DISCONTENTNURSE

I would like to say thanks for the time you guys took in replying. It seems the thing to do is finding a niche, which hopefully I can. I have herd from friends at work that I may like Hospice or Home Health and a couple of you told me the same. I know that a lower stress atmosphere for a extended period of time would do me good. I am at the point of making serious changes in my spending habits and changing to a lower paid nurseing job. Having said that I am a bit disbondent about getting paid less after having worked my butt off in nursing school, but if that what it takes.

I am only 6yrs into my nursing career as a RN with a assoc degree, and already I have serious doubts about nursing. My first 5years were spent in a nursing home as a night shift charge with 28 skilled beds. Sadly the 28 residents were seldom my top priorty. I spent most of my nights from about 0430 to 0600 taking sick calls from day shift staff and trying like mad to contact preconfirmed outside agencys to obtain replacment staff for day shift. All the while I had countless glucs and morning meds to pass. And if I didnt get a replacment I had to either mandate myself or another night shift nurse to stay for the morning med pass, and we already had worked 12hrs. And you could imagine what its like to the 9am med pass in a nursing home. I finally got my fill and left to a skilled unit in a local major hospital. I will say its somewhat better as I have only been mandated once in 8 months, but still the same problems are there. These include a terrible flip schedule where I work both day and night shift,working holidays that some how seems to bother me more now than it used too,your average extreme stress nursing job stuff like falls, admits, short staff,angry family and pts that think they are in the Waldorf Astoria instead of a hospital,legality and backbiting co-workers that all seem to choose nursing as a profession. My dilema is like most in that nursing has traped me with its moderate payscale and benifits. What makes it worse is I live in West Virginia where jobs are almost non-exsistant. My guess is its worse here than most places, but its only a guess. I just tried looking for jobs in two of the major local papers on-line with some of the best listed as follows, ( Come start your future at Telacom making as much as 7.50 an hour.) I could not make a car and house payment with that, let alone live. Having said all that I am gratefull to have a job, but would not recommend nursing to anyone. Can someone give me advice. Should I look into another career at 31,and married with no children. If so what? And before you say it I know the grass isnt any greener on the other side, but there has to be an alternative. My first post and sorry about the length.