Wanting to totally bail out on nursing

[Bruin's Mom]

For the past two years I have been really thinking of getting completely out of nursing. I feel guilty about this since so much prestige and pressure is put on the nursing profession. I have had it up to my neck with pain in the but patients, demanding schedules, doctors who make nurses feel like village idiots, backstabbing and nit-picking from adults who act like children, and never being able to leave work at work. Has anyone out there bailed out on the profession, if so drop me a line and let me know. My heart isn't in it anymore.

[Biffbradford]

I tried that "vacation" thing so many times.

"No ... I can't give you a week off. You can have that Wednesday off, but then I'll need you Saturday and Sunday of course."

Uh ... no, I don't think that will help. :smackingf

[silentRN]

I wouldn't bail from the profession because the economy is terrible right now. What else are you going to do where full time is 3 days a week and get decent pay? Going back to school wouldn't be an option for me anymore. You can also try to change your schedule around where you work 6 and then have 7 or 8 days off in a row. I always do that...work 3 on have 1 off, and work 3 more and then have 7 or 8 off. I never get burned out with that schedule like I did when I would work ever sun mon tues every week.

[ttmm2008]

I totally understand and I think everyone who has responded to this post does too. I also think most people who have posted have been at the bedside at some point in their career. So I'll get to the point.....forget the vacation or the schedule change, and get away from bedside nursing. Consider changing units only if the change will place you in a totally different setting.

The truth is that bedside nursing can suck the soul out of you if your heart isn't there anymore. In addition to all the **** we deal with everyday, you also have fellow nurses who will try to make you feel bad if you voice your discontent for bedside nursing and don't appear to be a "super nurse" everyday. Please look for another type of nursing that will take you completely away, that is one of the benefits of the profession...so much to choose from. Good luck and let us know where you end up.

[Black Jade, BSN, RN]

I think you should find a different area in nursing. In my new job as a case manager, I don't have to deal directly with demanding patients which is a plus. However, I may probably be dealing with some demanding "doctors" and possibly some patients which is not something that I look forward to.

[Butterfliesnroses]

I second what other people have suggested and maybe switching specialties. IMHO the options in nursing are limitless and maybe you just haven't found your niche! I find that working 12s and having 4 days off a week, I can leave work at work most of the time. Yes, I ocassionally get phone calls at home about something that happened (I work weekends), but I answer to them and then put it out of my head!

[prettipoodle]

I've only been an RN since March of this year and I already feel how you do. I truly believe if I change units (I'm on Telementry) I may be much happier. God bless floor nurses who love what they do! I'm already thinking about going back to school for case management/some type of administrator/ public health/ or even home care/ hospice. I haven't decided yet. I plan to get my hospital experience, but after that who knows! I wouldn't recommend completely bailing. Like some of the other posts, take a break and come back. Or change specialty. Good luck either way!