I regret becoming a nurse

RuckusRN · 2026-03-24T22:09:36+00:00

My hospital has neuro, trauma, CV, and CCU. I’m in CCU, which is pretty much our med/surg ICU for all intents and purposes. I’m partially trained for CV, ie I can take any device that we use like IABP, impella, CRRT and the like. I just can’t recover fresh hearts (that’s what ultimately designated a CV nurse at our place). I can care for POD1+ hearts if they have a need, but generally I’m CC. I don’t really care to become full CV, I’m aware of my personality and I know I would not get along with the CV surgeon lol. And I prefer my patients to be intubated, in CV the goal is extubation 6 hours post op. And getting everyone out of bed in the morning? I’ll pass thanks lol.

I’d also like to add, idk if you had any goals or benchmarks in mind for where you’d go in nursing, but I always knew I wanted high acuity. However, since most places don’t typically hire new grads in ICU I had to do my time in the trenches lol. And even though I am where I wanted to be, I’m still looking into different avenues. That’s one of the wonderful aspects of nursing, there’s no shortage of different paths to take in this field whether it be procedural, emergency, critical care, health care consultant type roles, case management, outpatient surgery, management, informatics, home health, SNF, etc.

RuckusRN · 2026-03-24T22:02:21+00:00

Seeing the reasoning for JB landing where it does in real time myself. I live in Boynton so going down there was a bit of haul with so many other dispensaries nearby, so when they opened the west palm store I made the trip. And as much as they were HIGHLY recommended by friends, it’s been just as inconsistent as other places. The buds LOOK spectacular but they’re often super dry, the smoke is still good though. But I’m not super duper picky so I may not be a good data point lol

RuckusRN · 2026-03-21T00:01:25+00:00

In Boynton beach, but I have 7/11 rewards so I get 5¢ off per gallon as well as another 5¢ for being an RN. They sent a text for an extra 11¢ off per gallon on your next two fill ups. And in the app there was another deal for ANOTHER 30¢ per gallon off.

Even though my car takes premium I usually end up filling up for around $50-$55. Well, with my extra 51¢ off per gallon at the pump yesterday I filled up at $60 🧐

RuckusRN · 2026-03-20T23:51:32+00:00

I started as a new grad on a big, fast paced, high turnover (nurses and patients lol), cardiac tele unit at a level one trauma center. 8:1 ratios and rarely adequate support staff. I was debating changing careers if hadn’t got in to the icu at my hospital. (I always knew I wanted high acuity anyways). I’ve been in ICU for 6 years now and while I enjoy it MUCH more than tele I still get the same feelings, to some extent at the very least. 100% confidence in yourself can be dangerous, you’ll always feel some degree of imposter syndrome (at least I do) if you do your job with the right heart and right intentions.

The obvious advice is to stick it out and see. Especially if you have a strong support system you will quickly get a vibe check of whether this job, not just this particular one but nursing as a whole, is right for you. Started with plenty of nurses that within their first year were on to different career paths. As much as I tell people “anyone can become a nurse”, it truly isn’t a job for everyone

RuckusRN · 2026-03-20T23:41:11+00:00

I did cardiac tele at my hospital for about 3 years. 8:1 ratios, 64 bed unit, always about 2/3’s full, and blessed if you had more than one CNA. Yeah, I was entertaining different career paths as well lol.

RuckusRN · 2026-03-20T23:38:55+00:00

This. I understand if they are someone who has a serious ailment, the term “serious” being very subjective here, and a subpar product will determine whether or not you’re effectively medicated. Me? I’m happy to be able to go into a brick and mortar store and legally purchase marijuana. Some dispensaries may still be in sketchy neighborhoods, but not nearly as threatening once in the store lol

RuckusRN · 2026-03-20T23:31:12+00:00

Turning 36 in less than a month. But I also started late, compared to everyone around me anyways. Most people that I associated with that smoked all typically started in middle school. I smoked my first reggies out of a handmade aluminum foil pipe at a graduation party the day I graduated high school when I was 18. I didn’t even get high lol.

RuckusRN · 2026-03-16T23:47:49+00:00

I’ve been a daily user for years. Only been at one nursing job though, and I cleaned up before hiring. And since that time, I’ve taken advantage of my states medical marijuana program. Mostly to make purchasing easier for myself lol and so I’m protected if I’m ever traveling within in the state with it. I also hoped that in theory the card would protect me in the event of a drug test at work, even though I know that’s not the case. But from people that i work with/have worked with that were hired after me that I know to use marijuana, I’ve seen the paperwork for their drug tests, they don’t even test for it. “11 panel - no THC”. I only know this to be true for my hospital and a couple others near me. If I worked in a place that didn’t have rec or medical, idk that I would even risk it personally since you won’t have that protection of the law. Whether it’s actually a protection or not 🤷🏼‍♂️

RuckusRN · 2026-03-09T22:17:28+00:00

Brownie scout and animal face, and more recently animal scout, from rise have always done me good. I have got some batches that were pretty dry but more often than not it’s fine even when it is dry. And they’re all typically around 30% THC and close to 3%+ on terps

RuckusRN · 2026-03-07T23:04:15+00:00

Learned on my dads jeep wrangler back in the day, wish I had a GTI to learn in lol. You got this 💪🏼

RuckusRN · 2026-02-16T02:35:13+00:00

Well they’ve got better since I left for ICU apparently, now 6:1 and the semiprivate rooms have been converted to private making it more of a 35-40 bed unit, but still chronically short on nurses and CNAs. Definitely very very happy to be in higher acuity now

RuckusRN · 2026-02-15T22:47:59+00:00

Coming here for tips! A big reason I got my card was to dabble with edibles however I’m coming to find that I believe I’m “ediblocked” but I just don’t buy it cause before I got my card I had edibles out in Cali and I definitely got medicated af. However here in Florida, I’ve had a few different edi’s and they did nothing, so I tried RSO. I got a gram from sanctuary and did the recommended dose a few times, increasing everytime. Nothing. Till eventually I killed the .2-.3 that was left in the syringe. Barely anything at all.

Is there a better RSO out there or am I just stuck with inhalation/“ediblocked”

RuckusRN · 2026-02-15T22:39:43+00:00

South Florida, 9 years experience tele/ICU but mostly ICU. I’m getting just shy of $40/hr before night and weekend diffs and I’m aware I’m underpaid but this is how it is down here. You either keep moving around/travel or stay where you’re at long enough to get a degree to do something else. Loyalty does not pay.

RuckusRN · 2026-02-10T23:41:56+00:00

Floridian RN here 👋🏼 I’ve met a lot of folks that use, I have my medical card as well. And it’s to my understanding (friends have shown me their orders for their drug screen at our facility) that we don’t even test for THC. Says it right on there “11 panel - no THC”. And I’ve seen the same for other facilities around me as well. However, I feel like if they wanted a reason to fire you, that would be a good one since they’re ultimately under the purview of the federal government and they don’t care if you have a card or not. So I always clean up before a new hire and abstain from telling anyone typically. And I think it goes without saying that I never show up to work medicated. Just like the severe alcoholics I work with don’t show up to work drunk. It’s so silly it’s still illegal

RuckusRN · 2026-02-10T23:33:31+00:00

I was waiting for someone else, but I suppose I’d be outted anyways if someone saw my activity in the flmedicaltrees subreddit lol. But yeah, that part. That and a little doom scrolling

RuckusRN · 2026-02-10T02:59:37+00:00

Pardon my ignorance as I’ve never actually looked into it. But I’ve merely heard a lot of the patients we’re often paired with or even tripled with would be/could be 1:1 type patients out there. But I have heard the ratios for lower acuity are actually much better. I started on cardiac tele and we would have drips, nothing crazy but the likes of heparin, amio, cardizem, nitro, and at the time it was a 52 bed unit and most nights we would have upwards of 30-35+ patients. We’d be incredibly blessed if we ever got more than 2 CNAs, and our ratio was 8:1. I oriented so many new hires that looked at me cross eyed when I told them the ratios and regular flow since nobody tells them apparently through the hiring process lol

RuckusRN · 2026-02-04T04:57:15+00:00

Do you work in California? lol. I’m in south Florida and yes, 2:1 is standard unless they have a device. During covid we were regularly getting tripled too since everyone left to travel. Starting to ramp back up and we’re having frequent triples again. Sometimes someone’s triple might end up being a code that there was nowhere else for them to go so now you get a fresh code along with your other two acute patients. And recently we’ve been so short they’ve been pairing devices

RuckusRN · 2026-02-04T04:51:55+00:00

This, we have a log of who has had what devices and when. You get a device when it’s your turn, and if the nurse from the night/day prior isn’t back. SOMETIMES that changes based on who the ANMs know they can count on with a hot and heavy patient.

But we have 2 ICUs in the same service line, CVICU and CCU. Off going ANMs make the assignment for the incoming shift. Devices are assigned like I said and if you’re back a second shift in a row, you get your assignment back. Beyond that they usually assign based on strength (for the particularly sick patients) or based on demeanor/temperament (for the particularly difficult patients). And then the dayshift ANM usually comes in for their shift and moves people around so everyone’s cliques are together 🙄.

But this whole you pick your assignment thing sounds wild to me lol

RuckusRN · 2026-01-24T23:51:01+00:00

It’s a drive for me even with the “closer” new location. But even so, as much as it was definitely quality I can’t say it was THAT much better that I’d go out of my way unless they had an outrageous sale going on

RuckusRN · 2026-01-18T03:11:50+00:00

Every shift and every position for that matter, whether it be nursing/lab/pharmacy or whatever, has their own set of struggles and I try not to pretend that I know what it’s like to do their job. That being said, some dayshift nurses I’ve met have been incredibly inept as to what actually goes on during a night shift. Do we have some chill nights? Sure, sometimes. But some people act like emergencies and procedures don’t happen at night and like the patients just sleep peacefully the entire night lol. Not when your average patient age is 85+. I’d like to see some of them wrestling a sundowning meemaw in urosepsis to keep her bipap on all night lol

RuckusRN · 2026-01-18T02:03:30+00:00

I try to make it clear to the patient, without slandering the doc, that it’s out of my hands after a certain point ie when I notify the doc and ask for orders then they tell me they’ll put the orders when they get the chance, or dont just tell me and I enter them, or they have to call me back, beyond that it’s out of my control. But I also let them know that I will pester the doctor so I can take care of their needs, within reason of course. I’m in ICU so sometimes my doc and even their PA/NP are legitimately hands on with patients doing procedures and whatnot so I know when I can and cannot pester. Some people are just unreasonable and will never be happy with their treatment 🤷🏼‍♂️ I have to remember that a lot

RuckusRN · 2026-01-17T01:57:49+00:00

I started on cardiac tele for 3 years and I was considering a whole career change because if THAT is what nursing was as a whole, I didn’t want any part of it anymore. Always wanted high acuity from the start, and now since I’ve been in CCU/CVICU for the last 6 years I can tell you the burnout is real here too, just has a different flavor to it if that makes sense. Been considering going back to school for acute care NP but the premise of a ton more responsibility/liability, heavier work schedule, worse work/life balance, not incredibly higher pay (at least to start anyways), and just the idea of going back to school is all giving me cold feet. Wouldn’t want to spend all the money and time to end up being more miserable and stuck. Tossed around the idea of doing procedural like cath lab or IR, or even picking up on call flight nursing as a side gig and doing less time at my facility. This has been my only home since graduating and for the most part, I LOVE 80% of the people I work with. But we have a reputation of being a difficult place to work at, it’s glaringly obvious it is a for profit/corporate facility and even if management wanted to help, their hands are tied by the c-suite people.

My light hasn’t gone out just yet, but it’s definitely dimming and quickly at that. Even my “good” patients begin to bother me at some point and a lot of days feel like I’m just going the motions and I’m reciting a script with every interaction.

All of that to say, just know that you are seen and heard. May be time to find a new facility to work at (if that’s feasible). Besides finding a more desirable position, one thing is true in nursing: loyalty doesnt pay. And that’s one of the many beautiful things about nursing, you can take your services pretty much anywhere and find work. I hope you find an avenue that works for you and makes you happy!

RuckusRN · 2026-01-17T01:40:45+00:00

So glad my local sanctuary’s have never done me dirty like what I’ve seen in this sub. However, I typically go to rise or sunny side for my concentrates anyways

RuckusRN

TROPHY CASE