Burned out?

[Roseco7]

I am a relatively new nurse. 2.5 years. I was a CNA before that for 3 years. I started as a nurse in LTC/Acute Care and have made my way through SNF/Acute Rehab and now in Assisted Living.

I can't stand my job anymore. I have been feeling like this since 7 months in. I thought maybe it was the SNF I was at, which included addicts/behavioral health patients. I had 20+ patients there most of them with the works. Tube feeds, wound vacs, IV's, behaviors, foleys...My shift was 6am to 630pm and I would clock out at 830pm sometimes. Mostly because I would find myself investigating issues that no one else took the time to look into, creating angry patients and families. It got to a point where we were told we needed to be "clocking out on time". There was no way I could finish my work and clock out in time. I brought this up and got the "this is a 24hr facility, pass it on". God forbid I ever did that. Also, if you want it done right...So I would stay.

I thought the SNF was a problem so I went to Assisted Living. More of the same, and I find myself cleaning up after the nurses I'm following, orders not entered, medications not ordered. Etc etc. You may say, "That's how it is everywhere". It shouldn't be. That's not acceptable, these are PEOPLE we are dealing with, their lives and well being are in our hands.

Let's not get started on the way some patients treat us...

I feel like I'm done, but what else can I do with my nursing background except for of the same?

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Railing against the way things are versus the way they ought to be is a one way ticket to unhappiness. You need to stop that thought process quickly. As in now. You have no choice but to work within the way things are. That doesn't mean you don't try to make it better. It does mean nobody is going to see you as a martyr for working overtime because you are judging the work of others as not good enough. The fastest road to unhappiness comes from comparing reality to the picture in our head of how we wish things could be. The only person you are responsible for is you. Staying late against your employer's wishes because you feel like you need to "clean up after others" isn't going to do you any favors.

There are tons of other things you can do. Case management, insurance positions, education, public health, prisons, clinics, employee health, school nurse, etc etc etc. Some of these will require a BSN. Some may require acute care experience. All of them would be a good change of pace.