Writing 101: Day 3 Uncertainty

Uncertainty

I have been at a crossroads since I hit my forties four years ago. Mostly I have been feeling this way about my career. I’ve been a nurse for 20 years and I loved it. It felt good helping people. I made a difference. Lately I have been feeling burnt out. I get anxious at least 2 days prior to a shift. I feel like the focus is on dollars versus patient care. I want out. This is where the uncertainty comes in…. What do I do now??? It’s hard to figure out what to do next. That’s why I love to travel. It’s a nice break from the everyday worry. Any ideas???

16 thoughts on “Writing 101: Day 3 Uncertainty”

  2. You are not alone in how you feel. I have been a nurse for 17 years – most of them at the bedside until 6 years ago when I had changed roles and became the educator within my hospital for various specialties. Then this past year with the decision to go per-diem I returned to the bedside when I joined the float pool. I cannot tell you how disheartened I am at the direction in which healthcare has gone. Everything is do more, do it quicker, do it with less physical resources but make sure you stay within your budget while keeping your satisfaction scores high. I often leave work feeling frustrated that I was unable to meet the needs (as they truly should be met) of my patients on an emotional level – so many patients just need you to listen more. I want to provide teaching beyond a quick sheet of paper coupled with a brief explanation and assessment of understanding. I want to feel as if I was the nurse I always envisioned myself to be – one that has the time to be with her patients, provide care, provide support, listen, etc. Some days I leave work feeling like I was a shitty nurse because the sheer amount of tasks so overshadowed the actual ability to provide care on the level that transcends the physical. And of course it all comes down to money. Government reimbursement incentives and budget constraints thanks to competing surgi-centers, and government guidelines seem to dictate the direction of our practice. I don’t know what the answer is but I too feel the uncertainty you speak of.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Well said!!!! I’m glad I’m not the only one but I definitely feel like I need to retire. I don’t want to feel anxious and frustrated anymore. I’m giving myself 2 years to find something else to do with my life. I don’t see healthcare getting any better.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. As nurses it’s “comforting” to know that this is an issue that is much more global then it is isolated. Of course we don’t want to feel the way we do, yet knowing that other nurses share this sentiment seeks to reinforce that this is a widespread issue, and it’s not that were over reacting.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Oh, I’d have loved to have been a nurse. Once a nurse, always a nurse. My husband’s side of the family are full of nurses! My sister-in-law is one of my favorite people in all the world. She has been a mentor to me, although I am 3 years older….she is so wise. We are all so grateful to her as we run our health concerns by her all the time…she never minds helping us!
    What about taking a job as a traveling nurse? We’ve run into a few that also live in an RV allowing them to travel, like us. We are full time travelers!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. That is cool that your family travels full time. It’s so funny that you mentioned travel nursing, I just applied to a agency to do a contract but local because my kids are still in school. I guess if I travel I will not get involved in the politics.

      Like

      Reply
  5. Pingback: How Much Should We Tell? | Cathy Lynn Brooks

Leave a comment