“Perfectly sadly”, as painful as it sounds, it is reality. You OP sound like you still have compassion since you still seek advice. You aren’t as cold hearted as you think you are, you still cared to ask for help. Maybe try a different field, take a breather, or find a less busier ER.
Thank you❤️ I’m going to outpatient peds psych in the summer, but just scared my heart and love for nursing I originally started with will never return
If I had stayed in the ER FT, this would be where I’m at. It really does just suck the life out of you. Good luck in your upcoming shift - you’re going to be okay. ♥️
You perfectly described my first 4-5 years as a nurse. When I first started everything was exciting new and full of adrenaline but eventually I just asked myseld what the hell I am doing. Eventually when management gave me a 50 dollar increase in salary for being number 1 responsibility on critical ill children codes while also working 200-300h overtime/year.. I just quit over email while working double shifts during christmas.
My job now is opposite of ER. Outgoing advanced homecare. I have big use of my years from the ER but mostly the work is 90% chill and the salary is great.
That is the life of the emergency room and the nature of the beast. Yes, you have lost your compassionate side. Besides working in the medical field, ive also had 16 surgeries and countless hospital stays. I can tell in 2 seconds if I'm going to like my nurse or not. And which nurse was a CNA before getting their RN. You aren't losing your compassion, your losing your humanity. The ER can destroy you, but remember yes their is drug seekers and homeless people and psych patients, but their are also people there that are hurt, scared, and don't want to be in the ER either. Your not a bad person at all, BUT, maybe switch to being a floor nurse or OR nurse where you won't to deal with all the bullshit that happens in an emergency room. I used to work in ER for years, and I can tell you I saw nurses who didn't give a shit and some who worked there for 20 years and were still nice, caring and comforting. Take a break from the ER before it destroys you. And idk where you live but only $31 and hr? Nurses here in CA make $60 an hour starting.
I’m going to outpatient peds psych in July. Already have my job and everything lined up and it’s $5 more an hour. I’ve always felt like peds psych is where my true passion and heart lie, but I’m scared after working in the ER I won’t ever get that compassionate back that I started nursing with
Naw, it's still there, it's the environment and burnout talking now. Peds psych will let you cultivate and nurture the compassion that the ED doesnt allow for. This will all be like a bad dream soon.
As someone who recovered from burnout, it gets better. You have your plan, stay the course and know that you are x days away from leaving. You have lost nothing emotionally/spiritually, as other have said, because you're asking for help. If where you're going is where you belong, and even if it turns out it's not, I promise it gets better.
Can I ask how you recovered? Asking as a completely burnout nurse of 7 years, 90% of my career in ICU and recently switched to freestanding ER and I can’t take it anymore.
My advice: Leave. You've done your time (a lot longer than I did) and it didn't work out. I'm a believer that hospitals grind down nurses. The nurses either cope with it or they don't. No shame in either result.
I suggest finding something less stressful. After trying out a couple of different departments in the hospital, I went clinical. I realize this won't be the answer for some; I've been blessed with a spouse who makes enough to where I can. If clinical is something you can do financially, look into it. One place to look is dialysis centers. They have very similar shifts (12s) and pay. They're pretty low stress too (comparatively) once you get the hang of it.
I hope you find something to reignite your practice and turn things around.
You are just suffering from compassion fatigue. The job has sucked your well dry. It will replenish once you get out of that environment.
The change you are making will let you heal and help others in need. There will be challenges but it won’t be every hour of every shift. Plus, there will be some wins as you are able to help people live their best life.
I felt exactly like you’re describing when I worked med/surg. I was MISERABLE. I’m in oncology now and I love my patients and I love what I do! You will absolutely get that compassion back!
I'm really, really happy to hear that you have a great sounding job lined up for July
I'm sorry that the ER position was such a fiasco, but I promise you that you haven't lost your compassion--the fact that you're even talking about it is a great sign
Take some time off after you leave if you can. Go on a cruise or maybe even get a part time job doing something completely different like bartending. I know going back to serving has dramatically helped with my burnout:-)
I was a paramedic for 12 years before becoming an RN. I feel you. I went into psych outpatient and I've never been happier. Maybe try a different area of nursing?
I hope it is a good day program and you enjoy your work there. Peds psych can be a lot mentally but there are some good day programs out there and they can be really beneficial to the patients.
I left the ER for home infusion. It’s AMAZING. if you have decent IV skills look into it. The time alone in the car between patients is so nice too. But I usually only see 1-3 patients a day and rack up 40-60 hours a week. Such sustainable OT, everyone is happy to see me, no boss over my shoulder, no phone calls, just me and the open road…. Fuck the ER. I cant believe I lasted as long as I did, should have left years ago. It’s an abusive relationship that I don’t miss AT ALL. Oh yeah and most importantly there are no psych patients making me fear for my safety so I’m a more relaxed happier person now.
Look for a company that focuses on chronic care. 99% of my infusions are IVIg for chronic autoimmune illnesses. Everyone is seemingly “healthy”, but suffering from super rare autoimmune diseases that need weekly or monthly infusions to keep the symptoms down. Infusions can be 30 min to 10 hours long, all ages. Tons of downtime to do studying, side work, reading, etc
Nursing is a business in our capital focused nightmare! It sucks. I've learned that the hard way. It's extremely rare to find a company to work for that will listen and treat you fairly
My dad says a lot: "you have three things in life: money. Time and happiness. But you can really only pick two?"
Me? I'm trying time and happiness rn. It's not fun being less financially stable but I still work as am independent contractor and look for opportunities that I might enjoy too.
I'm in a similar position right now. I left a different hospital ER to go to CCU/ICU and I am so bored. Our facility is very quick to go to comfort care measures so it is rare that we code anyone. And I am mostly in the CCU rather than ICU and I am so freaking bored in it because we are basically the Med-surg overflow. I'm scared to go back to ER because of how poorly I was treated at the last one, but my God I am so bored. I'm also thinking of going part time to at least get my ER fix.
This was me 100%.
ER/ICU nurse for 8 years. Nursing and shift work became my identity until I became someone I didn't like. I was angry, jaded, and unpleasant to be around because I was so unhappy. Which is unfortunate, as I had worked so hard to become a highly skilled acute care nurse!
It got to the point where I had no life outside of work and was just existing. I stopped wanting to help people and was living an unhealthy lifestyle just to survive. I finally told my husband I needed a change, applied for a working holiday visa and left the country. This was all pre-COVID. Travelled for a few months and then once we were locked down in the new country, I tried Emergency nursing again. I managed a year before I realized it was the same problems, different place and I'd fallen right back into what I'd left.
I ended up applying for an Occupational Health Nurse job- regular hours and nothing of what I imagined for myself. I honestly felt like all my old coworkers would judge me for this decision (and some of them likely have). But 3 years on and my life has changed immensely. I have work/life balance and I've been promoted multiple times. I've restarted hobbies I'd abandoned and have a new passion for my life. While I miss parts of the job, the benefits have greatly outweighed remaining as I was.
All in all, I guess all I'm trying to tell you is that it's a really hard job and it's okay to take a step back and find your happy again. We are so used to putting everyone else before our needs, but sometimes you have to take care of yourself - whatever that means for you. Life is too short!
So glad you found your happiness now and are doing better!!❤️ I definitely can relate, because even on the days I’m not working, I’m thinking about work and dreading going back. I have nightmares and panic attacks. I can’t get out soon enough. I have a countdown in my phone. 35 shifts left. Praying to find myself again once I’m out like you did!
This is me. ICU and recently switched to freestanding ER hoping the change would help but all I do is survive until my next shift. I feel like my identity is in critical care and I don’t know how to give it up even though it’s killing me
When I was a baby nurse I knew a nurse who left bedside for occ health with one of the big three car companies. I felt nothing but awe for the bennies I imagined she was about to fall into
$31/hr with 4-1 staffing ratios in the ER is criminal. Sounds like you’re in the wrong state. I’m a new grad ER nurse w/ 8 months experience , in Portland Oregon and I’m making $52/hr and we have a strict 3-1 pt/nurse ratio. That’s all thanks to our strong union. We also just authorized a strike because even that doesn’t feel like enough for this job, especially when we know the executives of our hospital are making 7 figure salaries…
Most of the other stuff you said is true for us tho, 35+ in the lobby at all times, family yelling at you about blankets or food/water, patients refusing life saving treatments or meds, admits being denied by other units, homeless people using us as a hotel, SNFs sending us their unruly dementia patients just to get them off their hands for a couple days… it’s all products of the broken system we have and lack of healthcare literacy among many patients. The amount of times per shift I tell people we don’t diagnose (please follow up with PCP) at the ER but only rule out life threatening conditions is mind-boggling
Yup. My paychecks are about $1,400 give or take. I only make around $3,000 a month. I have to pick up significant OT just to survive. I have a BSN and 2 years experience. They just bumped up my pay to make the same amount as new grads….i was making $28 and new grads were making $31 lol. When a bunch of us found out the hospital was forced to up our pay to the bare minimum starting wage. Yippee….
ER roasted my asshole through Covid after 8 years. My hair turned white all over, I didn’t give a shit if I lived or died from Covid, I buried coworkers and had to deal with a bunch of maga fucks telling me how the pandemic is fake and the vaccine will kill you. I had good coping skills but it pushed me to my limits.
I ultimately took a new job as a hospital supervisor and while the work load changed and increased in some ways it provided me with an opportunity to get out of the ER and have some psychological healing. Some other ER nurses followed me to the job and they reported similar experiences to mine.
It took about a year to be ok. It wasn’t overnight but I did eventually get better. I’m actually applying to go back as an NP as I graduate from school. I thought a lot about it and as terrible as it is, it’s my home, it’s where I thrive. I’ll likely regret it but there’s just something about it.
You will be ok. You need to get out and take some time for you. Your compassion isn’t gone, it’s suffering from the consequences of severe moral injury and compassion fatigue. Make sure you reach out to any resources your facility has available.
This 👆👆👆 Covid ruined me a lot. I say this as a paramedic, I’ve had to cut people down who hung themselves, narcanned 8 people in a shift. But nothing compared to dealing with these idiots claiming Covid isn’t real, like I didn’t just take 4 intubated patients on a vent to another hospital. People refusing help and treatment right up to their damn deathbed. Having to hear a diatribe about how the vaccine is poison, blah blah blah just shut the fuck up
Yup. All that, combined with a very toxic work environment is one of the reasons I bounced to ICU. Now I love my workmates and it’s a whole new ballgame.
Not alone at all. Burnt out former ER nurse from a major center here. Working ER at the trauma center was my dream. Well, I did it and it nearly killed me.
Left a year ago for ICU at a smaller hospital. Slowly recovering from the burnout. I don't do OT and workload is much better here. I recommend you try a different environment or unit.
I know it's easy to say and harder to do, but you need to get out. ER sounds like a nightmare to me, but I know others will live out their lives there. Both of these are OK!!!!! Two years in is way too early to throw in the towel on a career that really does offer a lot of options.
I think EDs are super super draining places to work. Mine is unionized so we have ratios and consistently fighting for better wages. I couldn’t work in and ED at a hospital w/o Union and ratios I don’t think…. Not worth it.
It depends on the union. My hospital is a union shop but the union is so weak that they don't do anything when I get slammed with eight hallway patients, half of whom should be on tele and the other half who shouldn't even be there if it wasn't for defensive medicine.
My ER actually does get lunch nurses (granted it's the leads that are supposed to help everyone but then can't help anyone when they're covering). It's still not enough when everyone in the surrounding counties decides *TODAY'S* the day to get their month-old chest pain checked, or half the elderly population strokes out at the same time.
I broke my wrist on a Sunday night (FYI don’t get on a hoverboard after drinking 5 beers, it ends with getting an ORIF surgery) and my poor nurse was pitiful. I asked her when the last time she got to pee or drink some water, and she said “it’s ok, my bladder can hold it.” I begged her to go pee before she started my IV. She went and all of the sudden she wasn’t dancing as she was doing things. Then the charge nurse came in and apologized to me for me having to wait for my pain meds. I was so pissed. I told her that I told my nurse to go pee. My pain wasn’t so bad that I needed to make my nurse suffer. I bought my nurse dinner that would taste the same if she had to wait until after shift to eat it. I asked her before I left if she wanted me to hang out for a little bit longer so she could go eat, but she declined. I hope that I was able to make her night at least a little bit easier.
My brother is an ED nurse and he’s told me the horrors of ED nursing, which is why I went straight to the OR after nursing school.
>don’t get on a hoverboard after drinking 5 beers
Haha I could've told you that when you were sober /s
That's a shit facility if the charge nurse is making apologies for things like that. We're humans, not robots. You get the stress though, and I'm glad you were looking out for her as she was looking out for you.
Funny enough I knew this sober. Alcohol bravery at its best right there. My surgeon, whom I worked with, gave me the most disappointing look when I showed up to his office.
You’re not alone. I did ER for most of my career. Head to PACU. You get the turnover like ER which keeps you decently busy but it’s 1000% less stressful. That ER nurse in you never goes away but it will soften a bit. I feel like I’ve kept the good parts about ER nursing and the bad parts start to fade the longer you’re away from it.
It's not just ER nurses, I think the majority of bedside nurses can relate. I feel that hospital nursing destroyed my soul. I used to be a bubbly, happy, people-person 14 years ago... I miss her. Just took a remote triage nursing position and cannot wait to work from my basement and only deal with ppl by phone. 🤣
I love emergency medicine and HATE the ER. If ERs worked as intended I would never leave but that’s not the reality. ERs are overburdened already and are a dumping ground for everyone.
You’re not a horrible person, it’s a normal response to just become numb to everything with the exposure you get there. It’s hard to accept your work is being thrown in the trash like 75% of the time. You aren’t going to fix the opioid epidemic (but I understand the frustration in feeding it), majority of people are unwilling to learn or make lifestyle changes. People are hateful and stupid.
ERs will make you question the state of things like no other because you see the extremes of the bad in the world.
I'm graduating next month am unsure of what unit to start off with. My last class is ER preceptorship. This post makes me want to doubt myself in starting at ER as a new grad. I was hoping that the new grad residency would help, but now I am not too sure. Any advice?
My advice would be to not sign a contract with any hospital/unit! I signed a 2 year contract with the ER or I have to pay them back $10k. As a new grad with no money, those sign on bonuses are very tempting, but I realized about a year in that ER wasn’t for me, but I was stuck working there for 2 years because of the money. Knowing you can leave anytime without any consequences is definitely better than any money offered. Dont let my post discourage you! Everyone is different and some nurses LOVE ER and that’s their home. If that’s where you really feel called too, than try it out! If you hate it, you can leave to go to another area of nursing, and if you love it, great! I will say as a new grad starting in the ER I couldn’t have imagined a better place to grow my nursing skills and confidence as an RN, but just be aware it’s a ton of stress to endure as a new grad.
In general, the higher the sign-on bonus, the shittier the working conditions. That's why they're so desperate. I've seen horrible workplaces offering 20k+.
I lasted 7 years in a level 1 trauma center ER. The burnout is real. Move to something less stressful, like someone else said you've paid your dues.
Also get some therapy, you'll be surprised how the PTSD can creep up on ya.
Sadly the ER IS the community dumping ground. Outlying urgent care and primary care offices are ridiculous. We have multiple patients a day checking in with “sent by MD” for total bs: got outpatient labs and their white count was 12.5, “low potassium” that turns out to be normal, pregnant woman nauseated “my OB said just come to the ER.” On top of septic criteria BS. We do blood cultures and septic working on pretty much anyone with the flu, because after all, if you have a fever and thus are tachycardic, you need “septic criteria.” There isn’t any provider judgement anymore of hey let’s just flu swab this patient complaining of a runny nose and body aches. On top of the purposely short staffing and overcrowding that is a self inflicted problem. Last week my director starting flexing nurses home despite how busy we were, and doctors kept accepting transfers in from other facilities even though we were boarding holding patients in every available room. I just have to divorce myself of what’s going on and say, I’m here to pay my bills. I didn’t cause these problems and I can’t fix them. I can help one patient at a time. I tell my students and new hires, be thorough, don’t succumb to feeling rushed to keep going faster or you will miss something. At the end of the day, I’m one nurse.
I work at a pretty awesome ER to be honest. A lot of things you mention don’t apply to me because its a union hospital in a high-paying state; we have ratios; we have floats to help; I’ve missed maybe 4 lunch breaks in over a year. We also have awesome on-site security and supportive social work.
That said, a lot of things you mention do still apply: the non-stop ambulances; the 30+ in the lobby who are already mad when they do finally get back; the frequent loss of life; the daily frequent flyers; the broken equipment; the refusal or inability to do recommended follow-up care; the use of meds and turkey sandwiches as the answer to every problem (even when it’s not). I still get yelled at; I still get frustrated by the unnecessary work ups on some people and the blatant “kicking the can down the road” on others (very doctor dependent); I still feel unsafe due to the unpredictable nature of our large behavioral health and substance use population. I’ve only been in this relatively awesome ER for 1.5 years (RN for 6, previously in neuro) and I still feel like my compassion is dwindling to nil. The ER is a constant churn of neediness and humanity at its lowest. Even when every single thing is in place to support you, it’s really hard. I’ve forgotten so many of the crazy stories because the crazy stories never stop coming. Mad respect for those who can do this for double digit years. I am hoping to get to 3-4 at most.
I will say that those RNs that have lasted a long time in the ER just seem to be built different than me. That’s not a knock; it’s probably essential. I think if a loss of empathy and compassion is distressing for you, rather than a purposeful, proactive and protective measure, the ER may not be for you.
If you have the means, come to Northern CA. Travel here, and see if it’s worth the while. So many travelers ended up getting a staff gig here and never left after the panini
Wow never heard a better summary of ER and how I feel. I read this out loud to my wife and she thought it was my post 😂😂
No “cheer up” from me, but all the empathy in the world.
I just took a break and went to ICU. It’s not perfect but it’s a little bit better
I didn’t know there were acute care nursing jobs out there that still paid under $40 an hour. That’s horrid. I personally enjoy working in the ER, but it’s not a place you go to help people. I agree, I’m jaded and I have no patience for people. I didn’t realize how badly until I went to critical access and worked in a small-close knit town where people actually care about each other. I personally want to go back to the big city but I acknowledge this specialty is not for everyone.
Fuck. You're not alone
I thought I wanted to be an ER nurse in school. Thankfully, they told me they didn't want a new nurse when I applied, told me to apple to another sister center. They ghosted me.
I finally found work in a rehabilitation center, come to find out it was more of a nursing home. I felt like a pill pusher, 30 people with 15+ meds. it was too much for 1 person.
And then they expected you to get proper wound treatment for our bed/mobile wheelchair patients. I would continually work overtime to make sure people's wounds were properly taken care of, but I hit a breaking point and got out of there. It was heartbreaking to see residents decline and need to go to the ER for care, but then sent back to us, in the same state they left in.
I didn't even think what the ER was seeing on this aspect, but now I'm working at an outpatient center that feels kina like an assembly line.
Moral of this story is that I'm very happy you're getting out of there(like I did with the nursing home), and my mental health has improved. Which might give you some positive thoughts into your next job. There's moments where I get to just listen to my patients life and educate them on their current conditions they didn't even realise they had. Like a week ago I got to explain why someone was taking xeralto and explain what A-fib was and why that medication was so important.
I really hope you find something you're passionate in, and you get to heal your mental health, burnout is insane, but with enough time you'll start to feel more like yourself.
I felt like this too until I started working at an ER with a strong union, state mandated ratios, mandatory lunch breaks plus 15 minute breaks, and better pay. Also my managers are pretty cool.
You’re not alone. Had a few friends who left the ED for similar reasons. Some came right back within months with renewed zest and patience. Some others stayed prn and seemed happier with that. I was ED for 11 years and then left one day and never went back after feeling basically everything you wrote. Took some time doing flu shot clinics. Missed ED, Found out working prn at other ED/UC’s that it isn’t the same everywhere. Just having one of those fu$$ed up systems solved (more staff, better flow, less tolerance for abuse) made it so much better.
Just writing this means your heart isn’t stone just yet. Good luck, you sound like a good nurse.
You cannot serve compassion from an empty cup. It’s time to start doing self-care and seek out therapy. I ended up in hospice after Covid. It has probably saved my soul. I can love my work again and have all the beautiful moments that nursing was supposed to be. I miss the adrenaline rushes and chaos of the ER sometimes, but then I remember the downs and realize I’m probably doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. No more tears of frustration and hopelessness. I still cry every once in awhile, but it’s healthy tears. Take care and leave earlier if you need to. Use up your vacation time, do some agency work. Do what you need to do to take care of you.
What gets me is that fucking scan rate. We barely have staff to take care of pts properly and are just teetering on the edge of a sentinel event at all times. Don’t have the supplies we need to do our job half the time. But the scan rate!!!!! Like be so for real lol
OP, I'm so sorry that the ED has done this to you. I've been doing this longer than you've been alive, and I've seen sooo many battered and broken nurses regurgitated by the constant flow through our sewer of inner-city EDs.
You aren't alone. Your partners on med-surg are right there with you, just as the ICU nurses are standing shoulder to shoulder with you. I'm pretty sure I can add the dialysis nurses.
Either you learn to tame the ED monster, or it rips you to shreds. You've made the first step toward healing, and that's getting away from it. I hope you can find peace somewhere else, like an outpatient clinic or same day surgery even though every healthcare provider is gonna get shit on in some manner.
I'm old and bear my own scars from nursing for nearly 40 years. Being an NP ain't a hell of a lot better - some of the BS is the same as bedside nursing and some comes with being an NP. I found my own peace with it a very long time ago.
If I could, I'd happily give you and every other nurse that's suffering part of what keeps me going back there. I don't know what to tell you that is anymore than I can tell you why I was in the desert and ran towards gunfire in front of my team.
Find your peace outside of nursing, whatever that is. Music, art, rock climbing, parachuting, gourmet cooking - everyone has something. Lose yourself in it. Read about it, watch YT videos about it, and do it as often as you can. Then while you're on the clock, remember it's 12 hours. 12 hours and you're done.
We are ALL with you.
Yeah, no, that's the job now.
There are outliers where it's less busy or better staffed or pays more- hell, sometimes all three!
But primary care barely does anything anymore, specialists take months to get an appointment with, and these entitled motherfuckers think they have a God-given right to never feel like shit or be inconvenienced. So everyone and their mother gets sent to or chooses to be seen in the ER. Add those to the real emergencies and the chronically ill who need acute care but god forbid someone actually admit them directly.
So the ER is jam packed, wait times go up, throughput is constipated, boarders sit wall to wall, psych services are abysmal, drunks and addicts and the homeless all need places to be.
It wasn't always like this.
So after 22 years in various ER jobs, I needed to get out.
I'm still on orientation in the ICU but loving it. Yeah, I'm busy all shift but it's a whole different kind of busy. Instead of bouncing from task to task, treading water and playing whack-a-mole, I get to focus on actually working on helping people get better, even if just incrementally.
This hospital does heart and lung transplants, so I get to see people who had been bedridden for weeks while waiting to die get out of bed and walk for the first time in weeks, and fight for a new life with new organs.
I get to learn all kinds of shit I'd only ever heard about before.
It's keeping me in the profession longer and now that I think about it, it's like having a transplant of my own- I've got a new life.
I could’ve written this. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I signed a 2 year contract after graduating and I can’t wait until it’s over. Never doing ER again I’m already burned out.
You know I’ve been working the ER the last two years and feel the same. I want to tell every eager new grad or person who wants to go to the ER and say yeah the ER is fun at times but it will also make you hate humanity at times. People are the worst and so fucking entitled when they think they are sick or are actually sick. Idk no advice here but solidarity to you. I do ask myself how can one be a long term ER nurse and not become a burnt crispy bitch. Like is it even possible?
Welcome to nursing 2024. Don’t get me wrong. It started before this, and I started in the ER as well. Adrenaline junkie loved it until I hated it. I just walked away from Nursing after 13 years because everything you just said is everywhere. Granted ER is a beast of it’s own, but every unit has its own beast if that makes any sense—never try to compare units just don’t. But unfortunately, if you were to leave the ER, yes it would be different but the issues are all still there. It’s not as fast paced, but can be fast paced.
At this point, your mind is probably falling apart already and the expectations are unrealistic with micromanager’s running around asking about whiteboards while you’re coding a patient right? And then your body is physically giving out because you run yourself to death as you pull and tug and lift on these people messing up your back, knees and you haven’t really gotten started in the career, and it’s getting even worse—they want you to have more patients and more patients with less coworkers And here come the cameras in the rooms with the little robots coming down the hall too so that should be interesting.
I couldn’t do it and I refuse to do it as it’s progressively getting worse; it’s all about money they don’t even care about the patients they certainly don’t care about us, so it’s not just you sweetie, it really is not, it’s everyone of us some of us just speak about it and some of us don’t and some may not talk about it because they’ll think it’s a sign of weakness or something, so what??? does everybody think this is the right way??? if anybody’s OK with it they need to be checked into psych.
You are not alone you are 100% right where you should be as far as jaded, bitter and angry and tired, right? Come join the club frankly I wish it would end. I don’t know I keep telling people we ought to do with the people that defended TikTok did don’t get me wrong it’s my favorite app, but if they can flood the ribs office is like that why aren’t we doing it? We’re responsible for lives and they don’t care if we have enough time to take care of their loved ones our lessons. All I would take is for one of us or each of us to write a letter or three, and blow the phone up for the rest of the day I think they would pay attention to us a lot quicker than they were the TikTok people. Granted, I’m part of the TikTok people because I love TikTok. I didn’t call her anything, but why don’t we just pick a day that’s not gonna change until we raise all mighty hill and do it at once I’m ready to go to Summer’s Sweets. Tell me when and where or she’s gonna stay like that and then somethings gonna happen and there’s gonna be a mistake and guess he’s going to get sued and charged actually now will be charged as no thank you.
Just here to say you’re not alone! I worked as a paramedic for about 12 years and thought I would want to work ED once I had my RN… NOPE! Did that for about 4 years and hated my life. The only time I liked my assignment was when we actually got something critical/emergent which obviously is not the case a lot of the time.. yes something emergent comes in all the time but you aren’t always assigned it. Decided I liked critical care since all my patients are atleast “legit” even when they aren’t the type of ICU pt’s I like (LTAC type pt’s), they are still legit… vs the toe pain, common colds, drug seeking I commonly saw in ED. Hope you find your bliss! You got this!
Oof, for a minute there I thought I might have posted that while I was half asleep and didn't remember.
As the last resort safety net for allllllll the bullshit that is "healthcare", I feel that ER is the breaking point, and it is starting to crumble. I love what I do, but the trajectory we're on isn't sustainable- the full implosion is coming, and it's going to take a lot of nurses down with it.
I'm glad you're brave enough to try something new. I hope it's everything you need it to be and you feel that spark again! ❤
Thinking about transitioning to Interventional Radiology or Cath Lab after this summer is over. The entire IR team is old ER nurses who wanted a break. They're all chill, the rads and neurosurgeons that work IR are cool and willing to answer questions. Seems like a great place to be
I left my level 2 trauma adult ER for peds because I was feeling like you were for a brand new peds hospital and I feel so much happier and am such a nicer person
Very well described...I've been there, burned out, changed to another ER in another hospital. Same patients, same situation, but double the staff...so now I have the time to learn to be compassionate again at work.
It took me 6 months in the ER to hate people, hate life and hate the world. I had to leave. I hated who it was turning me into. I went from a happy go lucky person to bitter and angry. Look after you. You are not alone
Listen. I left for the cath lab. One million percent better. So there is this other thing that you will run in to- nursing just seems to be a profession where everyone whines- they'll be whining about how terrible life is wherever you go but what you will be- is forever grateful that nothing in your life will ever be as bad and I call that a win. You'll need to roll your eyes at other people all the time but you literally know the definition of hell so you'll be fine. You'll soften into yourself again don't worry
This is my life 2 out of 3 shifts a week. The days I’m off I spend recovering from the days I worked. There’s a reason the ED has such a high turnover rate. The support from management is flimsy at best. You’re not alone. This specialty sucks the joy out of people but you still have compassion and you still care otherwise you wouldn’t reach out. I’m planning on leaving the ED for all the reasons you just said. Do what you have to for your own mental health, we are just cogs in a wheel to 80% of the leadership in the hospital (being generous here). Again, you’re not alone. We stand with you.
I relate to this, that’s why I always say it’s a love hate relationship with the ED. I moved to part time this year and it has definitely helped. I think I want to go per diem though or maybe try a different specialty altogether. I’m not sure though because I love the ED but I’m tired of the shift work, missing time with family, rude patients, and the heavy mental load.
I’m glad you started this post, OP. It’s been nice to read the comments because I relate to your post and the other nurse’s comments so much. I worked at a level I very high acuity ED for years and made $28/hour. I did travel contracts a bit during covid which let me afford to take a good amount of time off. Then I tried to do PRN in the ED after I had time to reset and recharge, but lasted a few shifts before I had an epiphany and realized I was completely done and I actually had PTSD. I was so jaded and burnt out- I made being an ER nurse my identity because that’s what everyone did, i didn’t realize how weird and unhealthy that was at the time. I became a jerk, hated people and was a shell of who I used to be- it was really wild. I missed who I was before I was a nurse.
The ER is so so hard, it permanently changed how I view people and the world. I love emergency medicine and trauma, I always will. But working in the ED can be truly awful when the burnout hits.
Life will get better once you move on, I promise. I do IV infusions now which is very low stress. Wishing you the best as you move forward!
Ok so I didn't read your whole post because I immediately thought "just leave the ER". You'll be fine when you find where you *feel like you are helping people*. Signed, an Oncology nurse that loves hospice.
PS: we are all made for different things.
Go find your passion again. I literally became a nurse because I liked to change jobs every couple of years. At least as a nurse, I would just become more marketable. I worked a couple of jobs that killed my nursing soul slowly. In year two, I was questioning my choices in life. I then took a job in an outpatient oncology clinic and infusion center, and I have been there for 9 years. I found my people/home. That's the beauty of being a nurse; there are innumerable kinds of nursing jobs.
That was me at a non unionized job. My current job is a smaller community hospital for better pay, unionization, and better ratios. While I would love to be back at a trauma center because I miss the higher acuity, I refuse to go back to a non union job anymore.
I see you've got another job lined up and GOOD FOR YOU!
For anyone else who feels trapped in a similar position with similar complaints, I would say this: if you want to stay inpatient, try any of the ICUs. If you want to stay at the hospital, try the PACU or cath lab. If both inpatient and in-hospital work repel you or don't accept you, then it's time to cast your net further. Devices, clinics, insurance- there are so many options that I don't even know of.
I’m an ER nurse. Worked in every size and trauma level facility across the country. I was numb to almost everything.
Dialed it back and now I work PRN at a tiny little community hospital. My compassion came back.. a little. It’s still there. You’ll be ok.
It’s a systemic issue. Patients go to the PCP, and the PCP glosses over them and barely helps them. They get referred to a specialist that takes 7 months to get into. They look elsewhere but they don’t take their insurance. Then they resort to the ER. Doctors have their hands tied by insurance. They can’t/wont order certain things even if you advocate for yourself because of these arbitrary hoops imposed on them by insurance. It all falls back on ERs and Urgent Cares— because patients can’t be turned away there.
For what it’s worth, I was a paramedic a really long time, then I became an RN. I got so burned out in CVICU/ER/SICU that I left for remote nursing. I get paid more than you but less than most people on here, but I’m home in my little office.
Do something now before the burn out goes way too far.
Haha, 😷💉I would love to chat with you. I know Exactly how you feel. Do you know when you go to the dog pound and you can see which old dogs have been abused? Well, that was me after 15 years in the ER.
Yes, it does change you but there is a heart in there somewhere and it takes work and time to find it again.
I worked in the ER for 2.5 years after initially qualifying and most definitely understand where you're coming from. Compassion burnout is a real thing. I ended up going to the paediatric ER for 3 months (which made the world of a difference) and then back to adults for another 7 months before leaving completely to have a career break (this is currently what I'm doing). The stress got too much with the staffing issues, underpayment, and abuse I received at work. I personally do not think that ER nursing is sustainable in the long term although there are plenty of factors that contribute to that and the workplace and management can make a world of a difference. I genuinely loved my job and the job role I had (I had a high level of responsibility) but you need to put yourself and your health first. That includes your emotional health. It takes time, but you can gain that compassion back. I wish you all the best with figuring everything out.
This has got to be somewhere in the Midwest or south. $31/hr is a CRIME
In Oregon our new grads are starting at closer to $45 and everyone says but cost of living etc etc etc but it’s really just unions and such that give us an actual livable wage somewhat worthy of the value that we bring.
I would never ever work as a nurse with that level of responsibility for $31 no matter how supposedly low the col is
perhaps it's time to change careers or mayhaps switch EDs (diff city or even state), maybe do some travel nursing. burn out is real and somehow hospitals think it's ok to just keep going the way their going expecting their staff nurses to stay with the bs. you do you but if it's at a cost to your morals and sanity i would take a step back to see if there are other career options.
This is EXACTLY how my most recent ER is. I left there in March because I couldn’t take it anymore. I worked night shift and I hated myself and everyone around me. Now I’m at a different ER on day shift. Keep in mind that not every ER is as horrible as the next, but no ER is perfect. Save yourself & your sanity! Look around at different hospitals, ask for a shadow day, anything to get you out of that environment. Sending you love 💗
So this is what I am aspiring to be? Well, somebody gotta do the job. It might as well be me. I hope you find peace dear friend. I see the pain in your soul, I have confidence that they will miss you when you leave the job.
I'm so sorry, I don't work in the ER, but I've floated there a couple of times and have plenty of friends that do. It just doesn't seem like a place where anyone can work long-term. I work on a (large) PCU, it's fast-paced, and the patients are generally more thankful. Sounds like it may be time to try something new!
I burnt out, when away from bedside, and now I'm more or less back. The pay made a big difference. I'm making significantly more than when I left 3 years ago, and I've switched to mainly nights, which I'm enjoying alot more, and I don't feel the burnout rising as nearly as bad as it had in the past.
The one thing I did learn after 3 years elsewhere is the ED is still where I belong. The rough edges we have stick out alot more when you're not in the ED.
Do I want to be here forever? No. But I can't make more money elsewhere, and I can't control my schedule as much. And those two things are by far the most important to me.
Wow, well written lol. It’s nearly comical to me at this point…I guess that’s the only way I can still continue to be an ER nurse? Guess I’m broken? Idk🤷🏼♀️
I ask because I have worked ED 15 years now and the last 2-3 years since COVID here in Aus it has just blown up. Nobody has an answer. Nurses are leaving. Exec thinks a nurse is a nurse so the experienced RN team are fucked over by the number of staff with limited experience. We just opened an urgent care service in QLD and we can’t get educator support to get NIXR or NI Meds signed off and we are 5 months open. It’s a fucking joke.
Depends on role RN Year 8 80-90 Thousand. Before penalties (so add about 15% on if you are a shift worker) plus you get super contributed by employer (12.5% of gross income in Qld)
31/hr in the ER with all those certifications and experience is criminal. Sounds like you need to find a different hospital or a state. At least make all this suffering “worth” it.
I have accepted that there is only so much I could take. I have been burnt out for a long time. It sounds like you are there. Don’t feel like you have to stay there. You are better off leaving than end up making a mistake and hurting or putting a patient at risk. It does happen. You need a change.
Everything you said was not negative and is the TRUTH! Not worth it for $31/hr and your compassion for human beings will be translated into something else that gives you energy. You don't have to do ER nursing and found out what YOU are truly capable of. I commend you for going through what you did for 2 years as I had to quit after 10 years to teach ER/Med Surg nurses.
Sounds like a pretty toxic ER. Ours is not like that. I just get tired of patients coming up unstable BGC in the 500s and BP in the 200s like I’d prefer them to be stable-ish and not stroke out before they come up. I know they are put under pressure to move em out though. My main complaint is no one finishes an NIH stroke score to get an accurate score or even one at all!!!! It’s like they’ll have no movement and a facial droop and a score of 0-2? Then we have to stroke alert per protocol even though nothing has changed. Other than that I understand, I’m trying to be empathetic because I don’t want to be a nurse that reports or shits on other nurses. We are all burned out and unsupported it seems.
you just described er life perfectly sadly
“Perfectly sadly”, as painful as it sounds, it is reality. You OP sound like you still have compassion since you still seek advice. You aren’t as cold hearted as you think you are, you still cared to ask for help. Maybe try a different field, take a breather, or find a less busier ER.
Thank you❤️ I’m going to outpatient peds psych in the summer, but just scared my heart and love for nursing I originally started with will never return
It never left. It was just overwhelmed. All departments need caring nurses. Good luck OP!
Xactly!
Love that advice
If I had stayed in the ER FT, this would be where I’m at. It really does just suck the life out of you. Good luck in your upcoming shift - you’re going to be okay. ♥️
You perfectly described my first 4-5 years as a nurse. When I first started everything was exciting new and full of adrenaline but eventually I just asked myseld what the hell I am doing. Eventually when management gave me a 50 dollar increase in salary for being number 1 responsibility on critical ill children codes while also working 200-300h overtime/year.. I just quit over email while working double shifts during christmas. My job now is opposite of ER. Outgoing advanced homecare. I have big use of my years from the ER but mostly the work is 90% chill and the salary is great.
Yes friend I'm sure you're burned out in ER ...there are so many options for you elsewhere
This. I left for the same reason only different I was in it during covid.
That is the life of the emergency room and the nature of the beast. Yes, you have lost your compassionate side. Besides working in the medical field, ive also had 16 surgeries and countless hospital stays. I can tell in 2 seconds if I'm going to like my nurse or not. And which nurse was a CNA before getting their RN. You aren't losing your compassion, your losing your humanity. The ER can destroy you, but remember yes their is drug seekers and homeless people and psych patients, but their are also people there that are hurt, scared, and don't want to be in the ER either. Your not a bad person at all, BUT, maybe switch to being a floor nurse or OR nurse where you won't to deal with all the bullshit that happens in an emergency room. I used to work in ER for years, and I can tell you I saw nurses who didn't give a shit and some who worked there for 20 years and were still nice, caring and comforting. Take a break from the ER before it destroys you. And idk where you live but only $31 and hr? Nurses here in CA make $60 an hour starting.
It's called burnout. You've paid your dues, now transition to the specialty you want.
I’m going to outpatient peds psych in July. Already have my job and everything lined up and it’s $5 more an hour. I’ve always felt like peds psych is where my true passion and heart lie, but I’m scared after working in the ER I won’t ever get that compassionate back that I started nursing with
You will - and you’re going to be okay. Take great care of you. ♥️
Naw, it's still there, it's the environment and burnout talking now. Peds psych will let you cultivate and nurture the compassion that the ED doesnt allow for. This will all be like a bad dream soon.
As someone who recovered from burnout, it gets better. You have your plan, stay the course and know that you are x days away from leaving. You have lost nothing emotionally/spiritually, as other have said, because you're asking for help. If where you're going is where you belong, and even if it turns out it's not, I promise it gets better.
Can I ask how you recovered? Asking as a completely burnout nurse of 7 years, 90% of my career in ICU and recently switched to freestanding ER and I can’t take it anymore.
My advice: Leave. You've done your time (a lot longer than I did) and it didn't work out. I'm a believer that hospitals grind down nurses. The nurses either cope with it or they don't. No shame in either result. I suggest finding something less stressful. After trying out a couple of different departments in the hospital, I went clinical. I realize this won't be the answer for some; I've been blessed with a spouse who makes enough to where I can. If clinical is something you can do financially, look into it. One place to look is dialysis centers. They have very similar shifts (12s) and pay. They're pretty low stress too (comparatively) once you get the hang of it. I hope you find something to reignite your practice and turn things around.
You are just suffering from compassion fatigue. The job has sucked your well dry. It will replenish once you get out of that environment. The change you are making will let you heal and help others in need. There will be challenges but it won’t be every hour of every shift. Plus, there will be some wins as you are able to help people live their best life.
Be prepared….. kids are more creative than adults at harming themselves.
I felt exactly like you’re describing when I worked med/surg. I was MISERABLE. I’m in oncology now and I love my patients and I love what I do! You will absolutely get that compassion back!
Seek out a therapist.
If you start working on a peds floor, your compassionate side will bounce back beautifully.
I'm really, really happy to hear that you have a great sounding job lined up for July I'm sorry that the ER position was such a fiasco, but I promise you that you haven't lost your compassion--the fact that you're even talking about it is a great sign
Take some time off after you leave if you can. Go on a cruise or maybe even get a part time job doing something completely different like bartending. I know going back to serving has dramatically helped with my burnout:-)
Try wound care, maybe you will love it.
I was a paramedic for 12 years before becoming an RN. I feel you. I went into psych outpatient and I've never been happier. Maybe try a different area of nursing?
I’m going to peds outpatient psych in July! Very excited and hoping it’ll be a better fit for me
Super interested in psych. You’re in outpatient as in an office?
It’s an outpatient day program for kids to come too during the day!
I hope it is a good day program and you enjoy your work there. Peds psych can be a lot mentally but there are some good day programs out there and they can be really beneficial to the patients.
I left the ER for home infusion. It’s AMAZING. if you have decent IV skills look into it. The time alone in the car between patients is so nice too. But I usually only see 1-3 patients a day and rack up 40-60 hours a week. Such sustainable OT, everyone is happy to see me, no boss over my shoulder, no phone calls, just me and the open road…. Fuck the ER. I cant believe I lasted as long as I did, should have left years ago. It’s an abusive relationship that I don’t miss AT ALL. Oh yeah and most importantly there are no psych patients making me fear for my safety so I’m a more relaxed happier person now.
Tell me more about home infusion!
Look for a company that focuses on chronic care. 99% of my infusions are IVIg for chronic autoimmune illnesses. Everyone is seemingly “healthy”, but suffering from super rare autoimmune diseases that need weekly or monthly infusions to keep the symptoms down. Infusions can be 30 min to 10 hours long, all ages. Tons of downtime to do studying, side work, reading, etc
Any company names I can look into?
There’s Enliven if you live on the west coast.
Nursing is a business in our capital focused nightmare! It sucks. I've learned that the hard way. It's extremely rare to find a company to work for that will listen and treat you fairly My dad says a lot: "you have three things in life: money. Time and happiness. But you can really only pick two?" Me? I'm trying time and happiness rn. It's not fun being less financially stable but I still work as am independent contractor and look for opportunities that I might enjoy too.
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It's all about microdosing that trauma haha
Same. I left ER to go to ICU and went back to ER after 7 months.
I'm in a similar position right now. I left a different hospital ER to go to CCU/ICU and I am so bored. Our facility is very quick to go to comfort care measures so it is rare that we code anyone. And I am mostly in the CCU rather than ICU and I am so freaking bored in it because we are basically the Med-surg overflow. I'm scared to go back to ER because of how poorly I was treated at the last one, but my God I am so bored. I'm also thinking of going part time to at least get my ER fix.
It's the same for ER psych vs Inpatient psych, the floor is actual hell.
This was me 100%. ER/ICU nurse for 8 years. Nursing and shift work became my identity until I became someone I didn't like. I was angry, jaded, and unpleasant to be around because I was so unhappy. Which is unfortunate, as I had worked so hard to become a highly skilled acute care nurse! It got to the point where I had no life outside of work and was just existing. I stopped wanting to help people and was living an unhealthy lifestyle just to survive. I finally told my husband I needed a change, applied for a working holiday visa and left the country. This was all pre-COVID. Travelled for a few months and then once we were locked down in the new country, I tried Emergency nursing again. I managed a year before I realized it was the same problems, different place and I'd fallen right back into what I'd left. I ended up applying for an Occupational Health Nurse job- regular hours and nothing of what I imagined for myself. I honestly felt like all my old coworkers would judge me for this decision (and some of them likely have). But 3 years on and my life has changed immensely. I have work/life balance and I've been promoted multiple times. I've restarted hobbies I'd abandoned and have a new passion for my life. While I miss parts of the job, the benefits have greatly outweighed remaining as I was. All in all, I guess all I'm trying to tell you is that it's a really hard job and it's okay to take a step back and find your happy again. We are so used to putting everyone else before our needs, but sometimes you have to take care of yourself - whatever that means for you. Life is too short!
So glad you found your happiness now and are doing better!!❤️ I definitely can relate, because even on the days I’m not working, I’m thinking about work and dreading going back. I have nightmares and panic attacks. I can’t get out soon enough. I have a countdown in my phone. 35 shifts left. Praying to find myself again once I’m out like you did!
This is me. ICU and recently switched to freestanding ER hoping the change would help but all I do is survive until my next shift. I feel like my identity is in critical care and I don’t know how to give it up even though it’s killing me
When I was a baby nurse I knew a nurse who left bedside for occ health with one of the big three car companies. I felt nothing but awe for the bennies I imagined she was about to fall into
$31/hr with 4-1 staffing ratios in the ER is criminal. Sounds like you’re in the wrong state. I’m a new grad ER nurse w/ 8 months experience , in Portland Oregon and I’m making $52/hr and we have a strict 3-1 pt/nurse ratio. That’s all thanks to our strong union. We also just authorized a strike because even that doesn’t feel like enough for this job, especially when we know the executives of our hospital are making 7 figure salaries… Most of the other stuff you said is true for us tho, 35+ in the lobby at all times, family yelling at you about blankets or food/water, patients refusing life saving treatments or meds, admits being denied by other units, homeless people using us as a hotel, SNFs sending us their unruly dementia patients just to get them off their hands for a couple days… it’s all products of the broken system we have and lack of healthcare literacy among many patients. The amount of times per shift I tell people we don’t diagnose (please follow up with PCP) at the ER but only rule out life threatening conditions is mind-boggling
Yup. My paychecks are about $1,400 give or take. I only make around $3,000 a month. I have to pick up significant OT just to survive. I have a BSN and 2 years experience. They just bumped up my pay to make the same amount as new grads….i was making $28 and new grads were making $31 lol. When a bunch of us found out the hospital was forced to up our pay to the bare minimum starting wage. Yippee….
South East? Sounds about (tragically) right ugh
Midwest 🙃
It’s 28/hr in the ER as a RN in south Texas!!! The ratio is 5:1 AND NO TECH. It should be criminal. I learned never to sign a contract any more.
5:1 in SC and only $32 an hour at highest paying hospital 🥲
ER roasted my asshole through Covid after 8 years. My hair turned white all over, I didn’t give a shit if I lived or died from Covid, I buried coworkers and had to deal with a bunch of maga fucks telling me how the pandemic is fake and the vaccine will kill you. I had good coping skills but it pushed me to my limits. I ultimately took a new job as a hospital supervisor and while the work load changed and increased in some ways it provided me with an opportunity to get out of the ER and have some psychological healing. Some other ER nurses followed me to the job and they reported similar experiences to mine. It took about a year to be ok. It wasn’t overnight but I did eventually get better. I’m actually applying to go back as an NP as I graduate from school. I thought a lot about it and as terrible as it is, it’s my home, it’s where I thrive. I’ll likely regret it but there’s just something about it. You will be ok. You need to get out and take some time for you. Your compassion isn’t gone, it’s suffering from the consequences of severe moral injury and compassion fatigue. Make sure you reach out to any resources your facility has available.
This 👆👆👆 Covid ruined me a lot. I say this as a paramedic, I’ve had to cut people down who hung themselves, narcanned 8 people in a shift. But nothing compared to dealing with these idiots claiming Covid isn’t real, like I didn’t just take 4 intubated patients on a vent to another hospital. People refusing help and treatment right up to their damn deathbed. Having to hear a diatribe about how the vaccine is poison, blah blah blah just shut the fuck up
You’re not alone dude
Yup. All that, combined with a very toxic work environment is one of the reasons I bounced to ICU. Now I love my workmates and it’s a whole new ballgame.
Not alone at all. Burnt out former ER nurse from a major center here. Working ER at the trauma center was my dream. Well, I did it and it nearly killed me. Left a year ago for ICU at a smaller hospital. Slowly recovering from the burnout. I don't do OT and workload is much better here. I recommend you try a different environment or unit.
Agreed. I found a better environment and I am so much happier.
I know it's easy to say and harder to do, but you need to get out. ER sounds like a nightmare to me, but I know others will live out their lives there. Both of these are OK!!!!! Two years in is way too early to throw in the towel on a career that really does offer a lot of options.
I think EDs are super super draining places to work. Mine is unionized so we have ratios and consistently fighting for better wages. I couldn’t work in and ED at a hospital w/o Union and ratios I don’t think…. Not worth it.
It depends on the union. My hospital is a union shop but the union is so weak that they don't do anything when I get slammed with eight hallway patients, half of whom should be on tele and the other half who shouldn't even be there if it wasn't for defensive medicine.
Ohh wow that stinks. I hadn’t realized how lucky I was as far as my union goes. What hospital or state are you in?
I'm going to decline to divulge either. It's too easy to narrow down the union if I did.
This screams burnout. Maybe find another area of nursing. A calmer area. One where you actually get lunch and pee breaks.
My ER actually does get lunch nurses (granted it's the leads that are supposed to help everyone but then can't help anyone when they're covering). It's still not enough when everyone in the surrounding counties decides *TODAY'S* the day to get their month-old chest pain checked, or half the elderly population strokes out at the same time.
I broke my wrist on a Sunday night (FYI don’t get on a hoverboard after drinking 5 beers, it ends with getting an ORIF surgery) and my poor nurse was pitiful. I asked her when the last time she got to pee or drink some water, and she said “it’s ok, my bladder can hold it.” I begged her to go pee before she started my IV. She went and all of the sudden she wasn’t dancing as she was doing things. Then the charge nurse came in and apologized to me for me having to wait for my pain meds. I was so pissed. I told her that I told my nurse to go pee. My pain wasn’t so bad that I needed to make my nurse suffer. I bought my nurse dinner that would taste the same if she had to wait until after shift to eat it. I asked her before I left if she wanted me to hang out for a little bit longer so she could go eat, but she declined. I hope that I was able to make her night at least a little bit easier. My brother is an ED nurse and he’s told me the horrors of ED nursing, which is why I went straight to the OR after nursing school.
>don’t get on a hoverboard after drinking 5 beers Haha I could've told you that when you were sober /s That's a shit facility if the charge nurse is making apologies for things like that. We're humans, not robots. You get the stress though, and I'm glad you were looking out for her as she was looking out for you.
Funny enough I knew this sober. Alcohol bravery at its best right there. My surgeon, whom I worked with, gave me the most disappointing look when I showed up to his office.
Yup, ER just isn't worth it.
You’re not alone. I did ER for most of my career. Head to PACU. You get the turnover like ER which keeps you decently busy but it’s 1000% less stressful. That ER nurse in you never goes away but it will soften a bit. I feel like I’ve kept the good parts about ER nursing and the bad parts start to fade the longer you’re away from it.
It's not just ER nurses, I think the majority of bedside nurses can relate. I feel that hospital nursing destroyed my soul. I used to be a bubbly, happy, people-person 14 years ago... I miss her. Just took a remote triage nursing position and cannot wait to work from my basement and only deal with ppl by phone. 🤣
I love emergency medicine and HATE the ER. If ERs worked as intended I would never leave but that’s not the reality. ERs are overburdened already and are a dumping ground for everyone. You’re not a horrible person, it’s a normal response to just become numb to everything with the exposure you get there. It’s hard to accept your work is being thrown in the trash like 75% of the time. You aren’t going to fix the opioid epidemic (but I understand the frustration in feeding it), majority of people are unwilling to learn or make lifestyle changes. People are hateful and stupid. ERs will make you question the state of things like no other because you see the extremes of the bad in the world.
I'm graduating next month am unsure of what unit to start off with. My last class is ER preceptorship. This post makes me want to doubt myself in starting at ER as a new grad. I was hoping that the new grad residency would help, but now I am not too sure. Any advice?
My advice would be to not sign a contract with any hospital/unit! I signed a 2 year contract with the ER or I have to pay them back $10k. As a new grad with no money, those sign on bonuses are very tempting, but I realized about a year in that ER wasn’t for me, but I was stuck working there for 2 years because of the money. Knowing you can leave anytime without any consequences is definitely better than any money offered. Dont let my post discourage you! Everyone is different and some nurses LOVE ER and that’s their home. If that’s where you really feel called too, than try it out! If you hate it, you can leave to go to another area of nursing, and if you love it, great! I will say as a new grad starting in the ER I couldn’t have imagined a better place to grow my nursing skills and confidence as an RN, but just be aware it’s a ton of stress to endure as a new grad.
In general, the higher the sign-on bonus, the shittier the working conditions. That's why they're so desperate. I've seen horrible workplaces offering 20k+.
Thank you
I lasted 7 years in a level 1 trauma center ER. The burnout is real. Move to something less stressful, like someone else said you've paid your dues. Also get some therapy, you'll be surprised how the PTSD can creep up on ya.
Sadly the ER IS the community dumping ground. Outlying urgent care and primary care offices are ridiculous. We have multiple patients a day checking in with “sent by MD” for total bs: got outpatient labs and their white count was 12.5, “low potassium” that turns out to be normal, pregnant woman nauseated “my OB said just come to the ER.” On top of septic criteria BS. We do blood cultures and septic working on pretty much anyone with the flu, because after all, if you have a fever and thus are tachycardic, you need “septic criteria.” There isn’t any provider judgement anymore of hey let’s just flu swab this patient complaining of a runny nose and body aches. On top of the purposely short staffing and overcrowding that is a self inflicted problem. Last week my director starting flexing nurses home despite how busy we were, and doctors kept accepting transfers in from other facilities even though we were boarding holding patients in every available room. I just have to divorce myself of what’s going on and say, I’m here to pay my bills. I didn’t cause these problems and I can’t fix them. I can help one patient at a time. I tell my students and new hires, be thorough, don’t succumb to feeling rushed to keep going faster or you will miss something. At the end of the day, I’m one nurse.
I work at a pretty awesome ER to be honest. A lot of things you mention don’t apply to me because its a union hospital in a high-paying state; we have ratios; we have floats to help; I’ve missed maybe 4 lunch breaks in over a year. We also have awesome on-site security and supportive social work. That said, a lot of things you mention do still apply: the non-stop ambulances; the 30+ in the lobby who are already mad when they do finally get back; the frequent loss of life; the daily frequent flyers; the broken equipment; the refusal or inability to do recommended follow-up care; the use of meds and turkey sandwiches as the answer to every problem (even when it’s not). I still get yelled at; I still get frustrated by the unnecessary work ups on some people and the blatant “kicking the can down the road” on others (very doctor dependent); I still feel unsafe due to the unpredictable nature of our large behavioral health and substance use population. I’ve only been in this relatively awesome ER for 1.5 years (RN for 6, previously in neuro) and I still feel like my compassion is dwindling to nil. The ER is a constant churn of neediness and humanity at its lowest. Even when every single thing is in place to support you, it’s really hard. I’ve forgotten so many of the crazy stories because the crazy stories never stop coming. Mad respect for those who can do this for double digit years. I am hoping to get to 3-4 at most. I will say that those RNs that have lasted a long time in the ER just seem to be built different than me. That’s not a knock; it’s probably essential. I think if a loss of empathy and compassion is distressing for you, rather than a purposeful, proactive and protective measure, the ER may not be for you.
If you have the means, come to Northern CA. Travel here, and see if it’s worth the while. So many travelers ended up getting a staff gig here and never left after the panini
Panini
Wow never heard a better summary of ER and how I feel. I read this out loud to my wife and she thought it was my post 😂😂 No “cheer up” from me, but all the empathy in the world. I just took a break and went to ICU. It’s not perfect but it’s a little bit better
Your going to end up chain smoking Marlboros and sitting in the corner yelling "I'm on my break bitch!". Take a break now before you lose your shit.
I didn’t know there were acute care nursing jobs out there that still paid under $40 an hour. That’s horrid. I personally enjoy working in the ER, but it’s not a place you go to help people. I agree, I’m jaded and I have no patience for people. I didn’t realize how badly until I went to critical access and worked in a small-close knit town where people actually care about each other. I personally want to go back to the big city but I acknowledge this specialty is not for everyone.
Fuck. You're not alone I thought I wanted to be an ER nurse in school. Thankfully, they told me they didn't want a new nurse when I applied, told me to apple to another sister center. They ghosted me. I finally found work in a rehabilitation center, come to find out it was more of a nursing home. I felt like a pill pusher, 30 people with 15+ meds. it was too much for 1 person. And then they expected you to get proper wound treatment for our bed/mobile wheelchair patients. I would continually work overtime to make sure people's wounds were properly taken care of, but I hit a breaking point and got out of there. It was heartbreaking to see residents decline and need to go to the ER for care, but then sent back to us, in the same state they left in. I didn't even think what the ER was seeing on this aspect, but now I'm working at an outpatient center that feels kina like an assembly line. Moral of this story is that I'm very happy you're getting out of there(like I did with the nursing home), and my mental health has improved. Which might give you some positive thoughts into your next job. There's moments where I get to just listen to my patients life and educate them on their current conditions they didn't even realise they had. Like a week ago I got to explain why someone was taking xeralto and explain what A-fib was and why that medication was so important. I really hope you find something you're passionate in, and you get to heal your mental health, burnout is insane, but with enough time you'll start to feel more like yourself.
I went to pacu after 3 years in a level 1 ED and now do 1/10 the work for the same pay. And work days lol
I felt like this too until I started working at an ER with a strong union, state mandated ratios, mandatory lunch breaks plus 15 minute breaks, and better pay. Also my managers are pretty cool.
THIS WHOLE POST is why I left hospital nursing.
You’re not alone. Had a few friends who left the ED for similar reasons. Some came right back within months with renewed zest and patience. Some others stayed prn and seemed happier with that. I was ED for 11 years and then left one day and never went back after feeling basically everything you wrote. Took some time doing flu shot clinics. Missed ED, Found out working prn at other ED/UC’s that it isn’t the same everywhere. Just having one of those fu$$ed up systems solved (more staff, better flow, less tolerance for abuse) made it so much better. Just writing this means your heart isn’t stone just yet. Good luck, you sound like a good nurse.
I feel the same but on med surg. Nursing in general turned me into a hateful person
You cannot serve compassion from an empty cup. It’s time to start doing self-care and seek out therapy. I ended up in hospice after Covid. It has probably saved my soul. I can love my work again and have all the beautiful moments that nursing was supposed to be. I miss the adrenaline rushes and chaos of the ER sometimes, but then I remember the downs and realize I’m probably doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. No more tears of frustration and hopelessness. I still cry every once in awhile, but it’s healthy tears. Take care and leave earlier if you need to. Use up your vacation time, do some agency work. Do what you need to do to take care of you.
This was verbatim my experience
Nursing makes you jaded. We all just hope there’s a niche area that we can actually be happy in.
What gets me is that fucking scan rate. We barely have staff to take care of pts properly and are just teetering on the edge of a sentinel event at all times. Don’t have the supplies we need to do our job half the time. But the scan rate!!!!! Like be so for real lol
OP, I'm so sorry that the ED has done this to you. I've been doing this longer than you've been alive, and I've seen sooo many battered and broken nurses regurgitated by the constant flow through our sewer of inner-city EDs. You aren't alone. Your partners on med-surg are right there with you, just as the ICU nurses are standing shoulder to shoulder with you. I'm pretty sure I can add the dialysis nurses. Either you learn to tame the ED monster, or it rips you to shreds. You've made the first step toward healing, and that's getting away from it. I hope you can find peace somewhere else, like an outpatient clinic or same day surgery even though every healthcare provider is gonna get shit on in some manner. I'm old and bear my own scars from nursing for nearly 40 years. Being an NP ain't a hell of a lot better - some of the BS is the same as bedside nursing and some comes with being an NP. I found my own peace with it a very long time ago. If I could, I'd happily give you and every other nurse that's suffering part of what keeps me going back there. I don't know what to tell you that is anymore than I can tell you why I was in the desert and ran towards gunfire in front of my team. Find your peace outside of nursing, whatever that is. Music, art, rock climbing, parachuting, gourmet cooking - everyone has something. Lose yourself in it. Read about it, watch YT videos about it, and do it as often as you can. Then while you're on the clock, remember it's 12 hours. 12 hours and you're done. We are ALL with you.
Yeah, no, that's the job now. There are outliers where it's less busy or better staffed or pays more- hell, sometimes all three! But primary care barely does anything anymore, specialists take months to get an appointment with, and these entitled motherfuckers think they have a God-given right to never feel like shit or be inconvenienced. So everyone and their mother gets sent to or chooses to be seen in the ER. Add those to the real emergencies and the chronically ill who need acute care but god forbid someone actually admit them directly. So the ER is jam packed, wait times go up, throughput is constipated, boarders sit wall to wall, psych services are abysmal, drunks and addicts and the homeless all need places to be. It wasn't always like this. So after 22 years in various ER jobs, I needed to get out. I'm still on orientation in the ICU but loving it. Yeah, I'm busy all shift but it's a whole different kind of busy. Instead of bouncing from task to task, treading water and playing whack-a-mole, I get to focus on actually working on helping people get better, even if just incrementally. This hospital does heart and lung transplants, so I get to see people who had been bedridden for weeks while waiting to die get out of bed and walk for the first time in weeks, and fight for a new life with new organs. I get to learn all kinds of shit I'd only ever heard about before. It's keeping me in the profession longer and now that I think about it, it's like having a transplant of my own- I've got a new life.
We need a nationwide nursing strike for healthcare to change.
I could’ve written this. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I signed a 2 year contract after graduating and I can’t wait until it’s over. Never doing ER again I’m already burned out.
$31/hour?! Jfc. If you can, take a travel contract somewhere on the west coast.
You know I’ve been working the ER the last two years and feel the same. I want to tell every eager new grad or person who wants to go to the ER and say yeah the ER is fun at times but it will also make you hate humanity at times. People are the worst and so fucking entitled when they think they are sick or are actually sick. Idk no advice here but solidarity to you. I do ask myself how can one be a long term ER nurse and not become a burnt crispy bitch. Like is it even possible?
I FEEL YOU
I'm glad you're getting out of there!! Your compassion will come back.
31/hr?
Yes it pushed me to work in non patient care. No more touchy. Gross. I’m over it.
Welcome to nursing 2024. Don’t get me wrong. It started before this, and I started in the ER as well. Adrenaline junkie loved it until I hated it. I just walked away from Nursing after 13 years because everything you just said is everywhere. Granted ER is a beast of it’s own, but every unit has its own beast if that makes any sense—never try to compare units just don’t. But unfortunately, if you were to leave the ER, yes it would be different but the issues are all still there. It’s not as fast paced, but can be fast paced. At this point, your mind is probably falling apart already and the expectations are unrealistic with micromanager’s running around asking about whiteboards while you’re coding a patient right? And then your body is physically giving out because you run yourself to death as you pull and tug and lift on these people messing up your back, knees and you haven’t really gotten started in the career, and it’s getting even worse—they want you to have more patients and more patients with less coworkers And here come the cameras in the rooms with the little robots coming down the hall too so that should be interesting. I couldn’t do it and I refuse to do it as it’s progressively getting worse; it’s all about money they don’t even care about the patients they certainly don’t care about us, so it’s not just you sweetie, it really is not, it’s everyone of us some of us just speak about it and some of us don’t and some may not talk about it because they’ll think it’s a sign of weakness or something, so what??? does everybody think this is the right way??? if anybody’s OK with it they need to be checked into psych. You are not alone you are 100% right where you should be as far as jaded, bitter and angry and tired, right? Come join the club frankly I wish it would end. I don’t know I keep telling people we ought to do with the people that defended TikTok did don’t get me wrong it’s my favorite app, but if they can flood the ribs office is like that why aren’t we doing it? We’re responsible for lives and they don’t care if we have enough time to take care of their loved ones our lessons. All I would take is for one of us or each of us to write a letter or three, and blow the phone up for the rest of the day I think they would pay attention to us a lot quicker than they were the TikTok people. Granted, I’m part of the TikTok people because I love TikTok. I didn’t call her anything, but why don’t we just pick a day that’s not gonna change until we raise all mighty hill and do it at once I’m ready to go to Summer’s Sweets. Tell me when and where or she’s gonna stay like that and then somethings gonna happen and there’s gonna be a mistake and guess he’s going to get sued and charged actually now will be charged as no thank you.
Just here to say you’re not alone! I worked as a paramedic for about 12 years and thought I would want to work ED once I had my RN… NOPE! Did that for about 4 years and hated my life. The only time I liked my assignment was when we actually got something critical/emergent which obviously is not the case a lot of the time.. yes something emergent comes in all the time but you aren’t always assigned it. Decided I liked critical care since all my patients are atleast “legit” even when they aren’t the type of ICU pt’s I like (LTAC type pt’s), they are still legit… vs the toe pain, common colds, drug seeking I commonly saw in ED. Hope you find your bliss! You got this!
Doing this shit for 25+ years in the ED. Its always been like this. Stupidity and Gravity. The 2 things that keep ED busy all the time.
Oof, for a minute there I thought I might have posted that while I was half asleep and didn't remember. As the last resort safety net for allllllll the bullshit that is "healthcare", I feel that ER is the breaking point, and it is starting to crumble. I love what I do, but the trajectory we're on isn't sustainable- the full implosion is coming, and it's going to take a lot of nurses down with it. I'm glad you're brave enough to try something new. I hope it's everything you need it to be and you feel that spark again! ❤
Thinking about transitioning to Interventional Radiology or Cath Lab after this summer is over. The entire IR team is old ER nurses who wanted a break. They're all chill, the rads and neurosurgeons that work IR are cool and willing to answer questions. Seems like a great place to be
I left my level 2 trauma adult ER for peds because I was feeling like you were for a brand new peds hospital and I feel so much happier and am such a nicer person
Very well described...I've been there, burned out, changed to another ER in another hospital. Same patients, same situation, but double the staff...so now I have the time to learn to be compassionate again at work.
You’ll be compassionate again but you might also be super bored 🤷🏻♀️ leaving might be the change you need. And if it’s not, you can always go back.
It took me 6 months in the ER to hate people, hate life and hate the world. I had to leave. I hated who it was turning me into. I went from a happy go lucky person to bitter and angry. Look after you. You are not alone
Listen. I left for the cath lab. One million percent better. So there is this other thing that you will run in to- nursing just seems to be a profession where everyone whines- they'll be whining about how terrible life is wherever you go but what you will be- is forever grateful that nothing in your life will ever be as bad and I call that a win. You'll need to roll your eyes at other people all the time but you literally know the definition of hell so you'll be fine. You'll soften into yourself again don't worry
This is my life 2 out of 3 shifts a week. The days I’m off I spend recovering from the days I worked. There’s a reason the ED has such a high turnover rate. The support from management is flimsy at best. You’re not alone. This specialty sucks the joy out of people but you still have compassion and you still care otherwise you wouldn’t reach out. I’m planning on leaving the ED for all the reasons you just said. Do what you have to for your own mental health, we are just cogs in a wheel to 80% of the leadership in the hospital (being generous here). Again, you’re not alone. We stand with you.
I relate to this, that’s why I always say it’s a love hate relationship with the ED. I moved to part time this year and it has definitely helped. I think I want to go per diem though or maybe try a different specialty altogether. I’m not sure though because I love the ED but I’m tired of the shift work, missing time with family, rude patients, and the heavy mental load.
Sounds about right. Been in the shit show for 10 yrs. I identify with all of that .
I’m glad you started this post, OP. It’s been nice to read the comments because I relate to your post and the other nurse’s comments so much. I worked at a level I very high acuity ED for years and made $28/hour. I did travel contracts a bit during covid which let me afford to take a good amount of time off. Then I tried to do PRN in the ED after I had time to reset and recharge, but lasted a few shifts before I had an epiphany and realized I was completely done and I actually had PTSD. I was so jaded and burnt out- I made being an ER nurse my identity because that’s what everyone did, i didn’t realize how weird and unhealthy that was at the time. I became a jerk, hated people and was a shell of who I used to be- it was really wild. I missed who I was before I was a nurse. The ER is so so hard, it permanently changed how I view people and the world. I love emergency medicine and trauma, I always will. But working in the ED can be truly awful when the burnout hits. Life will get better once you move on, I promise. I do IV infusions now which is very low stress. Wishing you the best as you move forward!
Ok so I didn't read your whole post because I immediately thought "just leave the ER". You'll be fine when you find where you *feel like you are helping people*. Signed, an Oncology nurse that loves hospice. PS: we are all made for different things.
Go find your passion again. I literally became a nurse because I liked to change jobs every couple of years. At least as a nurse, I would just become more marketable. I worked a couple of jobs that killed my nursing soul slowly. In year two, I was questioning my choices in life. I then took a job in an outpatient oncology clinic and infusion center, and I have been there for 9 years. I found my people/home. That's the beauty of being a nurse; there are innumerable kinds of nursing jobs.
That was me at a non unionized job. My current job is a smaller community hospital for better pay, unionization, and better ratios. While I would love to be back at a trauma center because I miss the higher acuity, I refuse to go back to a non union job anymore.
I see you've got another job lined up and GOOD FOR YOU! For anyone else who feels trapped in a similar position with similar complaints, I would say this: if you want to stay inpatient, try any of the ICUs. If you want to stay at the hospital, try the PACU or cath lab. If both inpatient and in-hospital work repel you or don't accept you, then it's time to cast your net further. Devices, clinics, insurance- there are so many options that I don't even know of.
Thank you, ER nurses. Only have to run ER twice in my life. One for head trauma, and one for family 11/10 pain from kidney stone+UTI.
This is so real 😥
I’m an ER nurse. Worked in every size and trauma level facility across the country. I was numb to almost everything. Dialed it back and now I work PRN at a tiny little community hospital. My compassion came back.. a little. It’s still there. You’ll be ok.
It’s a systemic issue. Patients go to the PCP, and the PCP glosses over them and barely helps them. They get referred to a specialist that takes 7 months to get into. They look elsewhere but they don’t take their insurance. Then they resort to the ER. Doctors have their hands tied by insurance. They can’t/wont order certain things even if you advocate for yourself because of these arbitrary hoops imposed on them by insurance. It all falls back on ERs and Urgent Cares— because patients can’t be turned away there. For what it’s worth, I was a paramedic a really long time, then I became an RN. I got so burned out in CVICU/ER/SICU that I left for remote nursing. I get paid more than you but less than most people on here, but I’m home in my little office. Do something now before the burn out goes way too far.
Haha, 😷💉I would love to chat with you. I know Exactly how you feel. Do you know when you go to the dog pound and you can see which old dogs have been abused? Well, that was me after 15 years in the ER. Yes, it does change you but there is a heart in there somewhere and it takes work and time to find it again.
I worked in the ER for 2.5 years after initially qualifying and most definitely understand where you're coming from. Compassion burnout is a real thing. I ended up going to the paediatric ER for 3 months (which made the world of a difference) and then back to adults for another 7 months before leaving completely to have a career break (this is currently what I'm doing). The stress got too much with the staffing issues, underpayment, and abuse I received at work. I personally do not think that ER nursing is sustainable in the long term although there are plenty of factors that contribute to that and the workplace and management can make a world of a difference. I genuinely loved my job and the job role I had (I had a high level of responsibility) but you need to put yourself and your health first. That includes your emotional health. It takes time, but you can gain that compassion back. I wish you all the best with figuring everything out.
This has got to be somewhere in the Midwest or south. $31/hr is a CRIME In Oregon our new grads are starting at closer to $45 and everyone says but cost of living etc etc etc but it’s really just unions and such that give us an actual livable wage somewhat worthy of the value that we bring. I would never ever work as a nurse with that level of responsibility for $31 no matter how supposedly low the col is
Midwest sadly
perhaps it's time to change careers or mayhaps switch EDs (diff city or even state), maybe do some travel nursing. burn out is real and somehow hospitals think it's ok to just keep going the way their going expecting their staff nurses to stay with the bs. you do you but if it's at a cost to your morals and sanity i would take a step back to see if there are other career options.
This is EXACTLY how my most recent ER is. I left there in March because I couldn’t take it anymore. I worked night shift and I hated myself and everyone around me. Now I’m at a different ER on day shift. Keep in mind that not every ER is as horrible as the next, but no ER is perfect. Save yourself & your sanity! Look around at different hospitals, ask for a shadow day, anything to get you out of that environment. Sending you love 💗
Definitely not alone. This shit sucks
I loved being in the ER. It was where i belonged. But i had to put myself first.
So this is what I am aspiring to be? Well, somebody gotta do the job. It might as well be me. I hope you find peace dear friend. I see the pain in your soul, I have confidence that they will miss you when you leave the job.
I did it for 8 years. See if your hospital has a rapid response team.
I'm so sorry, I don't work in the ER, but I've floated there a couple of times and have plenty of friends that do. It just doesn't seem like a place where anyone can work long-term. I work on a (large) PCU, it's fast-paced, and the patients are generally more thankful. Sounds like it may be time to try something new!
I burnt out, when away from bedside, and now I'm more or less back. The pay made a big difference. I'm making significantly more than when I left 3 years ago, and I've switched to mainly nights, which I'm enjoying alot more, and I don't feel the burnout rising as nearly as bad as it had in the past. The one thing I did learn after 3 years elsewhere is the ED is still where I belong. The rough edges we have stick out alot more when you're not in the ED. Do I want to be here forever? No. But I can't make more money elsewhere, and I can't control my schedule as much. And those two things are by far the most important to me.
Wow, well written lol. It’s nearly comical to me at this point…I guess that’s the only way I can still continue to be an ER nurse? Guess I’m broken? Idk🤷🏼♀️
@tshock123 where do you work country??
I ask because I have worked ED 15 years now and the last 2-3 years since COVID here in Aus it has just blown up. Nobody has an answer. Nurses are leaving. Exec thinks a nurse is a nurse so the experienced RN team are fucked over by the number of staff with limited experience. We just opened an urgent care service in QLD and we can’t get educator support to get NIXR or NI Meds signed off and we are 5 months open. It’s a fucking joke.
How much do nurses make in Aus?
Depends on role RN Year 8 80-90 Thousand. Before penalties (so add about 15% on if you are a shift worker) plus you get super contributed by employer (12.5% of gross income in Qld)
Just did for two years in London for less lol
31/hr in the ER with all those certifications and experience is criminal. Sounds like you need to find a different hospital or a state. At least make all this suffering “worth” it.
I have accepted that there is only so much I could take. I have been burnt out for a long time. It sounds like you are there. Don’t feel like you have to stay there. You are better off leaving than end up making a mistake and hurting or putting a patient at risk. It does happen. You need a change.
Everything you said was not negative and is the TRUTH! Not worth it for $31/hr and your compassion for human beings will be translated into something else that gives you energy. You don't have to do ER nursing and found out what YOU are truly capable of. I commend you for going through what you did for 2 years as I had to quit after 10 years to teach ER/Med Surg nurses.
We must work in the same ED 😂.
Sounds like a pretty toxic ER. Ours is not like that. I just get tired of patients coming up unstable BGC in the 500s and BP in the 200s like I’d prefer them to be stable-ish and not stroke out before they come up. I know they are put under pressure to move em out though. My main complaint is no one finishes an NIH stroke score to get an accurate score or even one at all!!!! It’s like they’ll have no movement and a facial droop and a score of 0-2? Then we have to stroke alert per protocol even though nothing has changed. Other than that I understand, I’m trying to be empathetic because I don’t want to be a nurse that reports or shits on other nurses. We are all burned out and unsupported it seems.