Peds RN - leaving floor nursing

Specialties Pediatric

Published

Hello!

I need some help/advice. I am a peds RN at a Children's Hospital and have been working for about a 1.5 years. I work night shift and it has taken a huge toll on me. I have had to go on prescription migraine medication and recently have been having increasing difficulty sleeping. It's also at times made me somewhat depressed. My contract is over in June, and if a day shift position has not opened up, I am not sure I can physically handle being on nights any longer and will probably have to leave. I really enjoy peds, so I was hoping some of you had some ideas/options on areas to go into that included peds - such as clinics, outpatient centers, school nursing, PACU ??

Those of you who are pediatric nurses and work outside floor nursing - I would love and appreciate so much to hear about what you do and how you like it!

Thank you!

Specializes in Pedi.

Outside of floor nursing, I have done-

School nursing, home health/skilled visits/clinical management and am currently an infusion liaison in a pediatric hospital coordinating discharges and teaching parents how to administer IV antibiotics, TPN or tube feedings at home.

Most children's hospitals have tons of clinics that are only open during normal business hours and hire nurses.

Lately I think I may be interested in research nursing as my next move.

PACU would probably involve off-shifts or on-call.

Specializes in Public Health, Med/Surg.

Hi, I have no advice to offer personally but I feel your pain! I love the kids but night shift is a struggle for me also. I feel like a zombie on most of my days off and I get sort of lonely.

I never worked with peds before I started home care with a nursing agency. I work one on one in their home, sometimes I go to school with the child and the agency also sends me to be a substitute school nurse. I like the variety of the different assignments when I first started. Now I am on 2 cases, each for over a year. I get to see the child grow, develop and learn. It's very satisfying. Only downside is pay is less and if child is in the hospital there is no work and no pay. That's why it's better to be on more than one case. I've been doing this for 4 years. It has increased my quality of life and you are able to accept or decline a shift or assignment based on your personal needs.

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