Tired and bored

Published

Specializes in LTC/rehab.

HI. Just wondering if anyone else was feeling the same way I do. I love my residents and some of my coworkers. That said I'm so tired and so bored. I work 7a-7p two to three shifts per week. It's a very nice LTC/rehab facility and one of the nicer ones in our area. I know many places are worse and some nurses can't go home feeling like their residents were taken care of the way they deserve to be R/T poor staffing. I just don't feel like I'm learning much new. Not that there aren't people there that could teach me, it's just I'm to busy making sure pills are passed, colostomies are emptied, charting on 25 residents ect..ect..for me to learn anything new. It's not like I never learn anything new it's just not nearly as often. I use to learn something new everyday(no longer the case) Do you all go through this and rebound or is this a sign I need to get out? I'm just so bored and feel like every night I've been run over by a bus by the time I get home. Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I, too, feel as if I am not really gaining any new skills in LTC. I'd love to learn more, grow as a nurse, and do it all in a supportive environment that is capable of nurturing. However, I stick with this job due to the wonderful schedule. I work full-time weekends and am paid for a 40-hour work week while having 5 days off in a row. I use these 5 off days to attend prerequisite classes for local RN programs.

Hopefully I will have more career options with an RN license.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

You don't say how long you've been a nurse. I've been a nurse since 1982 and I haven't stopped learning since then. If you aren't finding any challenges at work, take a class, change units...I can't believe that anyone could be bored at work...but maybe with only 25 long term residents....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

Maybe work one day a week somewhere else. I know the SNF I work in doesn't usually see IVs, feeding tubes, foleys, etc. becuause most residents' advance directives prohibit those things, and they'll just pull foleys out anyway. (the whole facility is for dementia patients) Not the greatest learning opportunity. Great working environment though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

I think we all get bored with our jobs at one time or another. I have worked in a clinic since 1994. Granted I have moved around quite a bit, I have worked family practice, cardiology, mammography, orthopedics and now podiatry. I too, feel bored, I think I have gone as far as I can go in the clinical setting. I am looking around to see what I would like to do next. I had the chance to work at our hospital, but my last clinical weekend while in school scared me away from that, since they are so short of nurses and you may have 7 patients on the ortho and med/surg floors. I was not comftorable with this so I stayed away. I am considering doing some flex time at an LTC facility to see how I like it. Don't want to give up my day job to get into something I won't like. But anyways, I feel your boredom.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Research out of the ordinary fields for nurses. There are many subspecialties such as forensic nursing. I don't think one would be bored as forensic nurse!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC/rehab.

Thanks for the replies. Just wanted to know others feel the same. I'm just in a wierd funk right now, I'm sure it will pass. I've been a nurse for 5 years and haven't switched jobs yet. I'm in the process of getting my RN through excelsior, hopefully after that I will have the courage to switch to a different area of nursing. I think I might be afraid of change, even though I know it's for the best. Once you get comfortable and confident in your job you almost hate to start over in a new area, but I love to learn new things and I'm just not learning as much as I use to. I guess that's the good thing about nursing there will never be a shortage of things you don't know.

thanks again

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute, subacute and Geriatric.
Thanks for the replies. Just wanted to know others feel the same. I'm just in a wierd funk right now, I'm sure it will pass. I've been a nurse for 5 years and haven't switched jobs yet. I'm in the process of getting my RN through excelsior, hopefully after that I will have the courage to switch to a different area of nursing. I think I might be afraid of change, even though I know it's for the best. Once you get comfortable and confident in your job you almost hate to start over in a new area, but I love to learn new things and I'm just not learning as much as I use to. I guess that's the good thing about nursing there will never be a shortage of things you don't know.

thanks again

It sounds like you need a change. Allot of other fields have fairly good job security as well. Geriatrics is challenging if you enjoy the psycho-geriatrics.

You are very young and could easily establish yourself in any nursing field or fields for that matter. Don't stay bored, go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion