I have been working as an LPN for 6 months in long term care. I have had 2 different jobs and I really think I hate being a nurse. I don't want throw my education away but I don't know what to do. Help.
spaghettis 4 Posts Nov 7, 2016 What are you not liking about nursing? LTC is rough, especially for a new grad. Maybe you should consider a different environment such as an urgent care, a clinic, school nursing, or an assisted living?
TheCommuter, BSN, RN 226 Articles; 27,608 Posts Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych. Has 17 years experience. Nov 7, 2016 I think six whopping months of experience is too soon to declare that you hate nursing. I suspect the real issue is that you hate long term care nursing. Therefore, you may enjoy nursing once you are removed from the long term care setting.Perhaps you should venture into group homes for the developmentally disabled, methadone clinics, doctors offices, assisted living, psychiatric hospitals, jail intake centers, prison infirmaries, adult daycare, and other settings outside nursing homes.
NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN 2,690 Posts Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health. Has 37 years experience. Nov 8, 2016 Tough it out to gain the experience required (1 or 2 years) to be able to join a nursing agency. Trust me when I tell you that the pay and flexibility as an agency LPN makes all the crap worthwhile. You won't have to work everyday if you don't want to. But the pay can become somewhat addicting. Agencies pay weekly; some pay daily! You'd still be doing LTC since that's your current experience...until you decide to venture out into other areas. But you'd never have to be in the same place twice if you don't want to. Have a bad shift? Dial up the agency and tell them to put you somewhere else tomorrow.Knowing that you control how and where you work daily puts a whole new twist on how you feel about nursing. Imagine calling in to your employer and saying, "hey, I will work today but I can only do half a shift". There again, the pay may give you that energy you need to do what your pockets need you to do. Hit it hard for a week; take the next week off. Hit it hard for another week; take another week off.For now, just hang tough until you get that required experience under your belt. Then get ready to live and have fun! LPNs, too, have options! Just ask me. I did it for 24 years before being forced back to school:arghh:. LPNs have more power than the powers-that-be would have them to believe. Work it in your favor!:up:
didi768 1 Article; 360 Posts Specializes in VA, Ortho, Med/Surg. Has 25 years experience. Nov 10, 2016 I just got hired for a nursing home and quit already after going in for my pre-hire paperwork. I had a major anxiety attack thinking about passing pills all day and being pulled in multiple directions and getting off track and having to be charge and make assignments for the CNA's. I just can't bring myself to try another nursing home. I am TERRIFIED due to two other bad experiences. Home care however bores me to no end. I need to find a balance. Feel free to message me OP. Would love to talk.
luvmyc 71 Posts Nov 10, 2016 I never really loved being in LTC, but you have so many more areas you can work in. My favorite has been peds home health and also working for the Indian Health Service.
didi768 1 Article; 360 Posts Specializes in VA, Ortho, Med/Surg. Has 25 years experience. Nov 11, 2016 My favorite has been peds home health and also working for the Indian Health Service.I have questions about that luvmyc...the Indian Health Services. Is that through USA Jobs? I see a lot of them via the VA in all states :-)
NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN 2,690 Posts Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health. Has 37 years experience. Nov 11, 2016 BSNbeDONE, your post gave me so much life ������Awwwwww....thank you! That is just awesome!
WinterLilac 168 Posts Specializes in Psychiatric. Has 5 years experience. Nov 11, 2016 3 words: Keep getting educated. You will be amazed at the opportunities that become available to you when you get a tertiary education. Also, think about what you'd absolutely LOVE to do as a profession (whether it be in Nursing or not) then deconstruct the requirements so you can work on each part in stages to work towards it. As other people have said, nursing has SO many different specialties, explore lots of them! The world is your oyster, get educated (seriously, you'll find once you're an RN, you'll open up an amazing door).
luvmyc 71 Posts Nov 11, 2016 Ask away didi768! And yes that's where they list all of their jobs. You can also go to ihs.gov and there is a job search on the main page. IHS is very unique and it's where I have felt most fulfilled/needed as a nurse.
MLPN 30 Posts Nov 21, 2016 Don't just give up on nursing altogether. In the beginning, we seem to question ourselves and become very overwhelmed. Six months isn't very long. It takes practice to be comfortable working in whatever area we choose. The more you do something, the easier or more manageable it becomes. You might be a very good nurse, and patients will need you. If you're really unhappy, you can always do agency nursing. I work ltc and I also work with a great agency and do home health care in pediatrics. I love what I do, however, it can become very challenging. You went through a lot to get your license, maybe if you're that unhappy, you can try a different area to work in. I wish you the best of luck!
