I know sometimes (or maybe all the time) you feel like your nursing career is all-consuming — emotionally, mentally, and physically. Your nursing career might make you feel like you have little room for pursuing your dreams and passions outside of your work. It’s as if the demands of nursing have taken over, leaving you wondering if there’s any space left for you.

When you’re deep in the trenches, and it feels like there’s no way out, straight-up quitting your nursing career often feels like the one and only path that could possibly save you — and trust me, I understand that feeling to my core — but to be clear, it’s not the only path.

You can create your dream life while leaning into your nursing career, without quitting.

Right now, it might feel impossible. I get that. I’ve been there.

But leaving your nursing career isn’t necessarily the solution you’re looking for — and I’ll tell you why.

The truth is, you don’t have to give up your nursing career to create your dream life, and if you’re looking to quit your nursing career but never develop healthy coping mechanisms or a plan for what you really want to achieve, then you run the risk of repeating the same outcome in your next role (nursing-related or not).

With the right mindset and strategies, you can realign your habits and priorities to achieve the work-life harmony you desire and the energy to pursue your passions.

I connected with nurse coach, Karen Dorion, and we chatted about strategies nurses can use to realign their mindset and habits and create the life they’ve always wanted without quitting their nursing career.

When Quitting Your Nursing Career Feels Like the Only Solution

Nursing can be a lot. The long hours, the emotional exhaustion, and the constant pull to give more than you have — it’s no wonder so many nurses feel like quitting is the only way to escape the burnout.

But Karen’s story is proof that it doesn’t have to be that way. Her unique path into nursing and the coaching business she’s built show that there’s another way to create a life you love without leaving the bedside.

Karen didn’t follow a traditional route into nursing. Her first degrees being in French and International Relations, then finding herself working in fundraising and marketing for a Cancer Center, she finally knew nursing was IT as she worked side-by-side with them in patient education and support services. “I loved it! A lightbulb went on for me as I watched the nurses, and I realized how nursing would be a really good fit for me. And I already had a heart for oncology. So I went back to school.”

And Karen still works at the bedside as part of a Medical Oncology unit at her local hospital — she never stopped loving the bedside even through the devastating experiences of working during a pandemic. But about four years ago, she started noticing a troubling pattern: extreme stress and burnout among her colleagues and herself.

“For me, starting my business didn’t come from a place of wanting to leave the bedside,” Karen explained. “It developed because I love the bedside so much, and I saw the gap in support for nurses in stress management and healthy habits. It’s so hard to take care of yourself as a nurse. I was curious about how to address that issue for myself and other nurses.”

Karen’s journey is a powerful reminder that instead of running away, we can explore ways to address what’s not working and create an alternative nursing career path that allows us to live the life we want to live. By tackling the root causes of stress and burnout, she’s created space in her own life for fulfillment and growth — and she’s helping other nurses do the same.

Let’s get into four simple ways you can create your dream life without quitting your nursing career.

1 | Assess Your Lifestyle & Define Your Dream Life

It sounds so freaking cliché, and I almost hate saying it, but … the first step toward creating your dream life starts with taking an honest look at where you are now and then defining what a “dream life” really means to you.

What’s working? What isn’t?

Karen works closely with nurses who feel lost or stuck in their nursing careers, helping them create personalized plans to address the stress and burnout that often come with nursing. “Together, we’ll look at how your general wellness is affected by your stress response and how all the multi-faceted parts of your life are involved — nutrition, eating habits, sleeping habits, movement, and more,” she explained.

The thing is, creating your dream life isn’t just about addressing career dissatisfaction (although I know that quitting your nursing career sounds prettyyy good sometimes). You really want to look at the WHOLE picture.

By identifying the patterns in your life that aren’t serving you, you can start to make shifts that align with what you truly value. “When we’re in that stress state, and we make decisions based on that stress, we’re usually just running away from those symptoms instead of actually addressing the core issues,” Karen says.

Instead of reacting out of frustration or exhaustion, Karen encourages her clients to build their capacity to regulate their stress and nervous system. “You can learn how to make decisions from a place of rest. It is from this restful space that your brain can be more engaged and access creative solutions,” she said. This approach helps nurses reconnect with their feelings and values, leading to better decision-making and a more intentional life.

As you reflect on your lifestyle, ask yourself:

What do you truly want to prioritize?
What are the habits or routines that drain your energy?
What changes could help you feel more aligned with your values?
What do you want your life to look like now and in the future?
How do you want to feel at the end of each day?

Your dream life doesn’t have to be a grand, far-off fantasy. Sometimes, it’s simply about creating space for joy, calm, and purpose in your everyday life. Whether it’s improving your sleep habits, building healthier boundaries, or finding time for hobbies, these small shifts can lead to BIG transformations.

2 | Create Work-Life Harmony

When you’re deep in the chaos of nursing, the temptation to escape can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to think that quitting your nursing career will solve everything. But Karen points out that running away often means carrying the same patterns of stress and burnout into your next role.

“If you haven’t built the skills to manage your stress response or understand what was really hard for you in that job, then you’re probably going to bring those same patterns with you to a new job,” Karen explains. Without addressing the root issues, you might find yourself in the same place, just with a different title.

Creating work-life harmony isn’t about avoiding hard things — you’re actually reconnecting with what you’re really feeling and learning how to make better decisions for yourself. Karen shared, “When you’re in that stress state, you tend to disengage and shut down your emotions — sometimes because it’s convenient and sometimes because of the nature of your job — regardless, I work with my clients to reconnect to what they’re really feeling to be able to make better decisions for themselves and create a life they love.”

Work-life harmony starts with self-awareness. Ask yourself:

What is truly causing my stress?
What patterns or habits keep showing up in my life and work?
How can I respond to stress in a way that supports my well-being?

By identifying and addressing these patterns, you can begin to weave together the different aspects of your life in a way that feels whole and sustainable.

This doesn’t mean making dramatic changes overnight. Harmony is built through small, consistent shifts — whether it’s creating better boundaries, finding moments of rest, or learning to prioritize your emotional well-being. As Karen reminds her clients, “It’s from a place of rest that you can engage your brain, access creative solutions, and build a life you love.”

Rather than quitting your nursing career, focus on building the skills to manage your stress and reconnect with your purpose — because that harmony will allow you to create a life that feels meaningful and aligned, even when things get tough and you feel like giving up.

3 | Pursue What Lights You Up

Pursuing what you love isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a “need to have” and it’s an essential part of building a life that feels aligned with who you are. When you make space for the things that matter most to you, you’re not just living — you’re thriving. Isn’t that what we all want for ourselves?!

Building your dream life doesn’t have to be all about setting goals and managing stress (although those things help, of course). You still have to make space for the things that bring you genuine joy. Pursuing what lights you up helps you stay connected to your passions and makes your life feel meaningful and fulfilling.

So, what lights you up? Is it something creative, like painting or writing? Is it spending more time with your family, getting outside in nature, or exploring a side hustle you’ve been dreaming about? What are the activities, hobbies, or dreams that truly excite you? Whatever it is, these pursuits can add color and excitement to your life and bring you closer to the life you’ve always imagined.

Here’s how to start integrating what lights you up into your dream life:

Define What Brings You Joy

Make a list of activities, hobbies, or dreams that excite you — even the ones that seem small or silly. When do I feel most alive? What’s something I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t made time for? Don’t filter yourself!

Schedule Joy Into Your Week

Block out time in your calendar for the things you love. Even 30 minutes of doing something just for you can make a huge difference.

Explore New Avenues

Try something you’ve never done before. Sign up for a local class, pick up a new book, or volunteer for a cause you care about.

Start Small but Consistent

If you’ve been wanting to start a side hustle or learn a new skill, begin with small, manageable steps. You don’t need to overhaul your life to get started.

What’s one thing you can do this week to bring more joy into your life? Maybe it’s signing up for a class, dedicating an hour to a hobby you love, or brainstorming how your passion could fit into your bigger goals. Whatever it is, remember that every small step you take matters — and building a life you love happens one intentional choice at a time.

4 | Invest in Coaching

When it comes to creating lasting change in your life, sometimes you need more than just information — you need support, accountability, and someone to help guide you through the process. That’s where coaching comes in.

“Coaching is important because it helps you actually implement the changes you want to see in a sustainable way, and it helps you take action and move forward,” Karen explains. “It’s a process of seeing things differently and being able to implement things differently in a creative but practical way.” Coaching helps you take those big ideas and dreams and break them down into actionable, manageable steps that actually fit into your life.

When you’re juggling the demands of a nursing career and trying to build a fulfilling personal life, it can be tough to stay on track. Karen works with nurses to help them manage their stress and create the transformation they’re looking for. “I meet with my clients once a week and will also check in with them throughout the week if needed,” she says. “I am available to support them in their journey and help them get unstuck so they can see real change in their life.”

But many nurses hesitate to invest in coaching because they believe they can figure it out on their own and have the willpower to implement changes on their own. “The thing is, if we had the skills and energy to do it consistently on our own, we would be doing it already,” Karen points out. “If being healthy and being a nurse was simply a matter of willpower, we wouldn’t have the epidemic of burnout and trouble with retaining nurses at the bedside.”

Karen’s own experience is a powerful reminder of why coaching can be so transformative. “I spent over a decade struggling through my own chronic stress cycle and health problems,” she shares. “Did I figure it out mostly on my own? Yes. Would I want to do that again? No. It was miserable.” Once Karen discovered health coaching and received personalized support, she began to experience real, sustainable transformation. “Why suffer for longer when you don’t have to? Time is precious.”

Coaching can also help you reframe your mindset around time and energy. If you’re thinking, “I don’t have the time or energy to commit to one more thing,” Karen assures you that coaching actually makes everything else in your life easier … “because you learn how to advocate for yourself and create actual change in your habits.”

Karen’s coaching approach is simple, efficient, and deeply supportive. “You show up to your coaching session, and I get to take care of YOU,” she says. “The work happens during the call, and my job is to make change easy, simple, and fun. You get to solve the problems that are keeping you up at night. You get to decrease your stress. You get to gain energy and improve your health through simple habit shifts.” Coaching helps you prioritize your well-being while teaching you how to set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and release the things that drain your energy.

So, if you’ve been wondering whether coaching is worth the investment, consider this: The time and energy you put into it will come back to you in so many ways. Your health and well-being are your most valuable investment. When you invest in yourself through coaching, you’re giving yourself the support you need to move from where you are to where you want to be.

Your Dream Life Starts Here

Creating your dream life as a nurse doesn’t mean quitting your nursing career for good or flipping everything upside down overnight. Start by taking small steps: assess your lifestyle, create work-life harmony, pursue what lights you up. Perfection isn’t the goal here. It’s your chance to build a life that energizes you — whether that’s setting healthier boundaries, finally diving into a passion project, or getting the support you need to turn vision into action.

So, what’s one small step you can take today? Reflect, reconnect, and start making choices that align with the life you’ve always imagined. Your dream life is waiting — make it happen! 🤩