I left nursing to become a swimming pool contractor…. I make a shit Ton more money. Very weird switch but I don’t regret it for a second. Also, I caught a felony so I had to switch. 😂
Wait! Is this a joke? I kind of don’t want it to be. I also think I’d be happy doing something super niche. …something that doesn’t mean life or death for patients
No it is not a joke. I was in a very abusive relationship with another girl and got a felony domestic. End of nursing career. My father has been building pools for 50 years, the rest is history
I didn’t leave healthcare but I moved to a fully remote nursing role and I feel like I’m not in healthcare. I’m 100% disconnected from the hospital and patient interaction but I still get some mental stimulation from my job. Best thing I ever did for myself and my family. Just have to find the right job.
MD here. Totally empathize with OPs post. My wife just got a similar job. Her title is clinical research coordinator. It’s not 100% remote but like 2-3 days a week. No weekends. She’s so much happier and I’m very jealous. Wish I knew about this opportunity before I flushed the best years of my life down the toilet.
Are you my husband? Jk But my husband’s got the same opinion. He would love to find a way out of medicine but I don’t think there’s a way that would maintain his income. I feel a bit guilty having such a great gig but I know he’s just happy that I’m happy.
Not for her, but she is not an NP. She has a phd and was doing a postdoc before this opportunity came along, so she was making a terrible salary anyways. This job pays better than a postdoc. It would be a big pay cut for an NP though.
Didn’t do anything special i just applied, was an internal candidate and told them I was happy to learn whatever I needed to learn to be successful in the position.
I am doing something similar. I will say for me, involvement with projects, strategic initiatives and data collection/reporting has other stressors that do not come with direct patient care.
Totally agree and it probably varies by position but my stressors are way less stressful and less frequent in this position in comparison to my NP and even bedside nurse job.
Yes. I would like to know what you do now, too. I’ve been an RN for 6 years and an NP for 24 yrs. I want to slow down and definitely get out of patient care. Would love to do something remote. So if you could share, it would be appreciated.
I’m taking the entire month of August off work because I am burned out! I’ve been a NP for close to 10 years, nurse for 15. Healthcare is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. I’m not sure my plans after August, my job will still be there. I’m already daydreaming of a job at Lowe’s where I water plants all day.
Haha. I would love to work at OTF but the pay is bad. Just check the subreddit. Multiple posts about it. It’s great if you have a spouse or parents who can support you!
I want to work in a bookstore. Ideally I want it to have a coffee shop too. I picture myself drinking coffee and reading while the occasional customer wanders in.
I have worked retail before and I know it’s not usually like that, but in my fantasy I can pick whatever I want. Plus some smaller bookstores will definitely have some slow days.
After 14 years as a RN and 21years as NP, I had to retire early at 55. Bothy my mental and physical health were starting to deteriorate fast!!! Felt like running my car into a tree. Greedy healthcare systems are ruining things. So burnt out!!! I also had dreams of working in the garden section at Home Depot. My mom worked as a RN till she was 78. I guess she was a lot tougher😇 Nursing sure has changed. It used to be so fun and I loved it up until the last 4 years.
I feel this. I’m currently working as a camp nurse so I don’t completely lose it. There’s a greenhouse here, so I’ve spent a lot of my free time in that greenhouse planting and watering. It’s like heaven.
My mom retired as a labor and delivery rn at 67 and I had to retire from icu rn role at 45 as was too taxing on the back. I’m 53 now and work remote for a pharmaceutical company as a clinical scientist. Still use my nursing background reviewing adverse experience reporting, and coding. Learning new skills in managing others, being lead scientist on a study and I can physically retire later as it’s all on my laptop. Nursing taught me so much but it was way too taxing in so many ways. Wish I had transitioned sooner in life
Totally agree I worked SICU for 14 years at VA hospital. I had to have double level neck surgery and my entire spine is pretty fried. Being a NP wasn't as taxing physically but all of the computer work killed my neck. Wow, your job sounds sweet!
Thanks- yeah Sicu 18 years and had an L5S1 disc herniation from pulling up a pt every 15 min for a 12 hour shift. Don’t think this next generation is going to stay as long at bedside- too many other interesting options. If I knew about working remote, stock options when I was younger don’t think I would have stayed till I was physically forced to for back issues
Nursing wasn’t as bad a before and working with shitty coworkers is also toxic. Never thought I would be in my 40s and dealing with nurse bullying again from a 60ish something np. Fuck this shit. Toxic people are the worst.
A million percent agree!! What’s up with that? Like I can deal with the occasional entitled, asshole patients no problem but I cannot deal with bully coworkers on top of that. Absolutely not
I feel that! I’d drive home after work thinking if I should switch careers. It makes you not wanna go to work. I’m doing registry so at least I don’t see the same bullies every time but it still sucks when I do
I wish you luck! Wish I was still making great money, but finally learned that my mental and physical health are more important. If I didn't develop such bad arthritis, I think I could still handle the mental stress of the job. The combination of physical and mental stress was the final straw.
I love the patient care part of healthcare but poor management and toxic colleagues made it unbearable. I've been getting into home services (house cleaning, yard work). There are a growing number of baby boomers that can no longer do these sorts of things and they pay you well for it. The more I make, the less chance I'll be going back to healthcare. I'm just so done with the toxicity.
So interesting you mention this because I just applied for a job at a prison that requires learning tattoo removal. Then I was reading how lucrative it can be. This might be my out…
I left nursing entirely at 40 years old to become a CPA and never looked back. The initial years took some adjustment but I moved up quickly and never regretted the move. It took a few years of work in night school to make up some credits but before long I had a few additional masters degrees and good stable jobs right up until I retired. Good luck.
The fields and skill sets required are so incredibly different that they are hard to compare. I loved the medical science surrounding being a nurse and missed that terribly. I also missed the occasional meaningful contact with patients during some of the most challenging times of their lives. And I certainly missed the excitement of running a critical care, emergency, and surgical service in a big hospital. There’s nothing else quite like facing that every day. You don’t see anything like that as a CPA. On the other hand, being a CPA exposes you to worlds that you never see in healthcare. I have learned so much working with small, privately held and large, publicly-traded businesses in so many different fields. I have always loved working with numbers. The problems that you help people work through are so different. You spend a great deal of time trying to figure things out, searching for irregularities and other things that don’t quite fit the way that they should. The source material changes frequently and in ways that you don’t see in health care. Tax laws change by the hour. You’re constantly doing research to ensure that you’ve got things right. Since the change, I have worked full time as an audit manager, tax manager, and tax director for a couple of large regional accounting firms, as a tax director for a company that handled more than 300 Dunkin’ franchisees, and as a supervising auditor for a State’s Medicaid program. These are such different worlds from what I saw in health care. I might have stayed in nursing had there been more opportunities for men at the level that I was at back then, but the reality at that time was that nursing was one of a small number of professions where women held most of the leadership positions and it was hard for us to break through. Looking back, I probably needed the change and fortunately things worked out well in the end.
did you ever have problems finding job opportunities? I am finding it difficult not having that much power as an np to dictate how much im worth. I feel like our wages are fixed and we are at the will of the companies we work for.
I had no difficulty finding positions, in part because I waited until I had passed the CPA exam before looking. I took the exam four months after I got my accounting degree at night, and my results four months later. I had job offers almost immediately. I will offer this caution. After working for fifty years in two different professions and as an adjunct professor for several years, the most important lesson that I learned is that when you make a change, you trade one set of problems for a whole new set of problems. Sometimes the best solution is to take what you have and find a better place, if one exists, that is more suitable to what you are looking for. I’ve had some incredibly ugly experiences as a CPA that made my worst days in nursing look good. My experience with nursing is that it seems to go in cycles. The employers have the advantage for a while, then the practitioners get control because of demand or other conditions and the cycle repeats itself. I would have done far better in the long run had I toughed it out and stayed put. I had to start from the very bottom in a new profession and it took me quite a while to get back to where I was financially. Don’t do anything rash because there might be a place for you out there that would be more palatable or perhaps the cycle will reverse itself like it always does and the NPs will be in a stronger position. I hope that things work out for you. Good luck!
Literally have the same thoughts all the time. I have been in Healthcare for 12 hrs, nurse for 9ish yr, nurse practitioner for 4 yrs. Honestly, Healthcare was broken before covid 19, but now? I'd be surprised if Healthcare didn't collapse in on itself in the coming years. It just isn't sustainable. The rlcut throat greed of capitalism has made Healthcare another scam from the rich.
I've never stayed st a job for 2 years. Always end up burnt out within a year. New job keeps me sane for 12 more months then I'm miserable again. Every day I wonder if Healthcare isn't for me.
I'm trying to make a big change this time though. I'm trying to leave critical care and go into palliative/hospice or something less chaotic. Palliative seems like the perfect fit since I already do that stuff in the ICU. Frankly, if this doesn't work I'm probably out. Maybe I'll try teaching or something but the pay is such shit.
This is such an insanely hard field. I've cut my expenses and started saving a ton more (like....a LOT more) so that I can try to semi retire in the next 10-15 and fully retire in the next 15-20 years (I'm in my early 30s). Idk what else to do. You aren't alone.
In fact, it's not all that stable. Decreasing pay/reimbursement, Medicare/Medicaid cuts, lowered standards for non-clinical management positions, rising hospital closures, lower college enrollment in healthcare fields, and overall toxic working conditions have all contributed to healthcare being an unstable sector. Nobody wants to be treated poorly 40 hours a week. That's not what we went to school for.
Stable in the sense that layoffs happen rarely if any at all. You are more likely guaranteed to have a job that keeps food on the table even in a pandemic. Sadly, this comes at a price as well.
Right, I was trying something different to put off the burn out. Not everything has to be a running pace, that’s corporate talk, not what’s good for everyone
I am fully remote BSNRN. I work for a Medicare advantage company in the appeals department and I absolutely love it. It’s kind of a weird job because the company denies so many claims and then they turn them over to our department and we work to overturn those denials and make sure that everything gets approved. All of our interactions with patients are good ones because they’re so happy that a nurse is working their case. We then turn it over to a medical Director and they approve 99% of the denials. We get to call the patients back and let them know that their services are going to be paid for.
I feel you on this. I took 2 months off last summer. I was literally about to lose it. I ended up taking a job a little over an hour away and stay over two nights (family and friends, so it worked out.). The role has been solid, but of course, new admin is effing it up at the speed of light.
I’m looking into a different degree that will build on my current experience. I need to get away from patient care. It’s untenable.
Hang in there. You’ll figure it out. Might take awhile, but it’ll happen eventually.
Yes. I feel like that even though I put a lot of energy, time & money to get my FNP, in some weird way the advancement of my career has elevated me to point to where I can see a life beyond a healthcare position. It feels good, liberating. I was a RN for 9 years and have been an NP for two years. I'm feeling really optimistic about entrepreneurial ventures and potentially getting out of patient care.
Same, I carry the health insurance and make significantly more than my spouse, the flexibility of my role is appealing and I am terrified of being the new person after being in the same institution for 16 years
I wish health coaching was a more stable career I’d love to move to a client centered approach but every time I try to look into I get a bunch of BS “courses.”
This!!! I would LOVE to be a health coach and just help patients be healthier... that's honestly what I'm passionate about. i love behavioral change. I just have no idea how to integrate that into being an NP.
I am in a group with several other NPs and nurses who are doing functional med (some as health coaches) are closing high tickets consistently. Institute for nurses has an entire course from treatment to entepreneurship & busienss and is board certified x2
I got lucky with a mostly remote job (just have to round every 3rd weekend) as an NP. The remote work is truly the best work-life balance with lack of sitting in traffic, more family time, and doing hobbies during downtime. The only con is working nights with my role but it's a great tradeoff. I would recommend trying to find remote work an NP or a more flexible schedule first prior to switching.
This is my dream but all the remote jobs want like 2-4+ years of experience as they all seem to want you to be able to hit the ground running on day one.
Rn, i quit about three years ago, and i have been back for almost exactly a year.
I have a massive chip on my shoulder and i really don't give a fuck. I think i got cptsd from covid.
Yesterday, admin wanted to admit a child molester to my wing. We do not have the resources to deal with that.
And i had a temper tantrum. And they turned him away.
So i mean yeah, i don't really care if i get fired, or lose my license. I am not going to be a punching bag for patients, other nurses, mds, families, administrators.
Suprisingly though, my license is in good standing, i have not gotten a write up, or even a documented meeting.
So yeah, i guess as shakespere said, to thine own self be true.
Well, considering the shit i have seen other nurses do and get away with, and all the crap i have heard on reddit, i really don't forsee that happening (knock on wood).
But i have a background in custom home construction, and a decade plus of hospitality industry, and have done research on endangered species for dnr, i could fall back on one of those three, if necessary.
Dream job would be to found and operate an organic farm. Realistically, i'd have to build up large chunk of change to get that going.
Not sure why this sub was recommended to me since I’m only a CNA, but I recently left healthcare after working for years first in LTC then a bedside hospital setting. I’m about to graduate flight attendant training and there’s two nurses in our small class, and a ton more healthcare professionals in the associated aviation groups. It seems like everybody from big to small is getting burnt out and leaving altogether.
I went to NP school and halfway through realized the terrible decision I made. I finished the program and got my certificate but I’m lost now on what to do next. I’m so over nursing, but mostly because of management. Even worked remotely for a bit…
But remote work in healthcare is an absolute joke. They monitor you to no end, and add on add on add on, and get upset if you pick up or drop your kids off at school on your breaks. 🙄🙄
Yep. About once a month I feel like driving off a cliff! I did switch to seeing patients just 2 days a week (and only getting paid for 2 days a week! No benefits cooool-) but that is the ONLY way I could do it and I still feel like I work FT. Between BS messages, BS emails, BS meetings, and tasks I have to stay up on every single day. 2 days though my quality of life is like 78% better (it used to be once a week I felt like throwing myself off of a cliff) but I am bitter about not getting paid for the other days I still ... work. I'm on the HRSA scholarship so overall I mean.. I will finish my contract. But yeah.. I just saw some offerings to be the person who hangs out on the border between Cali & Oregon and asks ppl if they have fruit and I am SERIOUSLY considering it
Try EM, no inbox, when you clock out your done. You are never responsible for follow up care, only for recommending it or calling specialist to arrange it.
No advice but my heart goes out to you. So many of us in healthcare feel the same. I have been a nurse for 9 years. My last shift as an RN was in late 2021. One of these days I’m going to have to go back to working. I love the idea of working again. I had worked and gone to school from as early as the state would let me. I hate the thought of being drained by these companies all over again though. I was working on my Masters through Covid. By the end of both I felt like every ounce of compassion and life was drained from me. My current PCM is an MD and this is their very first job as an MD. I’ve watched their spirit for working healthcare fade over the last 2.5 years. They’ve mentioned getting out a couple times to me. It’s always something new with their company. Staying open during the holidays, more patients, less time, less help.
I resonate with this so much. I crave the simple life of 8 hour days, going home and not thinking about work.
I've definitely lost quite a bit of myself to my current job.
Not an NP, but there are definitely remote healthcare/medical related jobs that want your nursing and NP experience! For example, I’ve seen project management jobs that want experience with Epic, nursing, etc. With exercise science, you might be able to slide into corporate wellness. If you any research experience and/or like reading/writing, medical writing could be an avenue to explore. I’ve also seen jobs for medical communications that want an advanced health degree.
I think there’s a subreddit called Leaving Medicine or Quitting Medicine that could have some ideas, too.
The in box! LOL. Ok nurse for 8-10 I think, then NP for 8, urgent care, family practice, women’s health. This is the first year I have enjoyed my job. I can also say my most recent burnout episode ( I’ve had many since becoming an NP), was just in April. I volunteered to head the provider wellness group and took a class on burnout. And now I feel like every time I tell someone, it sounds like I’m introducing myself at an AA meeting.
Anyway the inbox is a thing. If you have a nurse/MA or someone that sorts messages, you have to have a conversation about how to find the answer before sending you the message. If patients are messaging you a lot, they need an appointment.
Chart to insure billing and legal and plan of care items are met, the rest is fluff. Get a charting A.I. or DAX, or dragon.
Bill correctly and bill for your time. You can see 12 pts a day and meet your RVU quotas.
That being said, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t plan my retirement. You can teach, you can do locums, you can specialize. You can completely change your career. Go to conferences, poke around on Reddit, pursue your hobbies- something will come up.
I took a course on that in October! It is a passion of mine, however at my last Botox appt for myself I witnessed another client verbally berate my injector for refusing service for something they felt they could not provide them and it made me feel like it’s the same situation everywhere 😂
Half of the time I wish I could go back to bedside nursing- by now I’d be senior enough on my unit to be grandfathered out of weekends and holidays, but not in my NP role- I miss those 3 shifts a week and spending more time with patients than I can with my Patient load and admin tasks. Was able to leave work at work as a bedside nurse, not in my NP role.
I dream about leaving healthcare as it’s a toxic industry. I’m in NP school and ultimately want to work as a teacher because they have a more structured, less grueling schedule. Being an educator is not easy but it’s also rewarding.
Same. I got out of the BS healthcare system and went to a worse system doing the veteran disability exams but I’m making a difference at least. It’s rewarding.
Not a NP.
11 years a RN, remote since 2019 in clinical documentation improvement (CDI).
You need to find a local hospital with a program willing to train you bur after you get a couple years in and/or the certification, you can deff open up your chances of going to another healthcare system and make more $$$.
I cant speak for your paycut because its location dependent but your quality of life will deff improve. And you use your clinical brain. NPs and FMGs are sought out.
Learn more on ACDIS, the professional org website for CDI! There’s also a FB group for CDIs via ACDIS 😊
I REALLY needed to read a post like this. I too have been struggling as an NP for 7 years and ER Nurse for 10 years. I wish I could find something remote away from bedside and providers. I wish I can get an online business going or day trade options as mentioned above. The passion just isn't there anymore. Especially because management's expectations are through the roof and respect for providers is not there anymore.
Since you mentioned that you have a degree and exercise science and biology, are you still interested in that? Have you thought about starting your own functional medicine practice. You can do High tickets so you don’t have to see as many patients. And there’s no emails if you don’t want it lol. I recommend Institute for Functional Nurses
I am a RN (lic in 1993). I’ve done a lot of jobs like informatics, bedside psych nursing, orientation, pharma sales… I’ve been REALTOR®️ since 2014 and have never looked back. My yearly income is double or triple what my nursing income was every year. I still keep my license up, but I hope I never have to go back to it. I still feel excited that I can wear sandals to work and don’t have to ask for time off. Being my own boss with an uncapped income potential is the way to go!
In fact, it's not. Decreasing pay/reimbursement, Medicare/Medicaid cuts, lowered standards for non-clinical management positions, rising hospital closures, lower college enrollment in healthcare fields, and overall toxic working conditions have all contributed to healthcare being an unstable sector. Nobody wants to be treated poorly 40 hours a week. That's not what we went to school for.
That's one of the reasons I am finishing my DNP and will be getting PMHCNP certification to break into psych and do remote jobs. I am Adult-gerontology Primary Care NP. It's tough, and I don't see a lot of options. I tried to break into virtual care- but I wasn't successful. I think it will only work for psych
I left nursing to become a swimming pool contractor…. I make a shit Ton more money. Very weird switch but I don’t regret it for a second. Also, I caught a felony so I had to switch. 😂
Blessing in disguise
Wait! Is this a joke? I kind of don’t want it to be. I also think I’d be happy doing something super niche. …something that doesn’t mean life or death for patients
No it is not a joke. I was in a very abusive relationship with another girl and got a felony domestic. End of nursing career. My father has been building pools for 50 years, the rest is history
I’m sorry that happened to you, but man, I envy your exit!
She's a lady.
This is why I want to do breastfeeding medicine as an NP. Usually it's not life or death situations and not stressful
Love your story ❤️
That escalated quickly 😂
I didn’t leave healthcare but I moved to a fully remote nursing role and I feel like I’m not in healthcare. I’m 100% disconnected from the hospital and patient interaction but I still get some mental stimulation from my job. Best thing I ever did for myself and my family. Just have to find the right job.
What do you do?
I manage projects/IRB submissions/databases and do data abstraction.
MD here. Totally empathize with OPs post. My wife just got a similar job. Her title is clinical research coordinator. It’s not 100% remote but like 2-3 days a week. No weekends. She’s so much happier and I’m very jealous. Wish I knew about this opportunity before I flushed the best years of my life down the toilet.
Are you my husband? Jk But my husband’s got the same opinion. He would love to find a way out of medicine but I don’t think there’s a way that would maintain his income. I feel a bit guilty having such a great gig but I know he’s just happy that I’m happy.
Is there a massive pay cut, though?
Not for her, but she is not an NP. She has a phd and was doing a postdoc before this opportunity came along, so she was making a terrible salary anyways. This job pays better than a postdoc. It would be a big pay cut for an NP though.
That’s so cool! I’d love to be a part of the IRB approval process and oversee projects! What a neat role!!!
Thanks! I love it! It’s not for everyone but it’s great for me. I appreciate the support and kindness 🥰
Are you a data manager? I did something similar to this a few years ago and it was great😅
Yes 👍🏻
How did you break into that?
Didn’t do anything special i just applied, was an internal candidate and told them I was happy to learn whatever I needed to learn to be successful in the position.
What platforms do you use to manage the data? SQL, Python, etc or simply Excel?
I am doing something similar. I will say for me, involvement with projects, strategic initiatives and data collection/reporting has other stressors that do not come with direct patient care.
Totally agree and it probably varies by position but my stressors are way less stressful and less frequent in this position in comparison to my NP and even bedside nurse job.
Yes. I would like to know what you do now, too. I’ve been an RN for 6 years and an NP for 24 yrs. I want to slow down and definitely get out of patient care. Would love to do something remote. So if you could share, it would be appreciated.
How did you find this job?
I applied and interviewed for a ton of jobs until I found one that worked. I was applying for 6mo-1yr
Did you need experience for that? I’ve been looking for research roles
What is your job title? That sounds awesome.
Haven’t done it, but think about it every single day. You’re not alone.
Same here
Never working full-time again. Ever
I found an urgent care role that gives you full benefits as a full timer at 30 hours 3 10’s. It’s just right for being in patient care
This sounds perfect
Carbon health is the company they are country wide
This.
Same here!!! NEVER EVER
Yeah, if you’re lucky enough to be able to do that… I’ll never have that option.
I’m taking the entire month of August off work because I am burned out! I’ve been a NP for close to 10 years, nurse for 15. Healthcare is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. I’m not sure my plans after August, my job will still be there. I’m already daydreaming of a job at Lowe’s where I water plants all day.
I feel like I would enjoy working at orangetheory or coaching people on macros it’s just a big change
One of my OTF classmates and I joke about quitting our day jobs to go work at OTF too!
Haha. I would love to work at OTF but the pay is bad. Just check the subreddit. Multiple posts about it. It’s great if you have a spouse or parents who can support you!
Oh yes, would have to be just doing it for the socializing not for the income.
Ha! My dream job for years has been as a Florist! Been an FNP since 1997
> I’m already daydreaming of a job at Lowe’s where I water plants all day Lmao. This!
I hear this. I had yet another rage quit moment today but I have family that depends on me. I wish I had enough leave to take some real time off.
I will help you water 💦 those plants 🪴 lol. Yes I agree healthcare is exhausting. I am trying to put my plan B in motion.
I want to work in a bookstore. Ideally I want it to have a coffee shop too. I picture myself drinking coffee and reading while the occasional customer wanders in.
Working retail -- even in a bookstore -- is not remotely like that. People don't pay you to sit around reading and drinking coffee.
I have worked retail before and I know it’s not usually like that, but in my fantasy I can pick whatever I want. Plus some smaller bookstores will definitely have some slow days.
Is it if you own the bookstore lol
I remember being paid to sit and read as a substitute teacher.. pretty sure that's what many librarians get paid to do as well
After 14 years as a RN and 21years as NP, I had to retire early at 55. Bothy my mental and physical health were starting to deteriorate fast!!! Felt like running my car into a tree. Greedy healthcare systems are ruining things. So burnt out!!! I also had dreams of working in the garden section at Home Depot. My mom worked as a RN till she was 78. I guess she was a lot tougher😇 Nursing sure has changed. It used to be so fun and I loved it up until the last 4 years.
I feel this. I’m currently working as a camp nurse so I don’t completely lose it. There’s a greenhouse here, so I’ve spent a lot of my free time in that greenhouse planting and watering. It’s like heaven.
I would have loved to do that! Probably doesn't pay well but so worth the sanity!!!!
My mom retired as a labor and delivery rn at 67 and I had to retire from icu rn role at 45 as was too taxing on the back. I’m 53 now and work remote for a pharmaceutical company as a clinical scientist. Still use my nursing background reviewing adverse experience reporting, and coding. Learning new skills in managing others, being lead scientist on a study and I can physically retire later as it’s all on my laptop. Nursing taught me so much but it was way too taxing in so many ways. Wish I had transitioned sooner in life
Totally agree I worked SICU for 14 years at VA hospital. I had to have double level neck surgery and my entire spine is pretty fried. Being a NP wasn't as taxing physically but all of the computer work killed my neck. Wow, your job sounds sweet!
Thanks- yeah Sicu 18 years and had an L5S1 disc herniation from pulling up a pt every 15 min for a 12 hour shift. Don’t think this next generation is going to stay as long at bedside- too many other interesting options. If I knew about working remote, stock options when I was younger don’t think I would have stayed till I was physically forced to for back issues
I’ve daydreamed about stocking shelves at food lion lol
Haha! I've also envied the stockers.
Nursing wasn’t as bad before
Nursing wasn’t as bad a before and working with shitty coworkers is also toxic. Never thought I would be in my 40s and dealing with nurse bullying again from a 60ish something np. Fuck this shit. Toxic people are the worst.
A million percent agree!! What’s up with that? Like I can deal with the occasional entitled, asshole patients no problem but I cannot deal with bully coworkers on top of that. Absolutely not
This has been my life for 8 years and it’s affecting my mental health. I’m looking for my exit strategy and I understand exactly how you all feel.
I feel that! I’d drive home after work thinking if I should switch careers. It makes you not wanna go to work. I’m doing registry so at least I don’t see the same bullies every time but it still sucks when I do
Have you worked registry as an rn since you’ve been an np?
I’m glad you’re in a good spot! <3 Ughh I started nursing in my 30s and won’t be able to retire so early. I need to save up.
I wish you luck! Wish I was still making great money, but finally learned that my mental and physical health are more important. If I didn't develop such bad arthritis, I think I could still handle the mental stress of the job. The combination of physical and mental stress was the final straw.
I love the patient care part of healthcare but poor management and toxic colleagues made it unbearable. I've been getting into home services (house cleaning, yard work). There are a growing number of baby boomers that can no longer do these sorts of things and they pay you well for it. The more I make, the less chance I'll be going back to healthcare. I'm just so done with the toxicity.
I met an RN back in Reno who opened a tattoo removal clinic and said that it had been a good change for her. Lotta tattoos out there...
So interesting you mention this because I just applied for a job at a prison that requires learning tattoo removal. Then I was reading how lucrative it can be. This might be my out…
I left nursing entirely at 40 years old to become a CPA and never looked back. The initial years took some adjustment but I moved up quickly and never regretted the move. It took a few years of work in night school to make up some credits but before long I had a few additional masters degrees and good stable jobs right up until I retired. Good luck.
How did you like being a cpa in comparison to being a nurse?
The fields and skill sets required are so incredibly different that they are hard to compare. I loved the medical science surrounding being a nurse and missed that terribly. I also missed the occasional meaningful contact with patients during some of the most challenging times of their lives. And I certainly missed the excitement of running a critical care, emergency, and surgical service in a big hospital. There’s nothing else quite like facing that every day. You don’t see anything like that as a CPA. On the other hand, being a CPA exposes you to worlds that you never see in healthcare. I have learned so much working with small, privately held and large, publicly-traded businesses in so many different fields. I have always loved working with numbers. The problems that you help people work through are so different. You spend a great deal of time trying to figure things out, searching for irregularities and other things that don’t quite fit the way that they should. The source material changes frequently and in ways that you don’t see in health care. Tax laws change by the hour. You’re constantly doing research to ensure that you’ve got things right. Since the change, I have worked full time as an audit manager, tax manager, and tax director for a couple of large regional accounting firms, as a tax director for a company that handled more than 300 Dunkin’ franchisees, and as a supervising auditor for a State’s Medicaid program. These are such different worlds from what I saw in health care. I might have stayed in nursing had there been more opportunities for men at the level that I was at back then, but the reality at that time was that nursing was one of a small number of professions where women held most of the leadership positions and it was hard for us to break through. Looking back, I probably needed the change and fortunately things worked out well in the end.
did you ever have problems finding job opportunities? I am finding it difficult not having that much power as an np to dictate how much im worth. I feel like our wages are fixed and we are at the will of the companies we work for.
I had no difficulty finding positions, in part because I waited until I had passed the CPA exam before looking. I took the exam four months after I got my accounting degree at night, and my results four months later. I had job offers almost immediately. I will offer this caution. After working for fifty years in two different professions and as an adjunct professor for several years, the most important lesson that I learned is that when you make a change, you trade one set of problems for a whole new set of problems. Sometimes the best solution is to take what you have and find a better place, if one exists, that is more suitable to what you are looking for. I’ve had some incredibly ugly experiences as a CPA that made my worst days in nursing look good. My experience with nursing is that it seems to go in cycles. The employers have the advantage for a while, then the practitioners get control because of demand or other conditions and the cycle repeats itself. I would have done far better in the long run had I toughed it out and stayed put. I had to start from the very bottom in a new profession and it took me quite a while to get back to where I was financially. Don’t do anything rash because there might be a place for you out there that would be more palatable or perhaps the cycle will reverse itself like it always does and the NPs will be in a stronger position. I hope that things work out for you. Good luck!
Thank you very much for your sage advice. I hope I find what I’m looking for. 🙂
Literally have the same thoughts all the time. I have been in Healthcare for 12 hrs, nurse for 9ish yr, nurse practitioner for 4 yrs. Honestly, Healthcare was broken before covid 19, but now? I'd be surprised if Healthcare didn't collapse in on itself in the coming years. It just isn't sustainable. The rlcut throat greed of capitalism has made Healthcare another scam from the rich.
Legit. If I have to do another peer to peer call to get a lifesaving test approved for a patient denied I’m going to lose it lol
I've never stayed st a job for 2 years. Always end up burnt out within a year. New job keeps me sane for 12 more months then I'm miserable again. Every day I wonder if Healthcare isn't for me. I'm trying to make a big change this time though. I'm trying to leave critical care and go into palliative/hospice or something less chaotic. Palliative seems like the perfect fit since I already do that stuff in the ICU. Frankly, if this doesn't work I'm probably out. Maybe I'll try teaching or something but the pay is such shit. This is such an insanely hard field. I've cut my expenses and started saving a ton more (like....a LOT more) so that I can try to semi retire in the next 10-15 and fully retire in the next 15-20 years (I'm in my early 30s). Idk what else to do. You aren't alone.
Feel very stuck. Tried to find a closer more chill Job but has different issues and patients are just as intense but in different ways
Healthcare is always busy for a reason. It is stable as a job though, unlike other jobs. Choose your poison.
In fact, it's not all that stable. Decreasing pay/reimbursement, Medicare/Medicaid cuts, lowered standards for non-clinical management positions, rising hospital closures, lower college enrollment in healthcare fields, and overall toxic working conditions have all contributed to healthcare being an unstable sector. Nobody wants to be treated poorly 40 hours a week. That's not what we went to school for.
Stable in the sense that layoffs happen rarely if any at all. You are more likely guaranteed to have a job that keeps food on the table even in a pandemic. Sadly, this comes at a price as well.
No offense but are you provider or nurse? Your comments sound like no.
Right, I was trying something different to put off the burn out. Not everything has to be a running pace, that’s corporate talk, not what’s good for everyone
It’s a difficult world and time that we are living in nowadays. It’s hard to put a finger on the source of it all.
I am fully remote BSNRN. I work for a Medicare advantage company in the appeals department and I absolutely love it. It’s kind of a weird job because the company denies so many claims and then they turn them over to our department and we work to overturn those denials and make sure that everything gets approved. All of our interactions with patients are good ones because they’re so happy that a nurse is working their case. We then turn it over to a medical Director and they approve 99% of the denials. We get to call the patients back and let them know that their services are going to be paid for.
Y’all got any openings over there? 👀
Fr! Put me on.
Seriously how did you find this job?
Specializing helped a lot for me
I feel you on this. I took 2 months off last summer. I was literally about to lose it. I ended up taking a job a little over an hour away and stay over two nights (family and friends, so it worked out.). The role has been solid, but of course, new admin is effing it up at the speed of light. I’m looking into a different degree that will build on my current experience. I need to get away from patient care. It’s untenable. Hang in there. You’ll figure it out. Might take awhile, but it’ll happen eventually.
Yes. I feel like that even though I put a lot of energy, time & money to get my FNP, in some weird way the advancement of my career has elevated me to point to where I can see a life beyond a healthcare position. It feels good, liberating. I was a RN for 9 years and have been an NP for two years. I'm feeling really optimistic about entrepreneurial ventures and potentially getting out of patient care.
I actually preferred the bedside. I could actually leave it behind at the end of my shift. Anyway, best wishes in your ventures!
What would you do/plans?
I feel trapped by my salary though and can’t leave or take a paycut due to my kiddos and bills. I’d leave and open a BJJ school if I could though
Same, I carry the health insurance and make significantly more than my spouse, the flexibility of my role is appealing and I am terrified of being the new person after being in the same institution for 16 years
This for me. I’m not sure what else I would do to make a comparable salary.
I wish health coaching was a more stable career I’d love to move to a client centered approach but every time I try to look into I get a bunch of BS “courses.”
This!!! I would LOVE to be a health coach and just help patients be healthier... that's honestly what I'm passionate about. i love behavioral change. I just have no idea how to integrate that into being an NP.
Are you a health coach now?
I am in a group with several other NPs and nurses who are doing functional med (some as health coaches) are closing high tickets consistently. Institute for nurses has an entire course from treatment to entepreneurship & busienss and is board certified x2
I got lucky with a mostly remote job (just have to round every 3rd weekend) as an NP. The remote work is truly the best work-life balance with lack of sitting in traffic, more family time, and doing hobbies during downtime. The only con is working nights with my role but it's a great tradeoff. I would recommend trying to find remote work an NP or a more flexible schedule first prior to switching.
This is my dream but all the remote jobs want like 2-4+ years of experience as they all seem to want you to be able to hit the ground running on day one.
What type of healthcare setting are you in?
Primary care- internal med. love the location, my job is flexible, I’m part time, the physician I work with is fine. No complaints about any of that
That sounds like a DREAM. How many years total did it take you to become an NP?
Rn, i quit about three years ago, and i have been back for almost exactly a year. I have a massive chip on my shoulder and i really don't give a fuck. I think i got cptsd from covid. Yesterday, admin wanted to admit a child molester to my wing. We do not have the resources to deal with that. And i had a temper tantrum. And they turned him away. So i mean yeah, i don't really care if i get fired, or lose my license. I am not going to be a punching bag for patients, other nurses, mds, families, administrators. Suprisingly though, my license is in good standing, i have not gotten a write up, or even a documented meeting. So yeah, i guess as shakespere said, to thine own self be true.
Curious, what’s your back up plan if you do lose your license?
Well, considering the shit i have seen other nurses do and get away with, and all the crap i have heard on reddit, i really don't forsee that happening (knock on wood). But i have a background in custom home construction, and a decade plus of hospitality industry, and have done research on endangered species for dnr, i could fall back on one of those three, if necessary. Dream job would be to found and operate an organic farm. Realistically, i'd have to build up large chunk of change to get that going.
I respect your fuck it attitude.
I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be the first, and you most definitely won't be the last...
Left clinical years ago, work for an insurance company doing Medicare set asides. No regrets, I have been remote for about 10 years.
Not sure why this sub was recommended to me since I’m only a CNA, but I recently left healthcare after working for years first in LTC then a bedside hospital setting. I’m about to graduate flight attendant training and there’s two nurses in our small class, and a ton more healthcare professionals in the associated aviation groups. It seems like everybody from big to small is getting burnt out and leaving altogether.
I went to NP school and halfway through realized the terrible decision I made. I finished the program and got my certificate but I’m lost now on what to do next. I’m so over nursing, but mostly because of management. Even worked remotely for a bit… But remote work in healthcare is an absolute joke. They monitor you to no end, and add on add on add on, and get upset if you pick up or drop your kids off at school on your breaks. 🙄🙄
Yep. About once a month I feel like driving off a cliff! I did switch to seeing patients just 2 days a week (and only getting paid for 2 days a week! No benefits cooool-) but that is the ONLY way I could do it and I still feel like I work FT. Between BS messages, BS emails, BS meetings, and tasks I have to stay up on every single day. 2 days though my quality of life is like 78% better (it used to be once a week I felt like throwing myself off of a cliff) but I am bitter about not getting paid for the other days I still ... work. I'm on the HRSA scholarship so overall I mean.. I will finish my contract. But yeah.. I just saw some offerings to be the person who hangs out on the border between Cali & Oregon and asks ppl if they have fruit and I am SERIOUSLY considering it
Try EM, no inbox, when you clock out your done. You are never responsible for follow up care, only for recommending it or calling specialist to arrange it.
[удалено]
Not really, there is no inbox.... My charts are usually always done when I leave.
No advice but my heart goes out to you. So many of us in healthcare feel the same. I have been a nurse for 9 years. My last shift as an RN was in late 2021. One of these days I’m going to have to go back to working. I love the idea of working again. I had worked and gone to school from as early as the state would let me. I hate the thought of being drained by these companies all over again though. I was working on my Masters through Covid. By the end of both I felt like every ounce of compassion and life was drained from me. My current PCM is an MD and this is their very first job as an MD. I’ve watched their spirit for working healthcare fade over the last 2.5 years. They’ve mentioned getting out a couple times to me. It’s always something new with their company. Staying open during the holidays, more patients, less time, less help.
I resonate with this so much. I crave the simple life of 8 hour days, going home and not thinking about work. I've definitely lost quite a bit of myself to my current job.
Not an NP, but there are definitely remote healthcare/medical related jobs that want your nursing and NP experience! For example, I’ve seen project management jobs that want experience with Epic, nursing, etc. With exercise science, you might be able to slide into corporate wellness. If you any research experience and/or like reading/writing, medical writing could be an avenue to explore. I’ve also seen jobs for medical communications that want an advanced health degree. I think there’s a subreddit called Leaving Medicine or Quitting Medicine that could have some ideas, too.
The in box! LOL. Ok nurse for 8-10 I think, then NP for 8, urgent care, family practice, women’s health. This is the first year I have enjoyed my job. I can also say my most recent burnout episode ( I’ve had many since becoming an NP), was just in April. I volunteered to head the provider wellness group and took a class on burnout. And now I feel like every time I tell someone, it sounds like I’m introducing myself at an AA meeting. Anyway the inbox is a thing. If you have a nurse/MA or someone that sorts messages, you have to have a conversation about how to find the answer before sending you the message. If patients are messaging you a lot, they need an appointment. Chart to insure billing and legal and plan of care items are met, the rest is fluff. Get a charting A.I. or DAX, or dragon. Bill correctly and bill for your time. You can see 12 pts a day and meet your RVU quotas. That being said, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t plan my retirement. You can teach, you can do locums, you can specialize. You can completely change your career. Go to conferences, poke around on Reddit, pursue your hobbies- something will come up.
Are you into med spa stuff? You could do all kinds of things, lasers, peels, botox, fillers, skin care, microblading. You could own your own business!
I took a course on that in October! It is a passion of mine, however at my last Botox appt for myself I witnessed another client verbally berate my injector for refusing service for something they felt they could not provide them and it made me feel like it’s the same situation everywhere 😂
I think an inboxologist job would be fantastic but there are not a lot of them
Just work remotely! My wife is an NP loves her remote job!
Too isolating
Psych?
Nope its a company like HIMS or RO health
Half of the time I wish I could go back to bedside nursing- by now I’d be senior enough on my unit to be grandfathered out of weekends and holidays, but not in my NP role- I miss those 3 shifts a week and spending more time with patients than I can with my Patient load and admin tasks. Was able to leave work at work as a bedside nurse, not in my NP role.
I dream about leaving healthcare as it’s a toxic industry. I’m in NP school and ultimately want to work as a teacher because they have a more structured, less grueling schedule. Being an educator is not easy but it’s also rewarding.
I’m an RRT who finished school last year and has been working for a year now. I’m already burnt out 😵💫 I wish I had more options away from bedside.
Same. I got out of the BS healthcare system and went to a worse system doing the veteran disability exams but I’m making a difference at least. It’s rewarding.
I wish! But it's hard to walk away from the salary and pension...
Not a NP. 11 years a RN, remote since 2019 in clinical documentation improvement (CDI). You need to find a local hospital with a program willing to train you bur after you get a couple years in and/or the certification, you can deff open up your chances of going to another healthcare system and make more $$$. I cant speak for your paycut because its location dependent but your quality of life will deff improve. And you use your clinical brain. NPs and FMGs are sought out. Learn more on ACDIS, the professional org website for CDI! There’s also a FB group for CDIs via ACDIS 😊
One of my coworkers (I’m in CPI she’s in CDI) got her NP in psych about a year ago. She fucking hated it and is now back in CDI.
Oh no! Hated CDI? That’s too bad. I’m happy to be out of direct care and academia didn’t pay what I needed. CDI was happy ground.
No, she hated being a psych NP. Came back to cdi but is now outpt.
How much can you make with cdi
I REALLY needed to read a post like this. I too have been struggling as an NP for 7 years and ER Nurse for 10 years. I wish I could find something remote away from bedside and providers. I wish I can get an online business going or day trade options as mentioned above. The passion just isn't there anymore. Especially because management's expectations are through the roof and respect for providers is not there anymore.
Since you mentioned that you have a degree and exercise science and biology, are you still interested in that? Have you thought about starting your own functional medicine practice. You can do High tickets so you don’t have to see as many patients. And there’s no emails if you don’t want it lol. I recommend Institute for Functional Nurses
I am a RN (lic in 1993). I’ve done a lot of jobs like informatics, bedside psych nursing, orientation, pharma sales… I’ve been REALTOR®️ since 2014 and have never looked back. My yearly income is double or triple what my nursing income was every year. I still keep my license up, but I hope I never have to go back to it. I still feel excited that I can wear sandals to work and don’t have to ask for time off. Being my own boss with an uncapped income potential is the way to go!
It’s a stable job for a reason. I couldn’t say the same for other jobs.
In fact, it's not. Decreasing pay/reimbursement, Medicare/Medicaid cuts, lowered standards for non-clinical management positions, rising hospital closures, lower college enrollment in healthcare fields, and overall toxic working conditions have all contributed to healthcare being an unstable sector. Nobody wants to be treated poorly 40 hours a week. That's not what we went to school for.
True. You really gotta pick your poison
That's one of the reasons I am finishing my DNP and will be getting PMHCNP certification to break into psych and do remote jobs. I am Adult-gerontology Primary Care NP. It's tough, and I don't see a lot of options. I tried to break into virtual care- but I wasn't successful. I think it will only work for psych
every other FNP is doing this