Those who want to get out of nursing..

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Specializes in Psych, Chem Dependency, Occ. Health.

I have not worked as an RN since the summer of 2008. I'm back in school full-time doing my BSN which I complete in April then I'm on to the MSN/DNP. I do not want to leave the field of nursing. I do not want to work as a floor nurse -ever- again. I'm going to become a family psychiatric nurse practitioner and also teach in online RN-BSN programs. I have toyed with going to law school but I really love nursing, just not the grind of floor nursing.

Sue, RN

FroggyMama

59 Posts

Specializes in med/sug/onc/geri.

Thinking about going back to school for a degree in ultrasound tech. Better hours, same pay, less stress.

If I ever get sick of nursing, so sick that I don't even want to get a Masters in Nursing, I will become a PA. PAs are better paid than NPs in some areas.

But I'm still a student now. This topic is something I think about occasionally.

lifeistweet

98 Posts

Specializes in icu,ccu,sicu,crna.

There r soooo many alternatives to clinical nursing. The pay may not be the same but if you r miserable it's worth a try to make a change. Try Community health (currently hiring here in depressed MI), homecare, hospice, school nursing, and forensic nursing. They even hire nurses at Disney World. How about nursing on a cruise ship? Have you tried nursing at a surgery center, clinic or office? There are nurses who work for attorneys reviewing charts and appearing as expert witnesses. We have a few nurses who work as first assists in the OR. (it doesn't take much additional training) Just a thought.

S.Gettes

60 Posts

Sometimes it isn't just the BS that you have to deal with at work that gets you down but it's also the place itself. Not the job. I found that when I was fairly over my job, didn't really enjoy it one bit, infact counted down the time until i could walk out the doors and go back home, I was about ready to throw in the towel. It wasn't until i took up another nursing job at a different hospital that my perception of my job all changed and i started to enjoy it again. Sometimes all it takes is a change in scenery and co workers. It worked wonders for me. Other than that if a change in profession is really what you want then maybe being a paramedic or a nurse in a small doctors office of something like that may be more to your liking, similar duties, different locations, not as much BS to deal with.

skittlebear

408 Posts

i have been in various positions in the medical field including pca, nursing assistant, medical assistant, psych tech and phlebotomist; so, i thought i was well prepared for the snaffos i witnessed happen in nursing over the years, but nothing prepared me for how these snaffos would affect my personal practice nor how they would frustrate me so. and, i had no idea how much i would hate school, even on the lpn level, so, no one has been able to wave the rn carrot in my face (no offense, rns..believe me). i feel this way because i am blown away with what i see at my level, that i know if i went further, i would be a basket case.

i do get frustrated with patients who don't take responsibility for themselves (and there are so many who do not), but that was to be expected and truthfully, i can deal with that. but it is the daily incompetence that i witness that just blows my mind.

what does keep me in it, however, is that i do like learning about the human condition, challenges and being a team player. also, i am fortunate that as a practical nurse, i am not really at the bedside-i work in a clinic where i have weekends and holidays off, so, i can deal with a predictable schedule without being overwhelmed. and, my supervisors have a great deal of respect for me and have been good to me...they may be incompetent, but they really haven't targeted me in a negative way.

it is just that it is hard to be a team player with so many self-centered people. and, it is difficult to advocate for anyone when you have to make deals with many people who, even with their degrees are less competent than an one celled organism. if you speak up, then, you are a troublemaker because no one wants to take real corrective action. insane policies, doctors who are arrogant, etc...can really wear a person down.

what i decided for the new year is not to take on more than i am supposed to, stop trying to be the trouble shooter or problem solver, and take my own life seriously. i am trying to make home improvements, read more, spend time with my friends and family who do care for me. take on hobbies of self interest for my own self development and accomplishment, restarted meditating and self analysis. otherwise, by tiring myself out and giving more to the job and allowing them to take my life and youth, i will always wonder what else i could have done that would make me happy. so, it is getting better. not the job, but my frame of mind.

what an excellent post pagandeva, i couldn't have said it better myself! i truly loved your last paragraph! i have let my job take over my life until i'm stressed and depressed because of it. i need to listen to your advice...i am going to try and make this my new goal as well. thanks :yeah:

Scrubby

1,313 Posts

Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

I'm going to be honest here. I'm starting to get a little bored with nursing and over the whole horizontal violence that it just rampant in the health care system.

I also love studying and doing assignments (crazy I know). I'm considering areas such as law, geology, environmental studies and even political studies. Not so much as an escape route because I'm desperate to get out of nursing because I'm not. I just need something else to focus on that is non nursing related.

Guest27531

230 Posts

It is my observation that those who want to get out of nursing are in one of the following groups:

1. They work in an environment that is personally or professionally abusive

2. They have chosen the wrong type of nursing

3. They came into the profession for the wrong reason

In general, I would say that anyone in any of those categories should consider changing jobs, but depending on the situation this may not be the answer. There is another option I would like to suggest - look into Holistic Nursing. This doesn't require that you change jobs (surprisingly). I recently looked into this myself, just out of curiosity, and was astonished to find that it changed my entire outlook. :jester:

If you are unhappy because of #1 or #2 I highly recommend it. The change for me occurred after my first course. :)

If you are unhappy because of #3 I really don't know what to say. There are many people who see nursing as an easy way to earn a good living and it is just not that. ;)

Guest27531

230 Posts

I'm going to be honest here. I'm starting to get a little bored with nursing and over the whole horizontal violence that it just rampant in the health care system.

I also love studying and doing assignments (crazy I know). I'm considering areas such as law, geology, environmental studies and even political studies. Not so much as an escape route because I'm desperate to get out of nursing because I'm not. I just need something else to focus on that is non nursing related.

:idea:

You might be interested to look into research or, if you have been in the OR for 4 years, it may just be time for a change.

As a Nurse Research Coordinator you can satisfy your academic side and practice a completely different type of nursing. I was a Cardiology Research Coordinator for 21 years and for most of the time I was immensely happy with the job. It changed all the time (because the nature of the studies changed) and I was always learning. There was some travel and I was always well treated. It does require that you enjoy a certain independence of spirit...

Moogie

1 Article; 1,796 Posts

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

I took quite a bit of time off from nursing while raising my family and did a bit of freelance writing for about eight, maybe nine years. I did a lot of work for one publication that is no longer in existence, unfortunately, but it was a great experience and fulfilled many lifelong dreams. The pay was horrible but the fulfillment I felt was awesome. It's a thrill to walk into Barnes and Noble, pick up a magazine, and see your name in the byline. It's a thrill I will never forget, something that, no matter what else I do in life, no one can ever take from me.

But it got old; a recession hit the publishing world long before it hit the general economy. Instead of feeling creative I felt like I was filling the forms and not feeling the love anymore. Toward the end, I felt like I was selling out my ideals for pay. I realized that I missed the interpersonal connections, the feeling of being vital and useful that I got from nursing. So I went back. Not easy after being out as long as I was but it was where I needed to be. I remembered the dreams I had in my twenties and how I thought about wanting to teach. So I did. I left teaching because of relocation and returned to a clinical setting. Realized that although I enjoyed patient care, I didn't want to deal with the politics. I also felt an urge to return to teaching and a desire to do research, maybe because of my life-long interest (and hopefully talent!) in writing.

Over the summer I did a lot of soul-searching and thought about trying to get back into freelance writing but I'm over it. It's like, okay, I did it, I am satisfied with those accomplishments and have moved onto something else. I had trouble finding another nursing job in this economy so I wondered if I should continue to pursue nursing or look for something else. Then I got the opportunity to go back to school so I'm doing that full-time now.

I also briefly considered the ministry---I could see myself as a health care chaplain but not in any other ministerial capacity. But for the ministry, there definitely needs to be a calling and I didn't feel it. My husband is a minister and my son is starting seminary in the fall but I didn't feel it was the right choice for me, particularly after hearing their stories about how they felt their respective calls. I feel that my interest in health and spirituality is well-met by volunteering as a parish nurse and can be met when I'm doing nursing research.

Ms_ILLRN

18 Posts

i no longer let people drag me into their emotional roller coasters...working in a state of a high adrenaline rush, letting news/gossip about work make me emotional. i created goals in my personal life that i look forward to achieving and i decided to look at the measly paycheck i get as a means to obtain what i want rather than allow it to control me. started feeling better about things, too!

thank you. i needed that reminder!!!

Specializes in PCCN.

thanks for all the insights- it has been a soul searching to say the least. I have been doing lots of thinking. I have come to the conclusion, that I really dont mind patient care- I love when we see pts come back to say hi after they've had a long illness and got better, or or going out of my way to get my 88 y/o lol a root beer cause thats all she wants . I dont mind cleaning up people. What I do mind is that the job doesnt always alllow for this kind of care- the bare mnimum- when you are walking away from your job worried that you didnt do it right because you had a high acuity assignment, were short staffed, never get a break or lunches, "canned customer service",etc. Liability is high on the list d/t this. I am getting insurance in the mean time, but if I had time to think maybe there wouldnt be such a worry about liability. They've just made the job an accident waiting to happen, it seems. Ahh, but thats another discussion.

Have considered other modes of nursing-but there aren't any office jobs around here, and if there were, they pay half. Not a problem in the future, but try selling a house now- ain't gonna happen.

Hence the survey for what others are doing to get out. It's nice to see others have made the big jump to something different. thanks for the replies- keep 'em coming.

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