Feeling stuck sucks.
You feel ashamed, like you should be further along by now.
You feel stagnant…like you’re going through the motions, but you’re not actually moving forward.
You feel guilty because deep down, you know you’re better than this role is allowing you to be.
And maybe worst of all…You feel alone.
But I promise you, you’re not.
This happens to so many nurses.
Smart, driven, compassionate nurses who are exhausted and not because they can’t handle the job, but because they’re stuck in the wrong one.
Why Nurses Get Stuck
If you found this blog, you probably Googled: Why do I feel stuck in my nursing career?
And if you clicked on the link to read this blog, you already know why you feel stuck:
- You’ve outgrown your current role, but you don’t know what’s next.
- You’re burnt out, but also bored, and that combo makes you question everything.
- You’ve looked around and realized you can’t picture yourself doing this for another 10 years.
- Everyone around you has an opinion about what you “should” do, and it’s making you spiral.
- You know there are other nursing jobs out there, but the idea of starting over is terrifying.
So, maybe it’s analysis paralysis.
Maybe it’s fear.
Maybe you just don’t want to disappoint anyone.
But underneath all of that is this:
You’re feeling stuck because something in you is ready to grow.
And the current version of your job is not built to support that.
You Didn’t Pick the Wrong Job, You Just Evolved
History has painted nursing to be this one-size-fits-all, lifelong calling.
So when you start to question if it’s right for you, you feel like an imposter. Like maybe you’re not cut out for “traditional” nursing.
I want you to tell those intrusive thoughts to STOP.
You’re cut out for whatever nursing career you want to go after…but you need to take the first step.
Because staying in a role that isn’t serving you is not an option.
I cannot say this enough: You can love being a nurse and still hate the job you’re in.
And that doesn’t make you a quitter. It makes you aware.
The nursing career you’re in might not match how you communicate, how you process stress, how you connect with patients, or even what kind of problems you like to solve.
And trying to “push through” that misalignment won’t make it better.
It’ll just make you more tired, and you don’t have time for that.
You’re allowed to want something better, and more importantly, you’re allowed to go after it.
So What Do You Do Now?
You don’t need to quit tomorrow
You don’t need a five-year plan. (Who has time for that??)
You just need to take one step that helps you see things more clearly.
As a previously burned-out nurse stuck in a role that didn’t match my vibe, here’s my expert advice:
- Get honest about what’s draining you. Is it the pace? The lack of autonomy? The emotional labor? Be real with yourself.
- Notice what pulls your energy and what gives it back. Do you love teaching? Are you always the calm one in chaos? Do you thrive when you’re one-on-one, or do you want to run the whole floor?
- Stop crowdsourcing your next move. It’s your career. Other people don’t get to decide how you feel in your own body at the end of a shift.
- Take the Nurse Personality Quiz. Seriously. It’s free. It’s quick. And it’ll help you see which roles actually align with your personality and NOT just what sounds good on paper.
This is your permission to figure it out.
Not for anyone else.
For you.
*cue “You Can Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac*