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You're a courageous, wonderful soul. Thank you for sharing.

Hi there. I think it depends on the different programs you are looking at. I have an MSN Admin with a teaching certificate and that has qualified me to do anything really. I also know people that did the MSN Education focus because they knew they were going to teach and not return to the bedside. I also know a few nurses who got the basic MSN and then went for the EdD (doctorate in Education) so that it was not limited to just nursing. There are so many options, it will just depend on what you are looking for in the long run, but I think as long as you have the MSN... experience will count more than a piece of paper. That's been my experience.

Hi there. You are correct in that it is really difficult to get hired without experience unless you are willing to go through some sort of internship. Since your only experience is not in direct patient care, you may have to realize that you'll have to "pay your dues". You have experience yes, but especially a large teaching hospital might prefer you go through a formal GN internship and start at night; that is typically the norm. You're basically asking to get hired on a unit w/ no acute care experience and unless you're hired as a new grad with all that comes with that... acute care hospital might be tricky. I obviously don't know the extent of your issues with depression but you might be ok for a while at least if you can stick to a somewhat consistent schedule (meaning you can flip over a few days at a time to a day schedule when you're off) or if you have medication. I understand the concern though. I was never a good night-shift worker, I was tired for 3 years. It's just completely abnormal to my natural rhythms and I never adjusted. I have found over the years that anytime you leave the bedside and do things that are not direct patient-facing (education, management, informatics, case management, etc) that the jump back to the bedside gets harder and harder as time goes on. Best of luck!

jrbl77, what position are you in now if I might ask? I am getting burned out of acute care hospitals but I still like people in general...

To whoever you are, thank you. Well-written and accurate. Best of luck!

I can only imagine how hard the loss of a child must be, my truest condolences. I agree with the other comments... you know your test will be positive. So you must now get ahead of this. I would first find out your hospital's policy on working under the influence, even with a valid prescription. Many facilities have this policy and to most folks who take medications without incidence it is never known. However, this policy covers facilities in the event your acceptable prescription use has escalated from grief and turned into more of an abuse/addiction situation. They have to cover themselves and the hospital and all patients you have cared for. So. Find that policy first. Then I would really really want to know what 'erratic' behavior the other nurses accused you of, although I'm not sure how to find this out. An honest, transparent conversation with your manager/director is a place to start, but bear in mind they must look out for the facility and the patients first. If this is a job worth fighting for, then go to battle. If not, and you perhaps need a lower stress job while you heal emotionally, then maybe this is a good opportunity to look for something else. I hope it all works out in the best way for YOU. It's a job. You don't owe it or your employer anything. Take care of you, mama. Best of luck and blessings.

I love everything about this post. I am just discovering for myself the love of oils, diet choices and other natural methods to minimize some of my symptoms of various things and I have a true belief that wellness and preventative medicine are the future. My difficulty is that I have been away from the bedside for a few years now (thank you ICU and the injuries there) and one cannot certify in anything without clinical experience, which I cannot get because I cannot work bedside in an acute care setting anymore. I have yet to find a clinic that will pay an RN with my experience anything other than an entry-level LVN or MA salary and I cannot switch for that. It is very frustrating. Thoughts?

Thank you HouTx. I am looking at education but I think the crux of the problem is that I am burnt out on being in a hospital. I would love to do some full-time advocacy, non-profit, crisis intervention work and write in my spare time, but for now that will not pay the bills. I will continue to look for opportunities and hope that someday i will not spend 50+ hours in this building! :) Thank you all Let's keep the ideas coming. We have to take care of our own!

I have not posted enough on this site yet to be allowed access to the PM feature. Feel free to email me at [email protected]. I'm happy to take suggestions. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much GrnTea! I have always had an interest in legal consulting and forensics. I do a lot of volunteer work with the crisis center here so the legal aspect of healthcare has always been on my radar. I'm new to this site... how do I PM you?

Thanks! I just feel a little lost. I've worked so hard to get to this point and now to realize I'm not really happy doing it, and I don't know what else to do is very disheartening. Transitions can be tough but I'm looking forward to the next chapter, wherever that is!

I have been a nurse for 14 years. Critical care, peri-operative, informatics nursing, now informatics physician support. It's been good to me. This career is part of who I am as a person, as a woman, as a human. I am really climbing the ladder lately and while I am proud of my success, I am starting to wonder if I want to climb this ladder? I love nursing. I left the bedside because the informatics opportunity was a great one and I was ready for a new challenge. Informatics is the place to be and is in demand in my area. I transitioned to physician support because I found myself doing that anyway. I have always had a great report with providers and can communicate with them effectively when others fail. I recently finished my MSN and have been walking through the proverbial opening doors for a couple of months with new opportunities that expand my knowledge, make me more visible to the system, and grow my professional network. It is extremely flattering and challenging. I'm up to the challenge. The disheartening truth is that I do not believe I WANT it. My boyfriend is looking for employment nationwide after a lay-off so my time in this role is limited. This introspection was brought on by the question "What jobs do I apply for when we move?" I find the creative, right-brained side of myself is slowly withering away in favor of spreadsheets, metrics, data and strategic planning. I find myself looking at jobs on employment sites that include key words like "writing", "creative", and "flexible". I will appreciate any ideas. And also, if anyone knows of a creative writing job for nurses I'm game! Everyone wants experience, which is understandable, but that is a vicious circle because you have to HIRE me so I can GET experience! So the question I will pose to the masses is this: In working up the ladder of corporate success, how do we nurture our creative spirits, in a job that is not usually creative, and still make a living and be happy? Best holiday wishes everyone. Remember to take time to nurture yourself while you are so busing giving your all to your patients this season. Many blessings! -Amanda

I too am an incredibly empathetic person and often take work home with me. I have found that burnout occurs rapidly in high stress environments such as forensics and critical care. I found it helpful to create a ritual when work is over that helps your mind separate work and home, something to mentally flip-the-switch so to speak. For a while I stopped in the break room after my shift and after report and wrote in a journal all of the things that concerned me that day and all of the things that were great about the day and ways that I made a difference. That journal stayed in my locker so that the feelings left in there sort of metaphorically stayed behind. Then on my way home, I cranked fun music and opened the windows for fresh air. I also found that a few times a week going to yoga on my way home helped clear my mind and really made me focus on something else for that hour. That was "me" time. No one else needed me, all the sounds and images went away, and I just focused on my own body. Whatever works for you! Hope that helps.