What it’s like to be a millennial nurse in the pandemic
I would never wish for my future children to become a nurse.
I was working as an Emergency nurse in the midst of the pandemic at a local community hospital, and I remember thinking to myself…
How do I get out of this? How do I get out of this life-sucking job? I liked being a nurse. I liked caring for my patients. What I didn’t like is how it became unfulfilling because I felt that although everyone was “clapping their hands for being a superhero”, it didn’t feel like that, before or during the pandemic.
The pandemic heightened the feelings of being undervalued or underappreciated despite all the “free or discounted” goods that the local community has provided to “show their appreciation”. And btw, it’s still the pandemic, where did all those appreciation go?
Still, I do appreciate the little recognition that the public has shown (and not that we needed it) at the peak of the pandemic.
Anyway, this made me realize that this is something I don’t want to do forever or not even in the next 5 years. Why? Because nurses are the most amazing human beings out there but I see the senior nurses in our department — they are unhappy, they are angry, they are frustrated, and all they do is complain. I told myself, I don’t want to become like that.
How did this happen? Because of the patient population, lack of support from higher ups, and just in general, doctors, patients, other staff, and family members DO NOT respect the nurses & it is not okay.
The biggest question is: How do I get out of this?
Right now, I am still learning a lot about myself through this whole experience as well as it is helping me to become a stronger person, hence I won’t rush the process.
My current goals: really focus on my physical and mental health while experimenting on different things that I love doing & most importantly, appreciate the present.
PS. This is my very first story and I hope to share more raw stories about the experiences that I am encountering with the hope to inspire others.
