Has anyone ever escaped?

[ellieheart]

Have any of you ever successfully escaped the oppressed occupation of nursing and gone on to have a more satisfying and rewarding career? Please tell us your story and what you are doing now.

I've been in nursing for more than a few years and I hate it. It's like being a gazelle on the African Serengeti, only the fast survive; the rest get eaten. I have mild autism, ADD, and an IQ of 145; but I can't keep a job in nursing. I'm just too slow. In the ER, I could easily handle 3 patients, but 4 patients continuously made me feel overwhelmed. I tried MedSurg and ICU and the results were the same. Unfortunately, no one wants to hire a nurse that can't keep up when the herd is sprinting full speed. I've had enough and would like to get out, but nursing seems like such a dead end street. I don't want to go back and for yet another bachelor degree. How can I move forward from here without starting over from scratch? Other than retiring or starting over, has anyone ever escaped this dreadful occupation and moved on to a happy career?

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

I had two major careers and a handful of minor ones before I came to nursing. I love my job. A large factor is that I know what I like in a career and when I came to nursing I considered what I like when targeting an area to work.

I wanted to do things that I found valuable and important. Helping people through a tough time of their lives fulfills that need.

I wanted to be able to work fewer days to have more days off for outside activities, hence I sought 12 hour shifts.

I wanted a fair degree of autonomy where I could use my judgement to choose or ask for certain orders.

I wanted friends around for critical times such as codes, re-intubations, etc.

PACU turned out to be my happy place. I know there are areas of nursing where I would not be content and there are probably a couple where I could be just as happy as now.

Before switching careers I'd suggest you make a list of the things that you would like in a nursing job. Then look around, maybe check out the specialty discussions here. You have put a lot of time, energy, and money into getting where you are now. There are many people who could not do what you do. But ultimately, it is best if you love what you do.

BTW, I do know a nurse who left to work in sales at IKEA. She liked the company and loves their furniture. She seemed happy last time I saw her a few years ago.

[Anna S, RN]

Most hospice inpt units are closing due to Medicare changes. You race around in home-care hospice, too. I have always felt that nursing is an oppressed occupation- not hugely so, but oppressed nonetheless.

We are oppressed in that true professionals are not given scripts and told to say "I have the time."

True professionals are not written up over every little thing, or made to wear badges that say "Ask me if I washed my hands."

True professions determine their own course, and are self directed. Nursing is not.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Most hospice inpt units are closing due to Medicare changes. You race around in home-care hospice, too. I have always felt that nursing is an oppressed occupation- not hugely so, but oppressed nonetheless.

We are oppressed in that true professionals are not given scripts and told to say "I have the time."

True professionals are not written up over every little thing, or made to wear badges that say "Ask me if I washed my hands."

True professions determine their own course, and are self directed. Nursing is not.

Nobody gives you power. You have to seize power. Stop making excuses that you're oppressed or other-directed, and do something about it. It's very satisfying.

[Jules A, MSN]

We are oppressed in that true professionals are not given scripts and told to say "I have the time."

True professionals are not written up over every little thing, or made to wear badges that say "Ask me if I washed my hands."

True professions determine their own course, and are self directed. Nursing is not.

So this brings up a totally different topic although one I would imagine would make for lively conversation. I believe floor nursing is a blue collar career. I never felt oppressed and loved working as a floor nurse but I had no delusions that I was considered more than a worker bee. I'm not saying it isn't a valuable, honorable way to make a living or that we shouldn't conduct ourselves as professionals but that no matter how many letters we are required to add to our badges it won't change what floor nursing is, imo.

[Anna S, RN]

Nobody gives you power. You have to seize power. Stop making excuses that you're oppressed or other-directed, and do something about it. It's very satisfying.

It sounds grand and powerful to say those things, but really, what would you suggest I/nurses do?

I do not feel that I am oppressed as an individual. I feel that nurses are oppressed, as a whole. This is one reason for the lateral mistreatment of each other. Oppressed people tend to do that.

What you say does not apply. Having a low supply of nurses and lots of jobs tips power in the nurses' favor. Too many nurses and few employers tips it in the employers' favor. That's just the law of supply and demand, not an "excuse."

If I tried to seize power in any way as a nurse, I'd seize myself right out of a job.

[pinkiepieRN]

Needing to escape kind of ensues the idea that one has been "trapped" or coerced into the profession/field. Did someone pressure you into becoming a nurse or was it of your own free will?

[Krzysztof]

BTW, I do know a nurse who left to work in sales at IKEA. She liked the company and loves their furniture. She seemed happy last time I saw her a few years ago.

I really LOL'd at this. I can wear yellow and blue scrubs.

If I can find a nursing gig I'll enjoy as much as assembling IKEA furniture, I'll be a happy guy.

[Jules A, MSN]

If I tried to seize power in any way as a nurse, I'd seize myself right out of a job.

Your points about supply and demand are accurate but there has to be a line in the sand. Since we aren't discussing particular situations this is isn't directed at you but what I will add is that the global attitude that things will never change or we have to tolerate whatever management is serving up has been around forever and is what leads employees of any field to feel oppressed.

I purposely keep my finances and other employment opportunities in such a way that any time my employer starts serving me grits and telling me its gravy I show my displeasure with my feet.

[Libby1987]

Your points about supply and demand are accurate but there has to be a line in the sand. Since we aren't discussing particular situations this is isn't directed at you but what I will add is that the global attitude that things will never change or we have to tolerate whatever management is serving up has been around forever and is what leads employees of any field to feel oppressed.

I purposely keep my finances and other employment opportunities in such a way that any time my employer starts serving me grits and telling me its gravy I show my displeasure with my feet.

That's so much of it. I've worked with people who believe they had no options. I may not want to walk with my feet but I could and have. I've only had two times when I needed to and left miserable people who felt or were stuck for a variety of reasons, even before the shortage. It would have been better for them if they collectively had positioned themselves better.

[Anna S, RN]

Your points about supply and demand are accurate but there has to be a line in the sand. Since we aren't discussing particular situations this is isn't directed at you but what I will add is that the global attitude that things will never change or we have to tolerate whatever management is serving up has been around forever and is what leads employees of any field to feel oppressed.

I purposely keep my finances and other employment opportunities in such a way that any time my employer starts serving me grits and telling me its gravy I show my displeasure with my feet.

I do the same, but it has resulted in me changing jobs quite a bit. I just took several weeks off and will be starting my third job in a year and a half next week.

[mclennan, BSN, RN]

It sounds grand and powerful to say those things, but really, what would you suggest I/nurses do?

I do not feel that I am oppressed as an individual. I feel that nurses are oppressed, as a whole. This is one reason for the lateral mistreatment of each other. Oppressed people tend to do that.

What you say does not apply. Having a low supply of nurses and lots of jobs tips power in the nurses' favor. Too many nurses and few employers tips it in the employers' favor. That's just the law of supply and demand, not an "excuse."

If I tried to seize power in any way as a nurse, I'd seize myself right out of a job.

I agree. I respect the heck out of your posts, GrnTea, but this is a little short sighted & oversimplified. Nurses are more powerless now than ever, with numbers and politics stacking the deck against us more every day. Those of us with the cheek or self esteem enough to "do" something, or even "say" anything are usually marginalized or silenced in some way. It's a common theme in the majority of threads here. I'm old school too, and believe in owning your choices and controlling your situation, but we're talking tiny cogs in a hugely nebulous machine that's got a financial and cultural chokehold on us. Get real.

[TU RN, DNP, CRNA]

The problem with working as a bedside nurse in a hospital is that there are people at the top who stand to make profit on the amount of work they can cram into one person's job description before they burn out and leave. This is propagated by the continued deluge of new nurses flooding the market in search of greener pastures. The problem is that the decent nursing jobs have already been filled with these refugees so today's generation is stuck with a decision to take another crap job or change careers.