Burnt Out

2 hour commute, grad school plus night shift work-sounds like you are suffering more from exhaustion than from burn out. I think you have just taken on too much for the body to physically and mentally handle. You might consider putting something on the backburner for now in order to get some much needed rest and down time. Truthfully, I don't know how you can do it all at the same time.

OMG! 2 hour commute! I complain about my 40 minute commute! PlUS night shift PLUS grad school PLUS all that driving-when do you have time to SLEEP! I would have pulled my hair out 2 weeks into all that commitment. Is there any possibility that you can cut back on work? Are you the sole bread winner? School is very important, but so is your health. See what you can take off your plate to keep your sanity. good luck!

I am trying to move closer to work and also get a day position. Thanks

My advice. Of course, the idea to move is great. The other thing I might say is take it slow w/ school. You are very young, so you have lots of time. I will be working probably to age 70-75 and I am sure you will be too, if not longer. I worked nights for 16 years. Now I work days, but in a different type of job, so I am not sure if the switch did me any good, because I am still tired. Why not just take one class while you work nights? Trying to take 2-3 graduate classes is hard if you don't work, with your schedule and commute it's awful. How about an online course or two? Then you wouldn't have to drive to school and you could do it more at your convenience, rather than a set schedule for the week. You could even take a nap and then get back online. (I have done it myself). Do you have anytime for fun? If not, you know you have to cut something out. Everyone needs a little downtime. Your commute is horrendous, but I guess it may also be very expensive in NY to relocate. You can really put your health at risk w/ all of this stress. You know that. Think about what you would tell a pt. or their family member if they told you they were stressed and they had this lifestyle. Good luck. I think your ambition is great. You just need a little balance.

I went straight into graduate school the semester after I got my BSN. I was working a .8 on nights, trying to learn how to be a REAL nurse in Labor and Delivery, planning a wedding, and buying our first house. My commute was only 1 hour, but I know where you are comming from.

For me, after about 1 1/2 years of that I was done. My new marriage was falling apart, I weighed 95 pounds, and no longer knew myself. It was too much at once at that point in my life. You really have to work hard to find a balance, otherwise what is it all for ?? If you are unhappy, and eventually sick because of the stress and being run down.

Stop and take inventory, make sure the grad school thing is REALLY what you want, and that it is REALLY what you need right now. Looking at your job, where you live, the hours you work, all play into it.

IT CAN BE DONE, if that is what your heart really wants, you just have to compramise in some areas to do it. Just know you are going to be tired all the time, there are just not enough hours in the dat not to be.

My mom and grandmother always told me that the time is going to pass by if you are doing something with it or not. Set up a good support system of people you can go to when you feel like you are about to loose it......were all here cheering you on !!! :cheers:

Wow you are an amazing person. You really got a lot going on in your life. Anyone, I mean ANYONE would have a hard time keeping up this pace. You know you got to gear down a bit but how you do that is up to you.