Having doubts...

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jun 2, 2011

It does get better with time and experience. It's said you need about a year to feel you know what you're doing in any new nursing job. If you change jobs, you'll be able to learn the pertinent skills after the switch, so don't worry about that.

However, I understand feeling you're not continuing to learn. That can lead to feeling stagnant and isn't a good thing. Your schedule is definitely brutal. Switching from nights to days isn't healthy. There's been some research done on that sort of thing--it can tangle your body and your mind quite a bit. Figuring out time with family can be really difficult too.

Hospitals are different. You would have fewer patients, for one thing. It would still be very busy, and you'd still have the feeling of incompetence for awhile. You'd still have too much charting.

Start keeping your eyes open for possibilities. I'd say a good portion of nurses switch jobs now and then. It's good to be a loyal, dependable employee, but you must do what's right for you and your family. Consider this: do you work to live or live to work? It's important to find work that you feel suits you. That's a big part of "working your way up," I think.

Guest505077 · Jun 2, 2011

hang in there- it does get better with time

my advice would be to keep your current job, but start to see what else is out there. There are all sorts of different environments- if you can get into a teaching hospital- you would learn alot... every hospital, facility, office has different schedules + hours.

you may find any new job involves a big learning curve- that's okay, just recognize that and give yourself time..

it did take me a good year of working 12hr days/night shift before I got used to it.

I did work straight night shift for >10years while my children were young- worked great for family, school etc.

I wish you good luck- things will work out, you'll find something you enjoy :)

LTCangel, ADN, BSN, LPN · Jun 3, 2011

In the hospital you may still have to work the same type of hours, I know I did for 14 years mostly all nights. I would work 2 off 2 work 2 off 3 work 3 off two or some variation of this. I am now just starting a new job in LTC- floor nursing in the hospital has taken it's toll on my body. My schedule will be work 3 12 hr shifts and off 4. That's actually much better! I am just trying to adjust to LTC polices and procedures versus acute care. Also the 9pm med pass is killer! I am working on my MSN, so unless some dream job comes along that I can't resist, I think I will hanf out where I am until I am finished with school. I hope to become a Nursing Instructor. Even with all of my skills and 15 years of experience I have some trepidation about the new environment I am in. I know it while to feel comfortable. So just relax, it will get better, and if you desire to work in a hospital start looking at ehat's out there.:)

westieluv · Jun 3, 2011

Oh, Honey, I know exactly what you're going through, because I was there! I just left a job in LTC. I loved the residents and my co-workers, but the med passes (5PM and 9PM) were brutal and I had no time to spend getting to know the residents or give what I considered to be good, or even adequate, care. I do have roughly 10 years of hospital experience working as a Med/Surg float nurse, and that is what my new job is. I will have 5 patients instead of 25!

If I was in your shoes, I think I would just start getting my resume out there and see what happens. Go to job search sites like Indeed.com and look for openings, then apply, apply, apply. Make sure to point out the strengths that you have gained from your current job, things like excellent time management skills, good assessment skills (because in LTC we do a lot more assessing than we are ever given credit for, because there is no one else to do it like in the hospital where you have a team leader, charge nurse, etc. to consult with). I mean, don't lie or make it sound too good to be true, but just let them know that you are dependable, hard working, and possess the skils that I mentioned. I believe that someone will think that you sound like a good potential employee. Also, have you considered other areas of nursing that aren't as stressful as LTC? I used to work as an on-call hospice nurse who made house calls in the evenings and on weekends. Even when I worked the overnight shift, I could stay home and sleep until a call came in, and some nights, there were no calls and I still got paid for being on call. Also, I have learned from reading these forums that dialysis centers such as Fresenius and DaVita often hire new grads and relatively new nurses. You would get daytime hours working somewhere like that, if you don't mind doing dialysis nursing.

Hang in there. I feel your pain. You sound like a sweet person and a conscientious nurse. Something good will come along, just give it time and get your resume out there. I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about the facility where you work having to find someone to replace you. They don't care that you have brutal med passes every shift and don't have time for the residents, so they aren't looking out for you, and if they had to cut staff and that meant laying you off, they probably wouldn't give it a second thought if it made their bottom line look better. I used to have a lot of guilt about things like that too, but honestly, they aren't worth it.

bravesfanRN · Jun 4, 2011

Thanks Everyone for the comments, advice, and encouragement! It has been very helpful!