I've only been in med/surg 1 year and I'm already burned out. What else can I do as an RN?

[N7K8]

I apologize if any of this sounds rude, but I just can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life. The stress is going to kill me.

Going back to school is a last resort, because it's probably not worth it to go into debt. So for better or worse, I'm stuck with my nursing degree.

I knew in the first week of nursing school that patient care isn't for me, but I thought it'd get better. After a year of experience on an acute Neuro unit, it eventually got a little easier once I found my "flow", but I still don't enjoy it. In fact, I hate nursing. I can't even watch shows like "The Office" because I resent them for complaining about their cushy desk jobs.

Assuming I have nothing but my RN license, a year of acute care experience, and an ADN (I have considered a BSN, but going back to nursing school sounds like a nightmare), what else can I do that involves the least amount of direct patient care? I've recently read about Registered Sleep Technologists, which I would be eligible to take the exam for, but I've also read that it's a dying field due to inpatient sleep studies not being covered by insurance. However, that environment sounds perfect. The pay is comparable, you get to sit more than 10 minutes at a time, you have a small patient ratio, the patients generally aren't circling the drain, they're asleep, and for the most part, there's relatively little direct patient interaction.

Is there anything else like this that I would be qualified for?

[JustMeRN]

there are tons of jobs not in direct care. Many of them do require a bsn, so you may have to decide if you want a bsn, or to get out of nursing.

I did an office job for about 3 years. It was in a hospitals pre-op testing department. We did patient interviews in the office or over the phone. We gathered testing from other departments, and performed any ordered testing that hadn't already been done. Low (no) acuity. The biggest stress was trying to meet productivity expectations. I left because the office setting wasn't for me, I was bored.

There re are also jobs in places like anticoagulantion clinics where you field calls from labs etc then call patients with Coumadin dosing.

There are jobs with insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, nursing informatics, chart review, quality etc, etc.

Im currently doing homecare and love it. Patient contact with low to moderate acuity. A little less pay than hospital, but I'm not stuck in a hospital, I'm independant, I mostly work from home.

Good luck.

[Libby1987]

You didn't specify why you hate nursing. Is it the responsibility, the physical exertion, poop, patients or ?

[ScrappytheCoco]

Why don't you try another department...like Day Surgery or GI Lab?

[middleagednurse]

I work for an insurance company which is the 2nd biggest employer of nurses in the country. I had no idea there were so many insurance jobs out there. You sit in a cubical, talk on the phone, and do computer stuff. Or you could consider private duty where you care for one patient, or peds, or psych. There is plenty out there, you just have to look.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

In other words how do I get paid the same for easier work. If you figure it out let us know.

[Palliative Care, DNP]

I also hated the floor. I went back for the BSN first. Never really found what interested me. I will graduate with the DNP next May. I have found that I do enjoy the role of provider. Hope you find a position you enjoy.

[JustMeRN]

In other words how do I get paid the same for easier work. If you figure it out let us know.

Thats not really fair, or true. How about "how do I find a job still using the skills and knowledge I have, that challenges mentally, without the physically back breaking and stress aspect of bedside care". there is no reason a nurse can't find a challenging , rewarding, financially comparable job outside a hospital floor.

Hospital nurses are are a rare breed. If you can do it long term, survive it, and love it good for you. Nurses that leave the hospital are not looking for an easy job, or looking to get paid money they don't deserve. They are looking for jobs with salary comparably to work.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I work for an insurance company which is the 2nd biggest employer of nurses in the country. I had no idea there were so many insurance jobs out there. You sit in a cubical, talk on the phone, and do computer stuff. Or you could consider private duty where you care for one patient, or peds, or psych. There is plenty out there, you just have to look.

Computer stuff?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Search this site, many answers await you.

[Farawyn]

Neuro is tough. It is my least favorite place to work. Try another unit first.

And Dunder-Miflin is not a cushy job. Dwight's beet farm almost went under because he didn't have the supplemental income.