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Discussion

Burnt out already?

Hey everyone, just looking for some other nurses' insight here because I feel like I'm going crazy! I got my RN license in 2009, could not find work for about a year..I thought it was the most frustrating year of my life, having my license but not able to find work and do what I wanted to do. Eventually I got into a rehab/long term care center working part time. It wasn't what I really wanted to be doing (don't we all have the dream of starting out in acute care?) but it was a job and I was happy. It was hard at first, a lot of patients, learning how to delegate, learning how to deal with problems. After awhile I settled in and got into the swing of things. About a year ago I got hired at a local hospital working on the Ortho floor. I started out on 11-7 shift and that eventually drained me...I was fortunate to snag a full time 7-3 spot and I was so so thankful for it....my problem is that lately I have felt so burnt out and frustrated almost everytime I go to/leave work. Don't get me wrong, not every day is bad, but I find myself much more snappy and emotional than I've ever been (both at work and at home). What I'm asking myself is, why am I burnt out already?? I've only been a nurse for a few years and when I got the day shift spot I felt as though I landed my "dream job". But somedays I wonder why I ever became a nurse. Is this something everyone goes through? I am wondering if I just need some time off to reboot (unfortunately time off is not so easy to get)? Am I in the wrong area of nursing (maybe I'm just not cut out for acute care?)? Or should I be looking for a whole new career? I have started looking at RNAC and office jobs, even if it means a pay cut, sometimes I am desperate for a more flexible, Mon-Fri job.

Just wondering if anyone could offer me any advice. There are times when I absolutely LOVE being a nurse, always learning something new, teaching patients/families, etc. But more often than not lately I wonder what I'm doing in this field :(

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    I think many of us have been where you are. I have been a nurse for about as long as you, it sounds (almost 2 years), and I have uttered those same words. Sometimes I love it, other times I feel burnt out. However, you have to identify why you're burnt out to fix the problem. I get burnt out from my hours, always feeling tired on days off. So, it's night shift for me. My solution? Well, not really one right now, just keep on keeping on, thankful for a job, and one that I enjoy (most of the time, just like anyone else).

    Day shift isn't an option d/t not up for it yet, and I'm not going to change my schedule right now. When we start our family, I'm just going to remove one night shift a pay period, and that will give me 1 week off in a row, which will help me have actual days off where I can switch to a day schedule and feel like I have a social life.

    Your burn-out sounds like the job itself (since you're on day shift already, and that hasn't changed how you felt). It could be just as simple as taking a vacation. Do that, and see how you feel when you get back. If you still don't enjoy it, then it's probably the patient population. Do you even like ortho patients? Or is it your teammates? I, for one, do not like ortho all, had this patient population at my former job, and it's just not for me. Knee precautions, hip precautions, getting OOB, blah, blah, blah lol. Is this how you feel? Time for a change of unit then. (And, nothing wrong with ortho, just not for me).

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    So far I really like working with Ortho patients. Our floor is a mix of med-surg and ortho because there aren't enough ortho patients to keep our census high enough. I am hoping that all I need is a vacation to refresh me and give me a break. I think what has been making it worse is trying to get off for vacation! I've had one planned for months, requested my days off, but the problem is we need to find our own weekend coverage (i work every other). I have been literally begging people and have only been able to get Saturday covered (the day I leave). Since I can't get sunday covered, I now have to push my vacation off until Sunday night. Little things like this get to me because they don't seem to care about life outside of the hospital. Sigh. Oh well. I guess for now I just do what I need to do. Thanks for the reply

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