The Dark Days of Nursing

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Specializes in Onco, palliative care, PCU, HH, hospice.

I remember a time of never being bored with nursing, how easy it was to gain experience in various settings and specialties and to continuously be stimulated with new and different information, situations, types of patients, challenges, heartbreaks, and the satisfaction of helping patients. Those days weren't that long ago, and yet I miss them dearly. It seems as though the endless well of various jobs is finally starting to dry up (in my area at least) and while I count my blessings that I have a job, a very good job, I find myself missing the patients (I'm administrative now and no patient care positions are available right now where I work) and becoming discontent. I love nursing, it's one of my passions, yet I still just haven't found my niche and I find myself growing frustrated by the ever growing hoops that surround finishing an associate's degree in nursing to broaden my career aspects and I'm too the point I'm thinking about switching tracks in school and going into something other than nursing. It seems as though each semester right when I'm ready to enter the LPN-RN bridge program, Aha! The required criteria changes and I'm no longer eligible, it keeps happening to the point that it's ridiculous, "Sorry, but there was no chicken in your yard when you filled out your application, and that's now a requirement.". Anyway, I'm just truly getting bored with wasting money on a degree that's always going to be out of my reach due to red tape, and while I love nursing, I'm ready to move on to something else.

Anyway, I don't mean to sound so negative as that's not my intent. I guess I'm just wondering if there's anyone else out there that's tasting the bitterness of being discontent.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Yes, I hear what you're saying- and since I got my license something like a "0" added on to your "3" years ago, lol- it's reaalllly DARK. Everywhere is different of course, but the jobs have dried up. For everyone, at every level. New grads are having a horrible time of it.

It astounds me that it is becoming common to move out of state for a job in nursing, and to fly at the nurse's own expense to a city just for an interview!

A huge draw to me when I chose to go into nursing was that there was always an abundance of jobs, no matter where you fancied to work. We were recession proof for a lot of years. Not anymore.

The problem is the general public hasn't picked up on this yet, and I fear there may end up being a lot of very disappointed people who are currently in school or contemplating nursing as a career.

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How long have you been a nurse? I find it takes time to master a specialty ( for me around 2-3 years) then I tend to get bored. Are you certified in your area ? What is so difficult getting a RN, programs in my area you can get your degree in 9 months full time or 12 months part time.

Have you done presentations to your peers or professional organizations ? That keeps me fresh.

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They are saying the demand will increase as the baby boomer nurses retire again and the baby boomer population begins to use the health care system more. Do you believe this?

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They are saying the demand will increase as the baby boomer nurses retire again and the baby boomer population begins to use the health care system more. Do you believe this?

I really WANT to believe it..............All I'm asking is for a chance to prove that money can't make me happy..............:coollook:

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
They are saying the demand will increase as the baby boomer nurses retire again and the baby boomer population begins to use the health care system more. Do you believe this?

No, the baby boomer nurses can't afford to retire. First they lost a lost of money

in the 80s with their 401ks. Then a double whammy with the current recession.

I am a baby boomer with absolutely no plan for retirement. I will work until I

am physically unable. I think there are many of us that feel that way.

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I am sorry to hear that Hoozdo. It's kind of interesting... Recently I've taken a lot of criticism for taking my IRA out and investing it personally, but I'm with you. I don't trust the retirement system anymore, and I think the 10% penalty will look good compared to what will happen if I leave it in.

I hope the market comes back for awhile and you're wildly rich in a couple of years.

Regards,

Mukfay

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
They are saying the demand will increase as the baby boomer nurses retire again and the baby boomer population begins to use the health care system more. Do you believe this?

I agree with Hoozdo. No plans to retire as long as I can physically do the job. Another I hear quite often is "now that healthcare reform has passed all those uninsured people will rush into the system creating massive demand for new nurses". I don't think it will pan out that way, at least not in the short term due to phased timetables and people in the "uninsured" category being viewed as a homogenous group, when they aren't. I really hope it turns out that way, I just don't think it will. I wish everybody had their choice of where and in what specialty they choose to work.

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Specializes in Psych.
They are saying the demand will increase as the baby boomer nurses retire again and the baby boomer population begins to use the health care system more. Do you believe this?

No. The oldest baby boomers are now 64...and thanks to them making 40 the new 20, and 50 the new 30, 65 will be the new 40, 75 the new 50, and 85 the new 65.

I predict Mick Jagger will turn 100 and still be performing to sell-out crowds.

Don't wait on the baby boomers...

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I agree with Hoozdo. No plans to retire as long as I can physically do the job. Another I hear quite often is "now that healthcare reform has passed all those uninsured people will rush into the system creating massive demand for new nurses". I don't think it will pan out that way, at least not in the short term due to phased timetables and people in the "uninsured" category being viewed as a homogenous group, when they aren't. I really hope it turns out that way, I just don't think it will. I wish everybody had their choice of where and in what specialty they choose to work.

Not to mention the still unanswered question about where the money will come from (and will some of it come from a reduction in nurse compensation rates).

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No. The oldest baby boomers are now 64...and thanks to them making 40 the new 20, and 50 the new 30, 65 will be the new 40, 75 the new 50, and 85 the new 65.

I predict Mick Jagger will turn 100 and still be performing to sell-out crowds.

Don't wait on the baby boomers...

You may be right about Mick Jagger, but don't forget the unfortunate statistics about diabetes rates, heart disease rates, etc. Living longer doesn't necessarily mean living healthier, or without the need for health care.

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