burn out

[FanceeKP]

:uhoh3:are there any "old" nurses out there that are burned out or on the verge of burning out? I've been doing this for 25 years and I just don't feel the passion anymore:yawn:. I'm in long-term care and I dearly love my co-workers and care very much for my residents. But I'm just not that into it anymore. What are the signs of burn out? I've gone so far as cutting back my hours, but I can't quit my job entirely because I'm not independantly wealthy. Should I consider a different, less stressful setting, as in a doctor's office, or research? Should I look into taking some courses that would eventually lead to another branch of healthcare? What has anyone else done in this situation. I need some kind of feedback or support.

[catz123]

I am not a nurse yet so I am not sure what these words will mean to you. There are so many different opportunities for nurses. You could teach CNA or teach cpr first response for the red cross. You could go into community nursing, work in a school, a jail. Maybe you can sit and write a book about your experiences. You could also work at an agency, they offer benefits to nurses. I hope you find your way. I just know that one of the great things about this field is that you can grow and change. Maybe it's time for you to do just that. You have a lot of experience and I am sure a lot to offer, so go a right ahead and challenge yourself and risk it, step outside your comfort zone and find your fire again.

Best of luck

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

Have you tried posting this in the General Nursing Forum? You will likely get many more responses there.

Are you an RN or an LPN? Have you thought about home care or hospice?

[FanceeKP]

I am an LPN. I would dearly love to do hospice work, but in my area, they seem to want only RN's. And I think if I could find something in home care or a private duty position, I think I could be happy. I worked in another state and there were times when I was on duty at the hospital where most of the coworkers on my shift would be "techs"....and it would be me and an RN. When did patient care get "technical"?

[kbok]

i've only been a nurse for 4 years, but if you're feeling burnt out i would recommend switching into a different area.

when i was in school, one of my nursing professors warned us of burn out- its when you get impatient easily, you get annoyed easily, you no longer look forward to working with your patients or eagerly do your job with a smile. and it gets worse..first you're burnt out- then you get crispy. and no ones likes working with a crispy critter. she recommended to us that when we become crispy critters, we leave for a new position elsewhere b/c then we're no longer therapeutic to our patients.

when i was a student nurse extern, i explored various departments in the hospital (i travelled with my patient wherever they went). each of these departments, the RN had a completely different role- in cardiac cath labs, it was observing patient's condition and VS during procedure, in angio labs, it was also observing and assessing patient before/after procedure (but much less intense, very quiet calm environment) on the IV insertion team, nurses just places IVs and piccs... i've also seen a need for nurses in primary care offices and settings, where they may do some phone triage, assessment, and general teaching. the roles vary depending upon the job- but i think you may find something that may provide a challenge- or break- from your current job.