Am I stupid for giving this up?

[ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN]

I am new grad and landed a med-surg job here recently. Never really having done hands-on care except briefly in nursing school, I feel completely overwhelmed and am unsure if I will be able to handle an 8-patient load. I know that jobs are scarce and I should be counting my lucky stars. I really do feel fortunate, however I feel so paralyzed by fear that I wake up every morning dreading going to work and just feel so depressed and horrible.

This position will also be nights eventually which would be difficult because i am a single mom of 3 kids...

I have another job possibility but it is in a clinic. I really think this might be a better fit for me and it is Monday through Friday 8-5. I have heard that clinic experience is not as valued as hospital floor experience and new grads really should work on the floor for at least a year. Clinic does not pay as much as hospital either.. so that is a factor too I suppose.. Does anyone have opinions on this? I'll take constructive criticism, but please no negative comments.. I'm already feeling so down and questioning why I went into nursing... I love people/patients, but just don't know if I would be good at med/surg.. and in fact I really doubt it now...

Thanks in advance,

Denise

[caliotter3]

The question I have, is, if not now, when? This is lucky for you to have a med surg job right off the bat. If you move to the clinic job and can not adjust there either, you could find yourself good and unemployed. I don't know what to advise you, except think long and hard about walking away from any job. It is brutal out there.

[milobust]

I felt the same way for the first week or so but it got better. I did usually have aides to help me. Are you always gonna have aides to assist you? Are you on your own? For me it was all my nerves, I learned to prioritize and got a little better each day. Its gonna take a while but its all about believing that you can do it. And it is a horrible job market out there, so really consider not finding another good job for a good long while cause there are dozens of people waiting to take your spot. Good luck. My advise is to get strong and give it everything you got.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

I was warned over and over by friends in the field (worked as a CNA in school) that the first year in nursing for EVERYONE is unique, hard, trying, often depressing and for some traumatic.

I often found myself despising going into work. Every day I'd tell myself "I am not going to have a bad day. I am going to stay focused on my patients, not get upset and be happy with the care at the end of the day."

How does the saying go? "Man makes plans, God laughs."

I would not recommend changing jobs until you have your first year done, then with open eyes decide if your current unit is a good fit for you or not.

[caliotter3]

My first substantial nursing job was in LTC (think 80 residents for me, one brand new nurse). It took a year before I could go to work without the sense of dread that you talk about. You owe it to yourself to give yourself the time to adjust, to any job, not just the one in the hospital. It does not come over night. A good year. Most people say that.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Hi Denise:

I believe quality of life and your happiness are of utmost importance. As a new grad (and a mature student), I realized that my priorities are different at age 36, and balance is key. Take the job in the clinic. People say that you will lose your "skills" out of the hospital setting, but this is not true. Nursing involves different sets of competencies and skills that can be learned and re-learned, especially if you are motivated enough.

Good luck!

Joanna

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

I agree with Joanna73. Life is to short to be miserable. Hospital nursing is for some and not for others. Clinic nursing is very different than hospital nursing, you use a different skill set, but you will learn alot.

I started out as a medical assistant in a clinic for 11 years, breezed through school and got my LPN. Two years later breezed through school and am now a RN. My clinic days taught me so much about medications, signs and symptoms of certain disease processes and much, much more. I contribute doing so well in school to my time in a clinic setting.

Do what feels right and follow your heart!!!

Good luck with your decision.

[ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN]

Hi Denise:

I believe quality of life and your happiness are of utmost importance. As a new grad (and a mature student), I realized that my priorities are different at age 36, and balance is key. Take the job in the clinic. People say that you will lose your "skills" out of the hospital setting, but this is not true. Nursing involves different sets of competencies and skills that can be learned and re-learned, especially if you are motivated enough.

Good luck!

Joanna

Thanks Joanna,

I really am leaning towards the clinic job because I feel I would be more comfortable in that setting. I am 41 and have been through more than my share of life stressors and one more year of being unsure, completely overwhelmed, and nauseated doesn't sound fun to me. My children had to endure me going through nursing school and lack of time spent with them, and I think I just want some happiness now.

[yat777]

A year and half ago, i was a new grad and got hired by a hospital clinic as a LPN. Since i am only 30, all other senior nurses told me to transfer to floor to get experience. I agree with them, because working in a clinic is boring after you have learned what you need to learn to do the job. Everyday i am doing the same thing and saying the same thing to pt. The RN's job duty is more challenging, they have to do triage assessment to walk in pt, present the case or make own judgement call whether to send pt to ER, being squeezed in to be seen by any avaliable MD today, or give pt another appt to come back. To do Triage, you really need to have adequate experience and knowledge.

In my clinic, most RN are in their 50s and have worked elsewhere before and they have worked in the clinic for at least 5-10 years. The clinic is a place for them to retire. There are many PCAs who have worked in the same clinic for over 10, 20 years. The clinic job is really easy. You sit in front of your desk, give inj, and do teaching. Often there is plenty time to chat with your colleagues. It's MON-FRI and close all holiday. The paid is lower because you don't get extra paid for working holiday, evening, and rarely there is chance to do overtime. It is a nice job and the basic paid rate is the same with LPN working day shift on the floor because it's a city hospital. Sometimes I struggle too. If it's the same pay, why not staying in clinic because it's lot more easier. I enter Nursing career mostly because i want a stable job. Now i have one, is it really necessary to work on med-surg floor just to make myself feel more like a "real nurse".

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

8 patients on a med/surg unit?! No wonder why you are miserable! If you don't see yourself as being a bedside nurse in the future, then go for the clinic job! Life is too short...

[BSN75]

I agree with the posters who urged the clinic job. I only worked in the hospital as a LPN, but quickly found it was not for me. My whole RN career so far has been in clinic, and I can't imagine ever going back to hospital work. Love the clinics! It's stressful some days, but it's a whole different kind of stress. And believe me, there is plenty of work to do at my clinic, very little time for chit chat.

Also sounds like it was be easier not woking nights/holidays/weekends with the kids.

[rn4ever?]

Go for what your heart desires. Do what is best for you and do what will make you happy. If you think the position in the clinic suits you, that should be fine. And no, it’s not a stupid move. But staying in a position or choosing something that you don’t like just because someone told you to do so is.