officer or even a life guard………there are a lot of hours that are probably not rewarding…….but there is always that one moment which may mean life or death for someone …..and we all thank God you are there. Although the outcome may not always be the one sought..to know that someone was there with our loved one and they were not alone is a gift beyond measure.
It is unfortunate that the nursing profession is in an of “must do more with less.” That seems to be the mantra of most businesses….and whether we like to think so, hospitals – be they profit or non-profit are businesses. They must take in at a minimum as much as they require to operate and keep the facilities in order….or they no longer exist.
My husband is a retired police officer. There were many times that he worked holidays…..we learned early on that it did not matter when we celebrated….only that we were able to do so together eventually. I have many treasured pictures of the kids scoping out the tree with the presents under it…..waiting until dad got home.
He tried to make it to as many of their events as possible….and we also knew if he couldn’t be there that it was just a part of the job and he would have been there if he could have. We were always proud of his service to the community….even when that meant sharing him for the service of others at times we would have rather had him with us.
My stepdaughter is a nurse. She never talks about what happens at work but I am sure she must go through many of the same things I have seen in these other posts. I never pry for fear of asking her to share something she should not….but after reading this I will most definitely be more attuned should I see signs of stress overload occurring.
I can’t imagine the stress that dealing with people who are ill must cause. Dealing with the physical manifestations of illness alone would be taxing….not to mention that people who are ill are often very difficult to deal with because of the pain they are in. Illness and the loss of children must truly be unbearable and take a little a piece of you each time you must experience this first hand. For anyone who has empathy and sympathy for the suffering of others I can only imagine the drain they must feel emotionally.
I pray always for our nurses, doctors, police officers, fire persons, and military. They all give more than anyone should have to….and thank God they do. I pray every day that he
comforts them and wraps them in his love. I pray that you are as proud of what you do as we are proud of you.
My sincere thanks to you, your family and friends for putting yourself out there for all of us each and every day….24/7.
God bless you all.
I retired six months ago after 43 years of nursing, mostly in Critical Care of children. It is all that you said, and sometimes I hated specific moments. But, overall, I loved it! I can not imagine having done anything else. It was a childhood dream of mine. I will be a nurse till I die because it is who I am. Nursing, and all of the professions that are oriented towards serving, and caring for others, are incredibly difficult and much more complicated today than 43 years ago. We are a society, and for that matter, a world whose values are in transition. With age and experience I have gained wisdom. Now it is time for you, the young, to take the lead and make of it what you will, for good or for bad. All of the sacrifices you stated I, and my family endured but, our family enjoyed a standard of living my siblings could only dream about. As a child, I promised myself that I would realize my dream of becoming a nurse. I also promised myself that I would never be poor again. I loved being a bedside nurse, and I am grateful for the lifestyle my children were able to have; they have never known poverty because I was a nurse. Hopefully I have not made it so easy that they have no dreams, and have not learned to sacrifice …..
To those who say that other professions are stressful- true. I agree completely. I don’t think the author is talking about other professions though- only about nursing. She wasn’t saying other professions aren’t stressful. I have other friends and family in shift work professions who miss out on family events/holidays also. It sucks also. Please remember though, the stress with nursing comes from being afraid of a lawsuit if something is missed or done wrong. It is being afraid that someone may die if something is done wrong. A doctor may also have similar fears, but they are with the patient 5 minutes, then leave after delivering bad news or giving a diagnosis. They do not immerse themselves in the same level of intense one on one interaction with patients and hear of the level of pain or loneliness. A paramedic has intense time with one patient for a few hours at most- a nurse works 12 hours of intense time with sometimes more than 6 patients each with an issue needing treatment. As to whining, I am not a fan of nurse whiners acting “holier than thou” when comparing to other jobs. No- life and jobs can be hard for many, and I would challenge anyone who is over worked and over stressed in their job to consider if it is worth it. Maybe it is time for a new job. No one wants a burnt out nurse and no one wants to work with one. However, there is nothing wrong with a little venting. Sometimes nursing can be monumentally stressful and tiring. There are a lot of good reasons why.
Thank you. It is so comforting to know that I am not the only person who dreads going in to work so much that it brings me to tears at times. Nursing is so taxing, emotionally and physically and so many people don’t realize that. I just keep hoping it will get better in time.
Don’t forget about us male nurses.
Nope. Never. I apologize that the blog post was so feminine in tone. I am going to make a note on the post and I will do better in the future.
I love working with my male coworkers!
Nicki, I am not a nurse and my Constitution says that Elaine and I BOTH have a right to to SAY A THING. Since when is it only a person in a certain profession can comment on a blog? If you are really that arrogant and self-righteous I would suggest another profession immediately (maybe a politician or lawyer perhaps).
I don’t have to be a nurse to understand stress. I don’t have to be a nurse to appreciate the sacrifice. I don’t have to be a nurse to support legislation.
So put that in your IV and insert it…
so hateful
sometime in your life, nurses will whole heartedly attempt to save you. maybe while inserting that IV that you speak of… (????)
Love everything about this article….except the fu….. word….That went lacking…but since my wife is a R.N. …we will let it slide by….this time 😉 Thanks for what U do!!!
I think of of the biggest struggles for most nurses is balance. Most of us become nurses because it’s in our nature to care about others and put others needs first before our own. But the truth is somedays it can be quiet taxing and disappointing when you realize that you have nothing left for yourself or your family. It’s hard on the family too because they too must sacrifice depending on your schedule. While some of the rewards of being a nurse are spiritually uplifting and gratifying the mental, emotional, and physical strain is eventually what brings careers to an end. I acknowledge that nursing is not the only profession that this is true but it’s the only one I have the knowledge and experience to speak about. I appreciate the author’s attempt to share her situation, frustration, and own personal struggles and relate them to other nurses within the profession. Thank you for your well written post.
So very true. This article is very well written. I can totally relate!
Thanks so much for this post. I am a relatively new ER nurse (1.5 years) working the night shift and this really spoke to me. I shared it on facebook about 10 minutes ago and its already been reshared by about 10 coworkers/friends so I’m not alone. I sure as hell went through the “anything to get me out of going there” phase and now more in the “why do I keep coming here” phase… Definitely a love hate relationship with this job. But, again, thank you and as a brand new blogger you are an inspiration to me. Take care.