Q. I am really bored in my job and want to do something different. I am not even sure I want to continue in nursing. I need a challenge. But I seem to be locked in fear and can’t leave. Any suggestions.
Lori
A. If you took fear out of the equation what would you do? If you could decide to make a change and not fear the outcome would that make it less difficult?
Since you have acknowledged that you are bored and need a challenge it is going to make your work day less rewarding, maybe even hard to get out of bed and make that drive.
Life is too short to spend too many days bored and unchallenged. The mind and body do not thrive in these conditions.
First make a list of your attributes, skills and interests. What motivated you to choose a career in nursing? Maybe leaving nursing does not have to be your first choice; perhaps moving to another area of nursing. You sound burned out with your current position.
If you decide to leave nursing, what have you always wanted to do? There have been many people who totally changed their careers. Ruth, a lawyer quit her $300.000 a year job and opened a bakery. Mark quit his full time retail job to play music. Whitney quit her $95.000 a year job to sell yoga pants and teach to yogi’s. Brian quit his corporate $250,000 a year job to open a restaurant.
There is no shortage of people who said. “Enough is enough, this isn’t making me happy.” Fear probably crossed their minds, after all it is a normal emotion but they did not let it rob them writing their own life script.
When feelings of boredom and a lack of challenge grow to unmeasurable proportions; stop what you are doing and write a new plan. Whatever it becomes, will be yours. The one thing that you cannot do is the same thing and expect different results.
Let yourself get out of the box. Color outside of the lines. Walk down a different path.
“AND SUDDENLY YOU WILL KNOW………..IT’S TIME TO START SOMETHING NEW AND TRUST THE MAGIC OF BEGINNINGS.”
Vicki L Mayfield, M.Ed., R.N., LMFT Marriage and Family Therapy Oklahoma City
If you would like to send a question to Vicki, email us at news@okcnursingtimes.com
