What Else Can I Do For A Living?

Nurses Career Support

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Hi everyone:

I'm having a rough time with this field. I have been a nurse for 7+ years and have worked in many different settings. I just got another job that I thought I would like, but I absolutely HATE it (and it's not just because I'm new, the job/benefits were complete lies from what I was promised) anyway, The more I think about it, I hate every available job in nursing. I want to quit but I don't know what else I can do with my degree/history.

I'm finishing up a MSN in Leadership/Management which I hoped would open some more doors, but honestly I just don't want to do nursing at all or healthcare. Every job seems like a deadend and the pay is crappy and I'm already in one of the higher paid nursing positions out there.

Has anyone done something else with their nursing background? I don't think I can keep doing this, but at the same time I have to pay my bills... help!

Specializes in PACU, Oncology/hospice.
Hi everyone:

I'm having a rough time with this field. I have been a nurse for 7+ years and have worked in many different settings. I just got another job that I thought I would like, but I absolutely HATE it (and it's not just because I'm new, the job/benefits were complete lies from what I was promised) anyway, The more I think about it, I hate every available job in nursing. I want to quit but I don't know what else I can do with my degree/history.

I'm finishing up a MSN in Leadership/Management which I hoped would open some more doors, but honestly I just don't want to do nursing at all or healthcare. Every job seems like a deadend and the pay is crappy and I'm already in one of the higher paid nursing positions out there.

Has anyone done something else with their nursing background? I don't think I can keep doing this, but at the same time I have to pay my bills... help!

I wish I could be of more help, but I do not have a lot of management experience! My current goal is to finish up NP school (5months) I went part time while working as a RN so it has taken a little over 2 years. I really do hope you find something that you enjoy, life is to short to be miserable (ask my poor husband has a good blue collar job makes decent money, but hates every second of it). I really do hope you find something, I plan on working a few years as a NP and eventually go back and get my doctorate and teach, as I really enjoy the education portion of nursing. My immediate thought would be manage a physicians office but I am not sure you would enjoy that either since it is healthcare, I am not sure what aspects of healthcare you dislike (maybe I should read on down the thread!). What about working for an insurance company would that be something you are interested in? Or in a rural community helping individuals find health care that they need? I would enjoy doing that, but I think I picked the wrong concentration for my masters degree :/ I really do hope you find something though. I will try to pick the brains of some colleagues of mine and get back to you if anyone has any ideas :) Best of luck to you!

Specializes in Med-Surg/Neuro/Oncology floor nursing..

I didn't get to read every response so forgive me if I am being redundant.

If you want to make a lot of money..be a plumber..seriously. I remember one of my favorite ER docs was telling me that someone told him they wanted to be a doctor because they wanted to make a lot of money..his reply was to be a plumber...with loans and and everything not to mention his personal bills like rent and groceries..he was left with about 75 cents from his paycheck.

Now maybe bedside nursing is not for you. Have you thought of being a nurse in a completely different setting like being a school nurse or a correctional nurse? One of my best friends is a RN in my neighboring county jail. She does BP checks, covers emergencies, and takes care of the diabetics but she also does admin work like processing sick-call requests(thats when an inmate requests to see a doctor) and makes the list for the next morning. LPN's do med passes and take blood. Just something to think about..a lot of people are turned off by working in a jail or prison but my friend loves it and always says if she ever saw the inside of a hospital again it would be too soon. She also says she feels safer in the jail than on the street.

Have read the entire thread, and I agree that money is not in nursing, plumber or electrician come to mind. But there are many things in nursing you can do, many have been mentioned already. One of the jobs I most loved getting my education was working in the fast food industry - fun but the pay was not good. When I am Medicare eligible I am going to work in one of my nursing homes (I am an NP) for 4 8-hour shifts per week - it is not nursing I hate, it is the paperwork involved with being an NP. When I am 70, then I may work 1-2 days/week in the fast food industry for fun. The point is you have to figure out what part of it you hate.

Seriously, if you are tired of working for someone else why don't you get your act together and start your own business? I am 27 and have realized after 4 years of acute care nursing that I don't want to do this full-time long term. I'm transitioning to travel nursing for the flexibility while my husband and I start our own online businesses in 2018. I plan on travelling close to home so I can still drive home on my days off. Unless the money is exceptionally good, I am not working more than 3 contracts this coming year. Time to start living life outside of nursing!

Try to get some career counseling. Did you go into reality shock and never recover? Just a thought.

Have you considered some kind of social service work or office management?

Join the circus, it has always been my dream. :specs: I am just kidding.

Do an all online NP program and and do that course work @ work (pretty much get paid to go to school). 80% of the people I work with are doing that and then go work @ WIC to get some provider experience and then your own shingle.

Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

I do care coordination. I assess what needs the member may have For instance education of disease process, medications, how to access further info, if they need assist with adl's and how much assist is needed and then guide them in obtaining information or care services. Lots more I can do, but hard to list. I do part of work in the members home and the rest is computer and phone based. I work for BCBS. United healthcare, Molina, other managed care organizations have similar positions. They also have utilization review nurses as well as other similar positions. Some work from local offices, some remote like myself and dime just do telephonic review.

What exactly do you do for an insurance company? Sounds interesting. I also have been holding on to my insurance license just in case I need it but then again I might not. My RN might be enough.

Hey Flatline - your response piqued my curiosity. Would you mind telling expanding a little more on what you do? Thanks!

I was in this exact same boat but couldn't quit. I had to support myself and family. I hated the hospital, mostly because of some vicious co-workers, then I did home health. Vicious comes in different flavors, I learned. I became an NP. Night and day difference. So very much happier now!

Honestly, it sounds as though you are depressed. I hope you have gotten some good ideas here.

Every job has a downside. Every single one.

Your story is similar to mine however I was able to leave bedside nursing after my 3rd year. I also have an MSN now in leadership. I hear this all the time from nurses and because of it I developed a course for nurses. The problem is nursing allows you jump around it sometimes what you think may make you happy really isn't the case. Also there are often times that we don't know the right questions to ask during an interview and to get things in writing. I have a blog that i write NURSE BLOG and the course is under the courses tab. Feel free to check it out because this is an issue a lot of nurses deal with. Good luck!

I agree every one tends to be snarky. I wrote a reply way below, but if you don't end up reading it, this is an issue a lot of nurses go through don't get discouraged you may need help and support to get into a role that makes you happy. I was in the same boat!

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