Am I the *******?

[Seeing Myself Out]

As the title reads I keep on asking myself this question. To save your time from reading all my past posts, I would just sum up my experience briefly. I worked hard throughout my career as an LVN first then an RN under the overall umbrella of psychiatry/mental health, then became burnt out after a year into working as a staff RN on an inpatient psych unit. Tried a few career changes FROM NURSING (yes, you read that correctly) unsuccessfully, only to end up coming back to nursing being more miserable before. Even though I became desensitized to the difficult coworkers and patients I encounter, I am still unhappy with how working in psych is preventing me from working everywhere else including traditionally entry level specialties such as med-surg and non psych nursing homes here in California thanks to its job market. I am beginning to think that the entire nursing profession wants to keep everyone in their current specialties and never give people a chance to transition to specialties that interest them more. Even when I socialize with people I avoid talking about work and lie about being an artist or something if I ever get pressured into telling others what I do for a living. I am tired of playing along at work everyday and saying that mental health is my passion and that's all I want to do when that is not. If I am completely honest with psych nurses I work with, they will call me an ungrateful a**hole for sure. Just looking for other opinions/support about my career long struggle.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

14 hours ago, Seeing Myself Out said:

Sorry if I offended many people who work in psych or look up to it. I have no resentment against the specialty itself but I am unsatisfied that having worked in psych is preventing me from given a chance to do anything else. I am happy for people who consider their careers in psych to be meaningful achievements.

You might want to consider that it isn’t your history of psych nursing that is preventing you from going into a different specialty...

[LPNTORN704]

I understand how you feel and I've gotten to the point where I'm looking into other professions.Too much politics in nursing,stress, and will ware you down.Im looking into social work,speech pathology,occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Also ,case management.

[HiddencatBSN, BSN]

Having a psych background is a huge asset in the ED as it’s the point of entry for many Acute psych patients and the deescalation skills are helpful with the ones who have an underlying psych condition as well as patients and family who are just plain assholes. Are you open to looking outside of California? I know my current hospital is fine with skills training nurses to the ed and would lurve a psych background and I know they’re not alone.

I think some self reflection is important too tho. You do not have to love your job and it doesn’t have to be your identity, but you might be projecting a ton of negativity in interviews and networking that are hindering you rather than a general disinterest in nurses with psych backgrounds. How do you present your interest in the job? How do you discuss your reasons for wanting to leave your current one? You shouldn’t lie but there are ways to present things in a way that is positive and excited about the new opportunity while being reflective about the current one not being the right fit.

And I love therapy, wish I had time right now for it. I think going to therapy can be suggested in a way that is ableist and intentionally judgmental, but it really is a present to yourself to do that kind of self care.

[HiddencatBSN, BSN]

On 1/23/2019 at 4:23 PM, Seeing Myself Out said:

Yet there is nothing I can do about the concerns of potential employers. By simply trying to leave psych and apply for other specialties, it is already a red flag that they picture me doing the same thing in several years.

Nurses switch specialties all the time. What does your cover letter look like? How are you networking? Some employers will want someone already having the specific experience for their unit but many will be open to training the right person and that will be 100% the attitude you project. If you share with us the details on how you are presenting yourself (like specifically what phrases are you using, how do you introduce yourself, what’s your “pitch”, etc) I think we can probably help you adjust and identify ways to be more successful.

[anewsns]

Hmm , well, you don’t like mental health field or the non nursing specialties you tried. I find that the “not liking” mindset dug me further into a hole in the past. (No pun intended).

What DO you like is the better question. I know when you’re in a state of misery it’s hard to think about anything but getting out of your current situation, and you may not even know what you like.

Maybe try to daydream about things that make you more peaceful and happy and try to grasp that mindset to find some solutions.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

I left psych about 6 months ago. I have been fortunate to always fall on my feet. I have been working as a triage nurse for a month in a clinic and it is less stressful than all of the positions I have worked in the past. I am glad and fortunate to be have been able to be without work here and there so I could test out different jobs. Psych wasn't a bad position and it wasn't that I didn't like it, it is just that I would rather be on the phones and working in a clinic. If I didn't get the job I have, I would have probably went back. I have worked positions that I absolutely didn't like and that would have me second guessing my whole career. The key is not let yourself get so far gone in your dislike for your job that you hate the whole field altogether. Use your degree and know that you will for the most part be able to get another nursing job, especially if you have experience. You may need to try med-surg or rehab to build up to what you really want to do. I work for a hospital so I get the hospital benefits and I am making more than I did as a med-surg nurse. Honestly I can speak from experience. I started out working in a nursing home as a CNA. I worked in a nursing home after I got my RN.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I have many relatives that so love living in So Cal that they will never get ahead financially. If you want to break out you can find many places that will hire you if you are willing to leave the area.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

One of the things that sticks out to me is your general sense of discontent. You don't really like psych nursing (no shame there, It's not a specialty for everyone). But you seem almost ashamed of it. I have had some downright embarrassing jobs in my 56 years but the only one I ever lied about was cleaning kennels at the local SPCA.

When people ask me what kind of nursing I do I get many answers but it's mostly positive "Wow, I don't think I could do that!" is the general bent I get. I love psych nursing but it is in no way my passion. I save my passion for the things that make life worth living, travel, organic gardening, archery and collecting medieval weaponry and clothing - oh and there's the whole studying to become a Druid priestess and preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse. At the end of the day my nursing job is a means to an end in affording these things.

If you don't like what you are doing change it. Learn how to present the best aspects of yourself in a job interview. There are companies out there that do mock interview's and give you honest feedback. There's also a ton of YouTube videos of do's a don'ts for interviewing.

Whatever you decide to do - you first need to connect with you inner happiness. My daddy who was a wise man used to tell me "Wherever you go there you are." So changing the scenery isn't necessarily going to make you happier. I spent 5 years with a vary good therapist who helped me change my life in so many ways. Weather I was mentally ill is debatable depending on the definition you use. There never any shame in asking for and getting help.

I wish you well!

Hppy