Questioning myself about the field

[BellaCat]

Dear fellow nurses/nurses-to-be,

Since Jan of 2015 I've went back to school fulltime while still holding up my weekend job and an additional part-time job as a nurse. The struggle is real since then and I find myself questioning myself over and over if this is the field for me. When I am on campus, I deal with schoolworks and deadlines and when i'm at work, I deal with patients, family members, doctors, and other coworkers. Sometimes, I have classes with the older cohorts and they tell me how much of a struggle it is throughout their program. A lot of them get only a few hours of a sleep a night- working fulltime and going to school fulltime. Some get stressed out that they are getting hyperthyroidism and depression. Others get prescribed with anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications... Why is it such a struggle with just a BSN, I don't understand. Training nurses like this... it's a setup for early death.

Currently I've been working 16 hours sat and 16 hours sun so that I can to go school and do my studies during the weekdays... but these 16 hours straight is exhausting too. Am I on the bad side of nursing? I see my other colleagues(the ones who are RN's) actually enjoying RN work than LVN work. Also, my other biggest hardship is that when I work at SNF's(as an LVN), the nurse-pt ratio is way too high. This puts patients as well as the nurses in a very unsafe situation...such as med errors, wrong patients, wrong documentations, etc. I try not to say I hate nursing because the truth is I really don't. I do love to help others and make a difference in their stay with us. But... I am burning out for the endless chartings and the nurse-pt ratio. Medications are almost never passed on time with this type of ratio. I know I've mentioned this in my other thread...

Any advices? I know I cannot quit work because I am paying for my tuition as I study. My husband is working part-time and going back to school himself(not in the nursing field). Altogether, we are still looking for a fulltime job that is in his field so that I can reduce my work hours so I wont be too burnt out while I am in school. If ever there's a time in the nursing field that I feel discouraged, hopeless, and depressed, now is the time.

Another thing is... I've also ventured out and have looked into the field of CLS(clinical laboratory scientist) doing the "behind the scenes" type of work with blood results, stool, and urine analysis, etc. But if I change over to CLS, I am starting off scratch again; whereas, with nursing, I already have my foundation and my connections. I just don't know what to do. I need everyone's thoughts and advices. Please help. I recognized that I am going through some kind of depression... I wake up every weekend and I get depressed if I have to go to work as an LVN at the SNF with nurse-pt ratio is dangerously high... I get depressed just thinking about it during the weekdays...

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now, no wonder you're feeling stressed out.

CLS is a great field, but the job market is much more limited than nursing. The curriculum is pretty rigorous. If hard science is not your thing, it may be even more stressful.

You are moving ahead with a clear and realistic plan to achieve your goals and you've already accomplished a lot. Life is full of peaks and valleys.... right now you're in a valley, but it's not going to last forever. Try to focus on the future - one in which you're working as an RN & your hubby has a great new job. You can do this. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other one... Whenever you need a virtual shoulder to cry on, we're here for you.

[BellaCat]

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now, no wonder you're feeling stressed out.

CLS is a great field, but the job market is much more limited than nursing. The curriculum is pretty rigorous. If hard science is not your thing, it may be even more stressful.

You are moving ahead with a clear and realistic plan to achieve your goals and you've already accomplished a lot. Life is full of peaks and valleys.... right now you're in a valley, but it's not going to last forever. Try to focus on the future - one in which you're working as an RN & your hubby has a great new job. You can do this. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other one... Whenever you need a virtual shoulder to cry on, we're here for you.

Thanks! I am finding ways to reduce my stress. And i was truly moping and crying when i wrote that thread. So difficult...