Advice Needed Please!!!

sounds like you moved to central Florida. I like to call it the drip pan for the country.

1. while you are young get the hell away from bedside and get a higher advanced degree.

2. I hate to tell you money is what pays the bills

3. get out of or don't come to florida

4. good luck

Bravo fellow central Floridian... I work in a CCU in central FL and it's exactly as you describe. I was a brand new graduate and was hired on immediately out of school. All I want to do now is get away from bedside ASAP for the challenges I hear about at larger hospitals... Not because of the nature of the CCU, but because I feel like I am missing out on some huge experiences I could find at larger hospitals... I echo the previous posters suggestions to OP.

I know where you're coming from. I also went from a major CVICU with VADs, BiVADS, TAH, transplants, etc to a small general/cardiac ICU with the 'easy' CABGs. Occasionally there were the hot STEMIs with hypothermia protocols or other sick patients, but not the 'sicker than snot' cases seen in the major hospital. I don't think we ever sent a patient back to O.R. for bleeding. There were days when I'd take report, look at the clock and think "11 hrs, 30 mins to go. First med pass in 2 hours" and then have one of my two patients walk by as he walks laps around the unit. I eventually moved on, but for personal reasons other than that.

I was looking for a change though. I had enough of the rooms so full of equipment that you wondered if there actually was a patient in there somewhere. Been there, seen that, still trying to forget.

Perhaps you can get a split assignment between the ICU and the cath lab? Mix it up a bit? Or use some of that time to work on some education that interests you.

Best of luck!

I have to agree with midisland on education. I was in the same boat I felt that I hit the glass ceiling being a clinical nurse superior. Don't get me wrong it was very challenging on a CCU floor at a trauma one center but I felt that I was just not going anywhere. So, I went back to school to add chaos and stress back into my life. I am now a manager dealing with more people and more problems, but with better pay. I like what am doing. Maybe step into a charge nurse position or fill in the ER there. Could go back to school and change you title and become CRNA,PA or Nurse Educator. The great thing about nursing is that your could cross train into so many position or advance on. I also did fire & rescue for years. If trauma and adrenaline is what your want, see about becoming a life flight nurse. Best of luck.

Your SO is happy here and not anxious to leave. If you do go back "home", it will probably mean leaving your SO -- and the relationship behind. Is happiness in your job really worth your relationship? If so, it probably isn't the right relationship, so go for it. On the other hand, your life is happy here, you just don't like your job.

You COULD make up your mind that the rest of your life is more important than your job, suck it up and deal with the boring job while you look for another in the area. ER, cath lab, transport nursing?

You could get a job in the big hospital 2 hours away, work 3 12s in a row and stay there overnight for two nights. You'd have a hellacious commute your first day and your last, but only one round trip commute a week. Rent a room from a coworker and get the monthly rate at the local fleabag motel.

If you do get a job in the big hospital, is your SO willing to move an hour in that direction so you split the commute?