by niteowlrn29

I have been a nurse now for 1 yr and have worked on a step down tele unit from CVICU. Most of our patients have had CAGB, amputations, or pneumectomies. We also get some CHF excerbations, post cath, post pacemaker. Okay so let me first say I love my job. It is a great place to work and for the most part the staff is great. (of course theres always one or two). But anyways so I work nights which has been great because I am able to read the chart and learn a little more about the patient and of course spend more time with patients when my time allows. Most of the time our nurse/pt ratio is 1:4 and sometimes 1:5 when we are short. So I really don't have any compliants with my job. However, now I am starting to get a little bored. I want to learn more. I want to learn more critical thinking skills and experiences, something that will stimulate some more thinking.

So I put in an application for a CCU position (in the same hosptial) When I told my nurse manager, needless to say she wasn't exactly happy. She told me that I wasn't ready. She asked me if I was ready to do charge. (we are getting ready to lose to charge nurses) I told her that charge wasn't my goal. She said that I need to master this job before I move somewhere else. She said if I was happy then I wouldn't want to leave.

Maybe if I worked during the days I would learn a little more and not be so bored, but I still want to learn more. By the way, my plan is to go back to school online in Jan to get my BSN. ( i have my ADN now). And long plan in a within the next few years is to travel ICU nurse.

So my question for your advice is....
Is is too soon for me to move to another unit? They have hired new grads in CCU and CVICU.
Would it be foolish for me to leave a good thing? It is a great floor and staff, but a friend is over in CCU and says its great and she loves it too, great staff and work.

Would appriciate your input.

Re: Am I ready?

I say go for it. If you dont want to do charge then your not going to like it. I think if your unhappy where your at and you think you will be more happy else where then go for it, dont wait. Atleast thats what i would do.

Re: Am I ready?

Well see thats the dilemma, I am not unhappy where I am. I very much like and enjoy my job. i am just looking for me. to be honest, (and i hope i don't eat my words esp tonite lol) i am a little bored. plus i do want to learn more. i don't want to be complacent. I am a very curious person by nature and love to learn. and i feel like that is not being fed at work. i am always looking up diseases or refreshing my memory what something is. or try to put it all togethor. but i still need more. more exerience, more hands on work, more critical thinking.

Re: Am I ready?

You manager is a moron. Unless you aren't a good nurse. Which is sound like you are since you try hard to learn more and seek out new opportunities. Clearly she/he (probably a she) is more interest in fulfilling her bottom line and has no interest in your career success.
Nursing is a great field but you HAVE to serve your OWN self interest in regards to your career. If you're not ready for ICU after some time in a step down, why do they hire new grads? If you're not ready for ICU why does she want you to do charge? Trying to guilt trip you into staying where you are is very insulting. I would NOT work for this individual ONE MORE DAY.
Put in your transfer.

Re: Am I ready?

Your daily routine is doing for others, but we gotta do for ourselves sometimes too. Transfer!

Re: Am I ready?

It sounds like your manager is thinking about her own staffing issues and not your career. I too am a new grad, I started working in the emergency department part time in Jaunary of this year. A full-time critical care/ emergency position became available last month. I was torn on what to do (as I LOVE ER) and discussed it with my manager. She said that she would be sad to lose me but that it would be better for both my career and my home life (benefits for my daughter). She also said that she would be happy to have me return when I was able to get full time in straight ER. You need to think about yourself and you career/learning needs. I plan to return to the ER eventually but this new position in critical care will make me a much better nurse than I am now. If the new position will help your future career than TRANSFER! If your manager was supportive she would tell you the same

Re: Am I ready?

that is one of the good things about nursing, able to move around and learn new things. I started out 3 years ago in the cvicu as a new grad, guess what,, I promise before you know it you will be doing charge there too. I don't agree with your manager. sounds like she is trying to get her staff to stay so she don't have to retrain. I love my job in cvicu however im thinking about trying something else.

Re: Am I ready?

Well thank you all for your replys. Just to update you guys, CCU manager called me and thanked me for applying but said she just hired 5 new grads and needs someone with more experience. (go figure). So I am just looking into other avenues for experience on my flooor.

Re: Am I ready?

Originally Posted by SecondGenRN

I too am a new grad, I started working in the emergency department part time in Jaunary of this year. A full-time critical care/ emergency position became available last month. I was torn on what to do (as I LOVE ER) and discussed it with my manager. She said that she would be sad to lose me but that it would be better for both my career and my home life (benefits for my daughter). She also said that she would be happy to have me return when I was able to get full time in straight ER.

It sounds like you've got a great manager - sad to lose you, but willing to give you honest advice on what's best for YOU.

Re: Am I ready?

You are definitely ready to move on. If you stick around on a unit in which you are losing interest in, you may burn out or start dreading your shifts. No one wants to be unhappy at work. It takes guts to leave an area that you know and step out into the unknown. You will only grow in your nursing career by making decisions like this. Being a floor nurse has helped you prepare for the ICU more than you know. You already understand time management, physician-nurse collaboration, patient interactions, and basic nursing procedures. All of these items are present in the ICU as well. All you need to do is the learn the specifics of ICU nursing care. Based on what you have said, your current nurse manager is a pinhead. I agree with all of the other respondents in that your manager is looking more at her staffing needs that at you building your career. Don't hang around those who want to pull you down. You should seek out those who want to lift you up. I wish you good luck in the ICU and I hope you keep expanding your horizons.