I'm lost. I want to quit floor/bedside nursing, but I don't know what to do as an alternative.
I've been a nurse for about 2 ½ years now. I know that's not very long and some people might say that it's not long enough to know for sure that you want to quit, but I know me and I KNOW I want out.
Right after graduation I went to work in the OR. I was part of a peri-op program and I managed to work there for about 1 ½ years. I knew very early on that I didn't like the OR, but I didn't want to quit and I decided to stick it out and see what happened. Ultimately, it was fast paced days, filled with verbally abusive surgeons, nit-picky charge nurses, extremely long days with being on-call, and it took a toll on me and my family. By the time I left, I was charge nurse in the afternoon/evening and I was precepting new people. I knew how to do my job and I was really good at it. Just miserable. It also bothered me that I wasn't doing any of the nursing skills I had learned in school. I was pretty much just monitoring everyone in the room, running for stuff that was needed, and getting yelled at by surgeons when anything went wrong......even if it wasn't my fault. I wanted to be in a role that had a lot more hands-on patient care. I just didn't feel like a nurse in the OR. So I left.
I got a job at a long term acute care hospital. The patients there are very, very sick. Most of the patient population consists of people with respiratory failure and who are on vents and a lot of them have major wound care needs. I figured going to this facility would be a great place to learn and get some good experience. I was wrong. The facility itself was old and run down, which I knew going into it, but I thought I would just deal with it for now. The patient load was 6 patients to 1 nurse, which seems to be the standard in most hospitals in my area, but these patients are very ill, I would consider most of them to be a standard ICU patient in a regular hospital, and now I'm taking care of 6 every shift! That's a lot. A lot of them have G-tubes and take up to 20 pills at a time, all of which need crushed by hand with pliers.
It was all so time consuming and by the time I finished my 1st rounds of assessments and med passes, it was time for the next round. It was monotonous and unfulfilling and I felt like I was always behind. I won't even go into dealing with the needy patients and/or their families and trying to maintain a work flow while CONSTANTLY answering call bells for the most ridiculous requests. Long story short, I left there after about 5 months.
I now work in an ER. Working in the ER is what I wanted to do from day one. While in nursing school, I always imagined being in an ER. I was ecstatic when I got this job....my DREAM JOB. I've been there about 3 months now, and I hate it.
I've been a nurse for 2 ½ years and not once have I loved doing it. I find it to be nothing but stress. I have anxiety ALL THE TIME, everyday, even when I'm not at work. The hours are long and exhausting and I NEVER feel like I'm doing a good job. I'm starting to sink into a serious depression, so much so, that I plan on going to see a counselor because I almost can't function anymore. Even on my days off I'm constantly stressing about having to go back. I have to work today and I had nightmares all throughout last night and didn't sleep well at all. I've had nothing but anxiety since I woke up and I feel like I want to cry at just the thought of going back today.
Nursing is nothing like I thought it was going to be. Had I truly known what it entailed I would never had started this journey to begin with. I hate that I gave up so many years of my life going to nursing school. I wasted all those years studying and working so hard when I could have been home with my children. My husband is so proud that I'm a nurse, he loves to tell people his wife is a nurse. I have no pride in my job, I have no joy in what I do. I get so overwhelmed with so many tasks and people to take care of at once...I think it just sucks the life out of me and makes me hate it all.
The one part of my job that I do enjoy is talking to my patients. They're nervous and sick, they don't like hospitals, they don't feel good, sometimes just talking about what's going on in their life, or about their sweet baby that's in the room, or the new job I overheard them talking about, takes away from this moment in time of being stuck in a bed, sick and afraid. I can't help but to be curious about how the issue/disease started, what do they do for work, how are they handling your illness/pain on a daily basis. My patients seem to love the interaction. So many times I've had people tell me I'm the best nurse they've had because I actually take the time to talk to them and it shows I care about them. However, all of that takes time and it can cause me to get behind in my other tasks, which just sets off a chain reaction for a bad day of rushing to catch up. I'm so miserable. I'm so stressed. I have so much anxiety all the time. I cry for no reason. I'm lashing out at my family. I need to find a solution fast.
I have this degree that I worked so hard for. I'm 43 years old and don't want to start all over and have to get a different degree. I need to find something I can do, with the nursing degree that I have, that I can be happy about doing and maybe actually look forward to going to work every day.
I know I'm not the only person to ever feel this way. If anyone has any suggestions as to an alternative job/area of nursing to try, I would greatly appreciate some ideas!
Search Indeed, and Career builder. Put your resume out there. You will get many hits. Also individually search the big boys like Aetna, Blue Cross, and United health.
I got my job through an agency. Aerotek worked for me. There are many more agencies looking for you, they make money when they put you to work. That is networking.
I also had a case manager approach me today about a PRN position at the hospital I'm at now. Another PRN position tho...I really need full time for insurance purposes. ������
Would that be PRN in case management? In that case, grab it and learn the role. The training would be worth the $$ it would cost to pay for your benefits temporarily.
Search Indeed, and Career builder. Put your resume out there. You will get many hits. Also individually search the big boys like Aetna, Blue Cross, and United health.
I got my job through an agency. Aerotek worked for me. There are many more agencies looking for you, they make money when they put you to work. That is networking.
I consider about how lucky you are. I wish I had half of your luck. I have been applying jobs here and there for half year. I haven't got anything back. Finally I applied a new residency program , got an interview then got denied. Hope you find your dream job soon.
I dont have much experience for job hunt. I wonder when you post your resume out there on indeed or career builder, will you current employer know if they are currently hiring? Thank you.
Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.
Doing home infusions may be an option for you. I get calls over different meds, labs or teaching that needs to be completed. Drive to the home and the time varies depending on the task needing to be completed. I have had to teach patients how to completed their own home infusions, PICC line care, lab draws for Dr. offices or clinical trials, teaching self injections, IVIG infusions, abx infusions ect. When you get a patient you typically follow that one until service is no longer needed so you have the opportunity to establish a rapport with them. Depending on the assignment you could be there 20 minutes or 5 hours. You get to set the days and hours that work for you and you are the one that is setting the appointment up with the patient that gives you some flexibility with when you go see them.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I'm thinking psych. You like to spend time getting to know your patients personally and helping them over the rough spots. You might find psych to be your niche. I enjoyed it for 15 years and it did not preclude me from going on to other areas of nursing when I wanted to.
i don't think continuing to job hop is going to help you. You've had 3 jobs in 2 years. You can't get comfortable in your job or role if you're changing every few months. It seems like there is something more going on and getting another job you'll just run into the same problem. Can you specify exactly what you hate about nursing and what is giving you this anxiety? Maybe see that counselor you mentioned before you make any more moves
Search Indeed, and Career builder. Put your resume out there. You will get many hits. Also individually search the big boys like Aetna, Blue Cross, and United health.
I got my job through an agency. Aerotek worked for me. There are many more agencies looking for you, they make money when they put you to work. That is networking.
Looking for a job.. is a job in it's self.
Good luck.
To Been there, done that. Thank you for sharing your experience. Is it possible that your current employer could see your resume when they are looking for job seekers via same websits?
Bedside/floor nursing sucks. Just my humble opinion. I'm not sure how some of these nurses do it for 2o+ years. The amount of responsibility placed on nurses on the floors is just staggering. I did it for one year and went to the ER and never looked back.
I'm thinking psych. You like to spend time getting to know your patients personally and helping them over the rough spots. You might find psych to be your niche. I enjoyed it for 15 years and it did not preclude me from going on to other areas of nursing when I wanted to.
This was my thought too. Psych can be busy but is probably the only nursing area where finding "what makes people tick" is actually a part of the job.
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
How about School Nursing? It's mainly talking to children and doing small first aid things to help them, medication distribution and lots of paperwork.
Been there,done that, ASN, RN
7,241 Posts
Search Indeed, and Career builder. Put your resume out there. You will get many hits. Also individually search the big boys like Aetna, Blue Cross, and United health.
I got my job through an agency. Aerotek worked for me. There are many more agencies looking for you, they make money when they put you to work. That is networking.
Looking for a job.. is a job in it's self.
Good luck.