Got a job...then quit the job.....

[RN that never was]

So I got the job. . ..then I quit the job. Here are my reasons in no particular order:

1. The only place I could find to hire me was a SNF. . .and it took 3.5 years. I would hate to say it, but this particular SNF/LTC was horrific. To put it short: They were using medication techs as RN's due to staffing issues. 30+ patient ratios. The shortcuts by the LPN's were appalling. As it turns out, this SNF has a reputation for shady practice including mass NARC theft (prior DON), care violations etc. . .Not worth it.

2. I lost the passion. I don't know when or where it happened, but I found that I have completely lost the passion for nursing. It is just not in my heart anymore. I think being rejected for 3.5 years coupled with being away and disconnected from nursing for so long promulgated this change. The fire that once burned in me for nursing has died.

I do think things would have been a lot different if I was able to secure a new grad program position on a med/surg floor right out of school. Now I just can not relate to the field as I am too far removed from it. "Distance makes a heart grow fonder . . .. too much distance kills it"----I do believe this has happened. I have changed over the last 3.5 years and nursing no longer fits who I am or what I want out of life.

It is a very strange feeling. I chased a carrot for so long. When I finally got it I realized my tastes changed; I no longer like carrots. Now I do not know what to do. I enjoy helping people and have been told I am a "social animal". This, along with the scientific coursework, is what originally inspired me to be a RN. I do not see these things in nursing. I see pain, misery and exhaustion. Perhaps I was naïve.

I envisioned being an OR nurse or something like that. I did not envision myself working in SNF. . ..if I would have known that this was going to be my only option I would not of pursued my RN. I feel you do need to have a "caling" so to speak to be that kind of nurse--I do not.

I know this is getting long. . ...

In closing. . ..I do not know where to go from here. Nursing is out. Any ideas of what can be made out of an RN degree?

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

Biomed Research? Pharma sales?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

There are many RN's who currently work as computer IT people. Either for facilities, or for companies who install and teach charting systems.

What about HR for a facility?

Or, you can go back to school and get a masters in social work or teaching.

If you like some of the more adreneline stuff, go get your Paramedic. Even some states allow an RN to take the EMT-B test.

Teach CNA or Medical Assistant at a local tech school. Or online college courses--in ethics, or some other thing you may have excelled in in college.

Or get a pharmacy tech certification, and work at a pharmacy.

If you have kids and stay home, you could do a home daycare--and get licensed by the state to do this--that you are an RN is a plus.

OR sub at your local school, college health clinic--a different type of nursing may be what you need to do to feel nursing is a right fit for you. With that being said, if it isn't, it isn't. My aunt, who is an RN, was so burnt out that she took a job at a local retail chain. And absolutely LOVES it. It doesn't pay a ton, but has amazing benefits. Used the tuition reimbursement to finance her masters in marketing...

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Please .. lose the " nursing is a calling" point of view.

Nursing is a business. You hold a valuable degree. YOU must make it marketable.

Network, network, network. Speak to your school counselors as to how you can use the degree you earned, and paid for.

Many businesses want you if only for your credentials. Hospital experience, is not always required.

Good luck, keep us posted.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

what have you been doing for the last 3,5 years?

[iluvgusgus]

I wouldnt throw away your nursing education on your horrible experience at a SNF, it's a SNF. I would NEVER want to work at one let alone be a pt at one. Just being honest. Couldnt you take a refresher course, get your ACLS, and look for a different opportunity? Ive had some dreams become reality and I didnt have much hope that they would, especially as soon as they have, but I didnt give up and I am glad I didnt. I dont think you should give up just yet.

[RN that never was]

Let me explain....Nursing (as far as I see it now) is not just a business. It is a profession that requires more than just knowledge and scientific aptitude. The "calling" is an analogy for a depth of compassion for others above and beyond what would ever be expected or REQUIRED to succeed in another career.

Going into nursing with a "business" mentality will result in dissatisfaction and unfullfilment for many. I am pretty sure that many of the "I hate nursing" posts result from this. Sadly, once one reconizes the mistake it is too late.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

They were using medication techs as RN's due to staffing issues. 30+ patient ratios.

30+ patient ratios are normal in LTC. The medication aides help ease the nurse's load by passing all oral drugs, which leaves you to focus on licensed nursing tasks.

I do not see these things in nursing. I see pain, misery and exhaustion.

Nursing is filled with human misery, pain, patients who do not want our help, unrealistic families, and masses of negatives. However, a little bit of emotional detachment goes a long way in preserving one's sanity. You must emotionally detach from people's shenanigans or else you'll burn to a crisp.

I feel you do need to have a "caling" so to speak to be that kind of nurse--I do not.

I worked in SNF/nursing homes on and off for 6 years without any sort of 'higher calling.' I was not 'called' to the profession. I chose to enter it for the flexible scheduling, steady income and opportunities for advancement.

Working as a nurse in SNF/nursing homes/LTC facilities = RN pay + RN experience

Waiting for the exalted hospital to offer you a job = Zero pay + Zero experience

[DedHedRN]

The hospitals are shrinking and pretty soon there will be more SNF, RCFE, and elderly home patients then ever due to our aging baby boomer generation, with this mass coming of elderly population where did you think most of the job openings would be? I think that most new grads will never see the inside of a hospital and work with the elderly populations in one form or another. Its unfortunate that the bulk of the RN program trains nurses to be bedside hospital nurses, its a bit misleading.

[ambiance]

Hmm...I think what has happened to you (this is just an opinion by the way, not a fact)is that you have become tremendously down hearted. I may not understand your feelings completely, but I can surely take a guess that it's not easy to set your sights on something and see it not come to fruition as you would have liked it to. I really do wish that you wouldn't totally give up on something that was once your dream. In a way, I can see that you tried not to let go because not only did you obviously renew your license, but you continued to look for a way to use it. Please, don't let the experience at the SNF you mentioned taint something you once loved and desired to do. The user jadelpn gave you some suggestions on different ways of using your degree, but perhaps you might consider a different route. Maybe you could take a refresher course to help you to rekindle the love you had for nursing. I know that this may not be something you wanted to be told, so I apologize in advance for stating something you may not be interested in. I definitely do not mean to offend you in any way. I really hope my comment is helpful. Thank you for reading.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I can sympathize. I've been a nurse for 5-1/2 years, and I sometimes feel like I was part of an enormous bait-and-switch. After a 10-month job search, I spent a year at a mediocre ALF, followed by 6 weeks in Nursing Home Hell. I now work in home health, which doesn't pay well, but at least I have a manageable patient load.

It pays to be a little bit picky. The wrong job can be hazardous to your license; a warning from the BON can make you unemployable. Personally, I'll sell my body on the street before I work in another SNF.

As far as next steps, do any home care agencies in your area hire new grads? I've been checking out websites for babysitters, and I've found 2 that list special needs sitters, for things like G-tube feeds. If you don't mind little kids, that could be a possibility. If your state allows nurses to challenge the EMT or Paramedic exam, you could do that. Wellness clinics in my area are still looking for nurses. It's per diem, but better than nothing, and nowhere near as stressful as a SNF. Camps in my area are looking for nurses.

Good luck! You worked far too hard to give up your license. Hopefully, something better is on the way.

[Dewman]

"...I sometimes feel like I was part of an enormous bait-and-switch..."

Boy, THAT'S for sure. ASN nursing school trains you to be a hospital nurse. What they DON"T say is that you will most likely never get employment in a hospital as an ASN RN. If you DO secure a job, it will be in a LTC, or in home care - NEITHER of which are discussed much in your ASN schooling. IOW, you might as well have saved time and money, and simply gotten your LPN, because as an LPN, you are just as employable as an ASN RN in LTC and home health.

My advice would be: forget about earning your ASN. It won't get you anything you can't get more cheaply and quickly by becoming an LPN. If you want to become an RN, plan on getting your BSN, or don't bother.