New Grad...should i stick with nursing?

Nurses New Nurse

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Hey fellow allnurses.com friends!

I graduated with my nursing degree end of 2014. I had already made a decision before graduating to take a break and do some travel for 6 months before finding a nursing job, as the degree was intense and i hadn't stopped studying since school.

Throughout my degree, I found the stress of placements exhausting and mentally draining. I often would go home after hospital placements (i didn't find community placements as stressful) crying and not wanting to continue my study & become a nurse. I really haven't enjoyed the hospital work.

With suggestions from friends and family, I continued and persevered with the degree as i was already halfway when I was doubting whether i wanted to even be a nurse anymore. I really am not a fan of the burnt out, under-staffed hospital wards however i absolutely love caring for people and find so much reward from this.

During my study, i pondered on whether to study teaching. That was still caring. Just in a different way. I have done a lot of babysitting/nanny work and love working with kids.

I just got back from my overseas trip/break 3 weeks ago and since then have been trying to find a new grad nursing position. Mainly because I feel I should still give nursing a go, as i am registered (in my country you become a registered nurse after sitting the state examination at the end of your final degree year).

I feel that if i don't give nursing a go now, i won't ever be able to.

However, the thought of working in a hospital really does not interest me. In fact, it makes me extremely nervous and worried-which has very likely been brought on from my fear of hospital placements.

Throughout all my placements, I did pretty well. I got average or above average feedback from preceptors and made a good impression. It was my lack of confidence and fear of being constantly assessed which would get me down.

I am currently relieving at early childhood centres to earn while i look for a nursing position.

However...I am still so unsure whether i really should become a nurse.

Whether to do nursing, or teaching, or something else.

It is such a difficult decision. I really need a proper job to earn money and save (i am getting married early next year) and i am 22, and would really like to begin my career.

What on earth should i do?

If I was to begin nursing, am i good enough for it? After being out of the degree for 6 months now and not having learnt loads of clinical skills, i feel i still have so much knowledge and skill gaps!

I have heard if you are passionate about something, and willing to put 110% in, you can do anything. So does that mean i am capable of becoming a nurse? a good nurse?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for taking the time to read this long message! :)

AspiringNurseMW

1 Article; 942 Posts

Try non hospital jobs. If you know the hospital isn't for you, don't work there.

Everline

901 Posts

Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

Why not look for a nursing job outside of the hospital? What kind of community jobs are available in your area? You might be able to find your niche in community work. What about a school or a clinic? Nursing is such a wide field. Even if you don't stay in it forever, you very well may find something that you like well enough to do while you pursue other endeavors.

Editorial Team / Moderator

Lunah, MSN, RN

14 Articles; 13,766 Posts

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Look, nursing isn't for everyone - there is no shame in that. But "nursing" doesn't always have to be hospital/bedside/patient care. You can do a Google search on something like "jobs I can get with a nursing degree" and see what comes up.

Granted, a lot of these positions require nursing experience - because really, what you learn in nursing school is a foundation, not the sum total of nursing. But it is worth a look. Good luck!

Specializes in IMCU, Oncology.

So you like working with kids, did you ever consider school nursing? I am not sure you could do that as a new grad, but perhaps you can work in a pediatric clinic to gain some experience before school nursing or even pediatric home health nursing.

Trauma Columnist

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

88 Articles; 21,249 Posts

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to first year after nursing licensurelicensure

NiqueLnD_RN

3 Posts

Pediatric homehealth!

Skips, MSN, RN

517 Posts

Specializes in L&D.

Try clinics or school nursing.

I got into both as a nurse with less than 1 year of experience. I hated the hospital environment (I knew this in school), but I made the mistake of taking a job right out of school in the hospital. Don't apply to hospital jobs if you know you hate it. You will hate it even more as a new nurse.

Good luck with your Job Search! (:

Steer clear of bedside Nursing Jobs. All institutions treat bedside nurses very inhumanely, like slaves... they expect you to do increasingly more with less, your basic rights are trampled, you're emotional/physically/psychologically abused, you're everyone else's fall-guy... blame will always be deliberately and erroneously attributed onto you in order for family/patients/MDs/admin/higher-ups, you name it to deflect their own responsibility... and at the end of the day you might have a paycheck but you won't feel like a person, you won't feel like a HUMAN. If you value being treated like a human being, stay away from bedside nursing. Protect yourself and your quality of life!

Go and get your masters and go into research or informatics. If I had my BSN and not my stupid useless practical nursing diploma... that is what I would do (i.e. get my masters). I was like you, I knew I hated hospital work/bedside care and believe me forcing yourself to do it will only make you feel more anxious and miserable. You have your BSN and that is fantastic. It would really safeguard your future to go get your masters and push forward for non-clinical jobs. Best of luck and I hope everything works out for you :)

Wrangler156

75 Posts

Specializes in PACU, Oncology/hospice.

I love this response this is very very truthful.... Bedside nursing in the hospital nurses get treated like slaves and are expected to do 100 different things with only 2 hands and not the adequate supplies. I left bedside nursing at just 6 months in and I don't regret it a second. Now in the outpatient surgery setting and going back to get my masters for my FNP I start in January and I couldn't be happier.

I was a new grad who looked for a job for almost a year after I got my license. I know I was a bit rusty when I got to my unit but such a large part of nursing is learned on the job. I had some really crappy clinical rotations in school. Watching crabby, over worked nurses on short staffed unit left a bad taste in my mouth. I was terrified that I would end up burned out too. Not all hospitals are like the ones you did your rotations at! I love my unit and my coworkers. It's nothing like what I had feared. Sometimes you just have to dive in head first and give it all you have!! You might love it and you might not..but if you don't try how will you know?

kathleen07

9 Posts

An update...

I pushed on and ended up taking a year break after I graduated from my nursing degree to decide. Everyone kept encouraging me to apply for new graduate Nursing Jobs, so I did. I didn't get the first 2, but got a new grad nurse position in a paediatric hospital on a general medical unit (paediatric hospital new grad nurse positions are extremely competitive so I thought this was a bit of a sign to give it a go)! I haven't begun it yet, I begin there in a month. I am as nervous as ever, and still am unsure whether this is what I want, but I will keep pushing on and go ahead with it. I ultimately want to be a GP nurse in a practice or a homecare nurse for children...or something totally different but still in the caring area (occupational therapy perhaps)

P.s. Koni01, I tried to reply to your private message but the allnurses new policy is that I can't send them unless I have more posts on the boards on here. What did you end up doing?

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