A totally different career path please

[spp2423]

I graduated in May 09 with my BSN. I can honestly say that for me, nursing was the WORST career choice I could have ever made. I had family members try to talk me out of even going to nursing school, but I didn't listen, so here I am- jobless and miserbale. I worked one month and 2 weeks on a med-surg floor and then I quit. I can't handle nursing. I literally cried my self to sleep at nite, woke up crying the next morning, and squalled all the way to work on my hour long drive & all the way back home. I made myself so sick that I couldn't eat. It was horrible. I wish I wouldn't have stayed in nursing school, but I did b/c I thought I could maybe work in a dr's office.I love working with geriatric patients, and so I'd thought about going into speech therapy. But now I'm not so sure. I've also looked into medical coding. My cousin does that and I like it because its a lot of repetition. If you already have your BSN- what else is available to you that doesn't require actual in-hospital pt care? I've also thought about medical transcription - just wondering if anyone knows how hard it would be for someone like me to get a job in those areas? Or if anyone else has any other job ideas that I could do with the degree I already have?

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

OMG - I just cannot believe that people are advising someone who "hates nursing" to become a nursing teacher. *****?? Our nursing students deserve better than that. Teachers should be passionate about nursing and love what they are doing. They should inspire their students and serve as role models.

Is an MSN going to magically transform someone believes that "nursing was the WORST career choice "?? Especially with the miserable salaries paid to academic instructors. Srsly??

No kidding. And with only 6 WEEKS actual nursing experience, to boot! The worst instructor I ever had was my OB instructor. SHe was one of those nurses who go for their BSN and go straight for their Masters. I hear she was a real hot-shot too, top of her class, but she had NO hands-on experience as an RN. Heck, I was a CNA in L&D part-time and even *I* had more actual experience than she did! Honestly, it was hard to have respect for someone who had to keep looking in the book for answers to our questions (like, "explain pre-eclampsia" and "what do I do if the doctor doesn't make it?")

OP, I hope you can find the field that really floats your boat. Med-surg isn't for everyone--it certainly wasn't the field for me. Thankfully, there's way more to nursing than just working in a hospital. Keep looking for your "right place."

[sugarwahine10]

I know somebody that went to a job at an insurance company & takes calls only from members with health questions, etc. She makes more money there as an rn than she did at the hospital she worked at.:)

[TDCHIM]

If you're looking for something outside nursing, you could look into transcription work or coding (though a lot of places want you to at least go through a specific certificate/associate's program in that area). Depending on whether you want to invest a bit more time and have any interest in being involved in the information capture process, health care data analysis, health care data security, etc., you could look into health information management. A good place to start for that type of information is the American Health Information Management Association website, www.ahima.org

And as other have pointed out, just because this particular branch of nursing didn't work out for you doesn't mean that another one won't.

[MeganS]

I graduated in May 09 with my BSN. I can honestly say that for me, nursing was the WORST career choice I could have ever made. [...] I worked one month and 2 weeks on a med-surg floor and then I quit. I can't handle nursing. [...]I love working with geriatric patients, and so I'd thought about going into speech therapy. But now I'm not so sure. [...] If you already have your BSN- what else is available to you that doesn't require actual in-hospital pt care? [...]

From what I understand you to say: you do not like nursing because of working on a med-surg floor.

Some nurses do not like working on the floor and work elsewhere. The best thing about nursing is there is so much flexibility. If you do like nursing but not on the floor, have you considered home health, private duty, nurse case manager. You mentioned an interest in geriatrics. There are so many assisted living and/or retirement facilities who hire nurses. If you are interested in clinical trials or research, there are jobs in that area and it does not require acute care nursing. There is a need in transplant nursing or organ procurement (post death, that is).

Don't give up on the profession and your training. Do a little research, there should be something that will fit your needs. Don't feel bad, not everyone wants to work in acute care; I thought I would like home health. Found out that was not for me.

[zahryia, LPN]

Look into public health nursing. They tend to be with a state or local government.

I'm very familiar with the jobs that are done in the insurance companies and they typically require clinical experience and for a very good reason, so I wouldn't bother to look in that area.

Also look at universities who may need nurses to do research.

Good luck!

[BrookeeLou_RN]

I never did med-surg,even though I was told everyone"must " do one yr. I went to teaching hospital and did high risk labor and delivery..what I had always planned to do, after it got tough to work those shifts, I did a private clinic then got into home health. It might work for you..One on one care, more time, older patients. Some agencies now do not make you have a yrs experience but if you needed it get it at nursing home, not glamorous but wil get you some experience.

DO not , repeat do not let anyone talk you into management with no experience and with a BSN they will try. Dr office rarely will hire RN and if they do you would need to be specialized. Ever consider going into Wound Ostomy nursing, you can get certificate with BSN and no MSN..different avenue!

Bless those who work med-surg, most hate it, do it just for experience and move on..kinda why being in a hospital as a patient is so scary nowadays.

If you want more education use your basic general ed and get second Bachelor's in something else, won't be a total loss..

I agree if you made it thru 4 yrs you must have liked at least something about nursing, think about it and follow that path..

Best of luck

[CC918]

are you sure it's not just the reality shock and transition of being a student to a "real nurse"? I am a new grad, one month into my job and at times I find myself questioning why I got into nursing, why I got into psych nursing, why I chose the hospital I'm at...all because I'm new, it's stressful, I'm anxious, etc etc. However, at the end of each shift, I feel accomplished and I know I learned many new things. It might just take some time to get over the new grad phase and realizing you do love nursing.

and as the other posters have said, if it's med-surg part you don't like (which I knew I don't like, thus I didn't go into it), find another specialty or other area of nursing. Don't waste your BSN and the time and effort you have put into nursing already. You couldn't have went through 4 years of school if there wasn't something attracting you to the profession! Good luck!

[tammy777]

Definitely try other areas of nursing before you decide you hate nursing. If you don't like floor nursing you can always try a Dr office as others have mentioned, home health, public health like another previous poster said or psych nursing. I rather enjoyed my psych rotation in nursing school (and everyone loved their home health clinical rotation). Psych was less medical and more, well psych ) Otherwise you can try a class for nurse informatics (it's like computer system operations and training or something like that), or maybe get a masters to do physical therapy... NP, PA, CRNA... So many options with a BSN degree... Good luck and let us know what you try next!

[occhealthforever]

Ladies, the year of med-surg Rn is such horse **** I have had enough. My fellow graduates in 95 were made charge nurse in small hospitals while I was in an internship program in MICU in a large Houston Medical Center Hospital. I was not prepared and was petrified the whole 3 months. I realized my limitations and took a serious look at other possible options. I am now well paid occupational health nurse in a large chemical plant in Houston, TX. Network and look at other options. Our requirements have lowered somewhat but the rewards are just as great.

[cam_RN]

I agree with many of the posts above. There are so many avenues of nursing, it's not limited to just working med/surg. Although I do believe that kind of experience is a great way to get acclimated to bedside nursing. With that said, not EVERYONE is meant to do bedside nursing. There are infinite possibilities with a BSN. I have a friend who does research and pediatric clinical trials. I have a friend who works with teenagers in an underserved community through the public health department. I have a friend who, like you, loves the geriatric population and just started working at an assisted living facility. And lastly, I know someone who's the only school nurse in a thirty mile radius and somehow manages to oversee/manage thousands of children, also in an underserved population.

Sooooo... please don't give up! I'm a new grad who hasn't had the chance to start my first job yet and trust me, I'm terrified, petrified, and excited just like the next person. Even though I worked as a tech in my last year of nursing school and felt confident taking on up to four patients in my very last clinical... I still know that the "reality shock" is going to hit once I'm out there and on my own... and I only hope (to the man upstairs) that I can critically think when sh** hits the fan!

You may even want to consider volunteering at a free clinic. It's a slower pace, but still gives you the medical experience. Although you may not get paid, it's rewarding just the same.

[luvmykidz]

Your post reminded me so much of myself years ago when I was a new grad on med-surg. I thought the same exact thing and felt the same exact way. All of the newly hired nurses in my group felt the same way too and we talked how this was nothing like we thought it would be. I considered med-surg like a boot camp-if it didn't kill me it would make me stronger. I hated it though and after three months went part-time and tried home health. Didn't love home health either and once I had my required six months in I transferred to a different floor (OB) and loved it. Then I eventually went on to do school nursing which I'm still doing. Don't give up so soon. The great thing about nursing is the flexibility and wide range of areas in which to practice but sometimes to get there you have to pay your dues and get some experience. Schools are always looking for nurse subs so you could try that and see if you like it. Good luck but don't give up so quickly!

[krstxn]

I haven't read the replies so ignore this if mentioned already.

I can think of a few:

1) Research Nurse

2)Pharmaceutical sales rep

3) DR's office/Manager/triage nurse

3)Health information management

4)MDS nurse

5)Hospital administration

6)insurance companies hire nurses

7)Utilization review

8)private duty nursing

9)school nurse

10)public health

11) some day cares hire nurses

You may have to sell yourself on these because you have no experience...