To be a nurse or not?

[hnh211]

Hey y'all!

This is my first post on here. Anyway, the reason I am posting is because I am not sure if nursing is for me anymore. I've been an RN for almost a year now and have worked on a med-surg intermediate unit. Sort of between a med-surg and ICU type floor. I feel so burnt out, exhausted, and literally dread going to work. I think it's a mix of everything: stressful workload, 12 hr night shift, not seeing my family as much as I'd like, no support system whatsoever for new nurses, and mean/hostile/violent patients. I know it seems like I'm venting, and maybe I am, but I just wanted to get others opinions. I know nursing is stressful, I totally get that. But I feel as if it doesn't have to be this bad and I shouldn't dread my job. I love helping people, but I feel this job isn't rewarding at all. I can't figure out if nursing isn't for me period, or I just need a change in my work environment. Are there other fields of nursing that don't require as much autonomy, patient interaction, fear of injuring someone, and stress? Whew that was a lot, haha. Thanks for reading and I look forward to reading yalls responses!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Well, here's the thing. Any job is going to have issues and stress. So in that sense, no, you aren't going to escape it, even if you leave nursing to do something as different from nursing as, say, accounting.

That being said, intermediate units are an incredible place to cut your teeth. You have much of the acuity of the ICU but need the ability to prioritize and time manage like a med-surg unit. You have a year in and it is probably about to get much better. I would advise not to jump ship completely. If you can't take another year where you are, then start feeling around for a different specialty. Maybe a women's unit would suit you, or being a clinic nurse. Maybe you would like a shot at something different. The nice thing about Progressive Care experience is that it is applicable to many other specialties. Not always enough to get your foot in the door, but often enough to get looked over as a potential.

One job for one year isn't enough experience to dismiss the career entirely. I would suggest you either stick it out another six months and re-evaluate how you feel about your practice then, or start nosing around for something in a different specialty with a different type of population. You never know what you might find.