I need to get off the wards! Please help me.

[LumpySpaceCow]

Hello,

Exactly what the title says!

I've been a nurse for 20 years and have got at least another 20 in front of me. I am fed up with the toxic, blame culture, chronic under staffing, shifts (especially night shifts!) and general micromanagement. My colleagues are great but would chuck me under a bus to save themselves (not their fault, it's the culture we work in).

My mental health is in pieces and I need a change. However, I do feel trapped as I am in a senior role so need to make a move that would be financially viable.

Has anyone else made such a move? I am wondering whether lecturing is the way to go but would appreciate any advice from others who feel the same and have made the leap away from hospital ward working.
TIA

Why do people think community is any better??! I was a DN for 15 years and would often go out with a list of 17 patients over a 7.5 hour shift. I now work as an ACP for Virtual Ward and it is HELL. We have no staff, are running around like headless chickens and managers that have no bloody idea what they are doing as the service is so new. Every man and his dog is now referring into us as a way to get people out of hospital and we simply cannot cope, I am going off my rocker with stress. Please do not make the mistake of thinking community nursing is some sort of eutopia because believe me it is not!!

@honeyandfizz I am under no illusion and understand that many community areas are incredibly stressful and have similar pressures to ward work and the same issues (hierarchy, blame culture, under staffing etc). The only thing that really appeals to me about some community roles is not working nights.
It sounds really shit and I hope something can change to make it less stressful (but knowing the NHS, I bet it won't!).

Are there community paediatric teams in your area?

Are you eligible to take on a hybrid clinical and research role as part of the CNO Research strategy? Would that remove you from enough of the toxic culture to be able to cope or is your preference to move out more radically?

@Woollymonster that's an area I could look into.

@RethinkingLife I am going to look into this as it's an area that I'm interested in. I've completed the GCP as part of my current role but research isn't an area that I have any expertise.

Also why not look within NHS management? Plenty of opportunities these days for clinically trained staff within service Improvement roles. There's still pressure, but it's a different type of pressure.

Also many systems are looking at paeds virtual wards or ARI hubs as part of winter planning...

What did you decided @LumpySpaceCow . I'm in the same situation as you.

@Lovelyaryan I now work in higher education teaching nursing. Been here since the start of the year and don't regret the move one bit. No blame culture, manage your own time, lobe teaching and supporting the students - also looking forward to 2 weeks off at Christmas!!!