I’m getting burnout with bedside nursing. I have been a nurse for 10yrs. 5yrs med surg/tele and 5 yrs ER. I’m thinking of changing my specialty, but not sure what to do. Any suggestions on what specialty to consider?
Try procedural nursing! IR, Nuclear Medicine/Cardiology, Cath lab, CT, PACU, etc. still has patient care but you’re doing one patient at a time. Usually leaves on time and days are pretty consistent. I’m currently in Non-invasive Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging doing Nuclear stress tests, stress echocardiograms, and CT Cardiac and honestly the best!
The thing to remember, nursing has more variety than any other occupation -IN THE WORLD! Also, with your background you can do ANYTHING in nursing. When I left OB after 25 years, I thought I would not know what to do anywhere. But, I interviewed at an Ambulatory Surgery Center, and guess what? I got it. Why? Because I had great skills acquired from my many years in nursing. And ASC has so many different areas. Eyes, endoscopy, general surgery, gyn, orthopedics, podiatry, and so much more. If you can take a blood pressure you can work in these environments! Good luck and be proud of your experience!
Read Hadley Vlahos' new book, and you may consider hospice nursing...
Explore leadership if it's something you like, you van still lend some of that pt experience now and then and try to keep skills, while increasing your pay! If you don't like that headache corrections nursing is a hidden gem, small clinic feel with some public health and great pay.
with great
Try something entirely out of your specialty. I was experiencing burn out also. At the age of 50ish, I went to work for our state public health. In some areas the county runs your public health, in some the state. I have done immunizations, adult and children, Tuberculosis clinic, and most recently transitioned to the community mobile unit. I have enjoyed almost all areas of public health. I am 60 now and going to work until I am 63. Then my husband and I have plans.
NICU is the only place you won’t get a back injury, and it’s awesome!
RN Case management is great. There are many different areas. I have only done case management at a hospital. But I know there are much more once you get experience. There is work from home positions with insurance companies. Also it kind branches into Utilization management and Clinical Documentation all jobs that can be done from home if that is something that you want. Yes its great how the possibilities of nursing are almost endless.
endoscopy, dialysis, outpatient day surgery, i find outpatient jobs like this are great cause they’re still faster paced while still enjoying the perks of outpatient :-)
If you are interested in a bit of adventure and you are able to meet the physical requirements joining the military as active or reserve nurse is an interesting way to go . You get to be a nurse but learn a whole new skills. I was reservist and sometime we found our skill sets were different from the active duty folks and we could enhance the care of the patients and do some teaching.
Is it all a bed of roses? no. Did I enjoy my time in service? certainly.
I was in long enough to retire from the Army Reserve Nurse Corps and have a pension.
BTW I did not even join till I was 33 so don't think you've to be really young.
If I had to do it all over again, I would say go back to school and get your CRNA. Pay is fantastic (though you end up working all sorts of hours and it can be high stress at times). The vast majority of CRNAs I have worked with seem to be highly satisfied with their jobs. You might need to do a stint in ICU (getting experience with hemodynamics and things like swans, vigileos, VADs, CRRT, vents, paralytics, RSI, etc. as you might be working with all that when you go to work as a CRNA) before some schools will look at your CV.
There are so many options available. What experience did you enjoy the most? Some options include training new nurses (didactic/ clinical), homecare/ hospice, concierge nursing, school nursing, etc.
Pacu or cath lab PT turnover rapid only with pts for short periods of time the only draw back is on call time for both
Case manager, UR, Concurrent review, prior authorization nurse, radiology - especially interventional, clinic nursing, school nurse.
Administration. Case Management or Hospice
I would suggest Procedural? Endoscopy/IR or Cath lab if you can tolerate being on call? I worked ICU for 13 years before switching to Cath lab. Then expanded by volunteering to be trained in IR, Radiology, Nuclear Med, stress testing, EP, GI. I’m at Stanford now helping them start a vascular program & getting trained in OR as well. Possibilities are endless!!
Home health or Hospice can be a good change and you will build on your current knowledge and experience. You will also learn case management and learn to practice more independently. Case management skills will further open more areas of practice.
Correctional Nursing, trust me. I found my calling.
Correctional Nursing
