Nurses Leaving the Profession: Should I Actually Do It?

• With stress levels and burnout rates at an all-time high, it is no surprise to see so many nurses leaving the profession.
• Nursing CE Central offers an insider’s scoop as to why nurses often change their field of study and consider leaving the workforce.
• If you’re considering leaving your nursing job, remember that you are not alone!

Unless you live under a rock, you’re well aware of the national and global nursing shortage that our field is facing. You are also, likely too aware of the burnout that many nurses are experiencing. Because of these reasons, there are more nurses leaving the profession than ever before. 

Are you a nurse who has experienced or is currently experiencing nursing burnout, lack of job satisfaction, and having thoughts of leaving the profession? Have you thought maybe you were not cut out for this career and are thinking of making a total career change? There are thousands of nurses leaving the profession or are beginning to contemplate doing it, so you are not alone.  

Why Nurses are Leaving the Profession  

One of the main contributing factors as to why there are so many nurses leaving the profession is the heavy workload that they are constantly enduring. The Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses highlights that the workload for nurses is heavier than it has ever been before, and the consequences are detrimental.  

Roughly 65% of acute-care nurses in the U.S. will regularly work 12-hour shifts. Even if you don’t currently work a 12–hour shift, I am sure you have at one point or another throughout your career. Remember how draining they were/are? And they’re never actually 12 hours – they’re typically 14 hours or more by the time you commute, get settled, receive, and give report. It‘s absolutely exhausting. Not to mention the added strain if you work night shift. 

A study evaluating the stress levels of ICU nurses found that chronic fatigue, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion were most prevalent in nurses who work 12+ hour shifts. This likely plays a key role in the increasing number of nurses leaving the profession. 

Nursing has always been a stressful occupation. Many nurses carry the responsibility of patients’ lives in their hands. The recent pandemic has only heightened this stress and burnout for nurses around the world. 

A study from the Occupational and Medical Affairs showcased that 74% of healthcare workers said that high amounts of stress have a drastic negative impact on productivity.  

No wonder so many nurses are wanting to throw in the towel. 

Should I leave the Nursing Profession? 

If you are stressed and burnt out to the point that you are asking yourself, ‘Should I leave the nursing profession too?’

The answer is NO!  

Try to remember why you became a nurse. Was it to help others? Was it to save lives? Was it to make a positive impact on? Was it for the money? 

I understand your concerns; if you are not happy, then the quality of the care you give will not be sufficient. Patients will suffer as a result and that negates the very core purpose of the nursing profession Working in an environment that makes your heart happy is vital for being a great nurse. 

You should have passion for what you are doing; that passion it will shine on every aspect of your life. Taking care of yourself by switching to an “easier” nursing field does not make you weak – it means you are self-aware and strong.  If your current nursing role is too stressful or if the bedside is bogging you down, don‘t swap your entire career, just move to a different field of nursing!  

As a nurse, you have so many options. Take my story as an example. 

I was a Cardiac ICU nurse working night shift, right on track to attend CRNA school. However, I became so burnt out after 3 years, that I had to make a change. I moved into a completely different specialty: plastics and aesthetics nursing. It was a total change of scenery, moving from the ICU to a clinic, but I was able to use my knowledge and experience from the ICU to ease the transition to an OR and clinic nurse. I loved my new job and even became a manager!  

However, after several years the workplace environment became toxic, and I began to carry the negativity over into my life outside of work. For the sake of my mental well being, I made a switch and moved away from bedside nursing entirely. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I now work within the business realm of nursing as an author, writing nursing continuing education. 

And guess what? I love it! 

I get to write educational content based on research and my real–life experiences that helps other nurses strengthen their individual practice. My nursing skills are still being utilized and they grow every single day. I am educating nurses to better care for their future patients.  

Before you make a rash decision and join the flood of nurses leaving the profession, consider your options within the profession. Reflect on the good and bad times within your career. Can you still feel joy and satisfaction from when a patient thanked you, when a family member hugged you, or when you made a lasting impact on someone’s life? Yeah, I thought so.  

Just pivot and try something new. You can still make an impact and use your nursing knowledge for something greater; maybe it just looks a little different! Take a chance and make a change, but always remember why you became a nurse in the first place.  

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