I'm so confused.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Peds.

I gradaute nursing school in May of 2007. I started work and took boards in June 2007. My first job ended in December 2007, due to no fault of my own. I took my second job January 2008. (I should have known better they offer the job to me on the spot. ) My first job was in Womens/Infant Services which I love. My second job is ortho/neuro post surgical, basically it is the catch ALL floor for the hospital. I've told them we are WAY understaffed for such serious cases. It was not uncommon at all to have 8-10 pts. all by yourself, especially at night.

Well...This pass sunday all the emotions and feeling that I had been trying to keep bottled up came rushing out. I basically went temporary crazy. I was shaking, crying :crying2:, could not think clearly. I ended up in the ER got to talk to the wonderful doctor who gave me ativan and told me to go home.

I had already put in a job change request and had a interview with that today. I talked to my current manager who said I was not welcomed back (like I would go back:no:), I'm not sure where to go from here. I haven't even been a nurse for a year and I'm ready to give up. :banghead:

I still live at home and have very few bills :yeah:so going back to school is not out of the question. I started out in college for elem. education and only need 2 more years to have that degree. I'm just not sure what to do.:confused:

Any Advice? Sorry it is kinda long.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

I am sorry things worked out against your favor but I would advise you to research your job offerings more in depth next time. Try talking to staff nurses before hand and ask for a tour of the unit. I believe it is so important to research your job beforehand.

If you truly feel dissatisfied with nursing then maybe you should go back to school but again I cannot help you make the decision since it is such a drastic change from the nursing world.

Whatever you choose to do I can only wish you good luck

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med Surg, Pediatrics, ER.

Before you decide whether or not to go back to school you must first decide if it is the field of nursing you are wanting out of or if it is your current job situation. I have had a bad experience also, but it due to atmosphere and politics of my previous employer, not nursing. It was devastating and made me question why I had become a nurse to begin with. It can really damage your self-esteem when you stay in a bad situation.

There are a lot of opportunities in nursing. Explore your options. According to your post, finances are not an issue. Maybe taking a little time and reflecting on what you really want to do would help.

Best Wishes!

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While you are young, at home, with few bills, is a good time to explore career options. You could continue to work part-time as a nurse while finishing your education degree, even taking a lighter load of classes and doing the education degree in 3 or 4 years if need be. By the time you are done the education degree you should have a better idea if you want to do nursing or school teaching. Even if you choose nursing, because of possibilities like physical injuries and burnout, it might be good to have a backup career in the wings.

Since you love working in Womens/Infant Services maybe there is a job for that at another place in your area.

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Between the short-staffing and her comment to you, consider yourself lucky you no longer work for that ass.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do. Please don't make any impulsive decisions... there are plenty of areas that you can work as a nurse. But before you chuck it altogether, give yourself some time to recuperate from the stress you've been under.

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Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.
Between the short-staffing and her comment to you, consider yourself lucky you no longer work for that ass.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do. Please don't make any impulsive decisions... there are plenty of areas that you can work as a nurse. But before you chuck it altogether, give yourself some time to recuperate from the stress you've been under.

That's the sort of uumph you need! It's their loss. I would have been under a 2 physician hold if I had 8-10 pts.

There are so many jobs out there. What about school nursing?

Good luck!

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.
that's the sort of uumph you need! it's their loss. i would have been under a 2 physician hold if i had 8-10 pts.

there are so many jobs out there. what about school nursing?

good luck!

all sorts of other options (if, in fact, it was the job situations and not nursing in general you feel is a poor fit) i.e.,

public health

md office

case management

occupational nursing

and i'm sure others can chime in with non-hospital positions they have known and loved.

just remember the classroom can be stressful, too. my dh teaches at the elementary level, and is a 50+ year old former army officer, and some days he reaches his limit with the uninvolved parents, kids who have never owned a book, and the politics!!:banghead:

best wishes and ((:redbeathe)))

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Specializes in Peds.

Thanks everyone. I live in the Birmingham metro area, Alabama. I've looked for other jobs, no one really has any women's jobs open. I've thought about being an office nurse but don't really know how to go about doing that.

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Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.
Thanks everyone. I live in the Birmingham metro area, Alabama. I've looked for other jobs, no one really has any women's jobs open. I've thought about being an office nurse but don't really know how to go about doing that.

You know how to go about doing that...give yourself some credit. I just went to a career website, typed in B'ham and up came hundreds of jobs. You can find one that will suit you, your just down and out right now. Pull up those boot straps girl! Let us know what happens!

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.
you know how to go about doing that...give yourself some credit. i just went to a career website, typed in b'ham and up came hundreds of jobs. you can find one that will suit you, your just down and out right now. pull up those boot straps girl! let us know what happens!

you can do this--also read the thread about being fired if you need to hear more stories from those of us who have been there and lived to tell the tale!!

you go, girl!:yeah:

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

How about pursuing school nursing?

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I sometimes feel confused by the encouragement for fairly new grads who aren't taking to bedside nursing to try school nursing, office nursing, case management, home health etc. Most of these positions prefer nurses with relevant bedside experience to bring to the table. I suppose it's like encouraging new grads who are interested in ICU or ER or L&D to go straight there. While it's not the traditional approach and it can be next to impossible in some places to start there, in other areas or if one is in the right place at the right time, they can land a job in the area of their choice and not have to "do their time" in general acute care. And if the new grad is motivated enough, interested enough, and takes to the job, then they can be quite successful without having first succeeded as a basic acute care nurse.

OP - give yourself credit for having already identified that that unit was too much for you (and probably lots of other non-superhumans) and were already making plans to get out of there. One interpretation of the situation is that you were consciously ready to knuckle it out and your body/mind exercised its veto power to get out NOW!

It's up to you to evaluate how you feel about the various opportunities in nursing. Don't rush if you don't need to (eg money reasons). Do informational interviews. Ask about shadowing. Maybe try another job with an experimental attitude (let's see if this fits) and allow yourself to quit if it's not something you can live with day to day. Not "fitting" in the job doesn't have to mean that there's something wrong with you or that you're lacking in skills or potential. It just means that that doesn't utilize your strengths. You made it through school, so you know you've got the kind of persistence, motivation, and abilities to be successful in the workplace. But which workplace? That's the question now.

When I found myself feeling chewed up and spit out by nursing after trying several different environments, I opted to look for a job that was calm, fairly predictable, in a quiet, neat office. I couldn't find any specific "nursing" jobs that were available, I was qualified for and felt comfortable with and so ended up with a job that preferred a nursing degree but didn't require it. I never longingly think back to any of my clinical experiences. Though I do miss making the human connection with patients who may feel scared, lonely, etc ... and have considered volunteering for that. So that's my story... so far... what will your story be? Go out there and live it!

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