[shecali]

Hi all:
I need some help in revitalizing my career. I just feel so disillusioned with nursing. I suppose I was never all that thrilled to get into it. It just sort of happened. But I do remember being really into my first nursing job (ICU). One of the main reasons for that was that I used to love my co-workers from back then, but the hospital was small and I wanted to move to the "big city" and learn more. I know live in LA and I am so tired of the daily grind. I no longer work in acute care. I just can't do it anymore, I have young children and I cannot bear to be away for such long hours. I ended up working in managed care for the past 5-6 yrs. It used to be interesting but now it is just disheartning. The state of healthcare in this country is just horrible. How can it possibly be ethical for a company to make money by short changing people off their benefits? I can't stand it anymore but don't know where to go. Working in this field has opened my eyes to so me realities. I think to change careers altogether but have no clue what to do. Being a nurse is all I know and have been since I graduated from college at 21yrs old.

[montieICURN]

There are so many ways to go in nursing. You first need to decide if you want to work with people, or not. Bedside or specialty nursing is best in my opinion. A nurse I worked with for years just took a job in ambulatory surgery center. She said, "I haven't seen an ass, yet urine or feces since I left." She loves it. Chat, send them to the OR, get them back, send them home. I took a job for awhile reading Holter monitors. It was really fun. I just scanned for problems, and highlighted them, and wrote a report. If you first decide if you want to work with people or not, it will refine your search. Are you interested in going back to school?

I understand the disgust with insurance companies. I listen to our Case Managers talk and it gives me chills. I don't want to know the financial end of healthcare. I understand It's hard to change jobs. You don't need to scrap nursing, just scrap your current type of nursing. Good luck in your quest.

[shecali]

Thanks for the reply Montie! I just re-read my reply and sounded really negative, plus I need to consider proof reading before posting

I'm still not sure where to go from here. I was enrolled in a master's program but my current job did not allow for me to have to time off I needed for school. I suppose I just mostly dislike the company I work for now. But since I haven't had any luck finding a nice place to work for here, I am kind of hesitant to just end up getting a new job in a place I'm going to hate even more.

For now my main goal is to find a job that will allow me some flexability in scheduling. I don't think I can go back to acute care since I would have to start from the bottom again. I was thinking of going into public health nursing, but not sure yet.

Thanks for the suggestion of ambulatory care, that might not be a bad idea. I do like working with people. I just don't like it when it involves having them scream in my ear how much their insurance sucks !!!! If they only knew that mine sucks too