I think I'm done with nursing.

Nurses General Nursing

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I've had a tough few weeks of self-reflection. My mind has gone back and forth over my preferred career path, and, ultimately, I think I'm going to bow out gracefully.

I am a career-change RN. After receiving two bachelor degrees in non-nursing fields, I realized what I had really known all along - nursing was for me. I worked hard, I worked full time, I put myself through school, I was at the top of my class....andddd...I got a pedi home health job. My ADN isn't worth the paper it's written on in the Northeast.

THEN, I blew my back out. Massive herniation, 6 months off work, and pain to end all pain. I deal with workers comp, I rehab (luckily no surgery) and I get back to work this past June.

My DREAM is to be an acute care nurse. I love working with high-acuity and in a fast-paced, think-on-your-feet environment...as someone who as always craved more 'excitement,' this is for me. BUT, I have an ADN. And even with a BSN, hospitals aren't hiring you unless you have previous hospital experience (usually already in the specialty you are trying to break in to,) and you can't get experience of any kind because nobody will hire you to begin with. Add to that a back injury, and I'm further limited to PICU, but preferably NICU as I really do not want to temp fate with my back...and REFUSE a future filled with spinal fusions and all that jazz.

I tried to convince myself to be an FNP. I even toyed with PA school, but I'm so frustrated by all of the courses that I will have to re-take since I am past my 10 year expiration for most schools.

I'm frustrated. I would be a STELLAR ICU nurse. I really would. I have fought so hard to get here and it's taken years. I just don't think I have much fight left in me. Moving isn't an option as my husband makes more than double what I do and has a job with a large pay potential.

It is just so discouraging to see that travel nurses are getting hired all over the place because they are cheaper from every angle. Local nurses need the jobs! I'm just over it at this moment. I am just treading water and getting sick of it. Hard work has officially gotten me nowhere and there is no silver lining in sight.

Just needed to rant/vent/sulk/express my frustration

May as well go back to my pre-nursing legal career where I made the same money, didn't have to do nearly as much work, and wasn't in a field that constantly tempted me to do more and be more, but knowing that the goals I have in mind are pretty unattainable.

:::END PITY PARTY:::

I work in Postpartum and there is not much that is hard on your back. No lifting of patients. Every once in a while you might have to pull a patient who cannot feel her legs or is super drowsy and weak from the cart to the bed, but you could refuse and ask others to do it. Since it doesn't happen often no one would hold it against you, we have a CNA who does that and it's fine. You do a lot of walking and moving around, but that's mostly rough on the feet and energy level.

It's not acute care like in ICU, but we do have to think critically and we do have emergencies that happen, babies turn blue, women hemorrhage, etc.

Specializes in Trauma.
Just do what you love...you will be great at what you do no matter what....Be the Honey Badger! Honey Badgers don't give **** about anything as long as they are happy!

Honey Badger? Really? Don't forget, Honey Badger not giving a **** as long as he was happy wrecked his career. :)

I spent 20+ years as a Surgical Tech and finally got up the nerve to go back to Nursing School. While in Nursing school had a motorcycle accident that resulted in a bad fx to my ankle. I recovered and went back to school as soon as I could. My hope is to work in the ICU but if my ankle can't take it, I will still do nursing somewhere because I am a caregiver through and though. Sure, it won't be what or where I had intended to work but I am still able to help people and that is why I enjoy my job so much!!

Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

OP I understand your frustrations, but since you've never worked in a hospital why are you convinced you'd make an excellent ICU nurse? Hospital work is very very different than home health and no one really knows how they'll do until they are in the trenches, and even then you don't know how you'll be able to handle it, as things are constantly changing. With a back injury any hospital is going look at that closely, ICU, even PICU or NICU is very physical, lots of bending over and back strain. As for traveling nurses, they aren't cheaper, they are much more expensive in my experience. Hospitals don't like having to hire them, but only do it out of neccessity.

This isn't meant to be mean, just another point of view. Hang in there, and if hospital nursing is really what you want to do then stick with it. But if you ONLY want to work NICU or PICU and those are the ONLY jobs you'll take then you're never gonna get it. Sometimes you have to take the job you don't want to get the one you do. Take any job in the hospital to get in, start asking to shadow the ICU nurses, volunteer to be a holder in the NICU, do anything and everything to get an in. But please don't go around saying how stellar of an ICU nurse you know you'll be when you've never even worked in the hospital. Just tell them your strengths and weaknesses honestly.

Good luck

Specializes in Home Care.

The door may be closed today, but it may open tomorrow, or next month, next year, or in five years.

Keep doing what you're doing and never give up.

I support your decision as well! I understand your frustration. I have left the world of bedside nursing recently and am now a care manager with a long term medicaid program. I love it, even if it does involve writing a lot of care plans (the stuff I hated in nursing school!). I only have an ADN and am working on my BSN, and the pay is really great. I work 9-5 Mon-Fri. It is a dream come true for this nurse who got really sick of the world of nursing in direct patient care environments. Best of luck to you!

It took me 30 minutes on google to figure out how hard it is to get into the ICU. It takes years for some nurses because hospitals only want the best in the ICU! If a challenge discourages you then obviously you wouldn't make a "stellar" ICU nurse.

It might be a good idea for you to get out of nursing; it sounds like you're more into the idea of it than the actual work.

Specializes in Med-surg, home care.
I've had a tough few weeks of self-reflection. My mind has gone back and forth over my preferred career path, and, ultimately, I think I'm going to bow out gracefully.

I am a career-change RN. After receiving two bachelor degrees in non-nursing fields, I realized what I had really known all along - nursing was for me. I worked hard, I worked full time, I put myself through school, I was at the top of my class....andddd...I got a pedi home health job. My ADN isn't worth the paper it's written on in the Northeast.

THEN, I blew my back out. Massive herniation, 6 months off work, and pain to end all pain. I deal with workers comp, I rehab (luckily no surgery) and I get back to work this past June.

My DREAM is to be an acute care nurse. I love working with high-acuity and in a fast-paced, think-on-your-feet environment...as someone who as always craved more 'excitement,' this is for me. BUT, I have an ADN. And even with a BSN, hospitals aren't hiring you unless you have previous hospital experience (usually already in the specialty you are trying to break in to,) and you can't get experience of any kind because nobody will hire you to begin with. Add to that a back injury, and I'm further limited to PICU, but preferably NICU as I really do not want to temp fate with my back...and REFUSE a future filled with spinal fusions and all that jazz.

I tried to convince myself to be an FNP. I even toyed with PA school, but I'm so frustrated by all of the courses that I will have to re-take since I am past my 10 year expiration for most schools.

I'm frustrated. I would be a STELLAR ICU nurse. I really would. I have fought so hard to get here and it's taken years. I just don't think I have much fight left in me. Moving isn't an option as my husband makes more than double what I do and has a job with a large pay potential.

It is just so discouraging to see that travel nurses are getting hired all over the place because they are cheaper from every angle. Local nurses need the jobs! I'm just over it at this moment. I am just treading water and getting sick of it. Hard work has officially gotten me nowhere and there is no silver lining in sight.

Just needed to rant/vent/sulk/express my frustration

May as well go back to my pre-nursing legal career where I made the same money, didn't have to do nearly as much work, and wasn't in a field that constantly tempted me to do more and be more, but knowing that the goals I have in mind are pretty unattainable.

:::END PITY PARTY:::

I am not sure if I understand. You love nursing but will give it up because you may not be able to be a ICU nurse? I am not a nurse; I am pre-nursing student as well as career changer but I do not feel you should just give up if its what you really want, just "modify" your dreams if anything. Look at other options like getting into other areas of the hospital that may be less desireable but will get your feet in the door. Also consider getting your BSN. If you do not want to put your back in jeopardy, try less strenuous areas of nursing. You already came this far, so don't stop now. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Specializes in Psychiatry.

Dear MBrickle,

Perhaps a little hiatus (an extended vacation to Europe, etc.) will not be a bad idea. When you are away, perhaps, you'll miss what you have selflessly done for such a long time. Bedside nursing can burn out some of us. But there are other aspects of nursing which are not as stressful. I worked as a Research coordinator for 4 years and loved every minute of it.

I understand that tele-nursing is also an enriching experience.

My best friend is an intake-coordinator who mostly deals with transferring in and transferring out the patients from her facility and swears she wouldn't do anything else. There is flexibility, autonomy, and some brickbats; but overall, it is indeed a relatively easier job.

Please reconsider your decision; you'll hear an inner voice that will guide you to the best path.

I know you love nursing, this is wonderful, but with herniated discs, I don't think nursing is the right career for you. I don't know if you have standing or sitting problems (i.e., have to rotate from standing to sitting and vice versa to avoid pain), but nursing is certainly strenuous on the body.

A family member had herniated discs more than 20 years ago and they received a microdiscectomy. At the time the treatment was cutting edge. The surgeon and hospital were decent and it helped... From what I know, a person doesn't receive a large scar from it like in discectomy. However, back problems are usually chronic and the treatments are to lessen the pain, improve movement, and prevent it from becoming worse.

I'd suggest going back to your legal career were the back isn't so important. You can ALWAYS get involved with helping people in other ways. There are MANY other helping careers and professions which don't require direct care or treatment of the injured. There is always fundraising. It's disappointing, but there are ALWAYS many more doors that open when one closes, and PLENTY of opportunities out there.

I've had a tough few weeks of self-reflection. My mind has gone back and forth over my preferred career path, and, ultimately, I think I'm going to bow out gracefully.

I am a career-change RN. After receiving two bachelor degrees in non-nursing fields, I realized what I had really known all along - nursing was for me. I worked hard, I worked full time, I put myself through school, I was at the top of my class....andddd...I got a pedi home health job. My ADN isn't worth the paper it's written on in the Northeast.

THEN, I blew my back out. Massive herniation, 6 months off work, and pain to end all pain. I deal with workers comp, I rehab (luckily no surgery) and I get back to work this past June.

My DREAM is to be an acute care nurse. I love working with high-acuity and in a fast-paced, think-on-your-feet environment...as someone who as always craved more 'excitement,' this is for me. BUT, I have an ADN. And even with a BSN, hospitals aren't hiring you unless you have previous hospital experience (usually already in the specialty you are trying to break in to,) and you can't get experience of any kind because nobody will hire you to begin with. Add to that a back injury, and I'm further limited to PICU, but preferably NICU as I really do not want to temp fate with my back...and REFUSE a future filled with spinal fusions and all that jazz.

I tried to convince myself to be an FNP. I even toyed with PA school, but I'm so frustrated by all of the courses that I will have to re-take since I am past my 10 year expiration for most schools.

I'm frustrated. I would be a STELLAR ICU nurse. I really would. I have fought so hard to get here and it's taken years. I just don't think I have much fight left in me. Moving isn't an option as my husband makes more than double what I do and has a job with a large pay potential.

It is just so discouraging to see that travel nurses are getting hired all over the place because they are cheaper from every angle. Local nurses need the jobs! I'm just over it at this moment. I am just treading water and getting sick of it. Hard work has officially gotten me nowhere and there is no silver lining in sight.

Just needed to rant/vent/sulk/express my frustration

May as well go back to my pre-nursing legal career where I made the same money, didn't have to do nearly as much work, and wasn't in a field that constantly tempted me to do more and be more, but knowing that the goals I have in mind are pretty unattainable.

:::END PITY PARTY:::

Specializes in ER.

I hear ya! Sat in the staff meeting the other day and listened to the manager heap praise on a nurse who "took the initiative" to clean a room when the housekeeper had disappeared. Again. When the manager started in about how we can all take more initiative, I mentally added it to the list of idiotic jobs I do that really someone else is getting paid for: answering phones,administering breathing treatments, social work stuff, etc. I thought nursing will always be a hell hole because rns are a glutton for punishment. They refuse to advance themselves. They insist on having the lowest standard of education possible in health care and are proud of it! Started my applications to grad school. Can't wait to put bedside behind me.

Specializes in Psychiatry.

Dear VICEDRN,

In my hospital, nurses have to do the in-take, get approval from insurance companies (which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours), transfer patients out, arrange for follow-up appointments, and arrange for transportation (cab, or ambulance, etc.) They never taught us that in nursing school about 2 decades ago. Is it in the curriculum now?:sarcastic:

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