Sad and Exhausted - Questioning my career choice

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth-

Hello! I am a nurse and I am questioning my career choice at times. I was a labor and delivery nurse on a high risk OB unit for 7 years. I ended up going PRN for the last 2. I then decided to try perioperative nursing PRN. It was good experience and less stressful than my high risk job. However, I felt like I needed a change.

I am now a school nurse full time. It has been a very hard transition to full time. It is also a huge job. This job has so much social worker to it. I find myself exhausted, sad and constantly looking for something better. I have been networking with every nurse I know discussing what they do, if they enjoy it and how it is financially. I just feel like everything I try I don't like. I was at my first nursing job for 7 years and complained most of the time due to short staffing etc.

Now that I am in my 40's I just want something that I enjoy, that can be more flexible for my family as well as help us financially. I just don't know what direction to go in, and I feel stuck. Are their other fields to go into after nursing? Do you have any thoughts or suggestions?

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Dear Sad and Exhausted,

I'm sorry. If my math is right, it sounds like you have been unhappy in your nursing jobs for 8, 9, 10? years. That's a long time. Those jobs were not right for you, or not right in the long run. The school nurse position is draining you emotionally. The right job energizes you, and makes you feel that you are contributing and giving back.

Financially, it's likely that finding something in nursing would be better than starting a different career. There are so many different paths in nursing to consider. Let's get unstuck.

How about nothing to do with patients (or children) for now? Or task oriented, such as an infusion clinic, where you focus on IV therapy? With some research, you could find flexible hours and a part-time or even pay by the case arrangement. A friend of mine provides IV therapy in the home and is very independent. She even started her own business contracting and providing other nurses to provide IV therapy.

Have you considered Informatics? The Informatics nurses I know enjoy technology, and like to problem solve. They work to develop order sets and educate nurses on the computer changes.

Pre-op admissions is about as far away from emotion and stress as you can get. It's a desk job, and you admit patients before surgery (medical history, medication list, patient list). They are all ambulatory, relatively healthy people who as a bonus need no help to the bathroom :)

For you, I'm thinking you need to identify what feeds” you. I am more or less shooting in the dark here with suggestions but suggestions made without knowing what turns you on.

Do you enjoy connecting with people?

Do you prefer working in a team or alone?

Do you need something more physical (active) than a desk job, or is a desk job suitable?

What gives you satisfaction at the end of a day?

Is it possible that you are depressed, and if so, the first thing is to get treatment for that. Depression can cause loss of joy, sadness, and irritability. Just a consideration.

Best wishes, friend. Keep me posted.

Nurse Beth

[sammiesmom]

The best thing about nursing is that we have so many fields to go into! I had another degree and worked as a Medical Technologist and that was boring! It was an easy job but very factory like... Anyway, gotta list the things that make you excited. How about teaching? How about ICU or Hospice or Case Management? So many options out there. Take care!

[cricket0414]

What about hospice? in patient or home.

[Kitiger, RN]

Could you try private duty nursing? I love it!

[micurn0126]

Anesthesia is pretty far removed from bedside care: Not physically draining. Highly rewarding. Lucrative. But, you would need at least a year in ICU which IS bedside care to ready you for an interview.

But if OB/L and D is something you enjoyed to some degree, but just couldn't stand the role, then maybe think about providing OB anesthesia?

I suspect you would highly enjoy being on the anesthesia side of OB rather than the short staffed, overworked, underpaid, exhausted side.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I think Home Care is the most flexible, but also requires you to be flexible too as you often have to take a portion of oncall and be ready for a late admission, depending on the specific company policies. I do empathize...most of nursing is very demanding.

I have found they *usually look for the higher degree (BSN, MSN, etc.) if it is a desk job...but I am sure there are exceptions, and maybe you do have a higher degree.

[KSM-RN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hi I just wanted to thank you all for your responses. I have decided to return for a second year of school nursing. I am acclimating to 5 days a week and I am on a countdown for summer! I had to sit down with myself and really think of pro's and con's. I have been in a negative funk and I am trying to see things in a more positive light. I don't know where I'll go from here but I'll stick to it one more year to see if the summer is worth it. One of the teachers said to me "I mean at what job do you get a fresh start EVERY year?" What a great point. I don't make the most money and I am exhausted some days but I do get several weeks off a year and a fresh start once a year!

I don't see myself doing hospice, although they were amazing when I have had family members with this service. I definitely don't see myself in informatics, as I do like the critical thinking I get in my job now as well as bedside nursing. I may go back to school for my FNP because I really love figuring out things, assessing, labs, putting "puzzle pieces" together...but the schooling is so tough and expensive. I will keep reading all of your wonderful post and I thank you for all you do!

[Kristiernbsn]

What about hospice? in patient or home.

That's not emotionally draining lol (note:Sarcasm)

I have a suggestion- how about doing home visits on new moms who need breastfeeding support? Nurse lactation consultant sounds like something you could do with a little bit of training. Good luck! Life is too short to be unhappy every day.

[4boysmama]

What about hospice? in patient or home.

I understand that you're trying to help by making suggestions, but I have to admit that it's very frustrating to see frequent suggestions for Hospice to any nurse on this forum who is tired of their current job /burnt out/needing an "easier/flexible/different" nursing job. If school nursing is not the righ t fit because it's too much social work" as the op says, then this hospice nurse can virtually guarantee that the op will be miserable in hospice nursing, where so, so, so much of what we do every day is emotional support to patient and family. Hospice is not the dumping ground for every unhappy nurse

[JustaGypsy]

There are several companies that have a "case management" type role from home. They supply you with a computer, and you basically call people all day long, counsel them, etc. A couple of my friends do this and LOVE it. Another great option could be in forensics. Lots of science and "figuring out" stuff. Also a neat option is a legal nurse consultant. I think that is my dream job!

Good luck in whatever path you choose!

[petuniaRN67]

There are several companies that have a "case management" type role from home. They supply you with a computer, and you basically call people all day long, counsel them, etc. A couple of my friends do this and LOVE it. Another great option could be in forensics. Lots of science and "figuring out" stuff. Also a neat option is a legal nurse consultant. I think that is my dream job!

Good luck in whatever path you choose!

If u could find out those companies, I would love to do that. I worked case management In a hospital but I can't find any companies where u can do it from home. Thanks. ...petuniaRN67 email is [email protected]

[Nurse3000]

Sounds like the black dog to me!