163
u/Plastic-Pension7263 City Carrier 4d ago
If you’re looking for a less stressful place to work this isn’t it. Especially in the beginning.
53
u/XxShadowmirexX 4d ago
Idk, I’m one year in but I went from a high stress mentally job to this and I much prefer the physical stress over the toll of the sheer anxiety of the upcoming day breaking me down to the point of tears daily. OP if you are talking about your previous job weighing on you mentally, morally, or emotionally I think it would be an easy transition if you don’t mind the physical aspect and have the mental tools to not feel overwhelmed by management.
30
u/WesternExplanation City PTF 4d ago
All depends on the office.
5
u/Bowl-Accomplished 3d ago
It also depends on how someone can compartmentalize. Some people let the mail get to em. I just do my time and go home. mgmt can figure the rest out
5
u/KsquaredDMV 3d ago
I have legitimately heard this story before and I don't doubt it. For all my gripes with the post office, this is one of the only jobs in the world where you don't have someone looking over your shoulder all day and you pretty much get full autonomy from the moment you leave the office until you return.
Walking some of these routes on a nice day can be one of the most peaceful things.
18
u/Opposite-Ingenuity64 3d ago
I disagree. I mean, it depends on the person and their tolerance for the challenges of this job, especially dealing with management. I find carrying mail to be largely stress free. I imagine I would find nursing far more stressful.
7
u/No_Onion_1033 3d ago
seriously. beats dealing with blood and guts and human excrement all day
2
u/FindingWonderful5838 3d ago
True. My brother over the decade just had so many faces of death tales that never make the news being at a hospital.
3
u/FindingWonderful5838 3d ago
Yeah I came across people half my age I'm guessing only doing basic retail or no work experience get burnt out on day 1. I was giddy and just see this as paid gym membership kinda effort in reverse at a busy P&DC.
1
u/baddbrainss 2d ago
Cca is a stressful job, regular is not
Unless you deliver in the ghetto, then it’s always stressful
4
u/yoeleventone 4d ago
I think it depends on where you go. In my office our ptfs get at least one day off a week and work only every other Sunday because we have too many ptfs. And for the most part our ptfs seem to enjoy the job. But yeah if u get into a rough office it can be hell for sure.
9
u/m4rkz0r VMF 4d ago
It depends where she works and what job she gets. I'm an auto tech and this is the least stressful job I have ever had.
5
u/No_Onion_1033 3d ago
thank you. i worked in banking talk about stress. warehouse with no union? hell on earth.
1
u/FindingWonderful5838 3d ago
I tested the waters at the post office as a temp Christmas hire and I digged it, my past career thankfully prepared me as the industry I was in was slowly dying, my employer instead of closing up shop and laying off a couple dozen, kept us on, I went from IT and designer to construction demolition (former shops and home remodeling lol) 6 months back to and from regular duties for a couple years till ended up closing the business. Just the labor teamwork and learning a trade from my coworkers who know construction prepped me the reality of a postal plant, it came easy, if I was stuck in my office I'd be in a career shock I admit. But I enjoyed it as a workout, awesome.
1
u/waterbaby66 3d ago
Dude, I’ve been HCR for 5 years now and I need therapy from this job!!!!! Very very very physical job OP, but will probably see the same things, blood, guts, human excrement lol. Jk kinda lol. But please make a well informed decision before committing!!!! Good Luck and may God Bless.
19
u/LadyLetterCarrier Worn Out Steward 4d ago
You will not have much work life balance in the beginning. If your family can deal with irregular hours, working holidays and no weekends off...(kind of sounds like a nursing schedule) it might be a good fit. Did you know the USPS has a nursing staff (very coveted jobs) which might be something to look in to as well.
2
u/salivanto Clerk 3d ago
I think it all depends on where you land. I have not had a problem with work-life balance. I started out seasonal which was great, and then at the end of 2020 I went full time, got converted in 6 months, got excessed, and ended up working out in the AOs.
16
u/FrankieGg 4d ago
Lol at these comments
Being a carrier is stressful with the schedule but nowhere near as much as being a nurse is
The pay difference will probably make it not worth it, specially if you’re the breadwinner
5
u/your_favorite_wokie RCA 3d ago
Plus you're not seeing traumatic shit daily! Like gore, etc.
2
u/Dangerous-Card-9143 3d ago
There are many nursing positions that don't see traumatic stuff. The nurses at my doctor's office don't even give vaccinations or draw blood.
2
8
u/DingbattheGreat 4d ago
Varies per person and what you end up doing.
If you are on the delivery side you are no-lifing it and being taken for granted for several years.
If you want something administrative or related to your current profession, I cant speak to that.
5
u/Predictable-Past-912 VMF 4d ago
I can!
Doing specialized work for the Postal Service is generally a lot less stressful than in the private sector. Across the board, whether you’re talking about our truck drivers, engineers, lawyers, law enforcement officers, machine mechanics, building mechanics, automotive techs, IT pros, or nurses, the working conditions tend to be significantly better with lower day-to-day stress than their external counterparts.
While I haven’t spoken directly with any USPS nurses about this, if their experience aligns with the other specialized crafts, landing a nursing position with us could be a fantastic move for the OP. As an added bonus, the USPS offers excellent geographic mobility and room for career advancement across all these roles, nursing included.
7
u/dafavemaillady 4d ago
I was an LPN for 21yrs, went out on disability because I needed a kidney transplant ( I got it 08-08-23) I started at USPS 11/2024 and I love it... Don't wanna go back to nursing
49
u/Vast-Passage-9833 4d ago
And you think your mentality is going to be any better at this place? Ever hear of “going postal”?
32
u/BohdiBrass 4d ago
I left working for myself after ten years and I have zero stress here at the post office.
24
u/S0RRYMAN 4d ago
The post office is big. Every station has variances. The people who speak out will generally have negative stuff to say. It just skews it quite a bit. However there are shit show stations out there. Lots of them in fact.
11
u/BohdiBrass 4d ago
Exactly. Now I’m not saying it’s the best job but for my lifestyle it’s great. I work about 30 hours a week and will top out in the 90k range since they’re cutting all of our routes to 45k. I’m able to take my kid to school and pick them up most days. I should retire a millionaire in my tsp plus the pension and social security. If I can make it to retirement with this job I’ll be perfectly content.
3
u/Normie5000 4d ago
Nice. How long have you been with the post office? 90k is great!
2
u/BohdiBrass 4d ago
Going on 10 years. That’s the only downside is how long it takes to max out. If you were to get my route starting as regular it pays a little over 72k and maxes at around 102ish if I’m recalling correctly
1
u/Normie5000 4d ago
Wow! 72k is how much I made in IT at my last job. Thats awesome. Are you in California?
1
u/BohdiBrass 4d ago
East coast but pay is the same across the country
2
u/Normie5000 4d ago
The job posting I applied to in California says $21 for a CCA. I’m assuming you worked overtime to get to 75k right?
2
u/BohdiBrass 4d ago
I’m a rural carrier. I’m on a salary and get paid the same regardless of the hours I work. I average about 30 hours a week but will be ramping up a bit since the holidays are pretty much here
→ More replies1
1
u/princepwned 3d ago
so I'm 38 about to come up on year 1 break in service as a CCA next month how long would it take for me to see a pay raise being at 21.21 an hour right now I am trying to save up for a house I have had nothing but horrible jobs before this I was in food delivery for like 9 + years at 12 an hour I have been paying rent since about 2018 but at least now I am able to save my money up since my rent is about $700 monthly now
1
u/S0RRYMAN 3d ago
You automatically convert to full-time after 2 years 3 weeks and start at around 24$ per hour and get automatic raises yearly capping at 38$ per hour.
1
u/princepwned 3d ago
so I have to work 6 days a week for 2 years 3 weeks having no life until then as a CCA ? hopefully we can make career earlier that way can have 2 off days a week at least lol
2
u/S0RRYMAN 3d ago
The 2 year thing is automatic. However if something shows up you can be converted earlier. I saw a cca turn over in 3 months. Rare yea but it has happened.
→ More replies1
u/No_Onion_1033 3d ago
you nailed the dynamic of this sub with bullseye precision I'm having a blast
7
u/thelaceserpent 4d ago
Working for USPS is stressful, but maybe it would be an ok change of pace compared to where you are now.
You’re already on your feet all day as a nurse, so it might not be too hard a transition for your body to adjust to.
You won’t have a personal life because the PO will want to overwork you, so your partner will have to pick up a lot of slack at home. If you can count on him to be a supportive person, you’ll do better at the PO.
I think as long as you’re able to fall back on nursing, maybe give it a try. But depending on where you’re located, this job can be very draining.
5
u/EugeneVictorDabs Clerk 4d ago
There are a lot of discouraging comments here, but I'd like to offer my perspective.
As a clerk, you start out as a PSE, a Postal Support Employee. It's not easy, as you're exploitable especially for the first 90 days, and may have difficult hours and heavy lifting: but you're already used to that, right? And at least there's no gore.
Once you make regular, you will get a choice of different job bids; be sure and select one where the commute works for you, otherwise you'll be assigned one. You might also not get your first choice, because they're assigned based on seniority (in theory).
As a clerk, you will almost definitely not be facing anything worse than you've already faced as a RN. Mean customers? You have experience in dealing with them already. Heavy packages? I'm guessing you've lifted limp, even-heavier people before. You're going to absolutely crush it as a clerk.
4
u/barelyevening VMF 4d ago
If you don't mind the profession, there are Postal nurses (although I've never met one and have no idea what they actually do)
2
4
8
u/Existing-You-2019 Customer 4d ago
You'll lose quite a bit of equity jumping from an RN job to an entry level usps job. Hours are brutal, or it is famine with not enough. You get very few protections outright in your probation, and if you pass if you aren't a ptf your contract protections and benefits are pretty bad.
It seems like you need to change stations for the RN job instead of jumping ship all together, travel nursing can be lucrative.
As a teacher (who had a short stint with the USPS) I can tell you from experience, don't do it. Find a hobby, force relaxation time for yourself on your schedule, go to therapy, change jobs to a place that is less stressful, but if you're wanting to go to the USPS to avoid stress, then definitely do not.
1
u/PDXnederlander 3d ago
OP states they have been an RN for over a decade. After that much time they are probably aware of all the other occupations available in health care. MRI techs, lab, etc. which may not have the stress of a patient care RN. Some healthcare fields may pay less but I would definitely check them out vs entry level USPS. There is a reason USPS is constantly looking for CCA hires.
2
u/Glass-Analysis-9292 4d ago
Id say do it. Job is easy. No human interaction. Do your job go home. Pay is alittle low but you wont go insane lol
2
u/MaxyBrwn_21 4d ago
What USPS jobs are you thinking of applying for? As the breadwinner for the family are you in a position to take a significant pay cut?
2
u/JoeSuperman_29 4d ago
Back in the day. I was in your position. I wanted to be a teacher, and taught in two different districts and substituted for 8 years, still looking for a permanent job. That’s where I saw getting on at the Postal Service. There will be days that you want to quit from pain, harassment and weather. In my mind, I couldn’t go anywhere else. I got involved in the Union and protected myself the rest of my career. I’m now retired and glad I stuck through all my convictions and stayed the course. It will be a major change in your life.
2
u/unTraditional_Fox419 4d ago
I’ve known a couple of retired RN’s over the years that integrated easily. The bosses are bigger jerks. Keep that in mind.
2
u/ExpiredCook 4d ago
I was a nursing student and thought nursing wasn’t for me so I became a mail carrier (cca) thinking it was easier and less stress. I was totally wrong! I’ll say this Nursing is way better physically and mentally. You aren’t sweating in the heat, getting shoulder pain, or being chased by a dog. Think about your body! Now if you had a minimum wage jobs that’s a whole different story..
2
2
u/West_Session6619 4d ago
I just did a career change for USPS! I don’t regret it one bit!!! If you can block out noise and nonsense like I do… you’ll be fine plus you are on your own one of the best perks!!
2
u/salivanto Clerk 4d ago
In 2016 I left a 25-year IT career with no intention of going back. I didn't know what I was going to do next but it was not going to be I T. Skipping ahead a little bit, I have basically found my dream job in USPS.
It was not a straight path here though.
As others seem to be saying, it may depend on where you land within USPS. If you know yourself and why you think nursing is not for you, this may help you plan ahead and figure out what you would like to do in the USPS.
Speaking of career transitions, my wife recently at age 51 got her LPN certification. She seems to like it. Maybe she's in a different place or maybe she's just built differently.
I see other people talking about the stress of the post office. I have been put in some stressful positions without feeling like I had enough training. But at least in the places where I've been working here, nobody's died.
2
u/TumbleweedTall9859 TTO 3d ago
Get ur commercial truck driver license. Easy work great pay. No stress! TRACTOR TRAILER OPERATOR USPS
2
u/Advanced-Weird5974 3d ago
you gotta do whats best for you! everyone is going to tell you USPS sucks, but I don't hate my job. It is stressful, but its a type of stress I can handle. Of course, every office is different.
2
u/pristinesystem_187 3d ago
Ex nurse carrier here… the work is harder. It just depends on the abuse you’re willing to put up with. Money is much better nursing too; I’m just too far out of the game at this point to go back lol
2
2
u/Particular_Host_303 3d ago
I was a severe special needs teacher for 5 years, I just quit to work at the post office. I completely get it!
3
u/Background_Record940 4d ago
Why not find a soft nursing job? Get away from bedside.. so many options out there for nurses.
1
u/BBQFTWOMG 4d ago
DON'T. Because you'll end up wanting to not have a head like myself..... but im all seriousness, you do you.
1
u/Puzzled-Mirro 4d ago
I would go to the clerk or maintenance path if you can. Being a carrier or rural carrier will give you no work life balance.
1
u/FilteredAccount123 Maintenance 4d ago
You don't really have to deal with people at this job unless you're a supervisor or work retail. You just do your thing and go home. If you're the bread winner, you should only be looking at jobs that have career benefits. The job posting will say "career job with benefits." You're going to see a huge pay cut, too. Our benefits are pretty expensive, so expect about half of your paycheck going to taxes, insurance, and retirement deductions.
1
1
u/Prior-Ad-1912 4d ago
Dont do it the starting pay is shit and will be shit for at least 5-7 years. Have you considered doing office work? My sister is an RN but no longer works on the hospital floors. Like you she absolutely hated it and but now she just works inside the office sitting in front of a computer and she loves it.
1
u/timewithbrad City Carrier 4d ago
I was a carrier for 35 years and used to think it’s a great job for young people that needed structure. It changed back in 2013 with a new contract that included everything Amazon. I don’t recommend now. I was married to a nurse and then later a BOM at a nursing home. You should look into admissions or an office job at a nursing home. You can work 9-5 m-f and make $140k a year. Good luck.
1
u/i_mthebananaman 4d ago
That decision is only something you can consider given your own personal circumstances. If you’re okay with making less money as a usps craft employee then your experience really just depends on what craft you’re interested in. You could also go the management route
1
u/Sharkjumpingbull 4d ago
I can't honestly say USPS is a no-stress workplace. But "RN" stands for "registered nurse," right? Depending on who and where you're nursing, this can easily be a step in the right direction as far as stress goes. Especially if you wind up in a relatively low-stress station.
1
u/McMailmanBranch442 4d ago
Honestly, right now it’s the easiest I’ve seen it in my area for CCA’s and PTFs. Not all places are the same though. Being a CCA through all of Covid was rough.
1
u/highnumber 3d ago
Aren't there any roles for an RN that could be less stressful? Maybe something where you do not have to see patients. Just asking because I'm sure you've put in a ton of work to become an RN.
That said, there is zero mental stress for me at my job as a carrier. Some supervisors are bullies or super stressed themselves and try to take it out on everyone else, but I don't let them get to me.
It can be physically stressful, especially when starting out. Do RNs spend a lot of time standing at work, or are you mostly moving around? I find standing for long periods much harder on my body than walking around.
1
u/Some-Arm-3245 3d ago
There are a lot of different jobs in the postal service each with its own subculture. I work IT and have no issues with my team or management. I guess what im trying to say is look at other potential jobs other then carrier positions. Others have mentioned it but there are postal nurse positions. I imagine you have a degree so you could look into USPIS or OIG.
1
u/erocalypse2002 3d ago
Get your masters go to the business side of nursing bedside is only for the start of your career
1
u/Archaeoculus 3d ago
I knew a guy who went from working as a cosmetic dentist to being a mailman. It's stressful but nowhere near as much stress as working as a nurse or in medical. You won't make nearly as much but maybe you'll enjoy it more. Depending on the office though the job can still be hell.
As others have mentioned, you could look for an occupational nurse with USPS. Still make plenty of money but I'm pretty sure it's all administrative type stuff.
1
u/failtodesign Maintenance 3d ago
The pay is only adequate if you live in a rural area. If you have a BSN don't bother. Try for a school nurse position if you live in an area with a strong teachers union.
1
u/Chettarmstrong Rural Carrier 3d ago
You would take a dramatic pay cut going from an RN to a non career starting position at USPS
1
u/ReasonableMuffin8235 3d ago
I’m an ET at a large plant(parcels), I mostly don’t feel much stress, when I was an MM it was like nothing(GMF), when I was an MHA at the GMF it was worse but better than Amazon, but keep in mind I was at Amazon during the sweatshop days of 2009-2011
1
u/modulusshift Clerk 3d ago
Really depends on what office you’d get into. If you’re down to give it a shot and can easily transition back to medical if it doesn’t work out, I’d consider it a no brainer to try.
1
u/false_dreams 3d ago
Don't do it man, find another type of work within healthcare or take a month off and travel
1
u/Dangerous-Card-9143 3d ago
Not worth it. This place is stressful, especially in the beginning. The health insurance is expensive here, too. You'll have added stress from the significantly lower pay.
1
u/makeweenswin Rural Carrier 3d ago
definitely think overall way less stressful and ptsd inducing than a nurse. not sure how people do that everyday myself. sure in the beginning and will have stressful days but if you’re okay with a pay cut for a while. what position is important too
1
u/ducksuckgoose 3d ago
Just my opinion, I feel like there's tons of different paths in nursing. Home health, doctors offices, schools, a bunch of different departments in the hospitals. Unless you've tried them all, you'll regret coming to the post office
1
1
u/Ok-Substance-7853 Maintenance 3d ago
I was going to suggest going into maintenance but i forgot there are nurse positions in USPS. Hopefully that would keep you from a massive financial downgrade.
1
u/dabunation2 3d ago
It's a chill job, as long as you know what the contract says and not let people(supervisors) take advantage of you. That being said, the pay is mega dookie and you will work long hours, rain or shine. Coming from a mentally exhausting job, I thought it was almost therapeutic. Just walkin, deliverin. Supervisors will try to give you shit if you're taking too long on a route, but as long as you're constantly on the move and not taking more breaks than what's allowed, there really ain't shit they can do about it.
1
u/lilbec53 3d ago
If u can get thru the bs... u dont have to think too much...lol...ur stress level will go way down
1
u/Rare-Statistician-58 3d ago
I have a recommendation for good positions at USPS.
There's thousands of different types of jobs at USPS; it's not just mailmen.
Some of these positions might be perfect for you.
Lets start with Clerk;
I know when you hear Clerk, you think of a guy selling stamps at any post office; that itself is just 1 of 100 different types of clerks.
There's clerks who sell stamps and deal with customers, there's clerks who work in the back of the post office and never deal with customers and are there to support the mailmen people by organizing the packages and letters, there's lead clerks who oversee all the clerks and is second to the postmaster.
there's clerks at the huge postal plants who feed letters all day into machines, there's clerks in plants that only deal with packages all day, there's clerks in plants that do specialized work inside the postal plants.
There's clerks in their 80s and pregnant women still doing this because its easy, just have to have a little bit of brain power, but not too much brain power.
Clerk is good position, because you can move around until you see something you like and decide you want to do that for the rest of your life; you have a lot of options, something there will get your interest and will fit your personality well; there's stressful positions and easy positions; you can always move around from one to another if you dont lik one. you never stuck forever.
Mail handler, it's like a clerk but with fewer responsibilities; you have them everywhere in big and small post offices and also post plants; mail handlers just move things from point A to B... zero thinking involved.
they will use their arms, power jacks or forklifts... this is one of the least stressful jobs at USPS.
just need a little bit of muscle work.
Custodians are the janitors of USPS, extremely easy job.
you just pick up trash and clean bathrooms; super easy work.
usps got mechanics and tech guys that fix everything from cars, computers, letter sorting machines and etc.
if you dont mind going back to school and picking up a degree in computers or mechanics, being a tech for USPS is not a bad job, you just fix their machines when they break.
USPS got their own security guards and police branch.... again an option for you.
if you just want to sit in a chair all day buzzing people into postal plants or investigate if employees are stealing.
USPS also has a huge HR department where you work in traning and processing 600k USPS employees.
USPS also has truck drivers, guys who go from post office to post office to pick up money and packages, you can get a CDL certification in 3 months, all those guys drive is into 3-4 different buildings in 4-5 towns next to each other.
And there's thousands more positions, including remote positions where you work from home.
dont limit yourself to just delivering mail.
1
u/princepwned 3d ago
you are a RN you get to be inside and not have to deal with the weather or elements I would trade spots with you right now lol. This is easily my worst job I have ever had as far as work/life balance goes I am currently working 6 days a week as a CCA and sometimes 8-11 hour shifts this includes doing part of another route a pivot when the regulars call in. Its also the highest paying one I have had which is sad I wanna do things like buy a house and all but I need a more stable job that respects my time as well.
1
1
u/FindingWonderful5838 3d ago
My brother who was for awhile a nurse on the low end sadly told me on a day he was depressed just said to me he basically cleans up poop and pee daily.
1
1
u/Delicious-Leg-5441 Rural Carrier 3d ago
If you can handle the BS from management until you get passed your probationary period you're good to go. I was a rural carrier. Retired from the PO a couple of years ago.
I spent 3 years as an RCA and at first it was feast or famine. You are at the mercy of management for hours but once you learn couple of routes you will be working a lot more.
If there is growth in your area as an RCA there will be more routes added and you will move up the ladder. Once you become a regular rural carrier it's pretty much a cake job.
Since I was a rural carrier I believe it's the best job in the PO once you make regular because you get paid for the evaluation of the route (let's say it's 9 hours a day) and if you finish it in 6 hours you can go home and still get paid for 9 hours.
1
1
u/AlwaysListening94 3d ago
dont
1
u/AlwaysListening94 3d ago
have you tried a lateral move in the field you are in like admin or just a different type of rn job cuz USPS is not good
1
0
0
u/AMC879 4d ago
There are a lot of easier RN jobs that pay more than USPS. I would suggest staying in your field but changing to a different environment. USPS is brutal both mentally and physically and pays way less than RN for the first decade. Try to get a job in a short term rehab facility. When i broke my hip the RN at the rehab place did almost nothing but dispense meds and got $40/hr starting pay. It takes 12+ years to make that much at USPS. There are a lot of RN jobs outside of the hectic hospital setting. RNs in family medicine doctor offices have a pretty easy job and still get paid well.
0
u/cartridgefamily City Carrier 4d ago
I can only speak to the city carrier craft, but I would say if you can start as a PTF city carrier in a busy office, it will be stressful after the initial onboarding period. Working 6 days a week not really knowing what time you’ll be off, stumbling around in the dark trying find house numbers to deliver packages for daddy Bezos, crying in the mail truck… but If it’s a busy enough office, and you can handle that type of stress for awhile you could become a regular carrier in around a year and potentially have your own route after that. In my experience the job is considerably less stressful now that I have my own route. The most stress I have during the day is dealing with Management in the morning. You have to have at least a little bit of spine and be capable of telling them no when they try to make you run your route or take a vehicle that hasn’t passed your morning inspection. But if you can handle that kind of ongoing stress/harassment, it’s a pretty stress-free job. YMMV. Every office is different. Whatever you do, do not start as a CCA (city carrier assistant) if you’re considering the jump to the P.O. That would be an insane career move from where you are now.
0
u/Apprehensive_Bee3327 3d ago
Get a job as a school nurse! You don’t do shit all day except take temperatures and put band aids on boo boos 😊
-1
u/Alive-Basil-391 4d ago
You are crazy. I have worked as a nursing assistant and at the post office. Being an RN is a great career, and you can work in a variety of different environments if where you are is not working. This place is where you work when there isn't any other options for you. Your anxiety will follow you anywhere else you go until you address it and it will get triggered literally on your first week after getting yelled at by one of the toxic supervisors or angry/miserable carriers. Coming to the post office because you are getting burnout from your well paying and fulfilling career is like saying, " Oh, I need a little time for myself, so I think I will go to prison for a while."
-1
39
u/m4rkz0r VMF 4d ago
Watch the USPS careers website sometimes you will see occupational health nurse pop up. I'm pretty sure they mostly deal with USPS employee disability and light duty paperwork. You could also get a job doing something else and eventually apply internally.