August 19,2011-Nurse Retention

Until Management understands that we as nurses are important there will continue to be nurses re-cycling from one facility to another.
We are told that if we don't like it we can go somewhere else. Due to the economy they think they have us by the short hairs-we have to do whatever we are told without question take any and all abuse work our asses off and do it without question. We are overworked and responsible for others lives.
The stress causes insomnia,bad stomachs,headaches yet there is no relief in sight for us. We are written up,abused by family members ,doctors,other nurses , patients and managemnet. 
Nursing has become a thankless profession.

August 5,2011

When I first became a nurse in 1986 I knew what I had to do and would put in my eight hours and go home-period-I had time to get to know my patients and to do all I had to do in my eight hours and I was over a Med-Surg unit!Now there is fine print and sub-titles to everthing you do. It is all about the almighty dollar and we are sheep and the ones above us are sheep and on and on. We have too many patients with acute illnesses,we deal with management,other departments,backstabbers,
family members,Doctors,Lab,x-ray,Hospice etc, and the never ending paper work. We can't ask a patient how they are because we don't have time for the answer. We just say here are your meds or good morning and then we have to move on down the line. We have to deal with the drug seekers and the complainers and the bitching family members. Now,because of the high unemployment rate,we have to take what is dished out but I hope I live long enough to see a major revolt in Healthcare because boomers are retiring and young people are going into Computer Tech jobs or Business .

I Hate Nursing!

Well,after a lot of considerration I have become Semi-Retired. After quitting another nursing job
the thought of returning to the floor caused my stomach to clench. During this last job I stayed sick all the time-stomach,allergies,insomnia,mouth ulcers,weight loss from stress. The mouth ulcers costs me a lot of money in treatments ,Doctors,Dentists,ENTS. Since leaving this last job as Diretor of Nursing, I have taken no allegy meds. My health is slowly returning but it will take some time to build back up.
Someone said to me once that Nurses are co-dependent people. I believe I have hated nursing from the beginning and because of being an independent person (not needing to depend on what I do to define who I am) but stayed in it because life has a way of preventing you from changing careers-family matters,money matters etc.
Nursing is one of those love/hate situations for some of us. We feel that once in a while we make a differance but that is so rare these days. I had become so cynical that I didn't post for the last two years but I am back and will be glad to listen to others that hate nursing or are on the edge.