Seeking advice from Air Force nurses,

allnurses Guide · Mar 2, 2012

Time and time again I have requested to be transferred to another department. I have been told no because I'm in a short manned specialty career field. Why should I stay in a career field that the Air Force didn't spend any money sending me to a training course? I came in already qualified in this field and was put straight to work.
The problem is that I'm not happy. I hate my job. I hate going into work, every time I have to work I get sick to my stomach. There's no job satisfaction for me. Everything doesn't seem to matter, I can't even concentrate at work. I'm at the point now in my life that I've become very depressed.
It is ALWAYS about the mission! Who cares about the nurses well-being anymore and how we are coping!!!

If you are depressed you need to go see mental health. That cannot solve the problem with you current job, but mental health can help with coping/transition skills.

You didn't post what unit you work on or base, so I have no idea which speciality you are in. You can pick up another speciality on your own time, but still that is not a guarantee that you will get to practice in that speciality. The other thing is that most of your staff will in a military hospital will have 100% turnover by their 4-5 yr mark at that base. That is assuming that other staff are part of the problem. You can also put in for flight nursing position, special duty assignments etc if your command refuses to let you apply for it take it up with the chief nurse and group CC, if both of those refuse to let you transition to an open special duty assignment file an IG complaint.

luckynurse_1234 · Mar 2, 2012

If you are depressed you need to go see mental health. That cannot solve the problem with you current job, but mental health can help with coping/transition skills.
You didn't post what unit you work on or base, so I have no idea which speciality you are in. You can pick up another speciality on your own time, but still that is not a guarantee that you will get to practice in that speciality. The other thing is that most of your staff will in a military hospital will have 100% turnover by their 4-5 yr mark at that base. That is assuming that other staff are part of the problem. You can also put in for flight nursing position, special duty assignments etc if your command refuses to let you apply for it take it up with the chief nurse and group CC, if both of those refuse to let you transition to an open special duty assignment file an IG complaint.

Agree. You can always request an overseas tour since you are eligible after two years TOS. Good luck!

HK26 · Mar 6, 2012

@wtbcrna - if I go to mental health, won't that mess up my career?

allnurses Guide · Mar 6, 2012

@wtbcrna - if I go to mental health, won't that mess up my career?

Nope, it should have no bearing on your career at all. It is almost always completely confidential unless you are having suicidal ideations and even that rarely effects your career unless it cannot be resolved or there is serious underlying psychiatric condition (bipolar, schizophrenia, serious personality disorder etc.).

HK26 · Mar 6, 2012

Ol, thanks so much!

aura_of_laura · Mar 7, 2012

I concur with wbtcrna. If you go of your own free will, your command will never even know unless something comes out that could be risky - like hallucinations, or homicidal thoughts. It actually shows good judgment to meet those problems head-on. Another good option is talking to a chaplain, if that's more comfortable. Burn-out is so, so common- I know I've been there, and so have probably 75% of the AF nurses I know. Sometimes changing assignments isn't possible, I know a lot of nurses who've waited 6 or 7 years to cross train or PCS. Do you have many officer friends? I've found other officers can really help put things in perspective, it's nice to get together and vent, but they can also offer advice to help you out... I have a few from other specialties or careers that meet for dinner or games and drinks pretty regularly, which has really saved my sanity!It's so important to look out for yourself and your mental health, because no one else will.