RN since 1976....tired, discouraged...Suggestions?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2005

I'm sorry to hear you're not happy. Obviously since you're not happy a change needs to occur. Kudos to you for regonizing that.

Good luck in whatever you do. Sounds like the variety and challenge of a larger hospital in a larger city is what you need, but only you can decide that.

Liddle Noodnik · Mar 1, 2005

This is so depressing for me, as I was hoping to settle down and stay at one place until I can retire.
Thank you for your input! :)

Can you take another travel assignment, to something you think you might like permanently? Rather than take another job that you may not like, try a few more on, through agency.

Can't say that I blame you, I have tried about all the different aspects of nursing that there are ... they are either too stressful or just too much for one nurse to do.

Good luck to you, hope you find something - that is one thing that is the hardest, is just "doing time" when you're at work. You have too many work years left for you to be doing that!

weetziebat · Mar 1, 2005

first i'd like to say i'm sorry you are at a place in your career where you are not happy. i'm an old-timer too and know just what you mean about the state of health care nowadays. {{{{{gypsyangel}}}}}

from the sounds of your post i gather you love cardiology, miss the cultural aspects of living in a larger city, and don't feel a part of the culture where you are at.

so to me it seems like your choice #3 - to move to a larger community and apply for a postion in cardiology in a larger hospital sounds like what you want.

if you stay and wait it out, what are you waiting for? retirement? ye gads, that is 15 years away!

applying for a position in the er leaves you in the same small hospital, the exact same culture, or lack of, and somehow i doubt it will be that much more exciting.

quitting nursing always sounds good till you look at the paycheck you'll be making as a housekeeper etc.

so, that's my :twocents: . good luck ! :) i hope you find what you are searching for.

Skili · Mar 1, 2005

Here I am, almost 50 years old, at another critical point in my career. We oldies have all bemoaned the state of health care...hospitals. I was hoping that travel nursing would inspire me....it didn't..just let me realize the changes are accross the nation. BTW, I am a Diploma RN..never had a opportunity to go on due to life circumstances. Now, I don't know that I want to get a BSN.
For over a year I have been night shift staff on tele at a small hospital in the West. At this point, I feel very discouraged, tired and wanting out of nursing. The unit I work on has a majority of elderly, DNR, confused pts. After I hired on, I discovered that cardiac pts. are shipped to a larger hospital since there is no cardiologist on staff. Cardiology is my first love.
I have gained alot more experience with a variety of med/surg. pts. placed on tele, so my experience hasn't been negative. But I am bored to tears!! I don't want to work ICU...I like my pts. awake and verbal.
The other issue is that I don't fit in with the culture here, and in spite of the fact I have tried to belong, I really don't feel it. Being a small hospital, it seems to be a community of old timers. Forgive me for not being able to explain it better. And I miss the cultural aspects of a larger community...this one is 12,ooo.
Lastly, we got a new Unit Manager last June. She has managed to create all kinds of chaos, especially on night shift.
So, with these factors, I have thought about the following solutions:
-Stay and wait it out.
-Apply for an available ER position here, hoping hoping it will be more of a challenge.
-Apply for a position with cardiology at a larger hospital in a larger community.
-Quit nursing and become a waitress, housekeeper, retail employee, etc.
This is so depressing for me, as I was hoping to settle down and stay at one place until I can retire.
Thank you for your input! :)

Hi, I also graduated in 1976, (ADN for the same reasons)worked until last yr.(will be going to massage school soon) Went to several job interviews after leaving my last job,& the culture/environment is different everywhere I believe,but pretty much the same with nursing understaffing & /or politics, so best be doing something you love, however, I am getting to fricken old for the stress & I am personally not looking for the challenge of learning a new job every 2-3 yrs. anymore. I am tired of the above mentioned, though I still want to challenge myself without killing myself before retirement. It sounds like you enjoy the stimulation / culture of a bigger city, why don't you satisfy that part as that is so critical to our core inner well-being-and get the job available closest to fit that that best suits you there? If that doesn't pan out, you still got the bigger city & culture you love, & go to a plan B. But I say: "Get out of Dodge." Life is too short, and it's getting shorter. Good luck from one old-timer to another & best wishes.

shandy84 · Mar 1, 2005

Here I am, almost 50 years old, at another critical point in my career. We oldies have all bemoaned the state of health care...hospitals. I was hoping that travel nursing would inspire me....it didn't..just let me realize the changes are accross the nation. BTW, I am a Diploma RN..never had a opportunity to go on due to life circumstances. Now, I don't know that I want to get a BSN.
For over a year I have been night shift staff on tele at a small hospital in the West. At this point, I feel very discouraged, tired and wanting out of nursing. The unit I work on has a majority of elderly, DNR, confused pts. After I hired on, I discovered that cardiac pts. are shipped to a larger hospital since there is no cardiologist on staff. Cardiology is my first love.
I have gained alot more experience with a variety of med/surg. pts. placed on tele, so my experience hasn't been negative. But I am bored to tears!! I don't want to work ICU...I like my pts. awake and verbal.
The other issue is that I don't fit in with the culture here, and in spite of the fact I have tried to belong, I really don't feel it. Being a small hospital, it seems to be a community of old timers. Forgive me for not being able to explain it better. And I miss the cultural aspects of a larger community...this one is 12,ooo.
Lastly, we got a new Unit Manager last June. She has managed to create all kinds of chaos, especially on night shift.
So, with these factors, I have thought about the following solutions:
-Stay and wait it out.
-Apply for an available ER position here, hoping hoping it will be more of a challenge.
-Apply for a position with cardiology at a larger hospital in a larger community.
-Quit nursing and become a waitress, housekeeper, retail employee, etc.
This is so depressing for me, as I was hoping to settle down and stay at one place until I can retire.
Thank you for your input! :)

I feel your same depression. D/t Unfavorable conditions in my small community you have to drive more than an hour to work in safe hospitals. I also want to get out of it but I cannot afford it. It is really like suffering a midlife crisis and i am only 32. I have to drag myself out of bed to go to work. It emotionally exhausts me.

:crying2:

Skili · Mar 1, 2005

I feel your same depression. D/t Unfavorable conditions in my small community you have to drive more than an hour to work in safe hospitals. I also want to get out of it but I cannot afford it. It is really like suffering a midlife crisis and i am only 32. I have to drag myself out of bed to go to work. It emotionally exhausts me.

Shandy, Just noticed your reply dear, also. I did spend 10 yrs. working psych & wished I followed some of the advice I gave. I came from great, hardy , genes with longevity on both sides of the family. I am breaking with the family tradition in so many ways . I have suffered so many stress-related ills- Major depressive episodes(I know some genetics play here)-but always situational triggered & resolved, endometriosis, cancer, stomache ails.etc., etc. I decided I wanted to live a while longer. My breast cancer surgeon I still have to see told me that 5 yrs. ago, if I left, I would live longer. I am not suggesting you do that. We need nurses so badly, but you must take care of yourself- stress is like smoking, you can do it for yrs. without noticable problems, but it is silently eating away at you. Get yourself in a healthy situation. Take care. Skili

CHATSDALE · Mar 1, 2005

somehow i think that you know what you need to do...no one can tell you what is the best ..take the new skills and the old skills and carve out a niche for your self...sometimes you have to flit to a lot of flowers b/4 you find the right necter

weetziebat · Mar 1, 2005

shandy, just noticed your reply dear, also. i did spend 10 yrs. working psych & wished i followed some of the advice i gave. i came from great, hardy , genes with longevity on both sides of the family. i am breaking with the family tradition in so many ways . i have suffered so many stress-related ills- major depressive episodes(i know some genetics play here)-but always situational triggered & resolved, endometriosis, cancer, stomache ails.etc., etc. i decided i wanted to live a while longer. my breast cancer surgeon i still have to see told me that 5 yrs. ago, if i left, i would live longer. i am not suggesting you do that. we need nurses so badly, but you must take care of yourself- stress is like smoking, you can do it for yrs. without noticable problems, but it is silently eating away at you. get yourself in a healthy situation. take care. skili

definately words of wisdom, skili. we all need to find the courage to do what we have to do to be happy in this life. stress is a killer.

DDRN4me · Mar 1, 2005

((((gypsy)))) Life is too short to be unhappy. YOu have obviously been troubled about this for a while. I'm in my mid 40's :uhoh21: and understand why you are hesitant to swtich jobs frequently, but that is how the world is now, very rarely do you see the "old timesr" like we used to. If you love cardiology, try either the larger hospital, or perhaps a cardiology office or lab...still with the specialty, and "walkie talkies"! Best of luck, will keep you in my prayers. Mary

BETSRN · Mar 1, 2005

Here I am, almost 50 years old, at another critical point in my career. We oldies have all bemoaned the state of health care...hospitals. I was hoping that travel nursing would inspire me....it didn't..just let me realize the changes are accross the nation. BTW, I am a Diploma RN..never had a opportunity to go on due to life circumstances. Now, I don't know that I want to get a BSN.
For over a year I have been night shift staff on tele at a small hospital in the West. At this point, I feel very discouraged, tired and wanting out of nursing. The unit I work on has a majority of elderly, DNR, confused pts. After I hired on, I discovered that cardiac pts. are shipped to a larger hospital since there is no cardiologist on staff. Cardiology is my first love.
I have gained alot more experience with a variety of med/surg. pts. placed on tele, so my experience hasn't been negative. But I am bored to tears!! I don't want to work ICU...I like my pts. awake and verbal.
The other issue is that I don't fit in with the culture here, and in spite of the fact I have tried to belong, I really don't feel it. Being a small hospital, it seems to be a community of old timers. Forgive me for not being able to explain it better. And I miss the cultural aspects of a larger community...this one is 12,ooo.
Lastly, we got a new Unit Manager last June. She has managed to create all kinds of chaos, especially on night shift.
So, with these factors, I have thought about the following solutions:
-Stay and wait it out.
-Apply for an available ER position here, hoping hoping it will be more of a challenge.
-Apply for a position with cardiology at a larger hospital in a larger community.
-Quit nursing and become a waitress, housekeeper, retail employee, etc.
This is so depressing for me, as I was hoping to settle down and stay at one place until I can retire.
Thank you for your input! :)

You have been a successful nurse for 30 years! Why, in God's name would you want to go into retail or the food service business?? You have a wonderful, viable, career with good money making potential. You would jeopardize everything by leaving the field.

There is so much variety in nursing. You have about a million choices. If you like the hospital where you are (and it does not sound as if you do) then stay and change areas. If you do not like the "culture" and want cardiology, go elsewhere.

I don't mean to sound cruel, but you have been an RN long enought to know the variety of opportunities that are out there for you. You clearly sound very burned out. Go to a headhunter and let them look for a job for you.

Go to a website called hospitalsoup.com and start there with a hospital search. You can look at every hospital website in the country. You can refine the search in many ways. You have years of wonderful experience. Go and use it!

CseMgr1, ASN, RN · Mar 1, 2005

You are not alone. I will be 54 in June, and have been in nursing in one shape, fashion or form since 1970. I LOVED nursing at first, being able to make a difference in my patients' lives. Now that corporate flunkies are running the show, and making our lives a living hell, I HATE it. I dread going into work every day, and live for the day when I can either retire or quit nursing all together. It's just not worth it, anymore....