HELP

Nurses General Nursing

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Help! I'm a new nurse and have been working for 7 months as a med surg nurse. I float to different floors all the time, in hopes to find the floor I want to stay on. I've had a lot of stressful moments but tried to always look at everything as a challenge and a teaching experience. I know that I've learned a lot over the couple of months and that I know more than I do now, but I've been feeling really sad lately about things. I always come to work all positive and feel like I leave thinking that I hate my job. I just feel like I have really more bad days/nights than I do good ones... I always feel so overwhelmed and everything is just so stressful. I've been thinking whether these are just one of those challenges or if I need a career change or just to try something else with my RN degree. I no longer feel that great passion of helping other people than when I started my career excited of making a difference... I just feel really burnt out for many reasons. I just don't know if I can do this anymore. I've only called out once in my 7 months when I was sick but recently, I called out just b/c I felt like I wasn't mentally/emotionally able to handle going back the next day after having a cry out session/anxiety attack/hyperventilating session after my last shift. I'm feeling lost and confused and feeling like I worked so hard to get to where I am and overcame so many things to get my RN degree just to feel no passion at what I do anymore b/c of so much that i've had to go through already. I just want to know what else I can do with my RN degree or if anyone have any advice for what I'm feeling right now. I'd greatly appreciate any help.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Nursing is very frustrating job, emotionally and physically. :crying2:

Being a new nurse and floating to different units are definately overwhelming. use your ppl to take off a few days. It will refresh your mind and soul.

whenever I got frustrated at work, I used to think about all the hard work , time and money I spent in the nursing school. I did not think about saving somebody or making things better for someone. I thought about My time, and my money I spent for this profession. I know it is a selfish attitude, but it motivated me to stay on the job and strive to be better. .:nurse:

Hope you will find the unit you would like to contribute your time in it very soon.

until then, learn as much as you can to prepare for your future position. :redpinkhe

Specializes in ICU, CCU, CVRU, little peds.

there might be alot of med/surg rn's who disagree but, i would feel the same way as you if i worked med surg, it seems that med surg at most hospitals are very poorly staffed, when cuts need to be made med surg is usually the first on the chopping block. If i were in your shoes i would look at working ICU, CCU, PACU, OR, Cath lab, peds, picu nicu (basically anything but medsurg) those units typically are staffed better. However, as you stated you had a "cry out session/anxiety attack/hyperventilating session" if this is happening often you might think about seeing a doctor for help with panic attacks as nursing is not a typical low stress job.

Take a break. And I mean a real break not a few days off. It sounds like you need a holiday badly. Don't do anything go anywhere, plan anything. Just 'waste' your time a little, chill out and relax.

Nursing is awfully stressful and the first year is one of the most stressful. It's hard to care for others when you're not even sure if you yourself will make it through the day.

After your break consider if you want to continue in this field or go somewhere else. At any rate, pay attention to yourself and your level of stress. If it gets to the point where you once again or dying to stay home even if its for an imagined illness...its time for another break.

Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.

Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.

After reading post after post about new grads.. It seems the 6 months period causes many to start to ?? their career choice! Take some time off for you.. stop trying to save the World. After nursing school, boards and new grad job anyone would be worn-out.

You need to take care of yourself, see someone if anxiety levels get worse or panic attacks continue.

I think floating is hard as a new grad. You don't build up as strong of support systems as you would staying on one unit. You might not have the opportunities to be as involved in the social aspects of being on one floor, after work get togethers, potlucks, a staff members baby shower. These social aspect help with bonding.

Also does your work have an employee assistance counseling services. Where I work they have it free for employees. They are counselors that are part of the general public that have a contract with a group that contracts with our hospital.

Have you asked your education department for support. Do they have any new grad services? We've had programs where new grads meet at set points during their first year to talk about the positives and negatives of adapting their first year as a nurse.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Consider working one unit for a period of time to gain confidence. Once you get in a routine you might feel more able to handle the stressors. Good luck

hi everyone! i have a big problem.. i have taken the toefl last december 10, 2010. i got 96% as the over-all score and got 23 on the speaking part. wisconsin bon got the result and accepted and considered my over-all score and even posted it in my application status-toefl-passed. my problem is cgfns would not issue the ces report because of just the speaking part being 23 (26 is the passing for them). now i'm confused, my bon says i passed but then the cgfns says i failed the speaking part. whom should i believe. to make the story short i contacted the cgfns thru e-mail and phone. i talked to the customer service agent and told me that i should contact the wi-bon to confirm it with them. so, i did that, but the credential officer of the wi-bon replied first that they have no control of cgfns requirements. i e-mailed her again of the contact people of cgfns-(which the customer agent gave me)she could contact to confirm they have considered my toefl scores, and literally begged her to just contact them. she e-mailed me back with this e-mail response:

i am currently working on nursing items received in our agency during the week of 2-7-11. if our agency received materials on or after this date, it will get processed in order received. due to the holidays, vacation days, mandatory furlough days, this may take longer.

for new graduate exam applicants: please note that you were previously instructed to send your application at least six weeks prior to your graduation date.

just a reminder, according to the application instructions, please allow at least 15-20 business days after we receive each item in our agency for us to review, process and/or update any incoming items, (i.e. applications, email, mail or faxes). also, please view the 3 charts in the below link describing the application process and timeline: http://165.189.60.145/docview.asp?docid=723&locid=0

for current application status updates, please watch our website (website is: drl.wi.gov, click on "application status")

thanks and have a great day.

do you think she will grant my request? do you think she will contact the cgfns? or should i just give up on this? first, i do not want to give up because it causes more time & money...please help...any replies would be considered..thank you and more power..

CGFNS wants the WI-BON to confirm it with them that they did consider my TOEFL scores as PASSED before they can issue the CES report. I just could not understand why at first the credential officer said she can't do that. But when I e-mailed her the contacgt people she can contact just to confirm my TOEFL she sent me the e-mail which I posted above...

Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.

What does above post have to do with original post? I am totally lost!

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