Nursing Career Is Not Appealing Now (2022)

Why Nursing Is Just Okay Most of the Time — My Story

Just cleaned out my work bag and found two apples, four granola bars, and five alcohol swabs. That’s life as a nurse — where the entire world becomes your locker for cotton balls and saline flushes.

I keep reminding myself, “Nursing is for me.”
You go in armored up, because you never know what you’re walking into — except paperwork. Endless documentation. No time for social life, just the friendships built during shift change and shared chaos.

12-Hour Shifts, No Bathroom Breaks, and Still Smiling

Mentioning 10- to 12-hour shifts that start at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. might raise eyebrows in other jobs — but in nursing, it’s routine. A five-minute toilet break? A luxury. Some days, you go the whole shift:

• Without sitting

• Without eating

• Without drinking

• Without peeing

The cycle looks like this:
“We’re understaffed” → “This is pathetic” → “I’m calling in, I’m exhausted” → Back to being understaffed.

Bladder-Friendly Tip: Never pass up the chance to go to the bathroom.

No Time for Coffee, But Plenty of Purpose

Nursing makes maintaining outside friendships (or a romantic life) incredibly hard. But when a kid in Room 24 gives you a handmade “Thank You” card, or a patient’s hug wipes out your entire day’s stress — it’s worth it.

Social Life Rescue Tip: Photoshop is the easiest way to “join” your friends for brunch.

Why Nursing Sometimes Feels Wrong — and Right

Being a male nurse still surprises people. Men might not always give gentle pep talks or shoulder pats, but their high-fives, jokes, or a friendly punch on the arm say just as much. Male or female, you give your all — every time.

There have been a hundred moments I’ve thought,
“God love these patients, because today, I surely don’t.”
But then — a smile from a difficult patient turns it all around.

Conclusion: Why Nursing Still Might Be For Me

Nursing isn’t glamorous. It’s exhausting. It’s often thankless, and socially isolating. But when a moment of care connects — when a patient smiles, or simply says “thank you” — something clicks.

I may not have time for a coffee break, or even to breathe some days.
But this is still why nursing is, somehow, still for me.