Jobs nurses go to after leaving nursing and healthcare

[burnedoutrn]

I have received quite a number of responses to my original post about being burned out. What I really need to know is if anyone has any ideas, info., or personal experiences that they can share with me. I have been reading these boards for quite sometime and I don't believe I will return to nursing given the present state and future of this field. I NEED help figuring out where to go after nursing...Please!

[leslie :-D]

Dear Burnedoutrn,

I haven't thoroughly read your other post about being burnt out but I, too, have contemplated leaving nursing. If I do leave, I'll probably go into computers. The hard thing is that inspite of my immense frustration with nursing, I think I would find it devastating to leave. I am caught between a rock and a hard place. I will be watching this post for some ideas, though.

[Mijourney]

Hi again burnedoutrn. I agree with earle58 on computers. I think that mastering something in computers is necessary whether you stay in nursing or not. I have been taking computer classes and found the powerpoint class to be particularly interesting. It's in wide use, but I'm not sure of how much it is being used in home health client education. I think what is important in any line of work is to have something else to fall back on and to be willing to try something different or get another perspective on your job. I have written this before, but nurses prematurely limit their options. I realize that it is probably due to the fact that most nurses are women who are raising or taking care of relatives and need to establish security in their work. However, I think that most of us can agree that health and medical care right now is anything but secure.

Burnedoutrn, I can't tell you where to go in terms of your career. I'm not sure, but I think that another poster under your previous topic suggested that you can go for career counseling. There are a number of assessment tests that you can take to assess your abilities, skills, and interests. These tests are not foolproof, but they are helpful in giving you an idea the direction you can go. Local colleges and universities in your area may have career counseling programs free or minimal cost to the public, so check with them. It may be, burnedoutrn, that you need to take time off from paid work completely to look at your options. Another poster suggested sabbaticals under another topic. Best wishes.