Hi everyone! I am new to the site and need some advice or a pep talk.

Have any of you have ever wished you had never gone into nursing or wished you'd gotten out? I am trying to decide if I should stay in nursing or get out now before I'm too old.

I'm 42 and have been an LPN for 21 years. I worked the first 9 years, decided the stress was too much and the pay way too low and I quit to stay home and homeschool for 12 years but I have recently gone back into nursing (long term care at this time). All the same problems are still there- low pay, too many patients, disrepect from superiors, family members and patients. But mostly i hate the amount of work we have and the complexity of decisions we are forced to make about our patients care. I feel soooo incompetant most of the time, even though my DON says I am one of the best nurses she has ever worked with and my staff, CNAs, CMA etc say the same.

Is being an RN any better as far as stress goes? It seems to me it would be worse. I keep telling myself there are many less-stressful nursing jobs out there and having my RN will open more doors for me. Am I just fooling myself?

I have finished all my prereqs for an ADN program and can't seem to get motivated about finishing the program.

Am I the only person who loves nursing and hates it at the same time?

Too often I think, "if I could only do it all over I'd have done something else". I feel bad for saying it but, there, I've said it. I don't know what to do!!!!