are you burnt out too?

ISITFRIDAYYET · May 9, 2006

After 15 years,,,,,fried to a crisp:bluecry1:

LPN2long · May 9, 2006

After 31 yrs, I'm ready to leave it to the more young and robust. hehehe

blue280 · May 9, 2006

Gosh, I feel bad. It's only taken me 5 years. My last 1.5 has been in hospice and it real just sucked the life out of me. Will take a job now with less pt care to see if that helps

vloho · May 9, 2006

Maybe this is the way to get the LVN/LPN out of the work force. I never wanted to be an RN, b/c I didnt want the responsibilitys envolved, well the LVN got some anyway.Most newer LVN,s that go on to get the RN have a better chance. It seems like the resume of the LVN looks like one can't keep a job ,one year here and one there,I think I'll go be a greeter at wal-mart,at least that way I can smile and be happy say hello and not have someones life in my hands. Good bye, Thank you for shopping at W/M ,have a wonderful day ,take care now, Ya'll come back now hear. :lol2:

Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN · May 9, 2006

Yes.

I am "leaving" the profession - will return to school. Law school. Will defer till Fall 2007. I'm here until I'm there!

I started 5549 days ago (yep, that is 15 years, 2 months and 9 days). I had my first "burn out" 4 months short of the 5 year mark.

My faith was restored - I prayed, focused on family, friends and self care. I read for pleasure and slowly worked to sharpen my clinical base with additional certifications/courses and my zen just kinda returned. But, something was different.

Many times later - I can now tell you that I am done. I just can't get back there anymore. Yes, I have good moments in good days (and I will never allow my patients to get less than the clinical excellence that they deserve) but I am just depleted. No longer do I try to break it. It is what it is.

If anything this profession should teach us that time can be short. Grief and tragedy have no rules and are equal opportunity. I can no longer do something for $$$ that leaves me constantly feeling this way....

The sad thing is, that although I do love many aspects of the professions, I do not like the job. The hours, hostility, entitlement, violence, threats, fraud (plain old lies!), manipulation, abuse, and disrespect have just done me in! (At least with law - it will be the devil you know) Add this to occasionally getting to care for the critically ill/injured and the true tragedies that occur - well, here I am!

Some are leaving, but I know lots more that would get out if they could. It seems to me that nurses really can NOT stop the bleeding...and the system(hospital, ECF's, etc.) doesn't seem to care.

Anyone else????

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · May 9, 2006

I am burnt out on Med-Surg. The past 6 yrs I have been on the floor. I feel stuck though because I am in the middle of pre-req's for RN. Am going to try and hang in there until I complete the transitional program. Unfortunately, I won't be able to enter the program until summer of next year. My nurse manager is very good about working around my school schedule and since I plan on dropping to PT when I enter the nursing program, I feel like I should stay.

Med-surg nursing is really draining me. I am hoping after I get my RN I will have more opportunity in the job market. My history has been changing jobs about every 5 yrs to avoid burn-out. Nursing has so many areas. I am thinking about returning to public health eventually. Until then, one foot in front of the other...praying the whole time!

nurse_clown · May 9, 2006

after 10 years, i am burnt. i'm burnt of the politics, hostil environments, and most of all the paperwork. how do i revitalize my nursing inner child? any feedback would be greatly appreciated.:angryfire

when i saw that post, i thought i posted that. but i've only been in acute care nursing for three years or so. but yes, i get irritated at the politics, the hostile environments and paperwork. i don't think i'm at the "burn-out" stage yet, but i see it a lot in my coworkers. the other day, they came in angry. the fulltimer came in angry! i couldn't even look them in the eye. i had a pretty good shift because i'm trying to make the "perfect shift" so every shift i go to is a personal challenge. but fun to say the least. but that's beside the point. i dread 0650. that's when "they" come in. that's when i know that my bubble is going to get busted by a grump full-timer. i try my best to make my shift the perfect one and also try and make their shifts easier for them. but at 0650 my happiness fizzles and that doomed feeling of dread takes over. i think i try and do that little "extra" to make sure their shift goes smoothely for the day, so my shift can go smoothely at night and i can focus on the patients.

it takes me about an hour at home to talk to my hubby. i'm pleased with my efforts but frustrated that i can't make my coworkers happy. i tell the "higher ups" about the miscontent on my "off time" because i have that relationship with them. at home, i keep myself happy. very happy by doing things that don't require thinking. like plants. my dog. my funny kids. i try and research work related articles. sometimes, i'd rather sleep all day long but i get out in the sun. i also go see my dad as much as i can. he's pretty busy too but somehow, we find the time. when i'm not at work, i try not to think about work. i know the work conditions are bad. but when i'm there i have to focus on what's important which to me, is the most important. to h*ll with the politics. i leave that to the geniuses. and sometimes i get a good laugh when i see their decisions in practice. i realize the geniuses don't know what it's like on the front lines. so what? i don't have the time to tell them. but i will make sure i do the best i can and try and be the best. that's what they hired me to do. i think management is hired to balance the budget and think in terms of numbers. nursing isn't like that.

sometimes, we just have to step back and realize that we can't get so involved. when you start to spread yourself too thin by caring about the politics, work environment, and paperwork. leave the politics to management and unions. leave the workenvironment to the individuals who set the pace and just get the paperwork done. when you leave work, forget about it!!! when you are there be the best nurse you can be. when the conditions deteriorate, then be the strong one and not allow the patients know that somethings wrong. enjoy what life has to offer. try and laugh.

sorry about the length of this. i guess maybe i'm trying to convince myself too. but the burn-out, i see it all around me.

Trauma Columnist · May 9, 2006

I have been a nurse for 14 yrs (2 as an LPN and 12 as an RN). I have gone back to school, gotten every cert imaginable and still I can't find the right job. Very frustrating. I too am thinking of completely getting out of nursing and going into something else - not even sure I want to work anymore but since I have bills, I guess I have to. lol

I know in my case that while I really like my job (staff nursing in a busy ER) I have an advanced degree and no job prospects - NONE!!!! Now...I have BIG student loans which must be repaid YIKES.

chadash · May 9, 2006

If you were a NA, and nursing was out of reach for you, what education would you get to stay in a helping job but not do LTC (getting too old, pretty strong still, but time is running out) or home health (just a bit bored with it...done it a long time)?

I like geriatrics and pediatrics.

vloho · May 9, 2006

I think Rn 's have a better chance b/c they can go so many other directions in nursing,from School Nurse to patient adfocate in the law most all these professions want RN's . If I an LVN want to go any where else I have to go back to school ,and being 52 I don't think I have it in me .As far as money goes well we all have to learn to live within our means . I have not had INS. for 6 or 7 yrs after my husband left his job and me ,you'd think I would be bitter ,but that's the good part, the attitude of of supervisors wanting absolute perfection is unreal, with the workload and the restrictions and no help, needless to say if you can't cut it you might as well get out. I'm too old,too fat, and too tired to fight the system any more I've had some wonderful times ,met some wonderful people ,and truely loved giving care to some of my residents. In 25 yrs met some dedecated women,and truely humble RN's, I can't say it's all been bad.

NrsJena · May 9, 2006

To all of you who feel burned out: I'm so sorry you have lost your passion for nursing. Maybe a change of scenery would help? For the LPNs who love nursing but feel they have no other options but to return to school- there are ALWAYS options. I have met many LPNs in positions outside of hospitals. We have options- Offices, clinics (Woundcare, Eye, Bariatric, etc.), Homecare (extended and skilled hourly), MRDD, LTC, Assisted Living, Case Management, Medical Supply.... the list goes on and on. But I will say this: eveywhere I have ever been has problems. Pick your poisen, so to speak.