I don't think I should return to nursing

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Specializes in LTC, Home Health.

I left my job as an agency nurse a year ago due to health problems. I was with this company for three years and in that time I never really did any real "hands on" nursing. I mean I may have helped with transfers, Depend changes, and medication administration but most of that was aide work. I have been out of school for a little over 6 years and I am going to be honest when I say that I feel like I have forgotten how to do a lot of the skills that I have learned. I can read about them and practice them in my mind but I am terrified to return to nursing and not know how to do them because agency nursing was a joke. I have honestly considered applying for jobs at Walmart just so that I don't have to go back. I loved LTC when I got out of school and would love to go back to that but I don't remember how to give an injection or even do a manual BP. Forget about refresher courses because they don't have any available in my area. I am afraid I am washed up.:o

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LovebugLPN,

If nursing is what you want to do, don't give up! There are plenty of resources out there for you. You can always go to youtube and watch videos demonstrating how to do a manual BP and all sorts of other skills. If you have your own equipment, do BPs on your family! Go spend a day at Borders, Barnes and Nobel or any bookstores that carry medical books and study there. OR you can always purchase a nursing skills book. I know Clinical Nursing Skills and Techniques by Perry and Potter is a great resource for RNs. Where are you from? I really wish there was more I can do to help.

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I think that you underestimate yourself...honestly, I am the same way. If you have learned and done something before, you can certainly do it again. You probably don't even need a refresher course. All it takes is just some hands on work with a little guidance at first and you would be fine. Give yourself more credit!! I know I should..

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Specializes in Emergency.

You are not washed up, you're giving up! It is disappointing to read that after 6yrs of nursing you are seriously thinking about a minimum wage job. We make decent coin, and the diverse possibilities that nursing has to offer.....you just haven't found it. Don't know how to give and IM or take a B/P, read a book, it hasn't changed. Being a nurse doesn't mean "hands on". I am saddened by your post, we are heroes and not many people can say that about their job. We are heroes!

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
I left my job as an agency nurse a year ago due to health problems. I was with this company for three years and in that time I never really did any real "hands on" nursing. I mean I may have helped with transfers, Depend changes, and medication administration but most of that was aide work. I have been out of school for a little over 6 years and I am going to be honest when I say that I feel like I have forgotten how to do a lot of the skills that I have learned. I can read about them and practice them in my mind but I am terrified to return to nursing and not know how to do them because agency nursing was a joke. I have honestly considered applying for jobs at Walmart just so that I don't have to go back. I loved LTC when I got out of school and would love to go back to that but I don't remember how to give an injection or even do a manual BP. Forget about refresher courses because they don't have any available in my area. I am afraid I am washed up.:o

Well, I thought I was the only one going through this. I have been a nurse for almost 20 years and have finally come to the realization that my nsg career is ending, also for health reasons. Kind of makes you feel like you are in limbo - you do so much for so many people for that many years, and then it's like "now what".

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in CNA.

Please don't give up, your skills will come back to you. Everybody gets discouraged at times, but pull yourself out, and realize you are capable of anything, i mean you did make it through the torture of nursing school :)

I dont know if your religious, but my mom always told me that nurses are hand picked to do his work, and he chose you for a reason even though you may not see it yet, you will!!!! HAVE FAITH!!!

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Specializes in rehab.

I think you will be fine. Its like riding a bike, you never really forget. Try shadowing an RN at work who is a friend and see and watch how she does things. When you go home try and practice what you can on family/ friends, do research on the internet , someone mentioned utube...I once learned how to do bladder irrigations by just watching the video on u tube, over and over...you are not washed up :icon_hug:

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you might be surprised how much you remember. there are many online refresher programs to take but check with your state board to see what the requirements are to be reinstated.

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Maybe look into some hospitals that have a new nurse program- ?? I'm not a nurse YET! But when researching the hospitals in my area i see that some of them have programs for recent graduates to help them acclamait and "Learn" more on the job- I know you aren't a new graduate but this could possibly be an option if you look into it.

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Just think of yourself in the context of being a new grad..for an instance look at some of us new grad,like me..I passed my boards in August,have been hunting for jobs for a few month now and NADA,so basically I sometimes have a very similar view on things like to give up on nursing and just focus on something else and I also I have days where I fear that I might forget and loose all the knowledge that I gained in nursing school...but most days I dont give up and stay with it...I take out my awsome nursing books and I read about different diseases,diagnostic tests and nursing care.I went ahead and bought myself a two set of flash cards and I choose one disease per day and fill one or two pages about its patho,tests,medical treatments,nursing care once I fill all the cards I'm planning to use it as a quick references at my first nursing job (dreaming:smokin:) Then I dont stop just right there...I made commitment to watch videos on youtube about different nursing procedures (like how to hang piggybacks,how to set up IV pump) and trust me those videos really rock and and are so easy to follow (true blessings from the skies!!!) I also made a use of my family ,BF and friends (you know vital signs stuff like that) I'm even planning to ask my family to buy me a blood sugar machine for christmas present so I can learn how to take blood sugars..trust me you can learn so much on your own...as they say all the knowledge is in the books....so dont give up just yet and make use of your time and I promise things will start click for you sooner or later..

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

"Aide work" is just the nursing work that you don't need a license to do. As far as skills, you can always re-learn those. If you don't want to go back, then don't go back. But there are an awful lot of LTCs that need good LPNs, and if that's where you want to be, I say pick yourself off, dust yourself off, and get back on that horse!

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

There are many areas that are in desperate need of nurses. My area in NC is one. You are similar to a new grad, an orientation period should teach you most of these skills. A perspective manager, especially one in long term care should easily pair you with an LPN or RN to teach skills. Good luck and make some sold calls, put in some applications and you might be surprised

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