I don't want to be a nurse anymore!

[jadericho]

Basically I'm a nurse, qualified three years ago and honestly I've hated it from the get go and my biggest regret is listening to everyone and sticking it out. I absolute HATE it. It makes me so miserable, I don't enjoy barely any aspect of it and especially now that I've got my little boy I don't want to be miserable around him because of work. I hate the stress. I hate coming home and being unable to sleep and feeling like a terrible nurse because I simply didn't have the time, staff or resources to do everything I wanted to do for my patients. It's so stressful and it really started to impact my mental health. I know every job has it's stressed but I do actually work well under pressure but I absolutely hate the life or death type of stress.

So what are my options? I really don't want to return to work as a nurse. I'm happy to stay in the NHS but I'd love to do something in admin - would that be possible? Believe me I've considered all different areas of nursing but the bottom line is I do not want to be a nurse anymore. It just is not for me at all. Failing that, I guess I'll have to work as an NHS month for at least 3 months after my maternity leave. If that's the case does anyone have any job/alternative career ideas?

Nursing is a difficult job, even more difficult when you have a baby but you have learnt a lot of skills you can use. Are you good with computers, you could apply for a medical secretary job or assistant in h.r. What about something like PALS or clinical governance. Have you been looking at your Trust website for jobs. What about the hours you want to do, will you be working part time, will you be able to work normal office hours.

What part of the country are you in, I can have a look for you if you like.

What about becoming a school nurse or HV?

Having a nursing degree and 3 years experience opens many doors. You could be an assessor for Personal Independence payments. Or you could work in the community for a nutrition company training patients on feed pumps and PEGS. If you like driving the nutrition companies employ nurses to administer TPN in the home. I work in the hospice sector which I love as we do have time to provide good care.

I know exactly how you feel. I have spent 30 years of my life Nursing and deeply regret sticking ot out for so long. I honestly feel it has ruined my life. Anyway I know do something vaguely related but not nursing. I do a small amount of bank nursing to boost the pay from my other job but even that couple of shifts a month is too much. Get out while you can , forge another career. Life is too short to be miserable .

Ah that's brilliant that you found something else! What is it you do now if you don't mind me asking?

Don’t blame you.

You could look into a career in aesthetic treatments, like fillers etc if you want a total change.

What about working for the Blood service or something like that - very 9-5 and I would assume fairly routine?

Hi, I was nursing for 3 years before I became ill and know exactly how you feel. How about research nursing. Immunisation team around the schools. It's a shame to lose your pin after all your hard work. Saying that life's too short to be miserable and you will always have the degree which will look good if you apply for a job in a completely different field.

I work in Theatres Recovery and really like what l do. However l couldn't bear to work on the Wards, l would leave nursing first.

What area are you in?

I work on an infectious diseases ward. My ultimate goal and dream was to work in GU medicine which was actually the job I was offered! Then two weeks before my start date they rang and said I'd have to start work on the ward instead due to staffing and with it being part of the same directorate they just put me there. I wasn't happy about it but as a newly qualified I kinda figured it would actually do me good to start out on a ward first then work in the clinic and they promised me I'd be able to go down after a year, got a start date and everything. Then a couple of months before I was due to start on GU I was basically told it wasn't happening anymore because the person I was meant to be swapping with from GU refused to do ward work. I've been pushing and pushing it ever since but never got anywhere to the point where I've kinda given up. Since then I've hated my job more and more and become so burnt out and miserable that even the thought of working in GU doesn't interest me anymore. I hate nursing. I need a fresh start completely. I know it'd be a shame to let go of my pin when I worked so hard for it but honestly I hate it so much even the thought of my registration makes me stressed so I'd rather just let go of it altogether. Close the chapter on that part of my life.

I'm in the same position. Been on the front line for 15 years but the pressure now is unbearable. I can't sleep from the worry and anxiety of my work load. Short staffing, staff sickness and unsupportive management are taking it toll in a major way. I've been awake since 4.50 worrying about it and I'm not back until Tuesday! Last week there was a night I couldn't sleep at all. I work well under pressure but it's overwhelming and risky these days.

Don't go into community nursing, it's on red alert where I am and you are on your own, taking work home, working on days off just to keep your PIN. Lots of us are going back to the wards because it's better.

An admin role would be very doable if you can take the pay cut. A ward administrator or business support if you have the IT skills.

Have you revalidated? It might be worth doing that so at least you have three years registration before closing the door completely.

Watching out of interest as I'm in similar situation x

A couple of people I training with have gone into research nursing or now work for private medical companies doing ins and giving IV's for research projects. Money is much better and less stressful apparently

What about working in insurance? It’s office based but still nurse related.

Snap. I’m sat in my car about to go in on a 12 hour shift when my family are at home and I want to be with them. I’m going to wait until we’ve had baby number 3 (ttc) then change career . It works for now but I don’t love it anymore

i am a benefits advisor for people with cancer. I help complete disability forms , apply for grants and help.people work out benefit entitlement when they get ill with cancer. I did Oncology and palliative care nursing for many years so my experience is relevant. My new role is a lot more poorly paid than nirsing but fortunately I am at a point in my life where I can afford to take the drop. I do the odd bank nursing shift to boost pay and will try to revaludate one more time if I can then stop for good.

Have you considered being a trainer?
So many options, such as-
Moving and handling
Resus
Infection control

Also being a rep Maybe? For urology, wound care, medicines etc

Or how about a student educator/facilatator?

I briefly left after 4 years and eorked still in healthcare but not nhs. Yes the nhs is a nightmare, but working outside of it was quite isolating .
Also no sick pay, maternity pay and just 4 weeks of leave. Oh and no decent pension.

I have had 3 different jobs back in the nhs since then. 2 were ward work over 24hrs/7 days (7 years)
But my current post (last 2 years) is Mon to Friday and I have much more autonomy and it's great .

Yes there are thing that drive me mad regularly, but I think that's probably true of any job.

I would suggest you try going back to your current job and just see how you go.

Any decision you make now, just has to be ok for now. It's not set in stone forever and you can change your mind at any point.

I feel the same. I only work 2 shifts per week but that feels too much as I feel so stressed about nursing. I work on a mental health ward and the pressures, expectation and the blame culture really get me down. It makes me stressed and anxious on a regular basis. I really want to leave nursing but struggling to find something that pays similar.

Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction for jobs as being a rep etc? Or something that doesn’t directly deal with nonsense of the NHS?
I’ve been a medical nurse for 4 years and now worked in an A&E dept for 2 and very much needing a change.

I’m exactly the same, I want to hand my notice in, but am scared of never finding another job. I’ve been a nurse for 25 years and I’m broken.

There are options in nursing which aren't hospital or ward based, and a lot less stressful. The 111 service are always recruiting nurse advisors for example. Or you could work for the DWP and do ESA assessments (not something for the faint-hearted I would imagine). Then there's nurse screening for insurance companies, working in aesthetics, or maybe providing training courses for private health providers like nursing and residential homes, or do a further ed teaching cert and teach health and social care at colleges.

Revalidate and keep your options open for now.

I was a nurse for around 25 years and the last couple of years of it hated it worse than death and developed hospital phobia.
I did time in an office for a few years and then trained to be a podiatrist. If you do NHS podiatry it's 9-5 with weekends off and relatively little hassle as you work alone for most of the time just seeing people in your own clinic.
And you can of course go private or self employed if you want.

The thing with nursing is it's so varied that you could really find something you like. Practice Nursing may be up your street.