drlizrn

One of the real problems is that this web page and many of the participants believe the only area for nursing is acute care - hospital nursing. Yes if I worked in that environment I would not last either. There are so many community health/public health arenas to practice in. Been a nurse 51 years this year 50 in community/public health, and one year as evening charge nurse in 65 bed surgical unit in Boston MA at Brighten Marine Hospital during Vietnam - it was crazy - no wonder people quit.

Nurses leave for many reasons, I am in my 47the year and never once wanted to quit - what I wanted to do and did do was change what I did in nursing - staff nursing in an acute care agency hospital is NOT the be all and end all - there are so many other functions, and types of nursing it is amazing - we need to stop thinking that hospital staff nursing is the only nursing - have been in community/public/non-profit for 46 of my 47 years, I have the independence and ability to think as an individual and do my own thing - oh yes obtaining advanced degrees MSN and then EdD allowed me to do many more functions. Stop thinking staff duty in acute care is the only area to function in!