help! to follow my heart or not???

Nurses New Nurse

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im struggling! i just finished 3 months orientation on a cardiac step down unit. i like the fact that im learning a ton especially fine tuning my assessment and organization skills. ive been exploring other job options, mainly working per diem with kids with developmental delays and behavioral problems. i have 6 years experience working as a mental health counselor and a supervisor on a residential program. i worked closely with the residential nurse and know that role well. im passionate about working with this population. well, i finished nursing school and decided to work in the cardiac unit because i worked there as a nursing assistant, and i knew i would get a good orientation and really develop my skills. well, i did get a great orientation but i realize that cardiac nursing isnt what i want to do? not to mention, the unit im working on is so rough. some of the nurses have been so rude to me, one of them yelled at me for not answering a call light after he ordered me to! i felt so humiliated but didnt have the confidence to speak up. there are some real tight cliques on the unit and if they dont accept you, then they drive you out. they drove out a friend of mine who oriented with me. the nursing supervisor actually told her that she asked too many questions. i recently got this amazing job offer working as a nurse supervisor at a school for kids with developmental disorders. id be managing lpns, and coordinating all aspects of care for these kids. its full time, no weekends, no holidays, 9-5 pm, and it pays more. the nursing supervisor who interviewed me said that it would be a lot of training, but she was impressed with my previous experience and would be willing to train me and support me as much as necessary. if i stick with the cardiac unit, i may miss this wonderful opportunity to do what i love. this is a small school without a lot of nursing turnover. if i leave the cardiac unit now, i may be missing out on a lot of skills to be gained. im so unhappy on the cardiac unit but should i suck it up for the experience? im seriously torn over this. please help!!!!!

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im struggling! i just finished 3 months orientation on a cardiac step down unit. i like the fact that im learning a ton especially fine tuning my assessment and organization skills. ive been exploring other job options, mainly working per diem with kids with developmental delays and behavioral problems. i have 6 years experience working as a mental health counselor and a supervisor on a residential program. i worked closely with the residential nurse and know that role well. im passionate about working with this population. well, i finished nursing school and decided to work in the cardiac unit because i worked there as a nursing assistant, and i knew i would get a good orientation and really develop my skills. well, i did get a great orientation but i realize that cardiac nursing isnt what i want to do? not to mention, the unit im working on is so rough. some of the nurses have been so rude to me, one of them yelled at me for not answering a call light after he ordered me to! i felt so humiliated but didnt have the confidence to speak up. there are some real tight cliques on the unit and if they dont accept you, then they drive you out. they drove out a friend of mine who oriented with me. the nursing supervisor actually told her that she asked too many questions. i recently got this amazing job offer working as a nurse supervisor at a school for kids with developmental disorders. id be managing lpns, and coordinating all aspects of care for these kids. its full time, no weekends, no holidays, 9-5 pm, and it pays more. the nursing supervisor who interviewed me said that it would be a lot of training, but she was impressed with my previous experience and would be willing to train me and support me as much as necessary. if i stick with the cardiac unit, i may miss this wonderful opportunity to do what i love. this is a small school without a lot of nursing turnover. if i leave the cardiac unit now, i may be missing out on a lot of skills to be gained. im so unhappy on the cardiac unit but should i suck it up for the experience? im seriously torn over this. please help!!!!!

i can't tell you what to do but i follwed the path of least resistance and higher dollars. that basically has led me here. now i am 36, bitter and working 50-70 hours a week while taking my pre-reqs to get into nursing school. my life sux but i have to do what i have to do to get my life back on track. shoulda listened to mom when she said i'd make a good ER nurse.

think about it carefully because to backtrack to do what you really want to do may have a high price.

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Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.

You deserve to be happy right? Did all those years in school mean you should take a job and not be happy, HELL no! Take the job, you will regret it later if you allow it to pass by!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Do what's going to make you happiest. Stepdown units are notoriously hard for new graduates. I know, I worked on one for 5 years. Why stay with cardiac nursing if that is not where your heart lies? How many times did you ever see any of the procedures you are doing on your cardiac stepdown unit done at the residential facility you worked at?

Having been a supervisor and nurse manager I would just give you a heads up to be prepared to be looking for some written information on leadership, management, customer service and dealing with complaints and difficult employees and performing evaluations of employees as these are things that come up in nursing supervision. Also, based on what you posted I think it would be a very good idea for you to either read up on assertiveness techniques and/or take a seminar on it. You are going to have to learn how to confront and face up to people giving you some kind of grief in a nice, respectful way or the employees you supervise will end up walking all over you. You will most likely have to be learning to do scheduling and possibly nursing assignments. Speaking of which, make sure it is clear whether or not you are going to have to "fill in" for one of the LPNs if you are short-staffed. It takes time to learn those skills, but if the person you spoke with is willing to train you, I'd go for it. This sounds like it might be a golden opportunity, but you'll never know unless you try it. Supervision is also a skill--one which you are probably not going to get any practice at on a stepdown unit. I don't know what your level of nursing education is, but I can tell you that once you've had a job in supervision, you will be able to work in other jobs as a supervisor. It is a specialized area of nursing just like working stepdown or ICU, or OB.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.

TAKE THE NEW OPPORTUNITY, NOW! I always hear about skills & losing skills. I say BS, since nursing has so many opportunities. So many nurses get out of nursing d/t they don't like a particular field. I say be in a field of nursing you enjoy, then fine tune those nursing skills particular to the specialty. You have a chance to better your schedule, pay scale, and happiness on the job. So, go for it!

You better post up Monday evening here that you accepted the new position, or I'll :angryfire ... J/K. Good luck on your decision. :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

More money, working 9-5, no week-ends, no holidays , a field you love vs. a high stress job working with trolls.....hmmmmmm.

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Specializes in GI, OR, Oncology.

Well, it sounds like an easy decision to me... what's holding you back? You should absolutely follow your heart. Life is too short - do what you love. It sounds like you should get out of your current job anyway, so to have this wonderful opportunity in front of you sounds almost too good to be true. Let us know what you decide and how it works out.

Congratulations and good luck ~ Christine

im struggling! i just finished 3 months orientation on a cardiac step down unit. i like the fact that im learning a ton especially fine tuning my assessment and organization skills. ive been exploring other job options, mainly working per diem with kids with developmental delays and behavioral problems. i have 6 years experience working as a mental health counselor and a supervisor on a residential program. i worked closely with the residential nurse and know that role well. im passionate about working with this population. well, i finished nursing school and decided to work in the cardiac unit because i worked there as a nursing assistant, and i knew i would get a good orientation and really develop my skills. well, i did get a great orientation but i realize that cardiac nursing isnt what i want to do? not to mention, the unit im working on is so rough. some of the nurses have been so rude to me, one of them yelled at me for not answering a call light after he ordered me to! i felt so humiliated but didnt have the confidence to speak up. there are some real tight cliques on the unit and if they dont accept you, then they drive you out. they drove out a friend of mine who oriented with me. the nursing supervisor actually told her that she asked too many questions. i recently got this amazing job offer working as a nurse supervisor at a school for kids with developmental disorders. id be managing lpns, and coordinating all aspects of care for these kids. its full time, no weekends, no holidays, 9-5 pm, and it pays more. the nursing supervisor who interviewed me said that it would be a lot of training, but she was impressed with my previous experience and would be willing to train me and support me as much as necessary. if i stick with the cardiac unit, i may miss this wonderful opportunity to do what i love. this is a small school without a lot of nursing turnover. if i leave the cardiac unit now, i may be missing out on a lot of skills to be gained. im so unhappy on the cardiac unit but should i suck it up for the experience? im seriously torn over this. please help!!!!!
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Specializes in ACNP-BC.

I agree with the others here. Take that job since it's what you want to do, plus the pay & hours are great! Sounds awesome to me! :)

-Christine

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Specializes in L&D.

There would be no question at all that I would take a dream job of mine instead of staying in a position that wasn't making me happy. Go for it!!

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I totally agree with everyone else. Get out now, and go where your heart it! You don't want to end up a bitter nurse like the ones that you currently work with. Nursing is supposed to be fun, and fulfilling. If it's not, you need to move on to an area that is.

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thanks guys for all of your support! i ended up taking the job! actually, the nurse manager offered me a supervisor position a little less involved in terms of managment skills. its more like a growing position for me with the hopes that i can prepare myself for the more involved supervisor position. she made me feel great. like she really considered me as a person, with my strengths and also the skills i need time to work on. i felt like she really wanted me as an employee, and that she was willing to really support me and allow me to grow. i think im really going to love this job!:):):):)

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

That is so wonderful for you! Keep us posted on how things go. :balloons:

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