Burned out after only 2 years

[smileyitnthesunny]

I am a 2 year nurse, post residency, working on a med/surge/hematology/oncology/telemetry/hospice unit. Yeah, a jack of all trades.

I like my job, I enjoy nursing, but I hate being overworked and burned out.

My present job is killing me. With working 2 years of 12 hr night shifts, full time and a variable month to month schedule, I am getting really fed-up.

I feel that my work is overly stressful. My schedule is bizarre enough to interrupt my home life, making having outside social connection or activities besides nursing very difficult to upkeep.

I have been looking for an alternate job now for 1 year. But I am having trouble finding even per-diem employment because of my experience, not being enough in any one field or "specialty."

I work so much, and I work extremly hard. I find my tasks and patient loads overwhelming. I get home from work, and I am tired, oh so tired.

After 5 years college for a BSN, 6 months residency, and now 2 years on the job, I feel that i should be getting more competent and have enough experience to get jobs elsewhere in nursing.

I look. And its like a freaking wasteland. All the jobs want the same stuff, such high requirements. They want to hire "turn-key" experts.

I am ready to quit.

But what else can I do with my life? I need to feed myself! I'm still paying those pesky student loans. I have no one else to rely on. I've never quit anything in my life, and I feel that I have invested everything I have got to give into this profession.

And it is eating me alive.

How do I move on from here?

I am just feeling like nursing is not what i expected, and it may not be healthy for me to continue on this road at this capacity.

I want to slow my career down to match up with my life.

I want my career to give me some freaking room for a home life.

Nursing doesn't do that. it pushes and it bullies. the demands are too high.

Pretty much all of my money is gone in rent, and paying back loans. GOOD TIMES!

I think that after putting up with all of this stuff the least I should have to worry about is making ends meet! But yeah, I'm hustling out here. And this sucks.

[trudeyRN]

I'm sorry this is so frustrating. I wish I had something useful to offer, but as a student I can only guess at it. From what I have read on here, two years is still a pretty new nurse, and as you move from specialty to specialty, that could add to the feeling of not quite catching up with it. Some work places for sure can create the sense that you are always behind.

Have been in this place in a teaching job I used to do- not much experience feeling stuck in a job I hated.

Have you tried applying for any of the jobs that seem out of reach? I'm not saying ones that clearly state you must have X number of years in such and such, but sometimes when the listing says "X years preferred", you may be the best option who shows up, even if you lack the exact preferred standard. I'd be tempted to try that, probably more than a few times. I know, rejections or people who don't call back can add to the feeling of "I'm stuck here", but sometimes if you send out enough lines, something comes back.

[Curious1alwys, BSN, RN]

I wish you lived by me. We could go out for a drink. Yeah, right there with ya.

My plan? I'm lucky enough to have a SO so I'm trying to find something part-time and then reanalyze what I REALLY want to do. Cuz for the love of God, I do not know how nurses stay on the floor longer than a year. And...I think if you are hardworking and a really good nurse, you burn out FASTER because yeah, not enough hours in the day. You think you are going to lunch? Nope, always a crap patient or new admit being pushed on to mess that up. I am so tired of giving 200% and still not eating lunch and still not finishing tasks...blah blah blah. I just can't be happy in this setting. Which is sad because I am a good, caring nurse and my patients like me. Which means....I'll always be behind. Movin' on.

[Nola009]

I think you can find another position (no matter what the ads say). You're just stuck in a rut. Maybe you have more going than you realise.

[Mysteriousdarkness]

Oh you sound like you're really in a bad place. It's really important that you find a way to take some time off- whether a temporary transfer to another ward, or going on to the casual bank to give you some variety, or even ask for a week or two off. Anything just give you some space to think,

perhaps see a counsellor to talk about your feelings.

work life balance is SO important to everyone- humans are not meant to live their lives at work, with little time to love and laugh and enjoy the finer things. But especially for nurses, who work high stress demanding jobs, where they see the very depth of human suffering and misery everyday- work life balance is so so crucial.

Perhaps once the establishments start figuring that out, they'll give nurses better hours, more staff to help out, improve the general culture of disrespect towards nurses (back in my grandmothers day, nurses were highly respected). With those things in place, perhaps the huge nurse burnout rate will decrease and fewer amazing loving intelligent nurses would leave or become jaded and broken.

You need to decide whether it's just this particular job or the entire career. As you've only been graduated for 2 years you may not wish to make a life chaning career choice now. Try try try to get a job somewhere else- think outside the box. Nursing homes and district/ community nursing, disability and rehab sectors- it doesn't have to be forever, just enough to get you out of where you are so you can think.

think carefully on it before giving up your registration entirely. That's what I ended up doing- I tried many jobs, and different forms of therapy, but never found a happy place. I thought for a long time what I loved and what I hated about nursing, and I realised I loved look after people and teaching- so I am studying to become a children's teacher.

think on it, and good luck

[Oogie]

Change your attitude, your work is your life , sounds like, your life is not about your work. I was in the same boat. There are loads of nursing jobs, you may have to move, might be good for you. I've switched jobs four times over the last 21 years. Nursing is not for sissies, you have the power to control your destiny, not your job. good luck with that

[QuiltDog]

Have you considered working for a hospice? With your experience you would be good fit. Doing hospice nursing saved me after many many years of hospital nursing

Good luck!