Don't Want To Be A Nurse Anymore...

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2012

What qualities are you seeking in a job? The answer to this question is very important because it shall determine the next career decision that you make.

I can understand your feelings and wish you the best of luck.

amari · Dec 3, 2012

Thanks for the reply, Commuter.

You're certainly right, what I'm seeking in a job is an excellent question. I'm trying to find the answer. Complicating things is the fact that I'm planning a big move in (hopefully) the next 5 years or so, to a very remote location in northern California. The place I'll be moving to is mostly off the grid with only dirt road access, and the nearest hospital is over an hour's drive away. I'm guessing that there's not much turnover with nursing jobs in this area, given that there are so few. I may not be able to work much anyway due to my partner's job (and hopefully we'll have some kids by then). So right now I'm debating about whether to try to get the RN (which may end up being a useless waste of time and money...not to mention the time/effort it might take to actually get into a program), or taking an entirely different track and finding something I can do via the internet. I'm leaning toward the latter option. I really have no interest in getting the RN, but on the other hand...it's always good to have options. I don't know. I don't want to be a nurse anymore, but not being a nurse anymore is sort of scary, too. Well, that's life, I guess.

It would be nice to chat with nurses who are thinking about different careers, just to hear their stories and their decision-making process.

MedChica · Dec 3, 2012

I was burned out of my previous career field (rad tech/ct/management/military). I can understand.

I just quit cold turkey. Was I scared? Not really.

Do I advise the same?

Nope. It was hard. I never did regret leaving. Maybe...the way I went about it. LOL I didn't keep my license current. I did the whole 'take this job and shove it' schpeal with middle fingers blazing (ok, maybe I don't regret THAT. LOL It's been 6 years later and they can all still kiss my a--!).

I was done. 'Over it'. In fact, I couldn't have been more 'over it' if I were standing 10 ft in front of it. I could've been folding t-shirts at The Gap and been completely content with life.

That was my 'American Beauty' moment.

I never did regret leaving and seeking better, however. I went back to school and didn't return to work for 2 years. When I did finally rejoin he workforce? I got a job at UPS. I didn't have to think. I wasn't in charge of anyone or anything. Someone was always telling me what to do.

I was just a straight up 'worker bee'.

It was great.

That's nothing. I used to work with a rad doc who told me that he wanted to be a used car salesman. LOL We'd sit around and trade stories all the time. He never left, though.

But, of course, he wouldn't. The man earned about $245,000/per year. It's not easy for most people to just pick up and leave that kind of security. Plus, his daughter was at Harvard, so he def couldn't. It's nice to dream, though.

Nursing? Meh. I 'love' nursing (at the moment) because it's new...AND because I know myself well enough (thanks to my last burnout meltdown) to know the signs and how best to manage such things.

I work weekends and nights, with good reason. The politics of nursing would drive me insane - would kill my spirit - if I worked 9-5, mon-fri. It's the only way that I can maintain my dewy eyed 'Pollyanna' outlook where nursing is concerned. LOL

...and I know what goes on during the week because I occasionally pick up shifts during the day and it's nothing but hellraising, drama and ******* contests.

Of course, everyone compliments my diligence and focus. I'm 'the hardworker'.

Some of it's just how I work. But, honestly? I just put my head down and concentrate on my tasks+pt's+aides because I don't want to be bothered with it or any of those crazy a--s women.

Last week, we lost 6 aides. GOOD aides, too. I mean, what are they doing to these guys to make them quit?! SMH

Anyway - I see nothing on my regular shifts. I hear nothing, because the unconventional shifts are never kept in the loop. Nights and weekends are the last to know everything...and that's how I like it: Blissfully oblivious.

Ignorance is bliss. LOL

So, IMO? You spend a lot of time and energy - a great deal of your life - at work and that's entirely too much spent not doing work that makes you happy.

Seek a more fulfilling path, I say. Just cover your bets and keep that nurse license current.

amari · Dec 6, 2012

Thanks MedChica. Yes, I'm planning on continuing to work as a nurse while I go back to school for something else. The idea of trying to get my RN- with all the fiery hoops you have to jump through- just feels like drudgery to me....like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I started researching web design programs and was absolutely giddy over the fact that I would be REQUIRED to take Photoshop and photography classes. Nursing has completely killed my creativity...after awhile, especially in LTC, everything gets to be rote. You don't even really need to use critical thinking skills because you've seen everything already and you just know the answer. The stress and the hours and the depressing stuff (I'm prone to depression) have just totally burned and bummed me out. I'm sure that my second career will have B.S. as well....but at this point I feel like nothing they could throw at me would be harder than nursing has been. Nothing could be harder, in web design, than having 5 of your patients (that you've gotten attached to) die in a month (they all had cancer). I was so depressed that I had to go on prozac, and the prozac made me want to kill myself. Good times! I remember that I went to employee mental health and they were like, "you need a professional". Really? What the heck are you? Just another aspect of nursing that's horrible- no support. At this point, I'm just checked out. I'm done with it. And in my current job, it's more about waiting hand and foot on the doctors than it is about service to the patients...And I can't stand most doctors. Pompous no-common-sense-having jerks, a lot of 'em. So, yes, I've had enough. And I agree with you- evenings and NOC shifts are the way to go. I always worked evenings, when I had the option. I'll probably go back to med cart drudgery while I go to school, at least on a part time basis. Not thrilled about it, but it's not like you have options as an LPN.

BeachBliss114 · Aug 18, 2016

I completely agree. I worked 3-11 mon-thurs for a while when I first started then I went to 7-3. When I went 7-3 mon-fri I ended up working 1 double. The 3-11 was cake. The reason I swapped was for more time with family when my child was out of school. Even on 7-3 I didn't hear much of the politics. I have the same mindset as you. Ignorance is bliss. I don't want the drama, don't care.

I love your last statement about spending a lot of time at work.

Lisa1212 · Apr 6, 2022

I am totally changing careers. At my age, I don't want someone half my age telling me when I can use the restroom or take my break. I don't want to work weekends , holidays , or the night shift for a pay differential. Being an LPN/LVN is super hard work and low pay for what we do. Im pursuing an Elementary school teaching degree all online. I want to work 10 months out of the year with summers off, no weekends, no holidays and get paid for them too !

Stef30175 · Apr 7, 2022

Good morning! It is nice to see that I am not the only one feeling this way. I have been an LPN for over 6 years. I have worked primarily in LTCs. I have, also, dabbled in Peds, Urology, and eventually got into school health. I hated every position I have ever had. My dream job was always to be a school nurse. Well here I am and I am still miserable. It's my dream job so why would I not be happy. I'm now starting to have the same feelings I have had at other facilities. Honestly, I have a ball of anxiety building inside of me that will probably cause the same feelings I have had before. I feel that if I do this job for one more minute I am going to explode. Every day I contemplate just leaving and never turning back to nursing. I feel that I would be doing much better at a low stressed, low responsibility position (like stocking shelves or cashier at a convenient store). Just as I am ready to pack my things and leave this all behind, I think about how little I will be paid and the fact that I know I will feel a certain way about going from a nurse to a cashier. Then I think would I be happy/content in any job and that maybe I should just become a hermit. Any thoughts or ideas would be much appreciated!

Lisa1212 · Apr 7, 2022

Hi. I can relate to everything you said as well. It's really hard work being an LVN and forget about trying to support yourself much less if you have to support kids. My advice is to get out while you can. I'm a little older , 54 yrs old, and its really hard at this age. You don't recover from standing at the med cart for 6 hrs like you did in your 20s. I am pursuing a degree for teaching online through Grand Canyon University. I also was a school nurse, but found that to be a very stressful job. I liked volunteering in my sons classrooms and that's how I decided on teaching. I also have a friend who switched to real estate and she loves it ! I'm jealous because she sets her own hours. She does well and says, you get out of it what you put in. Find what your passion is and pursue it !

CoCat · Aug 25

I'm where you are. I just left a short-term SNF. I've been doing this 5 years. Not LTCs as much as short-term skilled with a smattering of longer term skilled patients. Stressful. Sometimes it's like IDK what tf happens on a med surg unit but I don't see how it could be worse than 17-20 patients when 3 are on q4 IV antibiotics and everybody's got wound vacs or drains and there's 8 accuchecks ac and there's always at least 1 full code person circling a drain with a family in denial at bedside yelling at me. And the NPs are like "before we send them out I need you to execute several pointless orders that take a ton of your time and won't really help because imaging and labs take hours to even arrive in the building,” and management is like "too many send outs we need to do an inservice,” even though the people they're admitting are getting sent back to the hospital to die or wind up in the ICU. I hate it. I. Hate. It. Meanwhile that one patient delays the care of all my others. And all the nurses have one. So we can't really help each other. And managers pretend this is normal. And so do we.

and I hate it. It's burned me out so badly. I have no desire to work in healthcare at all now. None. I can't stomach the thought of going back to school, the hypocrisy of it, the lies about patient advocacy....just so they can send us out into this meat grinder. Miss me with all of it. I'm fantasizing about my kids moving out finally so I can live in my car rather than be forced by our anstronomical rent into doing this job. I am hugging you. I bet we'd be friends in the supply room at work just telling dark jokes and hating the same managers to make it more bearable. Good luck.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Aug 26

I won't encourage you to go to RN school, because you don't want to. LTC is broken in the US. It is normal to hate that work environment and burn out of it. Home health, private duty, hospice are all options I would recommend to an LPN, and it looks like you haven't tried those yet. However, you may be in a place where you need to break up with nursing either temporarily or permanently, and if that is the case, it doesn't make sense to go there. I advise you to keep your license active until you feel sure about things, it's easier that way. And I fully support you pursuing another interest altogether. I don't believe that most people are built for just one career in their lives.