Don't like nursing at all, what can I do with my BSN?

[lostrnugh]

I've been an RN for 6 months working in acute care. After working for 6 months I'm dreadfully burnt out. Nursing is not what I thought it was. Nursing school just prepared us to do nursing tasks but it didn't show us the real world behind the scenes of nursing. Dealing with admits and discharges and orders upon orders and providers losing temper always stressed running from room to room having IV bags passing meds on time cleaning up a bed fast patient and falling behind providers yelling because they orders Stat labs an hour ago but I didn't see them because I was busy with another patient. I can't deal with that type of situation anymore and I'm just burnt. My family has seen a drastic change in my demeanor and have noticed I've been depressed and quiet and not who I used to be any more and frankly it's because of this job.

Not just that but I'm really just tired of the whole bedside / direct patient care. Techs never doing their part so I'm picking up all their tasks at the same time while they text on their phones in the utilities room.

I'm not really sure where to go now or what to do. I've had multiple panic attacks prior and during work due to the stress and responsibilities bestowed upon me. Nursing school never prepared us for this and I had no clue this is what nursing was so now I am regretting entering the field.

I'm in debt nearly 35k for school and Idk what else I can do with my BSN. I really want to go back to school and go into telecom or computer engineering where the level of responsibility is not as high and the stress level is at a minimum.

Any advice at all? I really been thinking about this for a few months now and I just don't like bed side/ direct patient care at all. Idk if I should try and find an outpatient position or something that doesn't involve doing bedside nursing care. Or if there is something else I can do with my BSN.

Thanks guys

[Shenurse67]

6 months? You haven't even given it a chance. It's not possible that you have mastered it. That's probably why you are stressed and depressed. At least give it a couple of years. Sheesh!

[Tarasmithrn]

There are several other options if you absolutely hate bedside nursing. One would be an equipment rep for things like rectal tubes or wound vacs (I'm sure there are other products, just thinking of recent in services). You would have to travel to do in-services for these products.. but most make $35 an hour plus travel per diem pay. You could also work for an insurance company.. I think insurance companies even have stay at home jobs for RN's. It sounds like you work on a pretty demanding unit and you don't have much help. Sadly, many units are this way.. but you can find some good ones if you're patient. Hope this helps!

[Spiker, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

I can only say "wow" to the fact that youre "burned out" after only six months on the job. Many of us last 30, 35, 40+ years in Nursing (I just retired after 39 years an OR nurse). Honey, it takes a lot longer than 6 months to get yourself to a comfortable working routine! You barely know where everything is; you don't know every doc's needs, preferences, & idiosyncracies yet for every illness/procedure/treatment; it takes time & experie to learn how to juggle your daily schedule, multitask, prioritze, assess, plan, implement treatment, & reassess care & treatments for multiple patients! i have a recruiting pamphlet for a medical center i worked in for 25 years: a photographer came around on the evening shift (that I worked for 18 years) & the photo that made it into the pamphlet showed me setting up & running an IV through the tubing into a garbage can, while cradling a phone (MD giving orders on abdominal pain admit) on my shoulder, & wr,iting the verbal orders into the patient's chart - i needed 3 hands almost! What i'm trying to point out is the profession is all about being constantly on the move, keeping a step ahead, learning something new everydsy, even after 35 years on the job! In my opinion, you need a longer mentoring experience, because your clinical student rotations obviously didnt give you the time you need to ecperience the reality of Nursing! i'm sure folks will have suggestions regarding what to do with the BSN you worked hard for

[kerrhi]

I feel ypur pain. CNA's & practitioners can do no wrong. The aides are in & put of the break room & bathrooms more than they are patients rooms! And heaven forbid a practitioner *gasp* communicate with you! Not to mention the abuse we take from the family, the patient's, transport, teletechs, etc. What's disheartening the most is how ANM's & NM just turn a blind eye to it all.

I've said it a million times & I will say it a million more....

We can rant & rave & stick together over a stupid stethoscope comment, but remain very silent when it comes to the real stuff.

So...what is the point to my rant? Good nurses leave areas like med-surg to escape these issues. It is my hope that I can somehow in the future change this. We need to change the thinking that the solution is to leave the unit. By doing so, we are just setting up the next new nurse for the same issues, & feelings!

[Nurse1976]

My dear I have been a nurse 40 years, I have done some of everything, I have worked acute care, home care, and long term care and academia at every level I have learned much. You must decide what you want to do as a nurse BUT whatever you do there will still be a level of stress because of your professional status that never goes away and you must maintain that. As a nurse remember you are the leader of the care delivery team and will always be accountable for that. Take a minute, step back and see what really interests you whatever it is I will guarantee you you'll be able to do it as a nurse.

[mocham]

Have you looked into case management? I was a floor nurse for about a year. It took a full year for me to start getting comfortable, but I too did not like floor nursing. I have a business background and was offered a position in case management. I LOVE it and still use my clinical knowledge in this position. Still get to work with patients and feel like, in a lot of ways, we are very helpful to patients and families. It's more rewarding to me than the task managing (or lack of) surrounding floor nursing. Good luck!

[DogWmn]

Hmmmm Welp I graduated when dinosaurs walked the earth in '72 from an LPN program ~ we had more clinical hours than the ADN and BSN programs only the Diploma nurses had more. I was fully prepared for my work and it took 20 years to burn out and move on to other things. Back then there were only RN's & LPN's in the hospital no cna's or techs. My favorite jobs were working in rural Family Practice long before urgent care ~ we were the urgent care along with doing cradle to grave care seeing whole families OB and peds ~ no matter what the schedule said there were always a few surprises ~ It was fast paced but doable, I felt like I was making a difference too.

OP ~ 1st ~ get out from where you at NOW! 2nd evaluate what you did like about nursing and go from there. With a BSN you will have many doors open ~ look at something like sub accute or Skilled Nursing Facility as an RN you will be in management not direct patient care. 3rd you need to get some help dealing with this, I don't know if your facility offers anything but they should at least have a help line you can call. 4th your health comes first, if your not healthy you can't give good care with the stress you are under.

BTW as a side note ~ I let my nursing license lapse ~ big mistake and the BON in my state told me I must take my whole program over again and at 65 I wasn't going to do that(waiting lists and costs would have me at 68 and in debt). So I just graduated from a CNA course and I'm a "new CNA" LOL Don't give up ~ get healthy and work some place else ~ there is a job out there for you.

[renecherubs]

i can totally relate to this. regardless what other nurses say, direct patient care is totally a very stressful job. some endure it, others have panic attacks, while others quit. what i can say is that, get enough time of experience like 1 or 2 years. endure it a little bit. so you'll have enough ammunition to apply for none direct patient care jobs. because you'll need it.

i would suggest after enough experience to apply for a public health nurse, school nurse, company nurse. these type of nursing career is much less stressful and you'll get to enjoy your job and be happy about it. hospital nursing career wherever department is stressful. because you have to deal with doctors, patients and all that crazy paper works and computer works.

and if you can't deal with the stress right now. that you feel you'll burst, transfer to slow pace floor. like the transitional care unit (tcu) and step-down unit.

[Winan]

Back when I got out of school, we did an area survey, of clinical hours between ADN schools, and BSN prepared grads. ADN grads came in with nearly 3x the clinical hours than BSN programs, and many area hospitals would prefer to hire tech grads, because they came out with more hands on.

If hands on is not for you, what about working as a phone triage nurse? Insurance claim worker?

or Utilization Review?

spend a little money on a head hunter. They will help you find exactly what your looking for, in what state, and for the best available pay. And they usually keep your name in their database, so if something better comes along, they can contact you in the future.

[Bassetthoundgal]

My advice is to get some acute care experience first before doing any other field. At least a few years. I wish I had stuck it out. I left too soon and never did well in the other areas because of this lack of experience. Try different acute care settings, but stick with it.

[Winbe529]

After almost thirty years..I still remember vividly approaching the unit in the am with tachycardia and the "sphincture" response". For about a YEAR. I have done many things, critical care, pain management, research study coordinator, acute care manager, manager of a free standing endo center, Periop, Rapid Response Rn. I remember driving home in tears and questioned why I did this ( nursing was a second career). I don't know where you work..however it is not acceptable for physicians to yell at you..ever. Hang in there..get some more experience..take advantage of all skills opportunities you can..ACLS, Moderate sedation, take a PIC line course, etc. this will open up new avenues.

[Texasnurse81]

Your working in med/surg which is one of the hardest, most stressful areas of nursing. Try to work in a different area. It could be your hospital too, I left a job that was doing the same thing to me but I switched hospitals and started working in imu. I too was a different person with all that stress but now i am living life and enjoying my work once again. I wouldn't give up just yet.