I've been a nurse for almost 8 years. That's not long in the grand scheme of things, but it's long enough to have experienced this profession. I've been known to say, "One of the greatest things about nursing is that there are so many different ways to be a nurse." And believe me, I've been a nurse in many different ways. I've tried hard to make this career into something that I enjoy. I worked in ER, med-surg, and home health before going back to get my master's degree in health care administration. I found patient care to be far too stressful for someone who truly cares about the quality of care that is being delivered. Either you settle for mediocrity or you drive yourself to the brink of insanity. I experienced the latter until I eventually decided that something had to change. I've found working in administration to be much more preferable, but it is still wrought with problems and it is far from being a career that I'm excited about. I'm finally ready to admit to myself that nursing is the problem. It's just not the career that I thought it would be or that I've tried so desperately to make it into. No matter what capacity of nursing work that you do, it is a thankless job. The mentality of "a nurse is a nurse is a nurse" is pervasive and there isn't an employer out there that truly values a nurse for the unique skills or knowledge that he/she may have. Anyway, I could go on and on about the many reasons why I want to get out of nursing, but the main point of this post is that I've finally made a decision. I struggled for years with this decision, but recently it seems so clear. I'm about to turn 30 years old and there is no way that I'm going to waste the rest of my life in this profession. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do yet (part of the reason why I've struggled for so long), but I know that I'm going to do it and I will be successful. I will get out. Best of luck to those of you who may be struggling with the same decision.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
The OP is smart for realizing that nursing is not for her fairly early in her professional career. It would have been an absolute travesty if she had spent 20+ years drifting along in the profession before coming to this epiphany.
I wish her the very best of luck in her future endeavors.
I admire the OP for leaving nursing. It is better to leave then to remain in nursing being miserable. Miserable nurses make patients and co-workers miserable too.
To the OP - You are still young so in a way you are just starting out, so you will be successful in whatever you do. Sometimes this is what happens when you start out really young and idealistic about things, then you end up getting burned out and turned off by the time you are in your thirties or so. Still very young in my book. I just turned 60 last April and became an LPN in August - I've been going to nursing school part time since 2007 while I worked a grueling full time nurse's aide job. Talk about an unappreciated job, and unlike being a nurse, it really pays peanuts in comparison. I do have good benefits tho including health ins and PTO. I just enrolled in an LPN to BSN program and start classes in Feb. I managed to become an LPN so I can do this too. What I'd like to say here is that while I honestly commend you for your thoughtful and honest decision, what you describe is not unique to nursing. I have been in the workplace for approx 40 years now, some of it in management (I already have a BS in management BTW). I can tell you that many other professions are the same way. You just do the best you can and enjoy the small daily victories that pit you against the system. Sometimes it might seem like you are a lone voice in the wilderness so to speak. But you cannot control other's behavior, only your own. Like the old old saying goes "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage and strength to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two." God Bless you and best of luck to you wherever you may end up......
To the OP - You are still young so in a way you are just starting out so you will be successful in whatever you do. Sometimes this is what happens when you start out really young and idealistic about things, then you end up getting burned out and turned off by the time you are in your thirties or so. Still very young in my book. I just turned 60 last April and became an LPN in August - I've been going to nursing school part time since 2007 while I worked a grueling full time nurse's aide job. Talk about an unappreciated job, and unlike being a nurse, it really pays peanuts in comparison. I do have good benefits tho including health ins and PTO. I just enrolled in an LPN to BSN program and start classes in Feb. I managed to become an LPN so I can do this too. What I'd like to say here is that while I honestly commend you for your thoughtful and honest decision, what you describe is not unique to nursing. I have been in the workplace for approx 40 years now, some of it in management (I already have a BS in management BTW). I can tell you that many other professions are the same way. You just do the best you can and enjoy the small daily victories that pit you against the system. Sometimes it might seem like you are a lone voice in the wilderness so to speak. But you cannot control other's behavior, only your own. Like the old old saying goes "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage and strength to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two." God Bless you and best of luck to you wherever you may end up......[/quote']
THIS sage advice.
Sending positive vibes to the OP in finding career satisfaction in their future path.~~~~~~~~
I feel that while "nursing is the problem," as you stated, it is also the solution. After over twenty years in the profession, I just don't know how to make the two worlds meld.
I've come to a realization that the "solution" as seen by the corporate, political, and academic mindset, is that the solution is to make the "nursing problem" go away altogether.
Healthynurse, I appreciate your honesty. I've been a nurse 17 yrs and trust me I know how you feel,but I love helping others and that's what keeps me going. Have you looked into research, occupational health, camping nurse, forensic, informatic, legal nurse consultant,instructor.working from home? Are you leaving the medical field completely? Maybe you can switch to law field, I know few nurses who became police officers. Good luck.
Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.
Also happy for you that your are taking the first step in your new adventure that is the job force. This is a big step. (I was there a while back but my change was leaving bedside nursing for another type of nursing) It can take a while to go from thinking about it to finally taking the plunge and doing it. Good for you that you are there.
I agree with the above poster. As I read the OP's post, legal nursing consultant kept popping into my head. Or you can work with an eyeball doc like me. (Just kidding)
Whatever you decide to do, please keep us posted and keep hanging around here. I have a few friends here who are retired nurses or have changed fields all together but still hang out here. I think I can speak for all of us and say we would like that very much. Good luck.
A "thankless profession." What were you looking for...endless praise? Seems to me you are more concerned about what you receive from nursing vs. the care you deliver. Nursing demands a heart of compassion without the attitude of "what's in it for me." Move on.
I don't think OP is looking for praise, I think she is looking for others she works with to advocate for her patient like SHE does. I know exactly what she is referring to. You are the stand alone in keeping your patient safe and it gets tiring and thankless fighting against those you are supposed to be working with. Good luck to the OP....I will follow you soon if I can't make things turn around for me.
OP you expressed my feelings exactly. I am only working as an RN for 3 years, and I love all the aspects of the job that made me choose this job in the first place, but beaurocratic nonsense won't let me do the work I want to do! I work in a very stressful high volume ER and encounter lots of patients with difficult personalities, but i can deal with all that. What I can't deal with is management and administration making ridiculous and unrealistic demands on us, piling on new responsibilities an policies weekly, and all this from people who haven't taken care of a patient in 10 years. I realized this scenario is not going to improve so I'm exploring other fields within nursing because I do still love being a nurse. Once I have my master's though, I'm so done.
(Just kidding)
HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD
9,051 Posts
Bravo.
A very articulate & well-reasoned statement by the OP. Our loss is going to be some other career field's gain.