Question:
Dear Donna,
I left my position of 15 years for more money and to use my master's degree fully. While the money is excellent in my new position, I am bored and disinterested most of the time. I find meetings nonproductive, and typing up reports just about puts me over the edge. Patient safety comes after physician preference and money in this position. It is frustrating. When I look back on when I was the happiest, it probably was when I was in a more task-oriented position, but I left the nursing floor because of a latex allergy. I have 16 more years to work in my position, and I can't imagine going to work feeling as I do now. What should I do?
Frustrated
Dear Donna,
I left my position of 15 years for more money and to use my master's degree fully. While the money is excellent in my new position, I am bored and disinterested most of the time. I find meetings nonproductive, and typing up reports just about puts me over the edge. Patient safety comes after physician preference and money in this position. It is frustrating. When I look back on when I was the happiest, it probably was when I was in a more task-oriented position, but I left the nursing floor because of a latex allergy. I have 16 more years to work in my position, and I can't imagine going to work feeling as I do now. What should I do?
Frustrated
Dear Donna replies:
Dear Frustrated,
More money never will make up for being bored and disinterested. However, you do have options to use both your education and experience.
I wish I knew what type of job or setting you are in now. But I encourage you to look into nursing positions in the insurance and pharmaceutical industry. They both love nurses and have many opportunities. If you’re working in one of these settings, you can look for different types of positions in various companies.
Look into health education companies or social service agencies such as the American Red Cross and American Heart Association. Again, many paid opportunities for nurses — and your graduate degree — will serve you well here. There also are health education companies and government agencies at the local, county, state and national levels where you could do research, education, policy development or forensic investigation and surveying.
To explore your options fully, you need to attend nursing and healthcare career fairs in your area. See what's coming up at www.nurse.com/events/career-fairs. You also should attend local meetings of your state chapter of the American Nurses Association (www.nursingworld.org). If you’re not a member, you can attend as a guest. You might want to check out the American College of Healthcare Executives (www.ache.org) for networking opportunities. Networking is well known to be a great way to explore options and find and get a job.
When possible, you should attend seminars and conferences about nursing careers, networking and self-marketing, including my Career Alternatives for Nurses seminar (www.nurse.com/events/ce-seminars). You never know from where the spark, idea, information, contact or opportunity will come. But you have to get yourself out there.
You are not the first person to take a job only to find it is not what you wanted or expected. But I am confident that, with a little patience and diligence, you can find something that suits you. Persistence and determination always win out in the end.
Best wishes,
Donna
Dear Frustrated,
More money never will make up for being bored and disinterested. However, you do have options to use both your education and experience.
I wish I knew what type of job or setting you are in now. But I encourage you to look into nursing positions in the insurance and pharmaceutical industry. They both love nurses and have many opportunities. If you’re working in one of these settings, you can look for different types of positions in various companies.
Look into health education companies or social service agencies such as the American Red Cross and American Heart Association. Again, many paid opportunities for nurses — and your graduate degree — will serve you well here. There also are health education companies and government agencies at the local, county, state and national levels where you could do research, education, policy development or forensic investigation and surveying.
To explore your options fully, you need to attend nursing and healthcare career fairs in your area. See what's coming up at www.nurse.com/events/career-fairs. You also should attend local meetings of your state chapter of the American Nurses Association (www.nursingworld.org). If you’re not a member, you can attend as a guest. You might want to check out the American College of Healthcare Executives (www.ache.org) for networking opportunities. Networking is well known to be a great way to explore options and find and get a job.
When possible, you should attend seminars and conferences about nursing careers, networking and self-marketing, including my Career Alternatives for Nurses seminar (www.nurse.com/events/ce-seminars). You never know from where the spark, idea, information, contact or opportunity will come. But you have to get yourself out there.
You are not the first person to take a job only to find it is not what you wanted or expected. But I am confident that, with a little patience and diligence, you can find something that suits you. Persistence and determination always win out in the end.
Best wishes,
Donna
Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, well-known career guru, is Nurse.com’s “Dear Donna” and author of “Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional” and “The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career.” Information about the books is available at www.Nurse.com/CE/7010 and www.Nurse.com/CE/7250, respectively. To ask Donna your question, go to www.Nurse.com/Asktheexperts/Deardonna. Find a “Dear Donna” seminar near you: Call 800-866-0919 or visit http://Events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.
