Jobs for burned out Nurses?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, IMC, ICU, Pedi, Hospice, LTC,.

I've been a nurse for 7.5 years. Currently I'm not working full-time, only doing agency work here and there because I am SSSSOOOOO burned out. I have the opportunity to go back to school to go from LVN to RN, but the problem is, I'm not sure what I'd do with the RN license. I know I should take advantage of the opportunity but I'm so burned out, I'm not sure I want to even be a nurse anymore. I don't want to work in the hospitals because I've lost compassion for people who are non-compliant and self-destructive, then want you to save them, and then want to tell you how to do it. Once you stabilize them and send them back into the world, they repeat the same destructive behaviours, only to return in 3 weeks once again wanting you to "fix" them. I love the idea of helping people, but the fact is you can not help someone who really doesn't want your help, or who won't help themselves. I dont want to work in long-term care because it gets too mundane and it seems that the aides who really dont want to work or take care of people congregate there. They want a paycheck but don't want to work for it, dont care about those helpless old people or thier dignity. I don't want to go back to home health because gas is just way too high these days, not to mention the expenses that mileage reimbursement doesnt cover. Anyone have any ideas for areas of nursing that might suit a burned out nurse like me?

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Specializes in LTC, Mental Health.
I dont want to work in long-term care because it gets too mundane and it seems that the aides who really dont want to work or take care of people congregate there. They want a paycheck but don't want to work for it, dont care about those helpless old people or thier dignity.

When I was in nursing school I did not even consider working for a nursing home. Then one day I just found myself there and it turned out to be a great thing. You do run across some of those aides who really don't care about their job or the people they care for. But then again you run across some really really great aides. And its not all about just watching them die, you can do a sub-acute or alzheimer unit. And when they do die, you have the chance to give them a peaceful, dignified death. All I really wanted to say was try something you would never had thought to do because you just might be surprised. Good luck in your search! :-)

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Specializes in Cardiac.

What about becoming a Telenurse? My aunt works from her home on a Nurse helpline. She also works with the County and travels to and from nursing facilities all over northern Illinois surveying for Quality Improvement.

You can also work for Insurance companies.

Medicaid/Medicare.

Pharmaceutical companies.

Nursing Informatics.

I'm not sure what you're interests are but as I mentioned earlier Telemedicine/Telenursing is really big right now. It's basically nursing from a distance (no hands-on care). You should read more about it if you haven't already...there are so many opportunities in this branch of nursing.

There's just so much to choose from...Good luck!

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You are really going to need clinical experience as an RN in order to get a more administrative type job. Even with LVN experience, there are going to be many jobs that truly require clinical RN experience in order to safely do the job and ensure you don't lose your license.

If you truly cannot stand the thought of working as an RN for at least a year or two to get the clinical experience then perhaps you should not consider it.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

How about working in a blood bank? Many blood banks hire nurses (LVNs included).

Developmental disabilities nursing can be low-stress. You are often assessing the mentally-retarded residents in the comfort of their own group homes. They can really be appreciative of your attention.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, IMC, ICU, Pedi, Hospice, LTC,.
You are really going to need clinical experience as an RN in order to get a more administrative type job. Even with LVN experience, there are going to be many jobs that truly require clinical RN experience in order to safely do the job and ensure you don't lose your license.

If you truly cannot stand the thought of working as an RN for at least a year or two to get the clinical experience then perhaps you should not consider it.

LOL, oh no, I don't want to be a pencil pushing, duty dodging administrative nurse. There are lots of administrative positions in my area for LVN's. But I would like to find an area where people really do want to be helped and half-way appreciate it. I realize there are bad patients in all areas. It burns my butt that there are so many people who try so hard to pretend to be sick to either get attention or meds, when there are so many people who really are sick and would give anything to just be healthy; even if it meant being lonely. I've lost my patience with all the non-compliants, the drug seekers, attention seekers, etc. I am considering pysch nursing. From what little experience I've had, those who seek help seem to genuinely want it.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

imburnedout,

Sounds like you really put your "all" into the job and it really didn't live up to your expectations. We all walk a very fine line -expected to pour out continuous compassion, but not get "too involved". Not easy? Inevitably, the bucket comes up empty because no one is seeing to our needs -- least of all ourselves.

My practice has always been in critical care. My expectation has never been to "fix" anyone. I do the best I can do -- and that is all I can offer. We can't change anyone's basic nature or create a "road to Damascus" experience that will suddenly open their eyes to the error of their former lifestyles. We can only do what we can do.

Feel good about what you have done and will continue to do. You have provided comfort and eased pain. You have (probably) held the hand of a dying patient or supported the grieving family. You have dispelled fear by providing information or simply being present in a time of need. You are a hero. :redbeathe

You have no control over what anyone else does. You can only make decisions for yourself - and I know you will make the right one. Remember have faith that "the universe is unfolding as it should" even if we can't see the big picture.

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Specializes in Cardiac.
LOL, oh no, I don't want to be a pencil pushing, duty dodging administrative nurse. There are lots of administrative positions in my area for LVN's. But I would like to find an area where people really do want to be helped and half-way appreciate it. I realize there are bad patients in all areas. It burns my butt that there are so many people who try so hard to pretend to be sick to either get attention or meds, when there are so many people who really are sick and would give anything to just be healthy; even if it meant being lonely. I've lost my patience with all the non-compliants, the drug seekers, attention seekers, etc. I am considering pysch nursing. From what little experience I've had, those who seek help seem to genuinely want it.

Imburnedout-

Trust me, I'm not trying to burst your bubble at all by saying this but I was a mental health social worker for a few years and became extremely burned out very quickly b/c I worked with alot of patients who were drug-seekers, extremely non-compliant, and attention seeking and none of this was ever due to any severe mental illness.

I worked for a government agency and would personally witness supposedly "mentally ill" fakes being awarded SSI when they could have been easily working a 40 hour work week.

This is not to say that I didn't help alot of people who were trully ill. Alot of my patients needed more help than we could give them.

I just hope that you're getting into psych nursing because you trully have an interest in it and not because you think you'll find fewer drug-seekers.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I have only been a nurse for 1 year and I am already so sick of listening to the drug seekers & non-compliant patients tell me how to do my job. "Oh no, I can't take Lortab 7.5s because they don't work for me. I need at least 2 of Dilaudid"...yeah right. And the dialysis patient who refuses scheduled dialysis who comes in overloaded and yelling at me because "you aren't moving fast enough" :banghead: I think its a safe bet that if my life were on the line I would get off my butt and go to dialysis 3 days a week!!!

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Specializes in behavioral health.

In psych nursing you will see many attention seekers.(borderlines) They tend to continue self-destructive behaviors. It can be quite infuriating at times. Although, I believe these people truly are ill. Studies show that the majority of borderlines have gone through some traumatic stress in their life. However, I tend to believe in some cases, they are born with brain abnormalities. I know of at least one borderline that grew up in a loving environment and no history of abuse.

Also, in psych you will have many addicts that have attempted suicide. They along with the borderlines can be very manipulative.

If you are burned out from people who don't seem to want help, then psych is not the place to be. You will have many frequent flyers there.

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I have yet to find any area of nursing that doesn't require you to deal with a bunch of people that are whiners, liars, fakers, drug-seekers, non-compliant, etc. Those people are everywhere - patients and coworkers.

Gotta find your satisfaction in something else. Nursing is no longer that "noble calling" that it once was. The demands on the nurse are too great these days.

The best advice I've gotten on this subject was from a fellow nurse friend - Stop caring so much. Do your job to the best of your ability but don't continue to get so involved that it becomes who you are. Otherwise you won't be able to keep going in this profession. Nursing is what you do, not your entire being.

This has been hard advice for me to follow but it has helped greatly in how burned out I feel.

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Specializes in Geriatric, Rehab, and Pulmonary.
Nursing is what you do, not your entire being

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I agree!

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