Med/Surg makes me miserable... which field might be right for me? Suggestions?

[CityRN123]

I have been working my first nursing job out of nursing school for about a year and a half- nights on a very busy med-surg floor. I am absolutely miserable at my job, the fast pace and high acuity level is just not for me. My anxiety level is through the roof everything single time I'm at work and sometimes starts as early as 24 hours before a shift. I even sometimes find myself envying the unit clerk and floor cleaners as they don't have as much responsibility. What drew me to nursing was women's health, ie gynecology or postpartum but I'd like to work with more stable patients who are walkie talkies for the most part. Does anyone have any suggestions for what types of other jobs I might like that are easier or a little slower paced? I've tossed around the idea of Private Duty Nursing, Postpartum, outpatient Surgery, Psych, palliative, doctors office, endoscopy, being a school nurse, being a nurse legal consultant, etc but ANYTHING would probably make me happier than what I'm doing. Any help is appreciated. Thank you so much. Ps- just to explain better what is making me so unhappy, I hate getting to work an hour early to read the charts, working through my lunch break, and often staying between 30 mins and 2 hours past the end of my shift to document and finish tasks. This is standard practice on my floor and we aren't paid for it at all. I love the interesting part of different diagnoses, treatments etc, but hate that I have NO time to nurture or talk to my patients at all, I spend the whole night rushing around like I'm in a marathon. I also hate getting an admission right when I arrive before I've even finished report and the fast pace combined with stress level plus psych patients, incontinent patients, complex wound care, dementia patients on bed alarms, tele, vented patients, it's all just too much!!!

[Laurie01.]

I don't know where you work but it is the same where i work. we have 32 beds and 5 or 6 nurses and 3 nursing assistants. we are always short and the administration says we are broke but the keep hiring for night and evening shift when we are essentiallly giving all the baths and sending these people to x-ray , physical therapy, and sometimes back to the unit. Do not go to a medicene floor they are worse . sometimes feels like a nursing home. postpartum when i worked there years ago was less hectic when i worked night shift. it is different than med-surg. you should go and look around on your off day and see how busy they are and ask questions of the staff. good luck we need to keep all our young nurses with us in the business.

[nursetvs]

I specialize in med-surg and love it. I take care of 5-6 patients per shift. It is crazy at times, we don't get help from anyone and everything is expected of us. It isn't a speciality for everyone, and it is not always a place for a new grad. It is it's own speciality dealing with ALL aspects of adult health. It's for nurses who stand their ground and advocate for themselves and their patients. I hear your frustration with your current position- patients are very high acuity but aren't "sick enough" to be in the ICU. You have people pulling you in every direction. Advice- love that you have worked in med surg, remember all that you have learned and find another speciality that will provide you with an experience you enjoy. It isn't the acuity level- but the ratio on the unit. Find a unit that affords you the time to care for the patients you are assigned. Your unit sounds unsafe. Personally- a well run med surg unit is the place to be! Be well and never give up!!!

[Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP]

Maybe try to get into the float pool so you can try out several different units, and likely make more money while doing it :)

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I used to think it was med/surg I hated. In all reality it was my hospital that didn't staff us well enough no matter where you worked.

[nurse1903]

Management can make or break it too