Finally decided to quit nursing

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Specializes in SICU, CCU, MCU, peds, physician's office.

Hi everyone. I have been a nurse for over 7 years and for the past year I have debated getting out of the profession for good. I had just finished the week long hospital orientation for a new job and was to start clinical orientation Sunday. Between Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon I was having big doubts about the job, then I realized that it wasn't the job itself that I didn't like. I hate hate hate being a nurse. I called the unit manager on her cell phone Saturday afternoon and told her my decision and that I would not be coming back. I am scared to death because I have no income at this point but at the same time I have a sense of relief and peace about the whole situation.

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Hi everyone. I have been a nurse for over 7 years and for the past year I have debated getting out of the profession for good. I had just finished the week long hospital orientation for a new job and was to start clinical orientation Sunday. Between Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon I was having big doubts about the job, then I realized that it wasn't the job itself that I didn't like. I hate hate hate being a nurse. I called the unit manager on her cell phone Saturday afternoon and told her my decision and that I would not be coming back. I am scared to death because I have no income at this point but at the same time I have a sense of relief and peace about the whole situation.

You quit your job with no notice, and no financial back up?

Yeeks.

I seem to recall some study back in the nineties that found the average professional life of an RN to be six to seven years.

Indeed, it seems the hardest years are the first two, and then again about year seven.

I don't "hate" nursing in my current role, but there have been a couple positions that I hated; made me want to jump off a tall building rather than face another day.

I think there is a huge disconnect between what we think it's going to be like as a student, and what the reality is.

Good luck to you. If you hate nursing, but love medicine and treating people, ever thought about advancing your education to a practitioner role?

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I wish you the best. I understand completely. I've been a RN for 8 years and this is going to be my last year. My goal is to be in a different career by 2013. Good luck!

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Perhaps it's bedside nursing you don't enjoy? What about case management or public health? Do you have a back up plan of some sort? I can relate....I have no intention of working any hospital units except for the OR. Everywhere is grossly understaffed.

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Good luck. It is admirable in some way. hope you have some money saved up!

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Good, luck It is better to get out now, then wish you had in 20 years and be the nurse everyone hates.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

I bet you will be just fine! Then again, I always try to be positive send good vibes about situations like this, rather than using scare tactics-the sky is falling garbage. Best thing I ever did was get out of a job a hated-and I got out quickly. It was all positive from there.

Do some GOOGLE searches which have done studies comparing a person settling for a job that they hate and which made them emotionally and physically ill versus being unemployed. I think you will be quite shocked with the results. You obviously have education and experience. You will find a job. I wouldn't worry!

P.S...........and it isn't the Nurse everyone "hates" as mentioned above----it is the nurse that you have become that YOU hate. Look out for number one-nobody else will!

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Specializes in peds-trach/vent.

good luck to you.:)

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Hi everyone. I have been a nurse for over 7 years and for the past year I have debated getting out of the profession for good. I had just finished the week long hospital orientation for a new job and was to start clinical orientation Sunday. Between Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon I was having big doubts about the job, then I realized that it wasn't the job itself that I didn't like. I hate hate hate being a nurse. I called the unit manager on her cell phone Saturday afternoon and told her my decision and that I would not be coming back. I am scared to death because I have no income at this point but at the same time I have a sense of relief and peace about the whole situation.

Well, Jennjen512 - gotta say that I admire your chutzpah on this one; for me it took almost a quarter of a century & some serious soul searching (not to mention the death of 2 family members) to realize I was in the wrong career. In my case, it was IT I bailed on - ironically enough, the last place I worked is looking for a programmer as we speak! Needless to say, even being financially back up against the wall I'm not interested in sticking my head back into that particular meatgrinder - get the shakes just thinking about it.

Know what you mean about feeling so much better about a situation - when I got the axe back in June of 2009, eveyone looked at me like I was nuts when I said I was looking at moving into the nursing profession. But - it was just such a relief not to have to be creative on demand; not to have endless staff meetings to determine what a staff memeber wanted, only to have them change their mind mid-stream, or worse when the project was completed. No more being subjected to continual harassment by managers & co-workers. No more being under continual electronic scrutiny. No more doing work that always seemed to be totally useless & meaningless. Happy sigh!

As for me - newly minted CNA & working on prereqs to move into an LVN/ADN/BSN program, while looking for a paying gig - and, looking forward to the change!

Just hope you can figure out how to collect unemployment or something so you can stay at least somewhat financially solvent. Any ideas as to where you'd like to professionally go post-nursing?

----- Dave

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Specializes in PCCN.

You did what I hope to have the guts to do some day. I hate nursing too- there arent any other settings to go into except bedside- which is the worst. Best wishes to you and congrats on getting your life back.

It has run through my mind especially lately, that it might be more important to file for bankruptcy and work at burger king, than to continue in this hE double hockeystick that nursing is.

I'm so jealous! :-)

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Specializes in LTAC, ICU, ER, Informatics.

IEDave, I'm leaving IT as well... I despise the constant scope creep, the "I didn't say I wanted that, you did it wrong", the endless projects from the 9th circle of hades, and never being "finished" with anything.

Everyone thinks I'm nuts to leave a "cushy" job with flex time and good pay to go into nursing, but it's what I really want to do.

If you ever get tired of patient care, look into Medical Informatics. It's my backup plan down the road if I get injured or burned out with patient care. :)

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I got out for almost 5 yrs. I needed to. I did keep my license current and came back only to embrace my profession. It does happen.

Good luck to you and your new future.

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