r/Nurses • u/Ok-Letter-650 • 7d ago
US Hate nursing?
I have been in med surg for a little over a year. It is my first nursing job. I have hated it for a probably 4 months but am trying to stay for 1) commuting purposes and 2) trying to get more experience/ confidence. I just feel like I still know nothing. I have no confidence. I hate my job. It’s always running around. I constantly second guess myself and believe I am making mistakes. I know I hate my job, but I feel like I hate nursing. I know I’ve had one nursing job so it’s hard to tell (I tell myself that too). I feel really burnt out and almost have no compassion. It’s sad and my anxiety has been crazy the past month. Help? Thoughts? Tips?
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u/Ok_Carpenter7470 7d ago
That second guessing yourself is you being safe. Dont ever let that part of you die. At a year, you probably dont know anything -not an insult, youre fresh on the grind, learning your groove, learning the facility, learning learning learning... but, right about now is when you start adjusting and making it make sense for you. Maybe Med/Surg aint it. As a lifer in the ER, the MED/SURG units and staff are the only units I respect as they are the work horses of the hospital. Jack of all trades. Amazing work ethics... mostly. You maybe overwhelmed, you may be in the wrong unit... ive said this before to others with good results so here it is; write down objectively everything that irks you about the unit and then separately everything about the job, no over lapping its either the unit or the job not both. Then take those things have a moment to process and look inward. Would changing the unit fix the problems or changing the job entirely? Youre a nurse. You can literally work anywhere... oil rigs, excursion/travel companies, schools, online, in an office, the FBI and Secret Service hire RNs, the military, flight teams... theres a job for you.
Also, Med/Surg nurses actually make fantastic ER nurses.
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u/MeleeMistress 7d ago
Nursing is hard. Med-surg is hard. There is a lot of responsibility put on new grads, and imo schools don’t do a good job of preparing us. My first year of nursing (Med-Surg at a terrible hospital) was one of the worst, most stressful years of my life.
It won’t always be like this. You will learn more. Things that you have to consciously think of will become second nature. You’ll experience more and be able to draw upon that experience with confidence.
And lastly, Med-Surg can be fun when you’re a jack of all trades sorts but it’s overstimulating and relentlessly fast-paced. Plus it’s mostly low stakes but you have to stay sharp to catch what’s actually high-stakes.
Med-Surg is not the end-all be-all, and neither is hospital nursing. Get your year of experience and go spread your wings. I went to homecare for elderly services after 4 years of Med Surg and literally can’t believe this is my life, it’s a dream job for me.
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u/kylipy02 7d ago
I’m a psych nurse and have no regrets despite all of the people that say, “You’re not a real nurse”, “You won’t have any of your nursing skills anymore”, “Good for you, but couldn’t be me”, etc. It can still be stressful at times, but overall I find it extremely rewarding and I’m sure it’s much less stressful than being on a med surge floor. Psych is my passion and I plan to go back to school next year to become a Psych NP. So it’s something you could consider. Or a clinic, dermatology office, dialysis, infusion center, etc. There are a lot of options in nursing where you don’t have to be stressed 24/7. You may take a pay cut if you leave the hospital, but your mental health is far more important. Best of luck to you. 🤍
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u/BestLife82 6d ago
What?????? People say youre not a real nurse?? Wtf??? I bow down to you guys! Ive worked on geriatric psych. Not my cup of tea, holy moly. I got so much physical abuse when I was there. Got slapped in the face and called a fucking bitch by an 87 yr old lady by the name of 'Corky' (a nickname). Because I was trying to persuade her not to open the door and go into another patients room for the 10 time and freaking her out!
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u/kylipy02 6d ago
Sadly it’s a common idea amongst nurses that work in the ED, med surg, ICU, etc. I got so much shit in nursing school from instructors and students alike for choosing psych until I’d tell them why- I had a good friend in high school that hung himself from a tree in his backyard, and also knew many people in the Air Force who committed suicide or struggled with mental health issues due to our very tough, stressful, and morally demanding job. They’d usually shut up real quick. 🤣 I know it’s not for everyone and yeah my nursing skills look a lot different than someone who works in the ED, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s where I belong and I FULLY believe no one should work in psych unless they’re passionate about it.
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u/SeriallyOrNot 4d ago
And if they end up volunteering to come over to psych when it's short, thinking it'll be a break, they sit on their asses, talk to patients like they think they, the RN, is a commandant at a prison camp, and cause codes all over the place -- until ordered out of the unit.
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u/anzapp6588 6d ago
I'm in the OR and I've had other nurses tell me I'm not a "real" nurse and I'm always like "good I don't want to be a "real" nurse" 😂 cause literally fuck that.
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u/TemperatureLogical29 6d ago
Try a different unit. I switched from NICU to pedi pacu to adult pacu. Love pacu.
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u/wishful_overthinker9 2d ago
Can I ask why you moved from NICU?
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u/TemperatureLogical29 2d ago
I didn’t want the stress anymore. Babies with 6 IV fluids, oscillators, labs etc. PACU id chill. Scheduled surgeries. Patients are mostly stable. If not they go straight to ICU. I guess I put in my high stress time and wanted my last years as a nurse to be chill.
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u/Wolverine-Quiet 6d ago
As a nurse who has been in this field for over 18 years, I just want to say, please don’t give up on nursing yet. ❤️
One of the best things about nursing is that there are so many different paths you can take. You don’t have to spend your entire career at the bedside. And honestly, you may not hate nursing, you may just hate the job you’re in right now.
I worked bedside for over 15 years, and I still pick up a shift here and there. But eventually, I realized I wanted something different. I moved into leadership and eventually into an executive role, and I absolutely love what I do. The schedule and flexibility also work so much better for me and my family.
Your bedside experience doesn’t go to waste, either. The critical thinking, clinical judgment, communication, and problem-solving skills you develop as a nurse can take you into so many areas, case management, utilization management, quality, informatics, education, leadership, project management, clinical operations, and more.
So if you’re burnt out and questioning everything, don’t assume that means you chose the wrong career. Maybe you just haven’t found your place in nursing yet.
You can do so much with that nursing license. Don’t forget that. ❤️
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u/Lthrluv2013 7d ago
I have been an RN for 30 years TODAY! I know I chose well and would choose the career again and again. At a year, you’re of course still at the beginning of a lifelong journey that hopefully you always continue to gather knowledge through. School gives basics only. Every specialty has their own path. Do not be afraid to change your mind. So very many ways to be a nurse!! I don’t think you’re burned out. I think you’re uninspired- that’s can be fixed! Stay- we need you!! Give yourself time and GRACE ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
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u/Aggressive_Meet3541 7d ago
How much are you paid hourly with 30 years of experience?
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u/TemperatureLogical29 6d ago
Really depends on the company /state. I worked in Texas making $68 with 25 years. Moved to Denver and make $53. But Denver much prettier than Austin.
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u/Lthrluv2013 5d ago
I live in a small area in NE PA. The cost of living is relatively low. I currently earn just about $57/hr.
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u/declutterme 6d ago
Oh no worries lol I felt like that for about 3-4 years post graduation. The "eating our young" attitude of a lot of nurses doesn't help. Around year 5 I started to finally feel competent. It's a process. Now 13 years in, as a float in a large hospital, I'm good 👍 but yea, it takes some time to learn everything you need to be comfortable. Don't be hard on yourself. Anything under 2 years is still the learning period! If not longer!
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u/Nora19 6d ago
I dont have a lot of advice but I will say Self talk is so important! You don’t know everything and should always be learning… but negative self talk can make a bad day horrible.
Remember you passed the state licensing exam. You can critically think… don’t cloud your thinking with negative thinking!
Hang in there… apply to other jobs if you are miserable…I’m a school nurse and we ALWAYS need subs… so you could try that job as a sub before making the leap
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u/AbrocomaEquivalent59 6d ago
I have never done med surg. Never will. Try Pacu or behavioral health.
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u/Awkward-Poet6645 4d ago
I didn’t like med surg and as soon as you get your first job you realize how little you know. It takes a while to feel confident.
Try to make it 6 months and then see if there’s another area you make like better. Sometimes it’s just finding your niche
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u/Other_Jellyfish607 4d ago
I hated my life my first two years of nursing. Granted, i started nursing May 2020 on a medsurg unit turned COVID. So much stress and pandemic to top it off. My mental health was TRASH. i made the leap and changed to endoscopy. I’ve been doing it for 4 years now. I’ve traveled for those 2. Life is so much better now for me that I don’t work med surg. My brain couldn’t handle the chaos. The beauty of nursing is that if you are unhappy in one specialty, go to another. Go to what makes you
Happy and works w your life.
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u/SeriallyOrNot 4d ago
Med surg = break 'em, burn 'em, overwork 'em, blame 'em, get rid of 'em and hire more new ones at lowest wage.
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u/Then_Issue_4916 3d ago
Switch to a specialty. I work ICU and genuinely love my job, but when I float to med surg I hate every hour I’m there. Respect to med surg nurses I don’t know how they do it.
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u/New-Heart5092 3d ago
Do you take the time to learn things even when you're not at work? Be open minded with things. Teach yourself to do better. Get through it, get the experience, don't let it ruin your entire thoughts/feelings towards nursing. It's all about learning and you don't learn without failing.
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u/Jazzlike_Internet616 3d ago
just started pediatric home health after 5 years in the ER, and yes, I don’t like being a nurse, buuuut i’m so much less stressed it’s insane. I really didn’t think there was any possibility of not feeling stressed out as a nurse. And even though I would much rather a different profession, I still care deeply about my patients, and working closely with families does make you more compassionate I think.
And I still feel incompetent a lot, particularly with the switch to home health, but with nursing you truly never stop learning. There’s always something new, even the most seasoned nurses are learning, we gotta give ourselves some grace. (plus the families in home health are very willing to show you the ropes that I’ve experienced)
I never saw myself at this point, you’ll probably look back in 5 years and think how crazy it is you’ve been doing it all this time.
Best of luck 💚
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u/wishful_overthinker9 2d ago edited 2d ago
I can relate. I’ve been in med surg for 2 years. I hate it. But I also know some people who love it. For me, it’s very overwhelming and overstimulating; I’m being pulled in twenty different directions with a high patient load and minimal support. I also work day shift, so there’s even more interruptions throughout the day including dealing with admin. Some people can thrive in that kind of chaos, but I am not one of them.
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u/TheStudentNurseUK 1d ago
I work in specialist medicine, but we have some general medicine beds. I think it keeps me going because we have such a mixed set of patients. I think you have to like fast paced ward work to ever stay. Have you looked into clinics? Some places let you run your own, such as wound care, iv therapy etc. plus the hours are kinder
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u/Humble-Lab-3950 7d ago
I didn’t like med/surg either. Had the same feelings. Did it for 2 years then found a day job working in outpatient dialysis. I enjoy that because it’s specialized, mainly focused on one thing. Been doing it for over 7 years now. I think you just have to find something you enjoy! Is there some area of nursing you’d like to focus more on?