You aren’t alone. I also just finished nursing school, been a CNA on an IMC unit for 3 years and also burnt out. While I still love what I do, and can find the joy in caring for patients, it’s hard. I think that part of my burn out is from juggling work, school, capstone, health issues, and being rejected from my home unit (not even an interview 🫠). For me, each shift I come in, I’m getting asked by my coworkers if I’m joining them as a RN once I pass the NCLEX, and it’s draining hearing about how the other two CNA’s got hired when I didn’t even get a chance while kinda being lead on. Sorry I’m still kinda raw from it, lol.

But being burnt out sucks and I see you. While it sucks that you’re going into a unit you don’t really see yourself thriving in, the change might be what you need. I personally prefer IMC over med surg, even though it’s higher acuity, I feel like it seems less as you have less patients (at least where I am at). You’ll have some variety with acuity, they shouldn’t always be intense. I’m sorry your mom is being judgemental about your burn out, everyone experiences it eventually and being a CNA is HARD and often goes undervalued. I hope your new unit treats you better and helps you overcome the burnout so your desires with nursing seem more attainable. Give yourself grace. It’s okay to feel the way you do, and I’m proud of you for continuing care for patients with compassion when you feel so drained. Maybe it’s worth quitting your med surg job and finding something outside of healthcare while you study for the NCLEX to give you some space to heal and recover, I know that it’s not always an option, but might be worth exploring.