[lindyjoe]

Hello all! I need some advice on choosing a career path. I'm a new nurse with six months experience. Initially, I wanted to be a critical care nurse with the ultimate goal of a CRNA. I was pretty focused right out of school. I immediately started my BSN program at Drexel University. I started off on a telemetry unit and am now orienting in the ICU. I am taking my critical care course next week and ACLS in May.

You would think I am well on my way. There is one problem.......I hate working in the hospital. I feel guilty even saying so. Its just not for me. I don't feel that I am able to use my brain and critical thinking skills. I work nights with no aids or secretary. We do everything. I feel like I spend my shift cleaning up poop. There is barely time to get all the patient care done. I'm miserable, I need more stimulation.

I need advice on how to go about a new career path. I was thinking about something in research or community health. The problem is, I can not find any info on entering these particular specialties. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[carebearRN08]

You will learn a lot about research and community health if your BSN program was anything like mine. After the BSN you should be eligible to get your Public Health certification, then you will be able to pursue your career in community health. The most common places I have seen PHNs employed was through the county health dept. There are a number of programs funded by the government that nurses work with along with other departments such as disaster preparedness, communicable disease, and early childhood development to name a few. Your county health dept. should have information regarding these positions.

As far as research goes, I was under the impression that research is done most frequently by masters degree and doctorate nurses, although I could be way off. I can't help you with that one.

Finally, I have to comment on your current positon. Are you in critical care yet or still in tele? Even in tele you should always be using some critical thinking skills, and definitely more so in ICU. I'm sorry to hear that you feel like wiping poop is a waste of your brain, but without sounding catty, I'd like to say that sometimes it is just a part of our jobs as nurses. I have never seen an ICU that was fully staffed with nurses aides; those nurses did all the patient care and that was just accepted.

Anyway, hospital nursing is not for everyone, its just a shame that we are having so many people leave the bedside for other places I do wish you luck and hope you find your niche.