Help - Need A Meaningful Job

Sour Lemon · Mar 23, 2017

I've been in nursing since 2012. I've been absolutely miserable with the jobs I've had and I think I finally figured out why. Today I had a very meaningful and fulfilling patient interaction day. So I started wondering what jobs out there would allow me to feel fulfilled on a daily basis so I'm not so miserable all the time. Does anyone know some kind of job within nursing that has meaning and purpose? I got into nursing to make a difference and help people. I haven't been doing that for five years and it's tearing me apart. I am so compassionate, caring and love spending a lot of time with my patients and trying to make them have the best experience possible. Are there any jobs out there that checks all the boxes I'm looking for?

I've heard hospice suggested under similar circumstances, but I have no personal hospice experience. I have to wonder, though ...how is your home life? The needs you express seem like needs that should be fulfilled in your personal life. Work is work at the end of the day.

pa_rn2012 · Mar 23, 2017

I'll definitely look into hospice as a possibility. I feel very passionately that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. I know other people think that work is work and its never going to be fulfilling or a wonderful experience but I feel much differently. I just haven't found my passion in my career yet. I feel like I could be doing so much more and making such a huge difference and impact in people's lives if I could only discover my true calling as a nurse. Hopefully that makes sense.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2017

Some suggestions for types of nursing that entail one-on-one patient interactions...

1. home health

2. private duty

3. hospice

4. methadone clinic

5. psychiatric intake

LovingLife123 · Mar 23, 2017

I don't believe what you are looking for exists. You won't feel fulfilled every day no matter what job you do. That's life.

Your job is what you make of it. Life is unfair, people are rude, jobs are difficult, coworkers are difficult. But, if you go in with a good, I'm going to kill it today attitude, that can make all the difference, and you can leave feeling good about your day. Don't rely on patients to make you feel fulfilled, rely on you to make yourself feeling fulfilled.

That is the secret.

RNperdiem, RN · Mar 23, 2017

What would give you the feeling you are looking for? What makes an interaction meaningful too you? It sounds like you give a lot of yourself emotionally to your patients. Patients seldom give back, notice or appreciate what we do. Is this part of your unhappiness?

pa_rn2012 · Mar 25, 2017

I don't believe that mentality at all. Self fulfillment is an important part of life to me. If someone is unhappy with their line of work or their job or their life in general, they should make an effort to change it and move onto whatever makes them happy. I understand that not every single day will be all peaches and cream but if you're miserable and make other people miserable because of your misery (misery loves company) than you're barking up the wrong tree and you need to figure out why and follow your heart. That's where I'm at now. I know I'm not happy. I also know the grass isn't always greener. But one thing I am sure of is that in order to get through life you need to make constant adjustments, learn from experiences, use all of your god given talents and skills and hopefully become a better person along the way.

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2017

I enjoy postpartum . I feel fulfilled teaching new mom's and dad's how to care for their baby!

pa_rn2012 · Mar 25, 2017

Thanks!

pa_rn2012 · Mar 26, 2017

I want to thank everyone for their input. I've stumbled across something on my own and I'm very excited about the opportunity! Take care :-)

Libby1987 · Mar 26, 2017

I don't believe that mentality at all. Self fulfillment is an important part of life to me. If someone is unhappy with their line of work or their job or their life in general, they should make an effort to change it and move onto whatever makes them happy. I understand that not every single day will be all peaches and cream but if you're miserable and make other people miserable because of your misery (misery loves company) than you're barking up the wrong tree and you need to figure out why and follow your heart. That's where I'm at now. I know I'm not happy. I also know the grass isn't always greener. But one thing I am sure of is that in order to get through life you need to make constant adjustments, learn from experiences, use all of your god given talents and skills and hopefully become a better person along the way.

It's not always the job itself but the individual's inclination to know how to contribute in a meaningful way. Unless it's all about yourself and serving your own needs, anything can be meaningful to the one you're providing.

I'm not saying all jobs are created equal and some can certainly be more difficult than others but it's what people bring to their work that make a difference.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2017

It's not always the job itself but the individual's inclination to know how to contribute in a meaningful way.

Yes. When it comes to enjoying the work we do, attitude contributes up to 90 percent of the equation IMHO.

Nonetheless, I prefer to find deeper meaningfulness and self-fulfillment outside the workplace. I view my work as merely a means to an end. For fulfillment, the activities that occur in my personal life take precedence.