So has anyone figure out a path out of nursing yet? One that allows me as the sole earner for my family of three to live our 80K a year lifestyle? I'm honestly curious because I am ready to get out, I just don't know what to do.
I have worked past the hate and anger I have for this field. I have worked through the disillusionment of choosing a helping profession that is all about profit and uses punitive action and bullying to keep it's enslaved work force self doubting and willing to take the blame and subsequent fall for poor outcomes. Outcomes that could have only been prevented by an increased workforce with a wealth of knowledge (right now...and for the last decade plus...we've been working with to few bodies and brain drain of expertise as people just leave and there is no one to replace them), and neither of which the staff have any say in.
I just don't see a path forward in this career that is going to give me a tranquil spot. I am not looking for, "Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life.” I am just aiming to go to work, work as scheduled, have energy at the end of my day to play with my kid and do a few chores, and not have extreme paralyzingly anxiety about the insurmountable amount of work I will do when I go back OR if I forgot something important before I left.
And, unfortunately, I don't see nursing as the kind of career worth keeping as a mindless means of income....because it just cannot be. Mostly because nursing is so abusive. Management is abusive (mentally), patients & family members are abusive (mentally & physically), doctors are abusive (mostly mentally but I've had a couple of physical as well), the demands of the career destroy your body, your mind, and your peace. It has taken me A LONG TIME to realize that I am a pretty good nurse (I'd say a 7 out of 10, with 10 being top notch). And I am sorry to use this example, because I have never experienced this in my personal life, but I feel like I have reached the point that an abused spouse does when they realize it is time to go, for good. When someone just finally realizes the gaslighting and the manipulation, the time wasted, the fact that things aren't going to get better no matter how much you try or want them to. That there is no path forward in this situation where you have the life you wanted for yourself, your family, and your partner. You are going to have to cut out the worst and start over because that is all you can do. And you deserved better from the get go.
I have changed jobs almost every 2 years. I have worked in several states as both a traveler and a facility employee. I have worked at soooooo many hospitals. I have worked critical care, surgical care, telemetry, home care, coordination, and now work in an out patient surgical clinic. By far my experiences with home care and now this outpatient clinic have been better than 1 micro second at bedside, but the demands always are: do everything with no resources on time and perfectly. I am tired of that pace. I am old enough to know that is not even a reasonable expectation and that there will not be a day that I succeed in doing that. I know that most, if not all, of my efforts will be in vein and then scrutinized by management so that they can get their job done. Which is always to tell me what I should have done as opposed to what I did while thinking on the fly....never a time that anyone just says, "well thanks for getting that done.” or if unsatisfied, "I'm sorry you felt like that was your best option, let's see how we can get you some more support for the next time.”
I don't want to go into management. I don't hate them for the crappy decisions they are also having to make, I just don't really see that their lives are any better than mine. I don't aspire to continue the crap that I've been suffering for over a decade??. I see management and NP as a means to make more money, maybe, but mostly just to work more and spend less time with the people you love. And I think I would love teaching, except my advice would be to direct them out of the field entirely.
Sorry I am aimless here. I'm just writing down where I am in hopes of getting pointed in a direction that I actually want to go. ??
Most people post in order to get support for their perspective or merely just want attention.
People who are truly want solutions to life's problems don't post on random websites.
Wow. No. They don't all want "validation for their own viewpoint" or are "attention seekers".
I think maybe YOU need to stand back and evaluate what you are actually offering here to ANYONE.
This isn't "some random website". This poster came her becuase it's a NURSING WEBSITE WITH.....OH........NURSES.
Wow. I think maybe you need to retire or something.
This poster wants an honest answer. Has anybody got ideas as to what ELSE she can do with her life (or his) that will afford them the same FINANCIAL stability.
So. Yes.
I worked for NP and now do telehealth, consults and some legal work. It's not glam, I don't have to commute, I don't have to pay for or find parking, I don't have to put up with ***ahem** nasty co workers with nothing good to say because maybe they've just squandered their own careers and are mad you are willing to change your life to better yours.
I know a few people who have done travel ER for 2 solid years---took the jobs no matter where they were, as long as they were over a certain amount (usually 4K a week)....then retired to a job (or not) that they actually like. Painting adobe houses in the desert or whatever. Not being sarcastic.
Wow. Just wow. And these new nurses wonder why they loathe this profession. Davey....really....just knock it off with the negative commentary. Like my mother says...."you got nothing good to say, keep your mouth closed". Or....Mark Twain...
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."
Saying something like "someone doesn't get it" is a power play and an attention-seeking ploy.
But then it can be deleted and disguised with editing after the fact.
I have read some of your postings, Davey Don't.
Always someone else's fault that something went wrong in your career. Some BAD NURSE who just couldn't appreciate you or "had it out" for you. Always pointing the finger at others.
This poster wants advice from NURSES who have experience in the same boat---and you just cannot bring yourself to add any value.
First, this isn't your personal club. ANYBODY can come here and look for advice. It's not a "rando" website. It's a site for Nurses to support Nurses. It's YOU that has a problem with everything and everyone, coming here and wanting "validation" for what you've done in your own career....so the nasty snark has to be directed at people genuinely seeking advice.
I wonder if when you "come and go" you miss out on a better role/reputation with your employer?
You are NOT alone, and the 'jumping off the ship' takes a lot of preparation, education, motivation and initiative. We have all thought the same thing but put one leg in front of the other, and went to work the next day. (personally I think these 12 hour days have no small part in the exhaustion RNs feel).
It it will probably not come with the income you are looking for,
My husband (who does not work in health care told me a long time ago..."that's why they call it work."
What I find interesting is that people don't include themselves as a "supportive boss".
I don't work for anybody anymore. I am an IP NP. If I make money that money, that's on me. If I don't, that's on me. I don't answer to anyone except my patients----and it's not hard to be good and decent to people who shell out hard earned cash (if their insurance doesn't cover it) to see me as a Practitioner.
Yes. Agreed. 12 hr days with 8 semi to critical patients (that was my assignment in the trauma unit)....and no lunch, no pee breaks, lazy and nasty co workers on their phones....yeah....it's a bad place to be for anybody.
Her husband doesn't HAVE to work, folks. He already did his time, breaking his back as a mason. Ever tried that whole manual labor thingie? Not for sissies.
She wants a lead on something that can make the transition smoother. So yes. Sacrifice for a year or two---scrimp and save for a bit---come out with another degree....whether it's continuing on to NP or it's something like Paralegal or even Law School. Have any interest in IT? My husband does this....he went to a Community College, graduated with an AS in "Computer Engineering" (very fancy term, but it's just a stepping stone). NOBODY knows how to even use their computers----let alone what to do when something goes wrong, software companies pay big bux because these pencil pushers don't know jack about how a computer works either.
It's like Nursing in a way. Once they realized that they had a skill that these muckity mucks can't even fathom and can't run their businesses without....they get BANK and treated well.
Nurses? Well....you can see here from some of the responses why Nurses are treated the way that they are. No respect for each other, or for themselves in a lot of ways.
If you don't like how hospitals run nurses into the ground....and you really have hit the end of your tether....you will do what you need to do in order to get what you believe you want. Fair warning though....you WILL have to sacrifice for a bit in order to reset.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
19 hours ago, LizRN572 said:
Regarding Nursing Education, imo there’s nothing wrong with telling nursing students how horrible the field is that they’re entering because it can be horrible at times both singularly and as a whole. I wish my instructors told me what I was in for and nobody did.
The "horribleness" of nursing is, I believe, a matter of opinion. I have a job with flexible hours, I work indoors instead of outdoors in 106 degree or below zero weather. I have good benefits, a stable job and the flexibility to move anywhere in the country and get another job just like this one (which I actually LIKE, believe it or not) within days. Yes, you work with people and sometimes people are horrible, but most of the time they're just people.
Then leave it. If this isn't what you want then walk away. I'm not sure what you're wanting us to say.
Per OP " I’m honestly curious because I am ready to get out, I just don’t know what to do." Appears that she is looking for guidance and suggestions from nurses that care.
Specializes in Quality Control,Long Term Care, Psych, UM, CM.
OP, I haven't read the responses here so I'm not sure if anyone suggested this already, but have you ever considered working for an insurance company? I left bedside many years ago and have been in the managed care industry for about 12 years now.
There are many things you can do-you can do complex care case management (good if you have hospital experience), you can be a field nurse who assesses patients for home care services, you can do utilization management. Currently, I work in a quality dept-I review doctor charts for accuracy and to make sure they do what they're supposed to do.
Jobs at insurance companies are either fully work from home or hybrid. They are usually Monday-Friday 9a-5p, no holidays/no evenings/no weekends/no waiting for relief to come in. Unless you're a field nurse, it's a computer job and you still get to be a nurse.
Oh, and the pay is good. I'm in the NYC metro area and we make as much or more than nurses that work in hospitals....with only 0.000001% of the stress.
Contrary to some people's belief, those of us who work at insurance companies don't block or deny patients' access to care. Actually, the case management dept (especially) will argue and go back and forth with providers and DME vendors to make sure the patient gets the care they deserve. The CMs will help patients get bus passes or medicaid taxi. They will teach newly diabetic or new MI patients on what is good/not good to do. There are so many ways you can still be a patient advocate without the stress and burnout of direct care. I wanted to leave nursing too until I started working for an insurance company. I always tell nurses about insurance companies. They ain't perfect of course, but you will at least be working from home and have time for your family.
Have you thought about any other roles away from the bedside, apart from day spa, if that doesn't work out? Although if you could swing it, becoming an expert in injections and working in a medical spa have its benefits.
Maybe there is something else in nursing that is less stressful but would still put your knowledge and experience to use. Just brain-storming...school nursing, case management, infection prevention, legal nursing, clinical documentation specialist, vendor rep (educating nurses on equipment), nurse navigator....there are so many choices.
If you think school nursing is less stressful, then you clearly have no idea what we do all day!
Exactly this. Working with human beings, especially ones that are inherently "ill" in some way, shape or form whether real or imagined (and this last type is the root of some of this angst)---is just stressful in and of itself. The entitlement of this society, that IRL nurses and doctors behave like those on teevee and there is this absolute expectation that their problems are the most important of all.
What I like about NP is that I can (and do) "fire" people as patients all the time when I run up against that intractible attitude that their time is more important than mine. I appreciate that Nursing used to be a vocation of sacrifice and dedication----but just like everything else, it became monetized---and therefore, we are no longer under the same belief system as yesteryear. We need to evolve with the place society is headed---and leave behind this sacrifical lamb thing.
It's WHY employers are able to exploit us to the degree that they literally drive some into suicide, depression, alcoholism, divorce---and just post your job before the corpse is cold when you fall.
Think about what is right for you. Not what you're "used to" (co dependency is rampant in nursing. it's akin to trauma bonding. very very very much like what the military does with their "break them down, build them back into what you need" system. if you don't believe me, take a long look at why Nurses and Doctors are either prohibited from or discouraged from, seeking professional mental health assistance. Because it would shine a light on what employers are doing to the workforce in healthcare in the name of investors' profits).
Case Management? Still working with/for physicians or insurers that have a profit based model. Stress galore. AND you get the kick of having a truly destitute or needful patient that deserves better, yet you can't make that happen.
School Nursing? Have you SEEN the parent/teacher conferences where these nutjob parents are threatening admins because someone on staff dares to be LGBTQ? Yeah, not for me....parents are NUTSO and can be dangerous. Nope.
Spa nursing? Injectables? Um...okay...heard this from maybe.....a thousand different nurses who are convinced this would be a thing to do. again....you're working for/with people who have serious image/confidence issues----again with the personality disorders and the hand holding and the soul sucking. Nope.
I do suggest looking into remote work though, if you insist on Nursing and only nursing. But no matter what you choose, Nursing will always have a "people" component. Unless you do legal stuff, which....its a very small and cut throat world there too.
If I hadn't done NP----and I did this because I was where you are right now---hitting a brick wall with the crazy patients, doctors, employers and colleagues---I would have left and gone into IT. Computers are much nicer than people are, they don't crap the bed, they don't call in sick 5 minutes before you're going home---and people are grateful....truly, honestly, unabashedly THANKFUL that you have the expertise to keep their machines running, whether it's a college campus IT department or Mr. Fixit in the neighborhhood.
I would never have gone into nursing had I known then what I know now. And YES---I also was prevented from saying ANYTHING to the "incoming classes" at orientations. I got to attend 3 and we were warned in no uncertain terms----you do not talk negatively about this profession. Ever. you encourage them to continue and even if you know what's coming, you don't ever let them know about it. ever. I quit assisting with new student orientations or info sessions for possible candidates---because I won't lie. Students asked and I gave an honest answer about what the daily life of a nurse looks like in a hospital. ANY UNIT.
Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.
I see you’ve been unhappy as an employee in patient care settings. But you need not lose everything, least of all what you know. Repurpose, recycle! Do you have any idea how many people would like to hire you because of what you know already?
You would love legal nurse consulting. Yes, you. They hire us for our knowledge of hospital systems, documentation, terminology, medical records, standards, policy and procedure books, and all sorts of other things that don’t require you to be at work at 0630 or deal with what you hate. If you have a modicum of intelligence (check), decent writing skills (check), curiosity and problem-solving skills (most experienced nurses can check this box), desire to work with people who value those qualities, can work independently, want mentoring and support from those of us who have done exactly what you have done, and are ready to make a big change (check check check), you oughta check into it.
See the legal nurse consulting forum here, check out the AALNC online, and feel free to PM me. AALNC has a terrific online program to teach you what you need to know, and there’s a free webinar to answer your questions. Take a deep breath. You’re ready.
“Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life.” I am just aiming to go to work, work as scheduled,
I have offered suggestions for the 'gig; economy' ( I have always enhanced my income with these) but it is 'all no's' of it doesn't include full time work at the educational level she already has with $85,000 annual pay. . Husband can apply for Social Security/pension (he is 62) must have some assets... there is no issue for childcare (Although I feel for her that she is cherishing this child that was a difficult fertility option.) Enjoy what you have!
I see management and NP as a means to make more money, maybe, but mostly just to work more and spend less time with the people you love. And I think I would love teaching, except my advice would be to direct them out of the field entirely.
Please, please do not think you can be a nursing instructor as you said I would love teaching But frankly what would you teach? Spoiling it for someone else?
On 12/12/2022 at 12:37 PM, KalipsoRed21 said:
Yes, I have been a whiny sniveling kid in the past about some of my life’s expectations,
The bottom line:
On 12/12/2022 at 12:23 AM, KalipsoRed21 said:
And, unfortunately, I don’t see nursing as the kind of career worth keeping as a mindless means of income….because it just cannot be
Vee D, ADN
75 Posts
Then leave it. If this isn't what you want then walk away. I'm not sure what you're wanting us to say.