Goodbye, fellow nurses

[mcbg6335]

Hi, I am happy to announce that after many years of being miserable as a nurse, I am LEAVING! I've worked at crappy, unprofessional, smelly, ghetto, you name it nursing homes the past 5 years.I was just waiting until my kids began school to leave.I worked so long and hard to finish nursing school, and like many others, believed the lies my teachers told me about how great a field it is.Yeah, right.I tried to get a "desk" job as a nurse, they all want years of experience in a hospital.Hospitals don't hire ADN nurses, although I already have a non nursing Bachelors, I did not want to spend more money getting a BSN OR MSN.

My husband doesn't get it really, thinks I'm crazy to leave, but hes not a nurse!

I am interviewing now for some great jobs in the corporate world, no weekends, holidays, nights, urine, CNA's who think they are nurses....need I go on, I'm sure I'm not alone.

Taking a GIANT pay cut, but I am so happy! That's priceless.

[duskyjewel]

Good luck and I hope it's all you want it to be!

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

Wow.

Best wishes as you slip into a different pair of shoes. I hope it goes well for you!

[RNperdiem, RN]

Instead of complaining, you did something about your problems. I hope the new job works out for you. Keep your license active in case you need a little prn nursing work on the side to drum up extra funds.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

Goodbye! Best to leave than to stay and be miserable.

[Vwpenn]

I'm at that road right now myself!! Dying to get out of this crappy profession. If I had something else lined up I would be long gone. Debating about heading out west to do some traveling nursing to get debt free and then kiss nursing goodbye! It's a horrible profession and wish I never got into it!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Best of luck in your new career!

[mhy12784]

Out of curiosity where did/are/you planning on going post nursing ?

Ive always wondered what kind of opportunities await if I decide nursing isnt for me

[Mr. Murse]

I'm amazed by how many blatantly negative opinions people on this site have about nursing (although working in a nursing home I can't blame you for feeling how you do).

Keep in mind though, all of you who hate the job, that it is your experience. Some of us love the job. Arguably this is either because our personalities were more compatible with it or we just had better places of employment, but either way it's a subjective opinion. So please, instead of saying "nursing sucks" and the like, just say it didn't work for you for whatever reason.

For me personally, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

To the OP, good luck to you. Sorry you had such a terrible experience in a potentially wonderful field.

[richardgecko]

Sounds like you limited your options in the field by not pursuing a degree that would give you the job you want. I understand not wanting ro spend more on a degree but dont condemn a profession because of something you chose not to do.

Good luck though.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Keep in mind though, all of you who hate the job, that it is your experience. Some of us love the job.

If I had to make a conjecture I'd estimate that about 20 percent of all people really love their jobs, about 20 percent of people really hate their jobs and the remaining 60 percent (read: the majority) fall somewhere in the middle, meaning they do not hate their jobs but they wouldn't mind doing something else.

Arguably this is either because our personalities were more compatible with it or we just had better places of employment, but either way it's a subjective opinion.

In my case, it's my personality all the way. I definitely do not hate nursing, but I don't necessarily love it either. I've never liked any job I've ever held, nursing or non-nursing. Due to my personality I'll never be truly content with any job in existence.

I've previously mentioned that I'm a creative daydreamer with an artistic flair who dislikes working or following rigid schedules. The working world cuts into my unstructured free time, and for that reason alone, I'll never have the heart for any job in existence.

If I had one wish, I'd receive a multimillion dollar lottery jackpot and spend unstructured free time on travel, cuisine, course-hopping, writing the next great American novel, and cultivating my sense of self-actualization. I might even make a couple of babies and spend my time raising them if I didn't have to report to some job.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... I know my chances of winning millions are almost zero, so I keep a job to stay afloat as a means to an end. What is the end? I can honestly say I do not know at this point. But for the time being, I report to work while pretending to have my heart in it.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

Happy sailing!