Jobs for burned out Nurses?

[imburnedout]

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?

[Valanda]

For a couple years, I worked for a national home health equipment company. I loved doing travel plans for people who were on oxygen. We would pour over maps and locate oxygen suppliers nearby, I'd contact those companies and negotiate contracts to ensure that the people had a source of oxygen refills wherever they went.

Other than that, I helped teach people how to use their CPAP or Bi-Pap machines. Also included selecting a mask/interface that would work for them.

Most of my duties involved patient teaching and product selection. Everything from post-mastectomy supplies, to ostomy appliances. Even a few times taught people how to use crutches.

I found this very rewarding. Customers were always so happy when we were able to solve some of the complaints that would have lead to non-compliance. The biggest problem I ever had with it was that it was also my job to get the authorizations from the insurance companies. Sometimes fighting with them was heart-breaking. I think if they had separated that part of it from the nursing duties and left it to the customer service. I would probably still be there.