What did you do when you got burnt out?

I work on a pediatric unit as a tech and a lot of the nurses I work with are burnt out. I can see it in there faces. They are looking for a change but don't know what to do because of pay or hours or just scared.

Has anyone ever got burnt out of being on the floor? What did you do? What new nursing area did you take up? Was the pay comparable?
I did agency work and travel nursing for 4 years. Found my dream job , working from home, through an agency position.If you need a major change,I think it's necessary to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

went to camp as a nurse .... went to Asia and volunteered in a couple of countries .... changed floors and specialties .... got my master's degree and became a nursing instructor .... teach overseas once in a while .... volunteer in children's homes .... Boy & Girl Scout volunteer as the event First Aider ....

Had a nervous breakdown. I'm not kidding. And then I took a two-month sabbatical while I figured out what to do next. I wound up taking a job as director of nursing services in an assisted living facility, which I thoroughly enjoyed until I allowed myself to be lured away by another facility offering me $12,000 more per year than I was making. Big mistake---I lasted exactly three months, and then I went back to the bedside at an LTC, where I thrived once again.

I'd love to know the answer to that OP- I have nothing available to me to change, am too old to start over, and would ruin my family by taking a minimum wage job ( which is the only other thing i would possibly qualify for) Still countdown every minute I am in that <insert own offensive word>that I can punch out and leave. I guess I'm an example of the nurses you see on the floor.

Go part-time

Quote from prnqdayGo part-time

After working for 3 years at a very busy psych hospital I began to dread going to work each day. Unfortunately, or maybe "thankfully" I ended up breaking my humerus pretty badly and had to have surgery. I took 3 months off, and it was during that time that I realized that I was totally burnt out! I ended up resigning and finding a new job in a completely new area : pediatric private duty! So far I am loving it. Sometimes you need a change of pace or scenery.

Timing and circumstances allowed me to go SAHM and when I initially returned to HH it was in the middle of reform and those were ugly times. I ended up looking for something else and was hired by an insurance conas an onsite utilization review nurse. This was 14 yrs ago and the job may not look the same now but I really liked it at the time. I went back into home health 8 yrs ago and it was much better and I love it now.

Quote from dreamer30I work on a pediatric unit as a tech and a lot of the nurses I work with are burnt out. I can see it in there faces. They are looking for a change but don't know what to do because of pay or hours or just scared.Has anyone ever got burnt out of being on the floor? What did you do? What new nursing area did you take up? Was the pay comparable?

Quote from dreamer30I told her that but she said it was a no go because it was a pay cut. She wants a different nursing career and the same or more money.

Quote from dreamer30I work on a pediatric unit as a tech and a lot of the nurses I work with are burnt out. I can see it in there faces. They are looking for a change but don't know what to do because of pay or hours or just scared.Has anyone ever got burnt out of being on the floor? What did you do? What new nursing area did you take up? Was the pay comparable?

I agree with RubyVee that exercise can be extremely helpful. I prefer biking to walking, but there's nothing like pounding out the miles and getting endorphins flowing to relieve some of the tension and stress from a bad shift. Also, getting plenty of sleep, eating well in general, and packing lots of quick snacks for shifts can help. After 17 years in healthcare (I started working as a CNA while still in high school), and almost 11 years as an RN, I've come to several conclusions about nursing. First, being a nurse is still my passion. Yes, some days are really, really hard...but I can't imagine doing anything else. Second, having good co-workers is key, especially in floor nursing where knowing someone has your back makes or breaks days. Third, I only have 1 brain, 2 hands, and 12 hours. I do my very best to take the best care of my patients with those available resources, but in the end I'm only human. Fourth, sometimes successful shifts are measured by nobody dying and nobody crying . And finally, when I start to feel stressed out I look at the small things. I try to find some way to make a difference every day. Maybe its just something small like taking 3 minutes to hold a patient's hand and listen to them, or maybe its bigger. But in the end, we as nurses *do* make a difference, and sometimes we just have to dig through the bureaucracy to find our moments of zen.