after 22 years i am leaving the nursing profession. i have spent almost half of my life taking care of other people, and it is now time to step aside and let someone else step in.
i was very young when i started out, and i often say that i chose nursing the same way many women choose a man, for all of the wrong reasons although i was good at it, i never harmed anyone, i worked hard, cleaned pts real good, cleaned nails, ears, etc. made beds, toe pleats and all, passed meds, did IV's, blood and all of those other tasks they added to the list over the years. everyone was well taken care of, except for me. i silenced my own voice.
so, it is time for me to leave. after numerous injuries, (back, wrist, neck), backstabbing managers, obnoxious families and insulting doctors i just can't do it anymore. i'm tired and just have done all i can do. i have worked everywhere and seen it all from the ER to the OR. i didn't do it for the money, it's really not that much for all of the b* i have to deal with. i feel sorry for the shallow person who wants to do nursing for the money. i would not want them standing over me.:chair:
if i had it to do over, i would not. but i can't undo what is already done.
i love kids, i love art. i have a degree in art and opportunities to teach it are coming my way. not the same money but much less stress on me, no injuries and no more palpitations and bradycardia. i don't like telemetry either-- working in it, or laying down in it. the beeping really creeps me out, and when i look up and see "50" on the screen that does not help. :redbeathe
i did not wake up and decide to quit, it has taken me a long time to get to this place and i realize that it is either remain in this relationship (profession) at my own expense, or get out now while i still have my physical and mental health and strength. i have seen too many of my commrades die prematurely. i don't want to be next, before my time.
good luck to you all, be safe, CYA, and most of all when the going gets tough, get out!
:heartbeat i read all the posts with interest. i can empathize. having been an rn for 27 yrs, and being 51 yrs old. the body just doesn't work like it used to, it gets harder and harder. we don't all have the same experiences in our time in nursing, some have much more physical labor than others, some may have more emotional trauma, or there is both. one thing is certain: change is always happening, usually it is not a change that is better for the nurse. those who have, or the gumption to make the opportunity to do something else, when their time is up in nursing, are fortunate indeed. as for me, i'm just planning to hang on and make the most of it until i've met my goals for retirement. best wishes, crispicritah (sp?), i applaud you!
Seriously can completely understand how you feel.........hard hard work, BS, nasty physicians and so forth. Just want to say that there are hospitals out there where the doctors are nice, minimal BS, staffing ratios good, lots of resources and so forth. So, please do not feel "scared" but rather look elsewhere for some place different to work. I left a bad one and thank God went to Mayo Hospital in AZ. and it seriously ROCKS.
good luck in all you do. i don't think any of us are cut out for the politics that nursing requires these days. it is hard work, and we sure as heck don't get paid what we are worth. why can't we pay faculty members enough to teach new nurses rather than rely on "good hearted nurses" to get paid zip to teach our new ones?
the priority of this country is amazing............spend bazillions worrying about illegal immigration while not making any investments in real health care concerns.................anyway.....i digress
i want to quit and open a gift shop/flower shop.............and when i save enough to do it, i'm gone too.
I am reading these post and feeling relief that I am not alone in my burnout. I worked for 34 yrs in one hospital and loved it until the last three years. I spoke out (as a charge nurse) against staffing issues and not being able to have LPN and aides. I was demoted and then worked to death. They wanted me out, but I stuck it out. Then one day I made an off hand comment to the charge nurse and was fired on Valentines day for showing my stress at work. I was crushed, as I had given my whole life to this hospital. It was the best thing that ever happened to me at age 58. Now I am doing agencey work and it is better. What I am seeing is a lot of burnout because we are all being placed in loose loose situations. So how to go about making changes? Through education? Working through our organizations? I want to help to make the changes and improve health care for the people of our country, but where do we start? Any sugestions?
Well, I sympathize completely! I too am a right brained person. working in a left brain world! I also have 22 yrs nursing experience, mostly ER, and tried other positions to mix it up a little. (oh, the stories we could tell)
I am presently on a stress leave- for 3 months- desperately trying to muster the courage to go back in 10 days!
I want to transfer to another dept. , but HR says I can't apply for another position while I'm on leave.
I want to paint!!! I want to create , I want to decorate things, I want to rehab houses! I don't want to take care of other people anymore---
We need to take care of ourselves!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! On finding your way to your new self! No more swimming upstream! I'm happy for you and know you will make it. If you can do nursing for as long as you did- and do it well--YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET OUT TO DO!! Luckily you know what it is and have an option. It's what many of us are praying for.
I may be behind you real soon. I love my patients, and they love me, but some of the families are absolutely rediculous and unrealistic, and I am finding the verbal abuse a little difficult to smile through anymore. I get tired of taking the blame for doctors, and understaffing.
you don't have to do one thing for your whole life. i'm not planning on making nursing my career for more than a few years.
and i do see why folks burn out. it's not an easy job.
I copy that! Looking at my past 'career path' looks like a 'whos who' in jobs not to do! Over the years I've been a safety coordinator in a hazardous construction area (phos/acid plant that was active ) (scared the willies outta me, but it paid really well, and had more than too much excitement), ran printing presses and other aspects of printing for 7 yrs, worked in EMS (paramedic/fire) and drove tractor-trailers. It always brings a smile on my face when some patient asks "so why are you a nurse? What have you done? " and I tell 'em :) Blows their minds. I love nursing, but won't do it for the rest of my life, either.
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
After 5 years in an ALF/LTC I felt the exact same way...only five years! I switched to part time agency and feel I can hold on a bit longer, in fact I am enjoying it again since switching back to hospital!
But I don't see Nursing as my life time commitment...I keep my horizons open for other opportunities that come forth.
So does my hubby who is a paramedic! We just can't see doing this our entire lives...I mean, he has already had a heart attack from the stress of his job, a injured back, injured knees and so on! Me, back and hips and frazzled nerves. I know we can't do this forever...or we will punish our body and spirit too much for one lifetime! Not to mention being very sad to have to take an antidepresant daily since becoming a nurse...shouldn't have to have to depend on medications to handle the workload! (so many nurses I know take antidepresants...we compaire prices, brandnames and everything...LOL!).
Congratulations on knowing yourself and having the courage to change for the sake of yourself! I hope my husband and I have that strength and courage when it is our time to switch!
I entered the nursing profession in my 50's, thinking it was like it was in the 1960's when I first seriously contemplated going to school for nursing. I have since had several nursing jobs; NONE OF WHICH brought me anything but very, very high stress and physical challenges no matter what or how many interventions I tried.
I am now working only 2 8 hour shifts a week in assisted living and hope and feel I have finally found my niche. I also have my own nurse advocacy business, which after a year, seems to be picking up. I really like that because I can pick and choose which jobs I take and choose those which employ the skills I enjoy using.
Good luck to both of you. I, too, did a mid-life career change and am here to attest that it can be done and done successfully. I encourage both of you to fully explore that which you think you are interested in and what they require of you. If I had researched the nursing profession before I started on that path in college, because of the many changes over 40 years, I never would have chosen nursing in 2000! Hopefully I have made lemonade out of lemons now!!!
Again, good luck and CONGRATULATIONS.....YOU HAVE EARNED THE NEXT, MOST WONDERFUL, PART OF YOUR LIVES!!!!!
To the OP- I am glad you are taking the steps to make yourself happy. Life is too short to be miserable.
That said, I want to add that no job is "perfect"
In every job that you deal or work with people (can't think of any that you don't to some degree) you will come across difficult, hard to work with, downright mean people. These people may be your customer, patient, manager, co-worker, ect.
I worked in Insurance for 2 years (made good $) and decided that if I was going to have to put up with poor management, catty coworkers, and mean, demanding customers, I would like to know at the end of the day that I was helping. I want to be one of the good guys, one of the "good nurses", and make my little differences everyday.
They say the grass is always greener. (but it never really is huh?)
walkingrock, ADN
178 Posts
:heartbeat i read all the posts with interest. i can empathize. having been an rn for 27 yrs, and being 51 yrs old. the body just doesn't work like it used to, it gets harder and harder. we don't all have the same experiences in our time in nursing, some have much more physical labor than others, some may have more emotional trauma, or there is both. one thing is certain: change is always happening, usually it is not a change that is better for the nurse. those who have, or the gumption to make the opportunity to do something else, when their time is up in nursing, are fortunate indeed. as for me, i'm just planning to hang on and make the most of it until i've met my goals for retirement. best wishes, crispicritah (sp?), i applaud you!