5 Reasons You Might Be Feeling Unfulfilled In Nursing

This week on the blog we are calling 👏🏼 you 👏🏼 out 👏🏼

We all know how challenging the field of nursing is, even if the role of being a nurse is part of your purpose and your true passion. 

**Insert staffing issues, ratios, management, continuing education**...what else are we forgetting? 

Needless to say it can feel like the challenges are stacked up against us and the next thing we know we're sitting there saying "there's no wonder why everyone is burnt out and unfulfilled when so much of this profession is out of our control!" 

Although it might be true that there's a lot we can't control in this role of "nurse", there are also plenty of things we can do to step back into that fulfillment that nursing brings us. That's why this week we're sharing five reasons you might be unfulfilled in your career and HINT - non of them have to do with factors outside of your control. 

1. You're lacking community. 

We're all for showing up to work and doing just that - working. Maybe you're an introvert, maybe you're a traveler or float pool nurse that doesn't have consistent coworkers, or maybe you just don't have a core group of work besties. That's just fine, but remember when we said we're calling you out? We're here to remind you that there's no excuse for not having a community in nursing because we truly believe you need one and that it's accessible.

We've obviously got your back with our community of purpose peeps, but there's also book clubs, group trips, and resources available to make you feel included and to help you connect with other nurses. We're challenging you to get more involved and take a leap to join something you see that catches your eye in the nursing community. 

2. You stopped doing what you love (that has nothing to do with work!) 

It's easy to get so caught up in the work exhaustion that we forget to do the things we love. Let's be real here - it's much easier to come home, order takeout and throw on mindless TV than to try a new recipe and pick up that book your friend group has been raving about. 

Sometimes this IS the best choice and what feels good. We're calling you out here for the times that you're self sabotaging or taking the easy way out.

Don't underestimate how much value is in doing the small things you love. Get out there and pick something back up that you know you used to love! 

3. You don't have a post shift wind-down routine. 

Another thing that feels small and insignificant, but isn't! Developing a solid post-shift routine no matter what shift you work is so important to stepping out of your nurse life and into your personal life. 

We'll be dropping some post-shift routine inspo over on the gram, but this will look different for everyone. Having a few rituals for right after your shift will help train your brain and body to transition from the go-go-go of the unit to being present in what you're doing outside of work. 

4. You're straight up working too much. 

If you're not feeling fulfilled in nursing, working overtime is one of the first things we suggest you ditch! Those feelings of unfulfillment are a sign you need to pour into yourself and we believe you simply need time and space to do that. 

Not working overtime? Take this as a sign to use that PTO and take a vacation (or staycation) that isn't just time away from work, but is intentional. Make sure it's full of things you love to do and not just errands and playing catch up in your personal life.

If you're not sure whether you should be working overtime or not, check out our free downloadable resource here that will help guide you to saying yes or no when your manager is calling. 

5. You're struggling to disconnect. 

It's hard to love nursing when it's all consuming. Honestly, it's hard to love anything when it's all consuming. 

Developing a good post-shift routine is part of leaving work at work, but there's definitely more to it than that. Make sure you're doing things like setting boundaries with the unit not to call you on your days off or refraining from texting your coworker about that status of room three. These are the things that bring your psyche right back to work, even when you aren't physically there! 

If you're struggling to disconnect it's usually a sign you need to set more boundaries or work on your confidence as a nurse, so keep this in mind. 

We hope you've got something you want to implement after reading this and want to remind you again that what feels like a small change can truly have a big impact in the long run!

Comment below which one of these you're struggling with the most right now. We'd love to support you 🖤