I am thinking about it. I feel like I have aged soooo much since becoming a nurse. Especially the past couple of months. Also, I have GI probs because my nerves are shot (diarrhea every night, minutes before I leave for work), and I sometimes feel my heart race when I am at work and one of my coworkers is communicating with me in a aggressive or passive-aggresive manner. Fine lines are starting to surface, my feet ache, and I am mentally exhausted.
Been thinking about becoming a Paralegal. My friend works as one and absolutely loves her independence. As a matter of fact, I think I am jealous of her! Sure, lawyers are cranky 99% of the time, but cranky/grouchy is better than passive-aggressive, bitchy, and manipulative! She spends a lot of her day working from home, or in the legal library. Ahhh.
Or I have been thinking about court stenography. Big bucks, sans cattiness, for the most part.
Or........A dog groomer. If I choose this route, I will open my own biz.
Or Paralegal/court stenographer AND dog groomer.
So, have you, or do you know of anyone, who said bu-bye to nursing and went back to school to pursue something else? DO they have any regrets? What type of work did they pursue?
Like everything in life you have to access and decide the pros and cons in your personal life and then make a decision.
I find that there are many jobs in nursing that are not bedside care.After at least two -3year experience at bedside you can branch out away from bedside.
For example, here are some non bedside nursing jobs that are out there
I know that insurance companies like ETNA hire nurses. Nurses understand medical jargon and have critical thinking skills that translate well in this business.
Pharmaceutical Companies have various job in which the hire nurses
Pharmaceutical Rep
Nurses are hired by Pharm companies to call patients and discuss side effects of medications they are using. I was offered such a job at it paid really well with flexible hours. Travel time was bad for me so I did not take it.
Nurses are hired in areas of research in Pharmceutical companies
Visiting Nurse Service
Case managers
School Nurse
Companies Hire Occupational Health Nurse
Lactation nurse or teach delivery classes for pregnant moms and there spouses
Forensic Nurse
I currently have a per diem job as triage nurse in a Nice size commnuity health center and I love it. Its very busy but not stressfull like bedside and its my fun job for now.
You have got options not everything is bedside but you do need the degree and I think that not to many degrees offer so much diversity in job enviornments to choose from
Just food for thought
Angela
Sorry for all the typos but do not have time to correct them and edit. I think you get the jest of the post though
Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.
Although I have "left" bedside nursing - I am still technically still a nurse.
I am currently working flight and it is far more like being a paramedic (one with additional education/critical care experience) than a nurse most of the time.
IF I ever leave flight - I resolve never to return to nursing (unless the profession does a 180). I will go to law school, be a pet photographer (hobby, for now) or be a SAH wife/cat mom.
Some days my current job is tough - but the unrealistic patient loads, demanding families, entitled patients, arrogant doc's and idiotic management/marketing folks are in my PAST. I feel respected and I work hard to earn it - everyday in every way!
Sure, I have far more physical demands (hot/cold/altitude/vibration/noise) and I have to maintain exceptional clinical credentials and competencies - but it is a trade that has been a blessing for me.
I'm not proud that I "needed" out of nursing. It was quite sad. I think that the true salvation of nursing may be the number of options available to practice in. I hope that all the great nurses out there will not give up - look at other areas of practice. Take a breather. Let's demand a change. The one thing that nurses excel in is care for others at the expense of self care. Let's change that - start with yourself (if necessary) and then inspire those around you. Let's stop accepting less than stellar treatment from those we work for and with. Folks do treat you the way you let them - lets let it be known that we matter! That we count, that we are worthy of respect. We are special! And then, maybe, be can be surprised if anyone leaves nursing - rather than being surprised that anyone stays! Anyone else feel this way?
My friend was "downsized by a hospital in the late 1990's" She decided to opened her own bakery. It was a struggle at first getting started and getting up at 4:00 in the A.M. baking goodies for breakfast rush. She opened her second bakery and now owns a very sucessful business. She will never return to nursing. The food is great!
yes, my mom. and she urged me to reconsider going into nursing. well, here I am about to grad in 2 wks. hopefully things will go better in my own career.
I am currently in college earning a bachelor degree in clinical laboratory science. It will take me a total of 3 years to earn it but, I am burn-out from nursing after just 3 years of working as a nurse. I rather work in non-patient contact area in the health field.
I feel it is ok to have to go back to school to learn a new trade/profession just to get out of nursing and still make a good living. The money we make as nurses is not worth all the stresses we have to deal with in nursing and bad health outcomes that we suffer from due to that stress.
I have recently resolved to leave nursing. I have been a nurse for about two years and I have come to the conclusion that I chose the wrong career. I have tried different areas of nursing, including non-clinical positions. Although I preferred positions outside of acute care, I still was not content. I have been seeing a career counselor who has really helped me in my decision to leave nursing. She asked me to imagine myself in a setting/job/career in which I am happy and look forward to going to work. I can see myself being happy in a few different settings, but none of them have anything to do with nursing. I am in the process of trying to decide what to go back to school for, but it is going to happen and I will leave the nursing profession. Once I decided that, it was like a HUGE weight was lifted from me. I no longer have to force myself to try to like nursing or find the evasive "niche". Good luck in your decision.
I have recently resolved to leave nursing as well. I've worked in different areas in addition to SICU and none of them are better than the other. Earlier this year I left for a Case Management job and it was awful as well, and now that I'm back in ICU it only reinforces to me, sometimes several times a day, that it's time for me to leave.
Once the credit cards are paid off and the house is finished (1-2 years, tops) I am OUT. Nursing is not for me, not anymore.
I apologize for completely hijacking this thread, but...Andreas wrote, "...due to very few health care employers providing insurance..."
Yikes! Is this true? I will admit I haven't really checked this out; I just assumed that hospitals (and doctors' offices, I should think) provide health benefits.
I just thought this bore repeating. Many of us lost jobs or were unceremoniously dumped in the 1990's. I lost 2 psych nursing jobs and one rehab job when facilities folded up in the 90's due to reimbursement changes. I retooled and got other nursing jobs but I will never again feel nursing is a bombproof career.
Re: hospitals and benefits...I am a career change nurse and the worst benefit packages I've had in 30 years of professional employment have been with hospitals. Skimpy health insurance, minimal dental, not a lot of extras. Please look at the pension and retirement plans closely. One place I worked put a whopping 1% a year toward retirement. By contrast my current government job puts 20% of my salary into my pension fund annually.
Earlier this year I left for a Case Management job and it was awful as well, and now that I'm back in ICU it only reinforces to me, sometimes several times a day, that it's time for me to leave.
I know what you mean. Case Management is supposed to be about enhancing our patients' health outcomes. But with all the Case Management positions I've held, it has been more about enhancing my employers' bottom lines, instead.
My CCM certifcation is up for renewal next year, and I am seriously considering letting it expire. What good is it, if I am not being allowed to use it?
Specializes in Med-Surg, HH, Tele, Geriatrics, Psych.
After many years in nursing, I left it for 3 months in Jan 07. I was absolutely exhausted, frustrated and needed a break! This was after about 12 years of bedside nursing and 15 months of home health. We could not really afford it, though, so in April 07, I went to work for a local hospital as a Med-Surg traveler. The pay is good, the insurance is so-so, and the stress level is lower, d/t not having to attend mandatory meetings and all the extra stuff that comes from being a regular staff member. The hospital is 8 miles from my home, so I do not have to "travel" anywhere with my family. I think sometimes the regular staff members resent the fact that I make more than they do (although they would be really pissed if they knew how much more, and I'm not telling). This is the way I look at it, though. Everyone has to do what they have to do. Those nurses also have the opportunity to travel or switch jobs, so do not be upset at me because I chose to take that route, ya know?
The thing that keeps nursing sane for me at this time is that when I am not at work, I do not think about work. I know some nurses and CNA's that call work on their days/nights off. When I am off, I spend time with my family, catch up on my sleep, enjoy my hobbies, and putter around my house. If you think of nursing as a way to make a living, give it your all when you are at work, and then go out of "nursing mode" when you are off, it is much simpler to deal with. As far as passive-aggressive people, I work with them too, and for the most part, I just ignore them and their behavior. They have the problem, not me. Hope this helps!
angelique777
263 Posts
Like everything in life you have to access and decide the pros and cons in your personal life and then make a decision.
I find that there are many jobs in nursing that are not bedside care.After at least two -3year experience at bedside you can branch out away from bedside.
For example, here are some non bedside nursing jobs that are out there
I know that insurance companies like ETNA hire nurses. Nurses understand medical jargon and have critical thinking skills that translate well in this business.
Pharmaceutical Companies have various job in which the hire nurses
Visiting Nurse Service
Case managers
School Nurse
Companies Hire Occupational Health Nurse
Lactation nurse or teach delivery classes for pregnant moms and there spouses
Forensic Nurse
I currently have a per diem job as triage nurse in a Nice size commnuity health center and I love it. Its very busy but not stressfull like bedside and its my fun job for now.
You have got options not everything is bedside but you do need the degree and I think that not to many degrees offer so much diversity in job enviornments to choose from
Just food for thought
Angela
Sorry for all the typos but do not have time to correct them and edit. I think you get the jest of the post though