How did it come to this?

djc1981 · Jun 2, 2008

hey there. i'm not even a nurse yet, so take my advice with a grain of salt. perhaps you need to step back from nursing for a little bit -- to see if you miss it....to see if its really something that you need and want in your life. nursing jobs are readily available, and they will always be here for you whenever you're ready. just keep your license current -- for nothing else, your peace of mind and that proverbial "backup" plan most of us need. or, perhaps, you're just going through a rough patch and things will brighten up soon. either way, good luck to you and i hope you figure it out! :)

Southernurse · Jun 2, 2008

i will keep current with my licensures, especially my fl license because it was worth the sacrifice. it is one of the few ties i lovingly maintain. i am not in a position to step back though, because i am the breadwinner at the moment. i am not totally angrily stomping away from nursing, nor am i letting it get in the way of patient care. i still give 150%. i am floatin' around unchartered waters here. feeling like i can take it or leave it freaks me out!:wink2:

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2008

how do we stay active nurses once the spark is gone?

many of us remain actively working in the field of nursing long after the spark is gone, because priorities move toward more realistic goals. realism involves knowing that not all of your patients truly want to be helped, and that you are unlikely to bring about sweeping changes to the world.

nursing is not who i am; rather, it is how i earn a livelihood. several of my patients were complimenting me on how "sweet" and "good" of a nurse i was to them when i was on duty last night. however, i can professionally distance myself from work once the shift ends, and not think too excessively about workplace occurrences when i am at home.

good luck to you, and i sincerely hope you can find another niche in nursing that will keep you in the profession. perhaps earning your rn licensure might help in a small way by expanding the number of opportunities available to you.

Southernurse · Jun 2, 2008

comm-

i was 5 months away from finishing my rn when i blew out my knee working at ut medical center. i went from working full time night shift and school to nothing. now i do home health, and you are right that i need to find another niche in nursing. i used to feel so lucky that i could do what i love to do and get paid for it. it never felt like a job to me. i enjoyed going to "work" everyday. this is bizarre.

linzz · Jun 2, 2008

I can understand what you are feeling. I have come to the conclusion that nursing alone is not enough, most of us need down time and other things to enjoy outside of nursing. I believe in providing good patient care but as time goes on, nursing has in large become a living but not a life.

PS. I think commuter made some great suggestions.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 2, 2008

I can understand what you are feeling. I have come to the conclusion that nursing alone is not enough, most of us need down time and other things to enjoy outside of nursing. I believe in providing good patient care but as time goes on, nursing has in large become a living but not a life.
PS. I think commuter made some great suggestions.

Well said.......hear, hear!!! :yeah:

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2008

I have come to a similar conclusion. One knee has a chronic miniscus tear, the opposite foot has plantar fasciitis and an ankle that never fully healed from a stress fracture. It doesn't help that I'm obese. I feel chewed up and spit out at the end of most shifts and I've tried other nursing positions only to find disappointment at the end of the rainbow. Maybe I'd like to try school nursing or something less stressful but what about the $$? At this point I'm staying in it full time to sock retirement $$ away. I'm no one's angel of mercy. I try like heck not to be a nurse off the clock. It's a job, and a hard one.

I'm hanging in there to get bariatric surgery and am in the process of going through all the hoops to qualify. I just know getting the weight off will make a difference in my energy level. If after that I'm still feeling rotten about the whole thing, I'll go casual and take early retirement.

This profession that I held in such high esteem has burned me to a crisp and I'm only just over 2 years in.

catlynLPN · Jun 2, 2008

I'm burned out, too. My fire and ambition is gone.

I'm ready to quit and I would if I could live on my

retirement alottment I will get from the state,

but it won't be enough.

So I plan 7 more years and then I'm out.

I'm burned out, used up, and tired.

I'm ready to rest for the remainder of my life.

leslie :-D · Jun 2, 2008

i think you have to remain true to your feelings.

it's difficult to change from "nsg was everything" to "well, it's a living".

to me, that is still a form of burnout.

the past few months, i have lapsed away from nsg.

i still can't get past the peace i feel with total nothingness, vs the stress i feel with nsg.

as we speak, i am deeply contemplating what path to take, and leaving nsg is a very real possibility.

many of us can empathize with you.

if able, before you make any major decisions, try to replenish your soul.

only then will you make a decision that will benefit you and your loved ones.

with peace,

leslie

annmariern · Jun 2, 2008

Experiencing this myself after 21 years, always been able to say I enjoyed nursing, hate the politics. Now I find myself just going through the motions, and I feel bad about the fact I just don't have it to give. Interesting, I've seen burn out, read about it, even felt it in passing but this time is different, it's like someone just flipped a switch. "compassion fatigue" I've heard it called. Trying to figure out what to do next, didn't expect it to hit me like a Mac truck though. I guess it doesn't really you just keep going through the red flags and toughing it out. Thanks for posting, at least I know I'm not alone in going through this.

Crocuta, RN · Jun 2, 2008

When was the last time you had a vacation? A real one, like a month somewhere nice?

I think there's something to learn from the current generation coming out of school. Many are starting out with the assumption that they won't "retire" per se, but will rather take "mini-retirements" throughout their careers (or perhaps between careers.) There's a whole movement centered around this idea of working really hard for say 4-5 years and then taking a year off to go travel. Then back at it for a few more years and repeat.

It'll be interesting to see if they avoid the burnout that we're seeing throughout society.