I currently work in a pediatric office setting M-F 8-4, no weekends, holidays, or evenings etc. I took this job so I could be there for my kids as they were growing up. However, they are all out of high school now. I am restless. I miss feeling challenged and growing my skills. I feel stagnant and bored and I really don't like M-F. I feel like I live in the rat race. In the evenings I cook, clean, and watch TV because I don't have any energy after all that and on weekends I spend the time getting caught up on all the chores, laundry and try to squeeze seeing my kids/grandkids in there if they're available and want to which isn't every weekend.
Many years ago I worked L&D and I was actually excited to go to work. I LOVED my job. I left because my husband also worked shift work and we were having a baby and I had no family or late eve daycare in our area that would watch my baby 12-16 hours a day. I immediately knew I didn't care all that much about my job but I made it work so I could be there for my kids in the evenings and I've also hoped to go back one day.
I applied a couple of years back for a L&D job and was offered a position and was super excited. Then I backed out because everyone was telling me how hard it is now, how I'm too old to return to patient care, how I won't have a life if I work nights (which I'd have to start out on), etc. They got in my head and I started second-guessing myself. I also think it would be cool to work a couple years and then try travel nursing. My husband hates to travel and I love it so this would give me a way to discover new places and make money at the same time. My kids no longer really want to visit very often because they are busy with their own lives and I do feel a little lost. When I thought of all the opportunities I could have and places I could visit I felt like I had a new lease on life. Then all my friends, co-workers, and family were telling me I was crazy to blow up my life and appreciate what I have and let this idea go.
However, I know things aren't great in the hospital right now and I've been away from the bedside for so long that maybe I'm just remembering the good parts and not all the stress. I did start some new hobbies and exercising more but I still have that itch. I also think maybe this is the time to get back in the hospital because I'm 50 and I feel like it's now or never and places seem desperate for nurses right now so I stand a decent chance. My husband says he will support whatever I want to do. He finally also has a M-F job which he says is nice we finally have the same schedule after all these years but I do miss the long 12 hour shifts because the days I work that's all I'm expected to do. No one expects me to cook supper or clean etc like I've done for years after getting home. Then the days I'm off I'm off to do as I choose and will have a few hours alone. I miss having time home alone. I'm an introvert and I need alone time to recharge and I can hardly get that now and it's hard.
Sorry this got long. I just wanted other thoughts and opinions from others that have been there or have more insight. Thank you in advance!
I was away from acute care nursing for 7 years when I got hired at my current job, a 12 bed CCU taking care of STEMIs/NSTEMIs, CABG pt, etc. Things have changed. But not enough that Ididint remember all I had learned once upon a time. Like IABPs(they time themselves now!), Equipment I’ve never heard of, FlowTrac, VapoTherm, AVAP, Ekos, but I picked that up easily enough.
I like working three 12 hr shifts a week as opposed to 8’s. We also do self-scheduling & my schedule is almost always honored because I work straight night shift.
I don’t like the current situation right now! Too many patients and not enough RNs. There have been nights I’ve had four ICU patients! I’m hoping things will settle down soon but seems to only have worsened over the last month.
Specializes in ER/School/Rural Nursing/Health Department.
I'm 40 and have a K and 5th grader at home. I took a job with our local Health Dept which farms me out as a rural school nurse a few days a week. I LOVE the hours, no weekends, no holidays and the ability to be a mom when I need to be. But ER/Trauma is my passion and I look forward to going back first as PRN and then as my FT job when my kids are older and more self sufficient. I don't think you're crazy at all! I think everyone goes into nursing for differenet reasons and excels at different things--if going back to L&D makes you feel invigorated and happy then do it!
If you're concerned about how it is--see if you can do some PRN on weekends or holidays while you still have your clinic job--you will know pretty quick if its "rose colored glasses" or "real passion".
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
On 1/7/2022 at 8:33 PM, glasgow3 said:
But for the record, I am quite familiar with the predominant EMR systems (and others) in this area including Epic, Cerner and Meditech.
I didn't mean to imply you personally were behind in the areas of technology, it was more of a generalization that potential employers assume that anyone away from the bedside for a period of time will take "retraining". When, in fact, the important part is their nursing specific skills, not the small changes over the years in things like technology.
Years ago my father was laid off just before he turned 50. He was unemployed about a year and a half when another company in the same field contacted him and said that basically they had gotten rid of all of their experienced staff and now he would be a much needed asset. It would be good if healthcare also viewed experienced nurses as a valuable resource rather than an expense.
Thank you for all the replies! The main thing that scares me about switching is all the talk on how short-staffed everyone is right now. I saw they just called the National Guard in to help at our local hospital. On one hand, I may have a better chance of getting hired if they need people badly, but on the other, I don't want to be put into a situation where I am overworked and burned out within a couple of months either. Do you think I should maybe wait until Spring and covid dies down a little or just take my chances now?
"......I don't want to be put into a situation where I am overworked and burned out within a couple of months either."
I think that sufficient credible information is available (both here and elsewhere) to make a valid determination; disregard that information at your peril.
Go deliver some babies. Your kids are old, live the dream. Every nursing job I have had I hated and learned to love it. If you have already loved it your ahead of the game. The only thing that's changed is charting on a computer instead of paper.
Only you can decide what's most important for you. Can you afford to work 2 shifts/week? This would be an ideal start. You can always pick up shifts in nursing, but it's hard to decrease. Keep in mind that your 12 hour shifts will most likely be 16 hours these days. One aspect I didn't consider (having older children) is how sad I would feel when denied holiday PTO. Everyone is asking for the same days off. You may only get Christmas day off once every 5 years or so (My kids all work for companies that shut down for a week after Christmas). It was a big sacrifice for me.
FNPtobe2020, MSN
39 Posts
I was away from acute care nursing for 7 years when I got hired at my current job, a 12 bed CCU taking care of STEMIs/NSTEMIs, CABG pt, etc. Things have changed. But not enough that Ididint remember all I had learned once upon a time. Like IABPs(they time themselves now!), Equipment I’ve never heard of, FlowTrac, VapoTherm, AVAP, Ekos, but I picked that up easily enough.
I like working three 12 hr shifts a week as opposed to 8’s. We also do self-scheduling & my schedule is almost always honored because I work straight night shift.
I don’t like the current situation right now! Too many patients and not enough RNs. There have been nights I’ve had four ICU patients! I’m hoping things will settle down soon but seems to only have worsened over the last month.
good luck with your decision!