3 answers
Mariah
Student
Astoria, Oregon
4
Questions
Asked
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What do you dislike most about being a nurse?
I'm interested in becoming a nurse but I'd like to know what to expect.
#nurse #medicine #healthcare #registered-nurses #nursing
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3 answers
Estelle Archer
Gynecologist
1321
Answers
United States
Updated
Estelle’s Answer
As a physician and surgeon, I work with nurses all the time. I try to be very respectful to nurses, but some physicians can be very rude to them. Additionally, a patient can be very ungrateful for all the work the nurse does for them. Even though these can be very demotivating, on the aggregate, I think that people are very appreciative of all the great work they do.
Katherine Deutsch
Nurse Practitioner
12
Answers
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Updated
Katherine’s Answer
Hi Mariah,
I think that the answer to this question depends on an individual's personality. Every job and profession has its downsides, but people stick with their profession because the good things and perks outweigh the negative experiences. The good thing about nursing is that there is such a wide variety of jobs, you can usually find a place that suits your lifestyle, family, personal quirks and needs, etc. Below I've tried to assemble a list of categories of things that I do not enjoy as well as things that my colleagues commonly report they do not like either. This is not an all-inclusive list and like I said above, we have all chosen to stay in our profession ( in many different settings!) because we find that the rewards outweigh the negative aspects.
Scheduling Issues-shift work has its benefits (work 3 days a week, not having to take much vacation time if you are creative with your scheduling) but also comes with drawbacks (long hours, working holidays and weekends, being on call).
Physical demands and risks-COVID is a good but extreme example of how nurses can be in life-threatening situations. During non-pandemic times, this risk is much less. Standing for hours at a time, needle stick injuries, and abusive patients are 3 other examples that come to mind. Back injuries from lifting and assisting patients are the most common thing that I have seen. Many nurses would also put "typing injuries" into this category, caused from the many requirements to document every minutia of what is happening with the patient and their family.
Emotional labor-this is something more unique to nursing and something that can be effectively dealt with through various means. It can be very hard for nurses to care for sick, injured, and dying patients on a daily basis. You can feel emotionally and spiritually drained at the end of the day from this, and when you can't or don't deal with it the cumulative effects can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc. It can be challenging for nurses to take care of themselves after caring for others all day, but it is absolutely essential. This is also where selecting the best job for you comes into play. For example, some people think they would like the excitement of a fast-paced, high stress environment, (ER, ICU) but it turns out that this leaves them little energy to enjoy the rest of their lives outside of work. It is important to enjoy your work, but it is also important to be able to enjoy your life outside of work, something I wish I had learned earlier in my career.
I hope this helps!
I think that the answer to this question depends on an individual's personality. Every job and profession has its downsides, but people stick with their profession because the good things and perks outweigh the negative experiences. The good thing about nursing is that there is such a wide variety of jobs, you can usually find a place that suits your lifestyle, family, personal quirks and needs, etc. Below I've tried to assemble a list of categories of things that I do not enjoy as well as things that my colleagues commonly report they do not like either. This is not an all-inclusive list and like I said above, we have all chosen to stay in our profession ( in many different settings!) because we find that the rewards outweigh the negative aspects.
Scheduling Issues-shift work has its benefits (work 3 days a week, not having to take much vacation time if you are creative with your scheduling) but also comes with drawbacks (long hours, working holidays and weekends, being on call).
Physical demands and risks-COVID is a good but extreme example of how nurses can be in life-threatening situations. During non-pandemic times, this risk is much less. Standing for hours at a time, needle stick injuries, and abusive patients are 3 other examples that come to mind. Back injuries from lifting and assisting patients are the most common thing that I have seen. Many nurses would also put "typing injuries" into this category, caused from the many requirements to document every minutia of what is happening with the patient and their family.
Emotional labor-this is something more unique to nursing and something that can be effectively dealt with through various means. It can be very hard for nurses to care for sick, injured, and dying patients on a daily basis. You can feel emotionally and spiritually drained at the end of the day from this, and when you can't or don't deal with it the cumulative effects can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc. It can be challenging for nurses to take care of themselves after caring for others all day, but it is absolutely essential. This is also where selecting the best job for you comes into play. For example, some people think they would like the excitement of a fast-paced, high stress environment, (ER, ICU) but it turns out that this leaves them little energy to enjoy the rest of their lives outside of work. It is important to enjoy your work, but it is also important to be able to enjoy your life outside of work, something I wish I had learned earlier in my career.
I hope this helps!
Linda Smart
Registered Nurse
7
Answers
Clayton, North Carolina
Updated
Linda’s Answer
People who do not respect themselves or others. People now have no respect for doctors or nurses. They do not want to hear that they need to make lifestyle changes or that they are partially responsible for what is happening to them. They come in to offices and demand to be seen when they have no appointment. They are loud and disrespectful in some instances. Our job is to try and determine what their situation is and help them the best that we can. Sometimes they don't like the answer they are given and choose to act out. I wish everyone could follow the Golden Rule and treat others as they would like to be treated. Some people can not do this. We still treat them with respect and dignity and help them as best that we can.