Career change

While a year younger than you, I have been feeling the same way. I started out as a special education teacher for a couple of years then went into nursing because I kept getting caught in budget cuts. While doing this for almost 18 years in the hospital and then the past couple of years in a private case management company, I'm getting tired of nursing. I've been looking towards other careers.

I'd love to become an author. Over the years, I've had a couple novels published and am in the process of publishing my third. Then, there's a 3 book series I'm working on. I keep hoping one of these novels will take off to the point I can focus more on my writing and do that for a career.

Look to your hobbies or interests, you might find something there.

I think every nurse has felt that way at some time or another.

I know I have!

Thanks. This actually came out of stress from work. I got home one PM after having to work late and started writing what I thought would be a short story just to relieve some stress. The short story ended up being my first novel, medical science fiction of coarse.

I also think that every nurse has felt that way at some point. The big question is whether the feeling subsides or persists. I think for many, the feeling arises but then things improve and they carry on. However, when the feeling persists, it may be time to look for other opportunities. Life is too short (and too much time is spent at work) to be unhappy with what you are doing.

With me, the feeling persist...it doesn't go away. It scares me to work in another hospital since I was attacked by a maniac my last travel nurse assignment last summer. A part of me loves nursing the way I remember it prior to 2003, and a part of me makes me afraid to practice. It's not proven to be safe for me anymore. Just can't do it anymore. It's another loss in my life that I don't want to say goodbye to, yet I know I should. If I can't find a job in a doctor's office, I'm burning my uniforms by months end.

I get that feeling too sometimes -- but it comes and goes. One thing that helps me is to begin a new project at work and change my focus.

While you have worked in different settings, have you tried dramatically changing the focus of your job? Some people jump from one job to another, but still find themselves basically doing the same job (direct patient care) in different settings. Perhaps a dramatic change in focus would give you the career lift you need without "throwing away" all that experience and expertise you have developed over the years. You could build on that experience, but yet do something sufficiently different to feel refreshed.

I'm terrible at brainstorming at the end of a long day ... but what about teaching? ... or infection control? ... or case management? ... or occupational health? ... I'm sure other people on this list could come up with a few ideas that might work for you.

llg