Advice Please!

[CTICU-RN]

Long story but to make things short, i have been a CTICU nurse for 2 years and worked at the same hospital in the same unit for almost 10 years. Things (life in general) were getting too "routine" for me and I wanted a change so, I decided to make a drastic change and completely relocated to another state. I accepted a position in a CVICU at a small local hospital in the area and have been there for about 3 months now.

I HATE everything about the hospital that I literally cry everyday I have to go to work, I hate it THAT much!!

Now I love life in my new state but absolutely can't stand my job. My job is very important to me and I have NEVER in my life hated my job or dreaded going to work like I do now.

For starters, I used to work in a very large hospital and had everything I ever needed at my fingertips. The unit was very challenging, which I loved and is a lot of the reason I enjoy being a critical care nurse to begin with. Also I am still a new enough nurse that I feel like I NEED that challenge. The hospital I am in now is.....very different - to say the least. From the hospital as a whole to the unit itself, it is just complete and utter chaos. And the ICU pts are basically floor pts to me. I feel like I am paying $40,000 in student loans I acquired to become a nurse to sit and stare at walls, it's that bad!! The pay is good and it's easy but not for me.

The area that I relocated to offers very limited job opportunities for a nurse if you want the high end, fast paced, challenging sick pts. The closest big hospital similar to my previous one is 2 hours away, and I've seriously been thinking about just moving back "home". When you work a 12 hour night and drive 2 hours to work and 2 hours home, it just sounds ridiculous to me, BUT in my career as a nurse, I believe I would be much happier at the larger hospital.

I have no family here but a very good day care here for my children. My fiancé absolutely loves it here all around and the thought of going back home is not even an option in his mind. Do I just give up and go back "home" (without my fiancé) or do I suck it up, apply to the larger hospital and take the drive to be happy in my career??

I am at a complete and utter loss but also completely miserable where I am. At the end of the day a paycheck isn't worth compromising your happiness!!

Any thoughts?? Please and thank you!!

Wow, that sucks... and serves as a cautionary tale about making changes.

You're in a catch-22... a 4-hr (total) commute isn't practical in my opinion (and I've done a ton of commuting).

Your dude won't move and you're thinking about dumping him to go back 'home.'

I guess my advice is, if you're serious about marrying the man, make peace with the decision you've made and accept that you're not in the big city anymore. There are worse things... and your job is, after all, just your job.

[Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP]

I commute 50 miles/1 hour each direction and work nights, doubling that to 100 miles/2 hours each direction would be absolutely unthinkable for me. Maybe an apartment near the job for 3 shifts a week, if that's possible?

[SticU <3]

Is it possible to move slightly closer to the bigger hospital without moving completely out of the state aka back home? Perhaps compromise with your fiancee? I completely understand where you are coming from in regards to experience and the need to be challenged. My first ICU job was at a decent sized hospital and then my significant other had to take his old job back and move an hour and half away. So I found a job closer to him, a small 250 bed hospital, to say I was miserable would be an understatement.

So I found an amazing opportunity 11 hours away in a different state. I'm just starting there and pray this works out because I'm ready to settle down. My significant other doesn't have a job yet and will hopefully be here with me in the next few months.