Need advice on changing direction...(long)

[SheriLynnRN]

I am hoping that some of you will have faced the same decision and will be able to give me some advice.

I have year of ortho/neuro-med/surg experience and was three weeks into ICU orientation when we found out that my husband got orders to a new base 2,500 miles away. I am in the middle of applying for my new license and I am having trouble deciding where to apply for work first. I would rather apply to my first choice and wait to see how it works out than have a bunch of applications out at once. That's just a quirky personality trait of mine.

Anywhoo....My issue is that I'm not sure where I want to work. I had thought that ICU would be awesome, and there were parts of the experience that were exciting, but I kinda feel like I could take it or leave it. Taking another med/surg position would be a comfortable fit, and I know that I still have much to learn, especially at a new hospital with new docs etc. The hours would be flexible, and since I'm looking for a per diem position, I would be able to get time off when my husband goes on leave etc, without having to worry about getting vacation time "approved". The other inviting option is to work at the clinic on base. It's basically a collection of doctors offices, family practitioners, peds, women's health etc. I would have a regular Mon-Fri schedule with all military holidays and wekends off, basically the same schedule as my husband when he is not deployed. Sounds great, but i am worried baout being bored or losing my skills. I assume that I will want to get back into the hospital side of things at some point.

So.... have any of you gone into clinic work and loved it or hated it? Just looking for some input. Thanks

[KatieBell]

I did a short stint in a Pre-Operative Clinic as a "break" from the ED. I did not enjoy it at all, partl because it was not a challenge for me, and partly because I had to say the same thing about 40 times per day (nothing to eat or drink after midnight, etc). I personally was horribly bored, to the point were I felt a little depressed, and jumped at the chance to return to the same ED. There is nothing wrong with that type of nursing, and the others seemed to enjoy it, but ti was not for me.

If you enjoyed Med Surg, you might actually not enjoy clinic work. You might, however, enjoy working in one of the outpatient procedural areas, like lithotripsy, endoscopy, where a lot of hospital skills are used (Giving Sedation, recovery of patients, dressings, IV starts) each day.

If you don't feel strongly about ICU, I'd leave it- as it would be difficult to find an ICU position for Per Diem with 3 weeks of ICU orientation...

Hope that helps you.

[holikow]

have you ever worked in an assembly line in some factory or know someone who does/did? working in a clinic will be just like that, every 5 minutes, open the door, call pt's name, show room, give paper gown, write down complaints, close door to exam room, and point dumb doctor to correc exam room to go to next.

then repeat.:uhoh21:

then repeat :uhoh21:

then repeat :uhoh21: ...........

gawd............. i hated it. i actually did this for a break from my icu job. i knew every hole in the ceiling tiles, every scuff mark on the floor and which bp cuff worked best. i lasted 3 months, the mandatory time made by this hospital/clinic facility i worked at, before i could go back to icu. i knelt down on the icu nursing station floor and praised god that i was "home". :rotfl: