Anyone given up nursing? I'm feeling so stuck.

[Cupcake00]

I'm a single parent to 3 dds. My eldest has left home. I have 2 teens living at home, 16 and 14. I have been a single parent for 12 years so I'm used to busy. I'm a mental health nurse and trained a few years back (the hardest thing I have ever done).
My youngest is such a caring and sensitive soul. I have had trouble getting her back to school after lockdown. However, after a return phase, she started to go full time. Although, not really liking school she still went. However, she has been really struggling with feeling sad and gets anxious quite easily. I have been supporting her and working through this day by day.
I have taken a new job and I'm finding managing mental health in others really difficult. Along with a few personal health issues myself (caused by stress during work/pandemic), I'm struggling to juggle everything. I feel like giving the whole nursing thing up. Mental health nursing isn't like general nursing, there aren't many avenues you can go down. It's a very heavy career. I have spoken to my mum (nobody else to turn to), she keeps telling me dd is fine and I have worked so hard for this career and I'm good at my job. My mum has always put work first, this I remember as a child and growing up. My younger brother struggled and it wasn't dealt with, this spiralled and he suffered terribly as an adult.
Sorry for life story, I just needed to talk somewhere.
I have a mortgage and bills to pay. I feel very stuck.
Do I give up nursing?

What area of mental health do you work in? I disagree that there aren’t many avenues that you can go down.

Thanks for your message. I have worked in older adults for a few years. Just taken a new job in children's mental health. Haven't long started.

I actually think there are more avenues to go down. I left Nursing ( adult general) a few years ago but have regretted giving up my registration. I am job hunting at the moment.
There seems to be a lot of social prescribing type jobs at the moment, that mh nursing/ dealing with vulnerable people skills would be relevant. It seems to be a role where you are employed by a group of Gp practices to prescribe social links to help people manage their own health, so if for example someone was struggling with mental health, you might link them up with a walking group or self help group where they can again support. The pay is equivalent to a band 5 and I imagine the hours are mostly 9-5. I have applied for one post and waiting to see if I have been shorlisted.

Thanks. Can I ask why you left nursing?
That sounds more or less like a mh role. Where would I look?

@Cupcake00

Thanks. Can I ask why you left nursing? That sounds more or less like a mh role. Where would I look?

I left Nursing as I was very burnt out after working for 15 years in a busy hospice. We had also had a number of staff die in the hospice or suddenly and I just needed to do something different. So I left and have been doing some benefits advice work with people with chronic conditions so still utilizing my nursing skills, albeit on a lot less pay. I have honestly loved the advice work but the team wasn't great so i have left. The social prescribing job I have applied for was advertised on the NHS website, I think it was called a social prescribing link worker role, but I have also seen these roles advertised on Indeed.

I'm currently studying to go into mental health and have been looking at jobs I could do in between placements. I've seen the social link worker roles and also "navigator" roles which are very similar to one another.

On my last placement I shadowed a navigator and really enjoyed it although I can see it might not be for everyone

The first six months in any job are always the hardest. I’d recommend giving your new job at least six months and also that will give your daughter time to settle back into school as well. Things could improve really quickly.

I left at 56 after 40 yrs in the job, yes I really did start as a student nurse at 16, I’d had enough of continual changes and poorer patient care in my opinion. No particular health issues .
Changed completely, took my pension annuity just supermarket work now with no stress

OP, leave the job but keep the registration.
I'd look at joining nursing agencies for nursing home work part time. Lots going (depending on area) and much better paid than public sector (but no pension and sick pay).

Have you considered doing wellbeing at a university? Decent pay and lots of holiday. 9-5? I imagine it would be much less heavy.

uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=22ca7c984a5fbc8f&from=serp