Thanks for writing. I am sorry to hear of your current job experience. Being in pain and in an environment that hurts your health cannot be a ‘dream job’ at all. There is no set standard for what is dream and what is not. It is all relative to what is best for each person and their family. Please feel free to email me: alicia@transitionsinnursing.com if you would like to talk further about your particular situation.

I have worked in Specialty Hospitals, Critical Care, PICU, and teaching BSCN students. One thing you said, made me really think,’ when was the last time you were so engaged in work, that you lost track of time”? Well, when I worked in a certain Children’s Hospital in Toronto, I was excited every shift, 12 hr shift, 16 hr days due to a long commute. Also, teaching, was a blast.. think I was really good at it. My problem is that my health is restricting me now. I work from home, make great money, but I am not very happy. I’m not sure if it’s all the stress of my husband having Cancer, losing 3 parents in 3 years.. or I am burned right out. I should be happy, great company, but I feel lonely most times. I have to keep pushing myself, and only work 3 days/week, but having Polymyalgia Rheumatica has really decreased ‘the wind in my sails’. Sometimes I think about how happy I was when I was a waitress years ago, or a bartender. I also miss having collegues to talk to, and joke with. Trouble is I physically could not work in a hospital right now. Anyways, my plan today is to except reality right now, but look at alternatives, even a day a week perhaps at a nearby wound centre to break things up.

Thanks for your column.. you’ve inspired me to really think about what I want to do when , ‘I grow up’.

I can totally relate to feeling like you want to scream and that there is no way out. But there always is a way out. Even if it isn’t immediate….it is there. Kudos to you for making plans for your future. Most people just continue to wallow, without making a commitment for a something different.

Decide. Commit to your decision. Make a plan. And then take steps towards your plan.

As for how you feel when you are in that situation that feels overwhelming and miserable, you are right to change how you feel. But I want to remind you of something, big changes, like changes in attitude and mindset, do not happen overnight. So if you are at work and still find times when those negative thoughts are creeping in, don’t beat yourself up. Accept how you are feeling in the moment. Breathe. Reflect on your decision to change…. and keep going. It takes years for us to develop negative thought patterns, changing them is a journey also. Just be glad you have taken that first step.

Let me know if I can help you further.

Alicia-joy

Anyway, this article has changed my way of thinking. I really enjoyed working in wound care when I did a PRN stint of it at one of my hospital jobs. The one thing I am going to do TODAY to change my future from bedside to wound care is to sign up for a wound care seminar through my online college. This will give me additional credentials to eventually land a job in wound care. I also plan to become an NP in adult care so I can help reduce the rush-rush of my job and having to deal with 12 hour shifts. So here’s the goal: I’d like to become an NP in an office someplace who also spends some time during the week as a certified wound care specialist in a clinic. THAT sounds pretty interesting! So I’m going to head in that direction and stop WHINING!

Valerie Young is one of my main inspirations. She is a pioneer for thinking “outside of the job box”. That can be especially challenging in nursing, but it is doable. I totally understand your insurance needs. Perhaps you can start some type of energy medicine practice/project on the side and then slowly build it up to where you can make a full transition. Just a thought. I see you signed up for one of my newsletters. Hope you find it useful. You can always hit reply to the newsletter if you want to chat or if you have questions.