Too Old To Leave Nursing Now

I made it 7 months as an RN in my first nursing job(long term care) It was miserable, not enough time in a year to do correctly all they expected in one shift. Understaffed. Too much repeated charting and documentation. I was nothing but a secretary. I finally walked. This is supposed to be my new career after losing my production job of 14 years. So I am at a lose on what to do. My age and my sex work against me in every interview for nursing I have had.

The conditions nurses are working under have become DANGEROUS to the patients. Always keeping calm and smiling while working as a nurse under these conditions is not a sign of being the type of person who "had a calling", or is a more kind and compassionate nurse.. It is really a sign of becoming APATHETIC. If you know conditions are high for error, then you SHOULD be upset about it if you truly care.

I hear you. I've worked so hard to help my patients over the years and besides seeing good outcomes, Can't stand the the fact that I can't keep up anymore. But I don't see a choice or I can't see myself making the choice. Weak I am. Too many changes in nursing is killing me. No more respect. Nothing out there for me. No I don't want to go back to school. Price is too high.

Dear papa nurse, I can totally understand everything you said. After 20 + years of doing this I think I am headed down the same road. It's either that or I'm about to have a stroke.

Hi Nananurse, I feel your pain at the deepest level. I am a fifty eight year old male LVN, whose entire experience has been in long term care. To quote John Lennon, " I should have known better", as I had a horrible experience in school, due to my clinical instructor's disdain for male nurses. (I won't whine over this). By the time I graduated, I already hated nursing so bad, that for the first four years I worked as a personal trainer, and manager of a fitness center owned by our local hospital. It didn't pay all that great, but was the best job I ever had. I was forced to utilize my license following a divorce, in order to adequately support my daughter, so I went to work in a nursing home in my hometown. Going from energetic hard bodies, to people drooling on the floor was hard.....very hard. However in no small amount of time, I developed a genuine love of the old folks, and looked forward every day to my residents, and making their day better, and actually developed some close friendships with these old people.

This was only twelve years ago, and at the time, my job was not so bogged down with all the excessive, EXCESSIVE documentation! To me this is the root of all nursing evil, redundant paperwork. I would dare to say that in the nurses MAR, there are so many places to initial, confirming that you have done a particular task, that if you actually went line by line and performed each and every thing on a hall of thirty residents, it would take an unimaginable amount of time to complete, probably a double shift to do what is expected of one in eight hours. Can you see an opportunity for errors here? (I hope I am not rambling too much, but this is my first time to ever voice my frustration in this type of format) When one has to do nursing tasks, i.e. g-tubes, trachs, diabetic care, wound care, admissions, discharges, baby-sit crappy CNA's, take *** chewings from staff, residents, family members, doctors, pass medicines, respond to each health crisis, write an hour long incident report, take an hour in the dining room at each mealtime, take your MANDATORY thirty minute lunch, endure a fifteen minute lecture from a son on how mom needs to drink lots of water, and get it all done in eight hours or get in trouble for overtime, it's no wonder nurses like Vicodin and Xanax!!!!
Now with the government taking back money for fraudulent or unjustified charges, the tricks nursing homes are doing to try to hang on to their money is only making the job ten times more difficult, resulting in depression, anxiety, chemical dependency, and a host of other neurological problems. I have always suffered with ADD, just recently officially diagnosed and now treated with Adderall. I reached this end, I am sure, due to the stress of the job. I had always been able to compensate and had to work harder than others to succeed. In fact I graduated with a 3.76, passed boards first time, and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa. But recently I have not been so successful. Two and a half years ago, I went to work for a facility on 2-10 shift, and the nurse relieving me at night was late at least three times a week, if not five times a week. I am not talking ten minutes, but any where from one hour to three hours late, and three times I had to stay all night. Though I complained regularly, nothing was ever done, and this went on for a year, until finally her attendance began to have a negative impact on the DON's job, at which time she was terminated. In the course of this year, I became a very angry nurse, frequently verbalizing my displeasure, wherever I chose, several times using very profane language. I began to make mistakes, usually with documentation or transcription of orders, even after the offending nurse was terminated. I had become so de-humanized, that I couldn't pull myself out of the funk I was in, and eventually was also terminated. I went to a new job, with a new attitude and approach, but the careless mistakes continued, and another termination. I took one more job, determined to absolutely do my best, plant roots, and work until I retired from this one. Not to be. No matter how sincere, and strong my efforts were to excel, the mistakes continued until I was again terminated.
It was then I finally went to see a psychiatrist, who diagnosed me with ADD and started me on meds, but now it is hard to find a job, having established such a bad reputation, with all of the job changes on my resume, and the negative impact of multiple terminations.

Three years ago, I met and married the most beautiful woman, and as I write this, we are only days away from the birth of our son. I am so happy to have the opportunity to enjoy parenting with a woman who loves me genuinely, as much as I love her. However I am scared of the prospects that lay ahead professionally, and financially. I currently have a job as a staff nurse in an adult day care, which is stress free, but quite below my accustomed level of employment. I feel that this profession, of which I felt such a conviction to do good to and for all, has left me at 58, wondering what I can do with the rest of my life.

papanurse

Anyone find anything else to do? I want out so bad after 36 years. I can't stand the incompetence in today's hospitals. Managers that have no business in their position. Good nurses that once they speak up on the patient's behalf: HISTORY. Anyone?

I have been in the field now for almost 10 years and I absolutely hate it. I change jobs every 6 months to a year. For the most part I love my patients but having to deal with management, lazy staff and office politics has made me want to reconsider this profession. I work midnights now, which has isolated me from friends and family. It has reaped havoc on my relationship with my boyfriend and he has since moved out. I find I am no longer the friendly, easy going person I used to be. I'm so desperate I even thought working as a ******** again. The ***** club was easier to handle than being a nurse. I am 33 and I'm so lost and unhappy. I would love to do something else but this is all I know.

Hi Nananurse-- you are NOT alone!!! I am in the SAME boat w/ 34 yrs in the acute care setting. I don't know where to go now either. Most people my age (I'm 55) are starting to think of retirement and all I can think of is 'I want to leave nursing NOW but what to do?'. My husband is 61 and just SO done with working; he's exhausted--he wants to retire ASAP and has mentioned that I will need to provide the health insurance. It actually is a horrific thought, having to stay in nursing despite being miserable so I can support the two of us w/ decent pay. So I've been searching for other healthcare related jobs that are less stressful but I've come to the conclusion that I really don't want to be a nurse any longer. I'm fried, burnt to a crisp and spit out! Wouldn't it be great if all the unhappy nurses could walk away from their jobs from hell, come together and and start their own business doing something fun?? I've never had a job where I've actually didn't mind going to work. So I completely feel your pain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just failed one of my nursing classes last fall! I was to graduate that May. I cried all of December. I am set to return in August! But I am NOT! It was a sign bc I hate nursing!! Im going to breed bulldogs and go into business with my partner who is a photographer! I wAnt kids, my health, my sanity! I want to follow my passions. I wont be happy as a rn and im so thankful I failed my ob class by 1 point!!! Thank you thank you thank you god:)

your never too old to leave nursing. I was a RN X 32 years. I quit and became an 18 wheeler driver at 55 y.o. I did it, so can you! Remember you will probably live to be 90 y.o. and medicare/social security will run out so plan to keep busy.

Reading the comments here has deeply warmed my heart! I've been an RN for 20 years, and honestly really hated most of it. It's so nice to know I'm not alone. I pour my heart into caring for my patients, but so much of everything involved in medical care is emotionally toxic: The unhappy staff, the back stabbing, the sick management and bean counters that only care about their spreadsheet reports, the doctors who are only in it for money, the insurance and pharmaceutical companies who also are only in it for profit. I understand we all need to make a living, but kindness, humility, compassion, being a team player, these all are so rewarding in themselves. Why are they so rare? I think because people emotionally and spiritually shut down, and become hopeless, to survive in this material world. I applaud the nurses who leave and have the courage to find another vocation, despite other people telling them they are nuts for doing so. I applaud everyone in this vocation, whether they stay or leave- nurses are truly unsung heroes. I love the world of healing, so I'm gradually transitioning out of formal nursing into holistic private practice. I must walk the talk, "Healer heal thy Self", and in this way I hope to hold the space for others to heal, and know the deeper causes of health and disease AND wellness. I have other friends who also follow their hearts in this world, and have forsaken much material wealth to be true to their core values. Initially it can look like leaving security and good pay, but look at the many many people who are successful having followed their dreams and inspiration: Steve Jobs (Apple computer), Eckart Tolle (Power of Now author), and Chicken Soup for the Soul authors, and countless others in all walks of life. The whole world needs healing right now. What if this collective yearning for change, is the guidance that will help heal our own lives, and our whole world, one person at at time. What if each of us made a commitment to follow our hearts and committed to being kind to ourselves and others? Each of us has our own answers to these questions, our own path to walk. I'm grateful to have read the thoughts and feelings of other nurses here. Let's have faith, that those of us who yearn for it, will find another form of livelihood that feeds our souls instead of depleting our spirits. May the unseen forces of good in this universe help us all on our journey!

I sense that it is not nursing that you hate but rather the diminished quality of life and the human suffering which you have witnessed over and over again. From my perspective you seem to be a kind person with a giving and beautiful spirit caring for others from the heart which is the essence of quality compassionate nursing. You have undoubtedly provided wonderful care and have touched the hearts and souls of many ,many patients who have been fortunate to have been cared for by you. When you feel downtrodden with all the pressures of the nursing today, just remember that in your chosen career you have experienced the pain, suffering and joy of others in a way that no other profession would have allowed you to do.

All the best to you .....I hope that you are able to overcome this hurdle and continue to be the wonderful nurse that you are doubtingly are!

I quit after 26 years of nursing. I feel as though I've betrayed myself by staying in it for so long. Yes, I was gratified if I knew I really helped my patient. The downside, though, was the culture of nursing. There was so much back- biting, scapegoating, lateral violence, vertical violence, information hoarding, insecure nurses and md's who had to always be one up. Honestly, I don't know how the patients survive in such an emotionally toxic environment. I know that workplace violence is now being recognized and addressed, but, there are a lot of players who talk the talk but who will never walk the walk. Good luck to all of you who stay. Life is too short for me to stay in such a toxic environment. I owe it to myself to be happy and fulfilled. I have always heard that the only thing that brings change is to "vote with your feet". Peace Out

Hey, I understand what you're going through and you probably have it ten times worse with the length of time you spent nursing. I recently quit my nursing job because it was killing me. I found that there are many ways to break out of nursing and you don't need to go study or anything. You just need the internet and the know-how. I am currently blogging about the challenges of nursing and how I broke out of the career and also trying to show nurses how to break out of it too. Read my blog. I hope it inspires you. Do comment at my blog. I am sure I can help you. www.nursinghabits.com



my email is arkadialove@gmail.com



Let's find a way out. :)

Your experience mirrors my own! I have been a nurse for 24 years and have worked in every specialty and position imaginable trying to find my "niche". Some positions were better than others but deep down I have never enjoyed being a nurse and never had a passion for it. I have done the same as you, changing jobs every 2 to 4 years in a quest to find something better. I have finally come to the conclusion that there isn't anything better because I simply don't like being a nurse! After 24 years I have decided to leave the profession altogether and am currently pursuing an entirely different career path away from the medical field that I am passionate about. It is putting somewhat of a financial strain my going back to school but I feel strongly that life is way too short to be doing something you are miserable doing. I am 46 years old but feel it is never too late to pursue what you really want to do. My family thinks I'm nuts for leaving nursing but I have to do whats in my heart. I wish you the best of luck and what you say is so true....