Burn out or just in a funk?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Infusion.

I have just spent the entire summer training to work in a new open heart unit. I thought it was what I wanted to do, but now that we have been open for one month, I hate it! I hate the 12 hour shifts (days), I hate to receive a fresh surgery, I just really don't like my job. My old manager in the cath lab would hire me back in a heartbeat, but I don't want to return to all the call. I thought about agency nursing, but I'm not sure if it might just be nursing in general I am burned out on.

There are other things also going on in my life, with my family and children. So I am not sure whether I am just in a funk or what. I just feel unsettled or something. I find myself going places like Lowes and thinking, 'I could be a cashier here. That couldn't be too stressful a job.' Or working in a furniture store.

My aunt (who is into astrology and such) states that she sees me in an unstable stage of life until March 3rd, 2003. I usually just humor her about these things, but she just told me this out of the blue yesterday, and she does not know about any of the stuff going on in my life right now. Weird, huh?

Anybody else feeling like this?

Sherri

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

Wow sounds like burn out to me..........sometimes I have felt like that and most recently too. I applied at a life uniform shop but the manager said I was overqualified. I am working on my masters, have five kids and am starting my last attempt at a nursing job. I hated 12s. They turn into 13 and 14 to quick. In the winter it is dark when you go in and dark when you leave. I left hospital in 92 to care for family, no family leave then so I had to resign, and went into home health for 11 years and I also did 3 years LTC/SNF and my hubby and I operate a home health consulting company. I am just way overloaded. If my new job as a case manager does not work for me I am leaving nursing. That is not what I am telling you to do though. I am getting my masters in science so maybe I can teach......

Let me know what you think of my thoughts,

renerian

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Sherri, all I want to say is this...Don't give up. It may be that you need a change of pace in the nursing field. Think about the reasons that you became a nurse. What drew you to nursing as a profession originally? I think that if you thought about it, you would find that you're just not getting what you want in your current position. Maybe another area of nursing would fulfill your needs better. Just a thought. We all go through times when it seems like we may have made the wrong choice. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. Even cashiers at Lowe's hate their jobs some days. All those customers, all mad about something that isn't even your fault... Think about it! Good luck. :)

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

"I just really don't like my job."

That's what it sounds like to me, rather than burnout or being in a funk. For what it's worth.

"My old manager in the cath lab would hire me back in a heartbeat, but I don't want to return to all the call."

Not sure what you mean here. Would you have to be on call? Whatever you mean, would you be able to return to that job without whatever it is you don't want? Maybe substituting something else in its place?

Regardless, I'm sure you'll come up with something that suits you more than the present situation seems to, after you get a massage, sit in a hot bath, etc. and have some time to relax when you call in sick the next three days and do ONLY things you enjoy.

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Yep, it sounds to me that it is the job. When you are hating to go to work that bad, I would say it is time to change the job. Is it that you feel out of your comfort zone? 1 month isn't long to judge I guess. Maybe you could do an occasional agency shift and see if you feel better somewhere else?

Don't feel bad if you do move on, all those skills you have gained will be utilised elsewhere.

Good luck

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Post #44 on the Burned out and Fed Up thread has a brief questionnaire to help decide whether you are burned out or not.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Infusion.

sjoe- I took that test and have moderate burnout -early warning signs. I think you are right, it is just the job not nursing I dislike. When I worked in the cath lab, I was on-call (wore a pager and had to be within 30-min of the hospital at all times to be called in for emergencies) four nights a week and three weekends a month. I was so tired of wearing that freakin' pager for four years!!!! I do not want to return to that (although I did like working in the cath lab.) And no, my old manager cannot hire me back without the call. . .I don't think that would fly with the other cath lab kids.

renerian -- I hate leaving when it's dark and coming home when it's dark! I hope you like your new position, because I would hate to hear we lost another great nurse from the profession.

How does this sound? My hosp has a prn pool, but currently only one nurse works in it. She floats to every unit EXCEPT the critical care units. I was thinking about asking the VP of Nursing is I could join the prn pool (8-hr shifts, of course) but only floating to the critical areas. That way I could do cath lab (without the call), open heart (without receiving a fresh surgery), and ICU and ER (who are always desparate for help and I am comfortable in those areas.) What do you think? Should I go for it?

You guys are all wonderful. Thanks for your replies.

Sherri

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