Burned out for good after 27 years

[pawsomepooch47]

I have been a med surg nurse for 27 years now. I have a good job working 6a-6p 3 days a week, have excellent benefits and pay, 4 weeks vacation and numerous holidays, personal days. I should be happy, right? Well, no. I have been in this particular position for 5 years and am exhausted. 12 hr shifts generally turn into 13-14 hrs. patients and families are more demanding and nasty than ever, hospitalists are crabby and hard to find at times, management is obsessed with the bottom line as we are in the hole financially. These days i am upset and a depressed wreck just thinking about going to work in the morning. and now my manager wants me to be on her new "permanent" team of charge nurses, which means have a regular assignment and run the floor, probably 2-3 days a week. Being in charge is way too stressful and takes me away from the bedside.

I wish I could change careers--difficult to imagine this for another 20 years! Any thoughts?

[markuskristian]

Take a step back and read your original post.. you should see how absolute it is that you do not need to take the permanent charge position. You have three main options:

1)Talk with you boss and refuse the position

A)Boss is understanding and finds another

B)Boss is a "witch" and holds it against you

2)Leave nursing

A)No more stress of nursing

B)Huge void. You mentioned your enjoyment of bedside.

3)Change specialties

A)It's different. Mentally stimulating.

B)End up with a less enjoyable specialty

IMHO, a specialty swap has the best choices. With your experience, you have your choices on what specialty to go to. Look for a less stressful and/or more interesting/enjoyable spot.