To want to give up on my career? Struggling badly

[SokutoToTheNeck]

I'm a nurse and hate it. Unreasonable and impossible demands, shit pay, constant fear of doing something wrong - I'm shit at it because I have social anxiety so HATE the constant interaction with people. Everyday is a massive stress. I'm on casual hours now so can take or pick up work whenever I want but if I don't work, I don't get paid (obviously).

I'm desperate to stop. Ideally I'd love to work from home but I'd need to earn at least £400 a week. What can I do?? I feel myself going under, I just can't do it anymore.

Listen to your heart.

I was a research scientist. I now work from home making and selling craft items. I earn more than I did in my previous career.
It is possible to change.

What kind of craft items? That's the kind of thing I want to do. If I could work from home I'd work everyday if the week. It's not hard work I'm frightened of, it's this bloody job, the people, the legalities, the stress ...

I need to make around £90 a day for at least 4 days of the week to make what I'm making now

My items are niche pagan type stuff.

I jacked in my career when I had kids. I have been self employed for 16 years, several projects over that time. This latest one for the past 3 years, I work most days, 30 hours a week. I make £50K profit a year.

Could you move within nursing to something less pressured, working with people 1-1 more? Outpatients, endoscopy, research nursing spring to mind. Nursing is hugely pressurised, what is it that you like about it if it weren't?

Do you actually have any craft making skills and experience?

Artists with years of professional training and top class degrees often find it hard to make a living creating things.

It sounds like what you want is to not interact with people. I think it will be challenging to find well paid work at home but what could you do with your professional experience that would be lower stress and lower interaction with people?

Bit challenging as a nurse but something like a role assisting in medical research? Prepping test subjects for the researchers?

Or some admin support for researchers? You'd be familiar with terminology etc.

I’d try moving to something less stressful - outpatients, pre-op assessment, blood transfusion, private clinics? A friend of mine works as a Heslthcare assistant in a private hospital and gets paid well. What about benefits assessment - not for everyone but there can be some flexibility with this.

OP, the clinics aren’t too bad. GP surgeries?
You’re obviously in a toxic environment and you need to get out. You’re a very good nurse: you recognise there is a problem and you’re doing something about it.

Take some time off. Have a chat with the matron.

Research nursing in a large academic trust is extremely stressful. Second the idea of looking at outpatients, endoscopy etc. to see how you feel they’d before leaving entirely.

I can't face the thought of doing anything else nursing related. I currently work in the community as it gives me more time on my own but even that is becoming to much. The thought of clinical settings actually makes me feel sick with anxiety.

I'd even do dog walking. Anything. I could cut my nursing hours down one day a week to try something else from home

Exam marking? Could I do that?

I actually feel like grabbing my passport and running away.

You poor thing. Sounds like you need a break somehow. I don’t blame you, working the NHS really does get worse and worse. And patients get more and more demanding.

Actually, while some of the posts about research nursing are not accurate, there are band 5 data manager roles available that might be worth a look depending where you are.

Maybe you need to go to your GP and talk about this?
Sounds like more than just work stress.

But realistically, if there were lots of jobs allowing people to stay at home and earn a full time salary easily, we'd all be doing them.

If dog walking genuinely is of interest, the first thing to do is research the market in your area. What do existing dog walkers charge? What services do they offer? (For example they may have a small van to accomodate pick up and drop off of dogs). What insurance would you need? What is the demand like? How do they find customers? (Maintaining a website, working as a franchise etc).

How about working in somewhere like a pharmacy - even part time - always on the lookout for staff - especially those with a bit of knowledge, capable of measuring a leg for pressure stockings, not embarrassed by talk of constipation and thrush etc - is much less pressured, but still related to your previous life.

Do you actually have any craft making skills and experience?

I have zero craft making skills and experience.

And a degree in Chemistry.
Hasn't stopped me making a large profit from crafting.

Someone mentioned the blood service, would you consider that to be a clinical setting? I'm sure you get the odd person who's nervous but I suspect that the majority of blood donors are there because they want to be and aren't scared of needles! But I don't know how easy it is to get a job in a donation team.

But realistically, if there were lots of jobs allowing people to stay at home and earn a full time salary easily, we'd all be doing them

This. To be honest I think you sound quite panicked and agree that you should speak to your GP about this. You are in danger of making a rash decision because of your anxiety.

If you do dog walking you will still have to dealing with the owners, send invoices, chase paymemts, do a tax return, deal with the bank, do marketing to get new business, get insurance, buy a vehicle. It’s Not all strolling through the fields on a summers days with the wind in your hair and not a care in the the world.

Could you transfer to another role within your trust that you would find less stressful ? have you spoken on your occupational health service?