Any advice is much appreciated

chicookie, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2008

choices, choices, choices.

I do agree that is a toughie.

You don't have to work in a dr office you can always do something like home health nursing and that allows you to be more flexible with your hours.

TO ME, I would stick it out first if I can't find anything then leave. Maybe do some travel nursing, they pay good and you get a place to stay and see different areas until you see something to your liking and stay there. All the nurses that do it love it, but I do have a wandering foot.

I hope it works out for you.

raindrop · Dec 25, 2008

Thanks for the advice. I did think a/b staying here and working Home Health but that thought only lasted a second.....Because I don't have a car here. :down:

Sue Damones · Dec 25, 2008

How about trying a place like day surgery? I'm also in the chicago area (but I've lived here my entire life)... are you in the city or in the suburbs?? I can understand your burnout feeling though. I've also been working for 3 years... ICU though, and sometimes I feel the same way.

Actually, when I'm at home for a few days, I think I feel burnt out from working sometimes, but everytime I drive home from work, I feel like thats how I feel ALL the time. Haha.

:heartbeat Feel free to PM me if you'd like!

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2008

I have a question,,, why are you scared of ICU? One thing that I love about ICU is that you're usually NOT running around busy busy busy busy all day. You can sit and think about what is going on with your patient,, use your critical thinking skills, instead of running from room to room throwing pills in, hoping they hit the patient's mouths.. lol.

Don't get me wrong, there are moments where icu gets busy, but it is much much easier on my legs and bad hip than med/surg......

Good luck finding what you need... There comes a time in everyone's career where we need a change. You have to do that to grow in life.... Good luck! :)

Sue Damones · Dec 25, 2008

I have a question,,, why are you scared of ICU? One thing that I love about ICU is that you're usually NOT running around busy busy busy busy all day. You can sit and think about what is going on with your patient,, use your critical thinking skills, instead of running from room to room throwing pills in, hoping they hit the patient's mouths.. lol.
Don't get me wrong, there are moments where icu gets busy, but it is much much easier on my legs and bad hip than med/surg......
Good luck finding what you need... There comes a time in everyone's career where we need a change. You have to do that to grow in life.... Good luck! :)

Wow, I want to work in YOUR ICU... lol... there is rarely a day where my hips, back, and general body ACHES :no: ... I run around all day!...

allnurses Guide · Dec 25, 2008

I would just say - make your plans depending on what works for YOU. I would not base any decisions on this guy and what may or may not happen. It sounds like you want to be near your family. If that's true, go get yourself situated and then worry about meeting someone.

txmusikman · Dec 25, 2008

I also have been a nurse for about 3 yrs and am burning out from working psych hospitals. Long hours, short staffing and weekend work knows no bounds! That being said... the guy had his shot already, it didn't work. I just remarried and moved from "Podunk, TX" to the DFW area. I was raised in the country but I love having the things I need when I want them in the city. When I get off at 0715 I can have a burger and fries if I want. Not at home, you "must" eat breafast at "Breakfast time" and other meals according to the lifestyle of the dusk till dark workers. That kind of stuff drives me to the city! Also, I'm just not an 8 to 5'er, never have been , never will be I hope. So what am I saying.... Look inside yourself for the answer not outside. What do "YOU" really want, what feels good to you? Find that and all the rest will fall into place! Hope this helped.

morte, LPN, LVN · Dec 25, 2008

I'm in a rut and a lil depressed about it. I have been a nurse for 3 years and I"m pretty burned out already. I've only worked Medical and I know there are other areas to work in, but I am scared to death of places like ICU, ED, etc. And I'm so sick of Med/Surg, having so many patients and running around like crazy all day, lucky to get a lunch break. I'm also sick of working every other Friday....and then every other weekend. Since I work the night shift, and since we are mandated to work every other Friday if we are off that weekend, I don't get off until MY Saturday morning ....and then I go home and sleep most of the day and never get to enjoy my Saturday to myself. Uggh.
I'm also a lil depressed because the older I get, the more I realize I want to spend weekends with my family and not work. I also want normal working hours M-F. I treid getting 8-hour shift at my job, but they said no. I also would like to settle down and get married/find a boyfriend/have a baby (I'm alsmost 31), but it seems like I don't have much ttime to tend to a personnal life with my long hours. I don't know very many people here (Chicago) and that makes it hard to meet ppl. I moved here for a guy last summer. It didn't work out. Now he wants to give it another go, and I do too b/c I love him, but I also miss my family and would like to be closer to them. But I do love him. So here are my options:
Pro/Con - stay in Chicago and look for another job and work it out with the boy. Ideally a MD office. Con- I know I can't support myself here on a office job wage. Uggh.
OR
Move back to my hometown where cost of living is very cheap, get a job at a MD office, enjoy life. CON- I will have regrets and always wonder what if about the boy. Also, sometimes the idea of living in my small town makes me shudder. Boring. But here in Chi, I don't do anything anyway, so what's the difference?

frankly, you sound more than a little depressed.

if you are working 12's that means you have four days a week off, and should only be working every THIRD w/e.

plenty of time to find the "right" guy. If you truly want to marry and have children this should be on your "front burner". try some counselling or at least what is called a life coach. contrary to fairy tales, prince charming is not going to ride in on a white horse! you need to work for it, now and after.....good luck

CathyLew · Dec 25, 2008

If you are that burned out on Med Surg, then ask to cross-train. You are only scared of ICU and ED because you don't have the experience to work there yet... Take your ACLS or Critical Care classes. Sometimes just the time it takes to get oriented in a different unit is enough of a break to refresh yoruself.

I worked MedSurg Nights for most of my nursing career. I bid a job on our Physical rehab unit for a short time, and was bord out of my head. Once everyone was in bed, it was just wait till a light rang...and since it was rehab, you had to let the pt do as much for themselfs as possible. It was like watching grass grow, after the fast pace of MSP. I went back to my old job within a few months.

raindrop · Dec 25, 2008

frankly, you sound more than a little depressed.
if you are working 12's that means you have four days a week off, and should only be working every THIRD w/e.
plenty of time to find the "right" guy. If you truly want to marry and have children this should be on your "front burner". try some counselling or at least what is called a life coach. contrary to fairy tales, prince charming is not going to ride in on a white horse! you need to work for it, now and after.....good luck

My 12's turn into 14's and then I have an hour commute. And I work every other weekend. And if its my weekend off, I have to work the Friday night prior to, which means I don't get off until my Saturday (weekend off). And if I"m lucky, I get out on Saturday at 8 or 9 am, and am home by 10 am. I then go home and sleep and wake up at 6pm or so, do my chores like most ppl do on their weekend off.....and then I hot the sack again.

On my days off, I am exhausted and I don't feel like doing much other than regular chores and working out. I used to wonder if I needed anti-depressants until I realized no, I work approx 16 hours, 3 days a week (roundtrip commute included in this figure) - that is my problem. And I haven't transferred b/c I just started this job over the summer. I haven't found a new job b/c I keep thinking this job is going to get better......

xos4eva · Dec 25, 2008

Raindrop you may also want to have a physical done. I was in your same situation just 2 years ago, I thought I was going crazy and even went to a therapist, she told me that I was not clinically depressed and suggested I get a physical. When I had a full workup done it was found that I had hypothyroidism. So in addition to the stress of working, I also had the hypothyroidism. I can totally understand where you are at I was working nights and had recently broken up with my bf my family was 3 hours away, etc...... just weigh out your options. If you are burned out on your unit try travel nursing, it allows you to explore other areas of the country, while providing you with a decent salary and paying your housing. I wish you the best and you'll be in my prayers