Advice for RN Who Feels Lost

Nurses Stress 101

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Hello fellow nurses - I'm a nurse who needs some advice in life. If you've got a little extra time and insight, I would really appreciate any helpful feedback! Please hang in there for the novel - I like to give background knowledge. Don't worry my nursing notes are much more to the point ;)

My story is a little wonky. I grew up loving to write, act, sing, president of mock trial (I always thought I'd be Elle Woods some day). I got good grades and so I went to a university on full scholarship. After a year of college, I still didn't know what I wanted my major to be. I liked law but didn't want to do that much schooling. I liked journalism but wasn't sure I'd make any money. As fate would have it, I became good friends with a girl in the College of Nursing - she told me how amazing nursing was (great pay, making a difference in people's lives, etc). Being my young, foolish self, I applied to the college without deeply looking into what day-to-day life would be as a nurse and went through the program and got my bachelors.

I liked the program alright, but quickly realized I wasn't as passionate about nursing as my peers who had dreamed of being nurses since they were in diapers. Once I graduated, I took a job in the ICU at a very busy hospital because I wanted to learn as much as I could right off the bat. After 6 months of having anxiety attacks before work because it was so stressful, I told my manager how I felt and got transferred to the Inpatient Rehab Center. It was okay at first, but it was very hard on my body, and I was still pretty stressed. There was so much that I wanted to do for my patients, but never enough time. I'm a perfectionist so I would always stay late charting and always left work thinking, "Why am I doing something I don't enjoy?" I then found an opportunity at Vein Clinics of America. M-F 8-4:30 job with AMAZING pay. Only problem was the work was so repetitive. I would get a new patient every 30 minutes and do the same injections over and over. I needed something where I could be a little bit more creative and have a bit more variety. I worked there for 6 months then got married. Right after getting married I took a job as a Recruiter for a company where I knew someone personally. I have been doing that for 7 months now and I am about to have my first baby in August.

I absolutely do NOT enjoy recruiting. I may have made a mistake going into nursing without researching it first, but that is what my degree is in, and I need to provide for my family. I want to help people, I want to make a difference, and I want to do something where I have a structured environment, yet the freedom to be creative and have fun with my work. I am trying to find something in nursing again, but the only open positions are hospital jobs (I don't want to do that again - I have learned that the hospital setting is not for me. It's too busy/stressful for my personality). Other than hospital openings, most everything is managerial level, and I am well aware that with only one year of hospital work under my belt, I'm entry level at best. I have considered home health, but everyone tells me the on-call is not so great and the charting is insane and you take it home with you a lot.

I just need advice! Has anyone else felt like they got into the wrong profession and aren't sure where to turn? Are there any jobs out there that don't involve working weekends/nights/on-call but are also fun (not super repetitive clinic work)? I have been so depressed lately because I can't find a job that I enjoy, but I'm an extremely hard worker and will do my very best even if I don't enjoy the position. It's not all about the money for me. I am willing to take a position that makes less if it means I'll enjoy it more, and I am also willing to do jobs outside of nursing if I would enjoy them. I've even considered becoming a Doula, but that can be a very unpredictable job (difficult for family life). Thank you fellow nurses, you're all beautiful!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

If I'm reading this correctly, you've had four jobs in about three years and are now looking again. You don't like hospital hours or hospital stress, rehab is hard on your body, the vein clinic is boring and you don't like recruiting. You're still looking for the perfect job, one that is fun and has great hours.

There is no perfect job; it just doesn't exist. There may be a job that is perfect for you, but it will still have drawbacks. If you need to support your family, you're going to have to accept -- and keep a job that has drawbacks. Happiness is not in getting what you want, but in wanting what you get.

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Just because you don't like your present job doesn't mean you chose the wrong profession. Get out of the recruiting job and into a different area of nursing. And do not let your pregnancy affect your career decision-making. Get things in perspective and keep them there.

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Yes, you are correct. I wish that I hadn't hopped around so much, but all the jobs that I've had so far I have not enjoyed and I don't want to continue to do something I don't like. I know the perfect job doesn't exist - I just want to find one where the drawbacks are worth it to me. I suppose that's what I'm trying to seek advice on. I was hoping someone could give me ideas on a job that isn't in the hospital setting, but isn't too repetitive like the clinic work I did. If I found a job I really liked, I would be willing to work wonky hours - I just haven't found my niche. I truly am a hard worker, I just want to work in an area I enjoy.

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What do you mean by not letting my pregnancy affect career-decision making? (Truly curious, not meant to be snarky) The only way it's affected my decision so far is that I'd prefer not to work weekends so that I can have that time with my family since my husband works late and that time together would be nice.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Yes, you are correct. I wish that I hadn't hopped around so much, but all the jobs that I've had so far I have not enjoyed and I don't want to continue to do something I don't like. I know the perfect job doesn't exist - I just want to find one where the drawbacks are worth it to me. I suppose that's what I'm trying to seek advice on. I was hoping someone could give me ideas on a job that isn't in the hospital setting, but isn't too repetitive like the clinic work I did. If I found a job I really liked, I would be willing to work wonky hours - I just haven't found my niche. I truly am a hard worker, I just want to work in an area I enjoy.

You have a BSN so have you considered School Nursing. The school Nurses here seem to be the ones having the most fun though I personally find psych more fun than a barrel of monkeys. There will be times when you'll be bored and frustrated by things like head lice checks but you'll have evenings off with family and weekends and Holidays as well. You might look into it.

Hppy

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Specializes in Ortho, CMSRN.

My first year of medical surgical nursing was awful. That being said, I grew to love it within a few short years. I'm too proud to admit that I was wrong, I would have rather died (not exaggerating) when I originally hated it than quit and feel that I would have disappointed family or my husband. I got sick... kidney infection, 2 month long period, chronic tachycardia. My MD prescribed propanolol that blocked the adrenaline cascade, which helped some. My big break was switching to day shift. I think not getting enough sleep really hurt me physically and mentally. The work was more stressful, but I handled it better and sheer tenacity and refusing to quit, I went from dreading my shifts to loving my job... went from physically shaking when I had to "attempt" to start an IV just so I could call someone else to being a unit expert in hard sticks with deep veins. I've also had a significant amount of raises since I've started. It's only been 4 years. I've grown so much. Nursing has taught me that I am capable of anything and being actually GOOD at it if I stick with it. Choose something, pick anything that doesn't bore you and stick with it through the hard times. Give it a full 2 years. You might surprise yourself with your own growth and strength. You have to start over every time you start a new job and will never get good at anything. As long as you're not bored, you might have the potential to grow to love something that might seem hard or awful at first. Just be tenacious! Stick it out and sink your teeth in until you're good at it and can do it with your eyes closed. If you're still bored and unmotivated, it might be time to move on then. Best wishes.

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