What to Do When You Want to Quit Nursing. Tips to Help You Stay in the Profession.

[ElizabethScala1]

"I quit. I don't want to be a nurse anymore." How many of you have had that very thought during a shift or while walking to your vehicle or while getting ready for work? You think it is time to quit nursing and find something else to do. We have all had those days, but when days turn into weeks and months of consistent ruminating over the thought of leaving your nursing career behind, it's time to look at the bigger picture of the root cause of those feelings and how you could possibly stay in the profession and possibly use all your nursing knowledge to your best advantage in a new role.

Where are the feelings to quit nursing coming from?

Are you exhausted? Unhappy with unit/management? Or simply disenchanted with the entire nursing profession? Frequently, it's not one thing that gives rise to a nurse entertaining the idea to leave nursing. We are, after all, conditioned to withstand a great deal of things that other people would never consider enduring for a paycheck. Before turning in that letter of resignation, nurses should take a step back and consider if the desire to quit is a symptom of real dissatisfaction with the field of nursing, or is it a result of neglecting self-care? Is it family obligations? Disagreement with management? Stuck-in-rut feelings? Or perhaps having to do more with less (as bedside nurses often lament) has taken its toll. There is no blame here. As nurses, we can get wrapped up in caring for others, which oftentimes results in putting ourselves and our health, both mental and physical, second. Identifying the cause(s) can lead to better insight as to whether or not it is time to quit or instead, regroup and refocus your nursing career.

Before you make any decisions or start exploring your options, check in with yourself on your self-care rituals:

• Are you getting enough sleep? It is restful or are you tossing and turning much of the night?
• Are you staying hydrated? Nurses know all the pitfalls of dehydration, yet it's easy to fall victim to it.
• Are you getting the proper nutrition?
• How often are you exercising?
• How often are you getting out into nature and soaking up some Vitamin D from warm sunshine? The Mayo Clinic reports that some studies suggest a link between low Vitamin D and mood/depression.
• Do you engage in personal hobbies that bring you joy?
• How often are you taking vacation days?
• Are you picking up extra shifts at the cost of your mental and physical health?

Would quitting nursing make me happy?

If you can identify the causes of the desire to quit and recognize some easy fixes that help you stay in your current position, GREAT! You're on your way to reframing your feelings and easing your mind. If that's not the case, then it is time to start a pro and con list and give a point value to each. The point value is whatever you want it to be. Your instincts already know how to rank characteristics of your nursing job that you love or loathe.

If your list indicates that quitting nursing is your best course of action, try this next exercise to narrow your focus and reveal what's the next best step for you. A nurse friend of mine designed this exercise for herself, and it helped her stay connected to the nursing field, but in a role of her own making. My friend made a list of questions to help her determine what type of career she wanted:

• What time do you want to get up for work?
• What clothes do you want to wear?
• Do you want to drive or walk to work?
• How many hours a day do you want to put in?
• When you look out the window at your job, what do you see?
• What are you surrounded by at work?
• What are the everyday tools you use?
• Do you want to work independently or as part of a team?
• What do you love to do that you can get lost in for hours, and it doesn't feel like work?
• Do you want to work for yourself, or have the stability of a regular paycheck?
• Can you see yourself doing this job for the next 10 years or more?
• What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? What do you do better than anyone else?

My nurse friend determined that she still loved healthcare, but wanted to work for herself helping other nurses start and market their businesses, as she had worked in the business world before becoming a nurse. She also found two "gig" jobs - one, writing responses to patient reviews of doctors, and two, researching, writing, and publishing content for medical sites. She works in her pajamas sometimes, makes her own schedule, and loves her day.

Consider all possibilities

Is there something that you've always wanted to explore and try in nursing? A new specialty maybe? Before you make the leap into a different side of nursing, remember to ask questions of those already working in that vein. You could also consider shadowing opportunities that are often given to nurses exploring specialties. The more knowledge you gather, the greater the feeling that you are making the right decision for you and fewer surprises you'll encounter in the new role.

Remember too that simply because a role does not exist in nursing, it does not mean you cannot design it. Nurses work in every industry in roles many people have never heard of. Plumb the depths of alternative nursing career paths on job boards using several different geographical locations. Job titles and responsibilities vary state to state and country to country. It doesn't mean you need to move. The possibility may be that you could invent a similar job in your current location.

What else? Have you ever considered quitting nursing? What did you do when you felt that way and can you share any additional tips? If you did leave nursing, what did you choose to do instead?

[ElizabethScala1, BSN, MSN]

Been down the construction road. I've done roofing in the middle of winter. I done concrete and pouring parking lots. I've carried 150lbs of shingles up a shaky ladder. I've near fallen off of rooftops. I hammered nails through my fingers (idiot obviously). I've dropped concrete on foot required tons of stitches and having nerve damage. No thanks.

I'll NEVER, EVER GO BACK! Nursing is tough in it's respects but that's a whole different type of tough I never want to do again!

You are right on! When we think about all of the GOOD that we get out of nursing... those feelings of fulfillment and as though we impacted even just one life... then all of the "hard" stuff can seem a bit easier to take. Thanks for sharing your past career experiences with us!