Burnout rate-experienced nurses reply

nursecindy60 · Sep 19, 2011

Coping is not the issue. It is the aging population of nurses and not being able to keep up the way you used to when younger. There are a lot of aging nurses that are trying to do the best job that they can but there is a real push to be quick about the job and not spend time with a patient....just do the job. While the patients appreciate the extra things a nurse may do, what they don't know is that the nurse who showed the kindness is now sitting in the office getting told that they are too slow and spending too much time with the patients. That is the start of burn out and keeps going in a vicious cycle. Also, there is not much flexibility with the schedule. Most of the time you can't take days off when you need them because of the nursing shortage and whether you have the time or not, you are told you can't have the time you may need to take a much needed breather.

flo136 · Sep 20, 2011

I'd say 3-5 years.

I start to get really low about hospital politics and procedures after 6 months (the 'they-do-it-better-elsewhere' thing); but by 5 years I am really taking a sick day every month for my own mental health!

I do love the job though. Can't imagine anything else would be as exciting, and at nearly 40 years old- don't want to try either!

CCRNDiva, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2011

I'm a little over 7 yrs in and I can definitely say that I am burnt out. I've experienced it before but I would get a patient who would remind me why I do this or I would precept a new ICU nurse and get my joy back. None of those tricks are working now. I think a big part of it is the organization I work for. I've been with the same facility for my entire career and their treatment of nurses has been on a serious decline over the past few years. Don't get me wrong, I love critical care and I couldn't ask for a better group of nurses or docs to work with, but I seriously hate the organization I work for. They don't give a d*** about us or the safety of our patients.

Many of us are disgusted by the way our older nurses have been treated by this organization. We have quite a few RNs in our unit who have 25+ yrs seniority and they are now required to work 12s, weekends (previously those w/ 20+ yrs were exempt from wknds) and 2 extra shifts per 6 wk schedule. Some of them are literally hobbling and limping by the end of their shift. I saw one finishing her shift with an ice pack on tied to her knee. I do not want to end up like that.

I started an ACNP program this fall and I'm looking for a new job. I actually had a recruiter inquire why I would leave an organization after so much time, lol. I'm hoping that I can get another job in critical care to hold me over until I complete my MSN. I don't want to leave critical care before I finish school because I want to work in critical care as a NP.

sassyrn333 · Oct 3, 2011

Thanks for your comments guys. I just recently started splitting my time between ICU, Cath/EP lab, and Education. I think I found the Holy Grail of burnout avoidance...for now anyway.