“the uniform I love is the uniform that saves me and is killing me” has been a statement I have written many times over the years.
I posted on social media a few weeks ago now to say that I would not be coming back to my job as a community dialysis nurse. I would be ending my career as a nurse come April 2020.
It has not been a decision I have taken lightly. I have spoken to a number of different people including my family, respiratory team and my bosses at work. Last January I was not in a good place physically or mentally. I had come off the back of a really bad run of asthma attacks a rough hospital admission and for the first time ever I did not feel able to go back to work. Fast forward a year and rather my health being better I am in a worse situation, my health is at an all time low and it is hard to cope with my daily life and everyday tasks. I am relying on my mum more and more so there is no way I could continue working.
I am beyond devastated at having to give up nursing. I fell into nursing after having to give up a career in sport. I was determined that I would do all I could to get myself through university and qualify as a nurse. It was hard but I did it with the support of my tutors and of course my consultant. Soon after qualifying I got my dream job working in the renal unit which is where I stayed. I was so fortunate to have really understanding bosses who were so accommodating and made changes to help me and enable me to continue doing the job I love. I pushed on so much and often worked when potentially I should not have but it is because I genuinely loved my job. I loved the patient interaction, trying to help patients manage their condition and get the most out of their life.
Closing this chapter does not mean it is the end of nursing forever. Nursing is a career I will always be able to come back to when my health is better. For now it is just on pause.
A lot of people have been asking what I am going to do and will I manage ok without having an income. These are things that I will talk about in another post. Im am so gutted but it is for the best. My patients, colleagues and family were worrying about me when I was working and if I was ok. They were seeing that I was having no quality of life and I was living to work and that was it.
Nursing may have been put on hold just now but I am not going to give up on my dreams.
ANONYMOUS-ASTHMA 