Accepted and started new job, but having serious second thoughts.. help!! (please)

ivyleaf · Sep 17, 2015

Going to try to keep this brief...

So I've been in psych nursing for 8 years and have become burnt out. I've also always wanted to work in the ED, but hated med surg clinicals in nursing school, so never pursued it. Over the past few years, particularly the last year, I've realized that if I don't do med surg or ED, I'm going to regret it.

So, this summer I applied to 20+ jobs-- med surg, ED, primary care/clinics (It's an area I've been interested in, and would be be less intense than making a jump right into med surg). The only 2 offers I got were in primary care---the position I took is a new position as a float nurse for our hospital's outpatient clinics and our urgent care center. I am really excited about the urgent care piece, because it's closer to the ED.

Of course, right after I accepted and gave my notice @ the hospital, a bunch more med/surg jobs were posted (when I originally applied, the timing was bad, as our LTAC was in the process of shutting down and all of the nurses there were given priority for jobs). Also a friend of mine from the psych unit started getting more interested in med surg and we've been talking about it together. Plus, I got into an ACLS class, passed, loved it, and it made me want to do acute care even more-- I think I might like tele!! And I would learn a ton.

But, I don't want to burn any bridges, as who knows??-- I might hate med surg just like I hated it in school, or I might love primary care/clinic nursing, or something might come up at the urgent care--- PLUS the clinics' HR is the same as the hospital's HR, so news would travel fast and I don't want to get a bad rap for accepting a position and then rejecting it--- particularly as I had to give 4 wks at the hospital before I could start (per union contract), which I didn't know until I gave notice.

So, I just started orientation for the float clinic nurse position this week and had my first few hours with one of my main preceptors-- she is really nice and knowledgeable, but she does a lot of case management (which I've done in psych and really don't enjoy) and rarely does telephone triage or direct pt care or assist with procedures-- those were the things I was most excited about doing in the role! She doesn't even wear scrubs!

I'm happy for her, but if the other clinics are like this, I'm not going to be happy in this job--- I want to learn new skills and I am not a fan of making referrals all day (some people like that and I totally respect it!).

At the same time, there have been a GLUT of positions posted for med surg and the ED at my hospital (I stayed on per diem at the psych unit) and our sister hospital, and for the first time that I have ever seen (I've only been there 1.5 years, but was looking at jobs there for at least 6 months before that), they are having an RN job fair with WALK IN INTERVIEWS with the nurse managers @ both facilities early next wk...

I am going to see what tomorrow is like-- maybe the nurses at the other clinics are more involved with pt care and telephone triage... but I'm really questioning whether or not I should take advantage of all these openings, esp as I'm not a strong candidate for med surg/ED (8 years in psych, associates and nursing and BA in psych, but no BSN)... but I don't want to burn bridges with clinics and make a bad impression on our HR..... Any advice??