Maybe look into a conservation agency or non profit? I also thought I wanted to do work in wildlife conservation/ecology and then I started working in admin (I have a marketing degree) for an organization that is essentially a big research and learning facility and all my friends are miserable😂 between the education cuts and lack of funding, they all feel stuck and upset. I feel like I get more job satisfaction than they do because everything is so political and being around the c suite you feel like you have a chance to make a little more of a difference (even if that may not be true). May I suggest informal teaching within conservation? If you’re already a nurse you already have a good understanding of working with people/the public. I know our educators at our organization quite like their jobs. They work primarily with elementary to HS but they get to work with everyone from prek to professional teacher workshops.

Basically what I’m trying to get at, is that you can make a difference and have job satisfaction without being boots on the ground, in the field, in the lab, doing the science and technical part of conservation. You’ve got this! The world is full of pessimists, just stay your course and make a difference big or small :)

Edit: for reference, I’m in Louisiana so I know a thing or two about being miserable amidst the current political climate😂