WHAT ELSE TO DO?

Schools, Clinics, Nursing Homes, In home care, PT/OT offices, Spa's, Specialty Clinics, Radiology Clinics, Sports medicine clinics, legal adviser, I could go on but you get the idea.

This profession has to be one of the most diverse available...

What Larry said

On a cruise ship!

Have you considered home health care. My mom did that for a while. Honestly she didn't like it too much but hey it's an option.

shouldnt this be moved to a more appropriate forum?

Be a physical therapy assistant or OT assistant. If you have the time and money, become a physical therapist or OT therapist. Money is better, hours are better and you get more respect.

Your post is fine here. Just listen to us who have been there. Nursing opens doors to many areas--pharmaceuticals, research, in-home, out-patient and even private practice if you get a masters. But that is not the issue. What do you like? Working with people? Seeing them improve? Making a good living? Job security? Time with your own family? Take it from this old warrior, nursing no longer provides the feelings of usefulness that it used to. Sometimes you have to fight to do the right thing for our patients. The money is fair, but the benefits are being cut everyday. Now, physical therapy provides what nursing used to. When I did home health, I got paid $33.00 per visit while the PT made $125.00. Sad but true. I have a masters and he had a bachelors, but he got the respect and none of the hastle. He got to set his own hours and go home to be with his family. If someone called off, I was required to work and lost a lot of family time. I have 5 grown girls. They are all teachers (one speech therapist) and hate nursing. I still hear about the mistakes I made by being forced to work overtime and not taking time with them--and she is 38 years old! This profession, once proud and caring, has become a business for facilities to use and abuse. I have no retirement and am looking at bankcrupcy. Am I angry, yes. Am I sorry I chose nursing--I wanted to make a difference--the last 10 years have been a struggle, one that I have lost. Look, nursing is not the profession you see on TV. It is not the fantasy that many have about magnanimous caregivers only doing good. Since it has become a business everything has changed. Too many rules--ask about DRGs that limit the amount of care that can be given. Ask about the forced overtime and not getting credit for what you have done. I know, some pureest will say that it is not about getting credit. But, let's face it, burn out is inevitable and liking our work is shortly lived if someone does not acknowledge our work. You are at the beginning of your life, be something that still gives you patient care and the joy of seeing someone improve--that is not nursing anymore.