Burned-Out Nurses Plotting an Exit
Nurses across various specialties and experience levels express dissatisfaction with their current roles and a desire for alternative career paths. This stems from a combination of burnout, lack of long-term vision, and a feeling of being undervalued or mismatched with their work environment. Many are actively exploring certifications, alternative roles, or entirely new career directions.
SOURCES (60)
“I am done with residency and will be starting my first attending job soon at a rural critical access hospital. My training has been in an unopposed rural FM program with a busy outpatient clinic, inpatient service (cross coverage with 8-15 admissions per night), open…”
“I got my RN at 20. I got that a lot. Didn't help that I stayed in my small community to work. People knew I was just a baby. Now I am an old battle ax that has seen a lot”
“What is "walking a lot" to you? It might be more worth it to look into social work or nursing and get into case management?”
“I just started an RN case management position, full time Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. I am unable to find many med school prerequisites offered after my shift ends. I’m halfway finished with my prerequisites with Orgo 1 coming up next. Realistically, what are my options? submitted by /u/Spiritualgirl3 [link] [comments]”
“Hello. I have a good outpatient job in a hospital based setting. We see 1 on 1 and it’s good pay/benefits for my area. However, I’m very much goal oriented. In school I always had the next degree to look forward to. I used to be a coach as well, so every year the goal was the to win a championship. I’ve since gotten away from these things. I’ve entertained the idea of building up my side hustle business to where I could switch to PT part time. I’ve also considered getting my OCS, but I don’t see”
“For background, I am currently puttering around the insurance world and have been a caregiver in some capacity or another since I was in middle school. I have been a home health aide both full and part time for seven and a half years now I am two years (or less) away from being debt free, at which point I intend to enrol at one of the two community colleges near me offering an accredited PTA program I love working with children and the elderly, and as such have been leaning towards an interest i”
“Hi everyone! This is a hypothetical career change from general surgery to IR. Context- 3 years experience in HCOL area Current role: - gen surg at large academic center - no OR time - 1/2 day post op clinic per week, lots of inbox for all of our surgeons - 4 10 hour shifts a week, no weekends, holidays, or call - 120k salary + state retirement benefits - little opportunity for career advancement and growth, including salary. No built in salary adjustments for inflation - 5-10 minute commute Pote”
“Hey, y’all. I recently began a new job a couple of weeks ago in orthopedics and I thought it was a dream come true. I was in primary care for 1.5 years before this job. During my initial interview with the recruiter, I was told that the surgeon I would be working with was really nice and loved to teach. Well…here we are and he yells at others and pops off out of nowhere and isn’t a great teacher. I have a history of severe anxiety and this is a whole new level. He makes derogatory comments and h”
“Good for you! I feel like nursing is highlighted for its flexibility when you work inpatient but it is so grueling. I don’t even enjoy my time off cause of how exhausted I feel.”
“It depends on your priorities. What would you like to do with the MBA? I don't think it's really useful for nursing unless you want to go the corporate route. But If you see yourself with a lot of free time then why not!?”
“Hii. I’m sorry if this is the wrong sub to post in. I am an EMT working at a private EMS company right now for about 7 months. My respect for nurses overall has grown tremendously. From handing off patients to having to visit the ED twice for psych reasons and an abscess that scared the shit out of me. I think I’m mainly looking for career advice. My original plan was to get my medic card and work in private EMS or be hired on a fire department. Then if I feel if I want to, pursue nursing. I’m p”
“I loved nursing school and loved precepting in the ER. Now that I’m a nurse i just kind of feel stupid. I feel like I’m just still waiting for someone to hang over my shoulder or to tell me what to do. I have no idea how to take any charge and do things myself. I’m terrified to do anything alone. I ask 8 billion questions before doing something as simple as giving a few pills in a cup to a patient. I feel like everyone else is a nurse and I’m just pretending to be one. I feel so dumb, i don’t kn”
“Hello fellow nurses with bad backs! I've had a L3-4 disc herniation for a long time, and I recently had a pretty bad exacerbation that almost led to a microdiscectomy due to weakness and numbness in my leg. Luckily, with an ESI and PT I improved and I can avoid surgery for now. I'm 33M with ideally a lot of working years ahead of me, so I've been thinking I may need to find work that is easier on the back. I've been in the OR for about 6 years now, and I also do conscious sedatio”
“I am thinking of applying for a prn position at another hospital to get more experience. Right now I have a job as a full time OR nurse (I’m still in periop 101) but I’ve been thinking about of applying prn to another job to get more experience on the floor so I’m a little more well rounded. Right now I work 5 days a week (7-3) would it be crazy of me to apply to the prn job and possibly work 6 days a week every other week or is that too much idk Update: Thanks for the advice. I decided to wait”
“Postpartum! I work days, 7a to 7p. It’s mostly happy with lots of education and monitoring. I get to hold babies every once in awhile while parents get rest. I have 3 couplets (one mom, one baby is a couplet) at most. Sometimes I’ll discharge two couplets and I’ll have one left later in my shift. It’s so nice!”
“Never in my forty years of nursing did I ever make six figures. I stopped full time in 2023.”
“I've been a nurse practitioner for the last 10 years and in a hybrid clinical/management role for about a year. I have my master's in nursing. I was thinking of pursuing a healthcare MBA in the next year or two. The meetings with the non-clinical side of things is frustrating (I do not speak finance/business). I was looking at online programs as I need to work (my job offers tuition reimbursement). I was looking at AACSB accredited programs. The 2 programs I was looking at were: Universi”
“Hi, i am a new grad nurse planning to do my first interview in a crisis response center. What kind of questions can i expect? What kind of skills/assessments do i need to brush up on to be able to use on the job. Im a new grad and had my mental health rotation about 2 years ago and im afraid i don't remember much. Tips? Thanks submitted by /u/idkyoutellme66 [link] [comments]”
“ER nurse debating on looking into being a rapid response nurse. Would love all the thoughts and opinions. submitted by /u/HappyAstronomer5096 [link] [comments]”
“So long story short, I had to quit a previous job because working nights was detrimental to my mental health. I am not a new nurse by any means and did my last specialty area for 12 years before deciding it was time to move on. I regret that decision now though... Once I find another tolerable job I will never leave after this experience. Everyone always says oh nursing is great you can try various areas and blah blah blah, but look what happened to me. You CANNOT try different areas without bei”
“I've been interested in nursing school for several years but life circumstances haven't allowed it for now. What is the best way for me to support current nurses and healthcare workers? I've been brainstorming but really don't know what would be most helpful so all input is appreciated. Possibilities - finding a nurse advocacy group (most of the one I've looked at are understandably limited to qualified medical personnel) -supporting local legislation to provide more funding”
“What kinds of things do they have you doing vs what you would be doing on a day shift? Just changing fluids and making rounds to check on sleeping patients more or less? submitted by /u/kromestatus [link] [comments]”
“Currently work as MS Float. I was considering CNC (Clinical Nurse Coordinator) role, which is basically a charge nurse with extra responsibilities. The acuity would be less than med surg however, we could get up to 7pts if we’re short. The pay I was offered is $2… Would you take it? And why? submitted by /u/Izzybizzybizz [link] [comments]”
“Hello! I am a mid career stem worker who somewhat recently became a mom and the upending of my life has made me reconsider if I’m happy with my career. My local community college has an amazing fast-track to teaching license for those willing to teach stem topics and the program has a great reputation. If I could get in, which is a big if, I’m concerned about waking up early, as I haven’t had to do that consistently since I was in high school myself. I am not a morning person and am used to posi”
“What specialty are you in? Also where are you based I feel like there are no remote jobs in my state :(”
“I'm 39, and have a masters in social psych (research). I'm starting my the journey to getting my ABSN next month. Psych nursing is something I've been interested in specializing in. A lot of negativity around it. Glad to hear from someone that loves it.”
“Looking for advice on what to focus on this fall. I have an engineering bachelors degree from 10+ years ago. I've done two semesters at my local CC to get some prerecs done. I'm balancing this with a career and family (husband is supportive, but I'm holding on to my job/our health insurance until med school seems a little more realistic.) Tentatively planning to take the MCAT for the first time next summer. Looking for advice on what others would do this fall - I'm registered for”
“Just made the switch at 40. Only 6 months in and I cant imagine it another way. 3 days a week is baller. I am spending so much time with family this summer Pay cut is annoying losing about 20K per year but should be back within a couple years. Plus when school is in session I may start picking up shifts. My workload is busy but stress is less. I literally leave work and leave it there. No late or early calls or emails. Omg not to have to send emails ever is amazing Am loving my medsurge/tele flo”
“Stay at your current job for a while. Use it to figure out what you do and don't want to do. Your career is going to last decades, it's fine to not spend every minute of it on the perfect unit.”
“Nursing was my second career and I started school at 28. My first career was in psych. I became a psych nurse to be able to use both my degrees.”
“I became an RN at 30. In the beginning, when my kids were young, working 3-12 hour shifts worked out well for my family and I. But I burned out quickly working bedside. Now that I no longer work bedside (I've been in case management for 13 years) , its been a great career for me. I could always get paid more, though. My area pays low wages.”
“Yes! I am a watercolor artist, traveler, photographer. I sell my art and manage my Ig account. I work 3 overnights a week to enrich my private and creative life. Nursing is what I do but it’s hardly my identity!”
“I am a hospice nurse with 10 years of experience. I’ve worked in multiple different clinical positions within hospice. I am looking to change specialties for many different reasons, and want to work in a hospital setting. I have applied at different hospitals and have not yet received any responses. Is it feasible that a hospital will take a chance on me? Or do they see it as being too hard to teach “old dogs new tricks?” My goal is eventually to work in the ER, but I know starting there is not”
“I started in outpatient telehealth as a brand new dietitian. I thought I was doing well but my rating is now dropping. I’m feeling also exhausted and depleted during this work. I’ve been working around a month in a half and my rating is 4.85. I noticed most dietitians have average of 5 star rating. Anyway I’m kinda feeling bad about it and don’t know what to do. submitted by /u/DisastrousHeron3534 [link] [comments]”
“Hello everyone, I recently got a job where I'll be working at an individual's home who was diagnosed with ALS. I'll be helping him out with his activities of daily living and providing care (nothing medical though). Would an experience like this count as clinical or would it need to be undertaken in a hospital for it to count as clinical? submitted by /u/vanblakp2020 [link] [comments]”
“Hello! I just need some really good sound advice. I’m a newer nurse (within my first year) on a step down unit. I feel like I got REALLY lucky with my first job! I love the staff and my manager and the charge nurses I have. Everyone is supportive and I consider them good friends. My unit is considered “higher acuity” in regard to step down units and I also work on a cardiac unit as well. However, my goal has always been ICU. I did my preceptorship in a level 1 trauma ICU in school and made a VER”
“Hi folks! I have been in my current role as a mail-order dispensing RN for a large non-profit for 3 years now. I love the job more than any nursing job I’ve ever had, but the company is heading in a direction that I fear will result in me losing my position sometime down the line. I am looking for recommendations for other RN job types I could look into while I have time to prepare — there are so many niches out there it’s hard to know where to even start! I am open to obtaining new certificatio”
“I loved comfort care in the ICU. Had some job opportunities in hospice and palliative. Unfortunately pay was horrendous and benefits were even worse. But I am 99% sure that will be my semi-retirement job.”
“I miss open bay Till you get the recent grad, float PICU nurse who's coming over for the first time, has never had to feed a baby because he's a 20 yr old guy with no kids, and one of his feeders is really angry with him, so his crying wakes all your babies up.”
“I started out on nights! And honestly it makes a smoother transition! Most of the kids are in bed by 10-11, and it gives a LOT of room to structure your tasks, your notes and your thoughts. I was able to be more thorough in looking at their charts and caught a ton of things even doctors have missed. When I moved to days, it was a lot more hustle and bustle, like admissions, lab draws, pharmacy correspondence, doctors stopping by, etc. Take the night shift! Its more pay for a more structured shif”
“Hi friends. Right now I work at a hospital where we started with 5 techs but currently are down to 3 (2 full time, 1 part time.) We have two doctors that work full time and we do tech appointments and procedures in addition to their thirty minute appointments. Management will not hire another person because we are "overstaffed." I've never worked with so few techs before and we are definitely struggling and everyone is pretty much hitting their limit. Is this normal for anyone else”
“For most supplemental income makes most sense in your current role.. overtime/incentive trumps whatever youd be earning as a respiratory therapist or physical therapy assistant. If you’re already going to be working more than 40 hours, overtime typically makes more sense. If it’s not strictly income, and more about passion, then do whatever the hell you want tho. If it’s further education you want, NP or MSN is logical”
“probably the only issue with doing hospice or home health is that many hospice companies and state law has prerequisites, such as having worked in a facility continuously for a certain amount of time.”
“Has anyone here completely changed careers and found something that was a much better fit? I’d love to hear your story because I’m feeling a little stuck. I have a background in patient care/medical assisting, clinical research, and customer support, with new hire training experience in all of those roles. I’m currently in a remote healthcare recruiting role, and although I was excited to start, I’ve realized pretty quickly that it’s not the right fit for me. I don’t enjoy the constant cold outr”
“i’m a pt tech working outpatient and i’m an undergrad student at a university. i am very interested in this line of work and enjoy the patient interaction i get at my job. however, i make minimum wage and have noticed the burnout/stress pts deal with in this subreddit and at my job. i overheard one of our PTs opting against pursuing a DPT and said she wished she stayed a pta. im worried about the potential for financial instability pursuing a doctorate, ive saved up some money for college but i’”
“Hey yall, could use some help from med students or doctors. I’m kind of in a limbo rn, I have a gap year upcoming and in a frenzy between what job to commit to. I have a pretty decent intervention teacher/sub job offer at a K-8 school which I’m sure will be fun and all but I really really miss clinical research and due to NIH funding it’s been pretty tough to find something in it, but I’m still working hard to do so. For that teaching job I have til like Friday to decide lol?? But my thing is if”
“Hello I’m currently a med tech for a building for about 2 1/2 years and currently it’s a mess!! For months I have been doing 55+ residents ALONE they just got me another tech to help me than not even a month later today they’re telling me they’re taking my second cart and shoving my meds into one cart and taking away my other med tech!!? I’m so stressed out and I can’t do it alone it’s to much for me.. I’m not getting meds done on time and unable to get orders and ect done because I have NO time”
“If not, what industry did you leave to pursue nursing? Are you happy you made the switch? submitted by /u/iluvtacos217 [link] [comments]”
“Okay so I messed up when I was a new grad. I went straight into L&D for 8 months and hated it. Then I became a nurse at a middle school for a year. I start college in social work and switched to BSN but close to graduation I was pretty sure I wouldn't like nursing. I tried to get jobs in areas that interested me but realized I kinda messed up my ability to get a job in healthcare based on my resume. Any career ideas outside of healthcare? submitted by /u/Prestigious-Prior781”
“Can anyone please help? I'm a registered nurse with no previous massage experience/qualifications. I have done various lymphoedema training through work, but not in massage. I want to venture into MLD and start my own business. I've signed up for a 1 day course, which is credited. But I'm now concerned that it won't be enough? It says on the website that once you've completed the day, you are qualified to carry out MLD. Is this right? I'm now worried it won't be enoug”