Advice needed please!

[KalipsoRed]

So I guess I didn't convey my thoughts very accurately the last time I tried this. Here is the take two! :) So I work nights on a telemetry floor. I like my floor for the most part and have learned a lot since I started. While I like my job and LOVE my coworkers, I'm getting tired of working nights. It greatly interfiers with my my body and my social life. I've thought about trying to go back to days, but I worked days the first six months on this floor as a new grad and just about died. I truly was very emotionally stressed out. Now I'm not sure if maybe things wouldn't be better now that I've had some experience, but it scares me to think about going back. Thus I have been looking for other options and found a positon opening in endoscopy. I sent in my application, but my hospital requires that I tell my manager when I apply for another position within the hospital...not if I have an interview, or accepted another position....just any time I choose to apply for a position outside of my department. I feel over all that floor nursing in a hospital is not something I want to make a career out of, but I feel guilty and a bit unloyal for applying for another positon. The people I work with have been nothing but supportive and understanding, helpful and excelent. The thing is that I have to stay at this hospital for another 6 months before I can choose to go somewhere else. I took a sign on bonus that requries this. I don't have to stay on my floor; just at the hospital. I'm excited at the possibility of doing something different and learning some new things, but am scared of leaving such a wondeful group. I know that I'm lucky to be with the coworkers that I have.

My second thought is that I feel kind of stagnet where I am. I know that I haven't learnt all that I can about cardiac nursing; but I'm not sure how to get more information if I stay. I'm not a reader, yet I do attempt to read articles relating to my field. It is just that I don't ever feel like I actually apply any of the information I read or I'm only retaining a small amout of what I read. I'm a heavy kentic learner and most of what I know about cardiology didn't come together for me until I started as a nurse.

Here are my questions.

Has anyone transitioned from nights to days on a telemetry floor? If so how well did it go?

How do I get over feeling guilty for trying to check out different job opportunities in my hospital? I don't want my manager to think I'm ungrateful and there are quite a few personnel who have left my floor recently.

For those of you who have trouble reading information and retaining it, what other sorts of education for nurses do you find beneficial?

[baylor06]

I've done telemetry for 3 years now, did a year of nights first. I definitely feel like you learn so much time management actually working that you would be fine on days now. Yes, it is more chaotic, but it's a controlled chaos and I feel like I get more help during busy times. I definitely think you should let your manager know what's going on before they hear it from someone else, staff talks. Especially a close staff. I've also done travel nursing for about 6 months now, and I've yet to work at a hospital where I didn't love the staff. Of course you can always find bad apples, but for the most part, the staff you work with become your second family fairly quickly because you spend so much time together. My advice to you is to talk with your manager about your career goals, they will understand. Remember, before they were your manager they were once a staff nurse just like you.

[blamejoe]

Your loyalty should be to your patients and yourself. If you can't be the best nurse you can by working telemetry, you owe it to yourself to find your niche. You owe it to your current patients to help them receive the best care possible, and you owe it to your future patients in the area where you can excel. Not every nurse is suited for every department, and certainly the first department you work on should be a "test the waters" sort of endeavor, not a lifelong commitment from the start. Talk to your supervisor, let her know you applied for another department and why. Ask for her help in finding your strengths and applying it in the area where you can do the most good. If you must, remind her that you are remaining loyal to your hospital, to your community, and to your profession. She may inadvertantly (or intentionally) guilt you that "these patients need you"; I hear that a lot myself when I verbalize a concern. All patients need good nurses. All patients deserve motivated caretakers. All nurses need a place where they can feel they are doing the best job. That doesn't just go for the patients on your tele floor, but for every floor in every hospital. If you feel you can do better elsewhere, go elsewhere.

I came from psych before I was nurse to oncology where I am an RN now. My past experience makes my current floor better. My current experience will make my future department better. In general learning as much as you can about nursing will make your hospital better for as long as you work there, and for wherever you go in the future. Nursing is a field for growth and potential. Remember that what you learned in tele can be valuable in other areas. And don't beat yourself up for recognizing your limitations - it's a sign of a professional.

And if your new job isn't as close-knit as your current floor, do what you can to improve that once you get there.