3 Things You Should Consider Before You Quit Nursing

If you're losing motivation in your nursing job and feel like you're going through the gauntlet on every shift, then you have probably thought about quitting once or twice. Nursing can be a draining job, and the sparkle you had in your eyes when you first started may be long gone. The routine is starting to creep in, or maybe you feel like there's something bigger out there for you. But before you call it quits, here are some of the things you should consider.

Are You Out of Love with the Profession, or Your Position?

Sometimes, just a change of air could be enough. Maybe you could move to something like family practice? Or consider teaching? Or maybe moving to a leadership role?

In many cases, the thing getting in the way of advancement is lack of time and credentials. But have you thought about going for online classes? These could allow you to get the qualifications needed on your own time. You could take a complete break and get an accelerated degree or stretch it out if you want to maintain your position and keep your workload reasonable.

There are plenty of nursing leadership courses online from accredited schools that will give you the formation and recognition needed to move into administrative positions. Or you could take your new skills to a smaller clinic and run the whole operation. This may be all the change you needed.

Do You Make Enough Time for Yourself?

In some cases, nurses give too much of themselves to their work and don't take care of themselves enough. If you don't balance work with some sort of de-stressing activity, then this could increase the chances of burnouts. Just having this balance could help you appreciate life and not feel like everything in your life revolves around your job.

What Next?

Are you actually ready to start over? This is something you have to consider as well. Are you ready to leave the people you've been working with for all those years? What will be the next chapter of your life? Do you want to work in a totally unrelated field or stay within healthcare?

There are plenty of things that you could do and still use your talents elsewhere. Some decide to become sales reps for pharmaceutical companies. These are very valued by the industry since nurses have in-depth knowledge about medication, which makes them a perfect fit. Others decide to start businesses either in healthcare or another field. 

If you decide to go that route, make sure that you have a healthy nest egg and be ready to start over. Also, make sure that you're ready to deal with the uncertainty of being a business owner.

Conclusion

Staying motivated as a nurse can be a challenge, and sometimes, your heart and body are trying to tell you something, so you have to listen. Make sure that you consider all of your options, and make sure that you are ready to take on new challenges.