15 unhappiest, happiest nursing jobs

Editor's Note

Using US News and World Report criteria for their list of best jobs, Nursing Process ranked the top 15 unhappiest and top 15 happiest jobs for nurses. The criteria included salary, upward mobility, stress level, flexibility, work-life balance, and future industry growth.

Perioperative nurses were in both lists, with hospital OR nurses ranked 15^th in the list of unhappiest nursing jobs and ambulatory surgery nurses ranked 14^th in the list of happiest nursing jobs.

Nurses managers also were in the list of unhappiest jobs at 7^th place. The reasons nurse managers find their jobs unsatisfying include, having to be the go-between for higher administrative complaints and staff and being the bottom line for patient dissatisfaction, budget cuts, staff drama, and implementing unwelcomed policies.