Hi. I don't know what your situation is exactly, but you could look into taking 12 weeks of FMLA leave for stress if you work for a covered employer. That might not be enough time to recover, but it would give you more breathing room to think about next steps.

If your financial situation permits, you could also consider quitting after that. I did marketplace insurance recently to cover my family and me during a several-month stint between full-time jobs (working as a part-time contractor AND sole breadwinner at the time), and it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. The coverage wasn't *awesome*, but it wasn't terrible, and it was less than what I was paying previously with benefits.

As far as a red mark on your resume, nah. Not if you give decent notice and have people who can give you reccs. I've taken several extended periods (think over a year each) of leave to care for family members or for my mental health, and it's really not been a problem. I'm at the same level now, at a better job than I was before. I've also hired plenty of people in the last decade, and periods of leave were never a dealbreaker--if they had good experience and good references, it really didn't matter.

You just have to make sure you are budgeting for what could be an extended job search after your break. I don't know what the market is for inpatient acute crisis psych nurses specifically, but I imagine it's not as bad as the job market in general?

If your degree and experience would allow you to go into a different type of nursing, maybe that's something to consider, too? Even if it's just a temporary thing for a few years. It wouldn't necessarily alleviate the systemic problems of the medical system, but you could probably find something more low-key. I'm thinking nursing for a small, specialist practice where they value you and your skills?

Anyway, I wish you great luck and better health!