Am I stupid for giving this up?

[ijuanabhappy]

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

[AggieQT]

I honestly don't think you need us to tell you our opinions. It seems to me that you already have made a choice but are scared to actually go through with it. What you are looking for is encouragement. I say do what is best for your family. Period. You need to do some soul searching, sit down and actually list out the pros and cons of each job as its related to both your family's financial and emotional future. Don't just give up at your current job because of fears if your family needs the stable income you know you will receive by staying, but also don't stay if your family needs you home more and doesn't need the extra money. It all depends on your current situation and no one on here can assess that but you. Good Luck.

[HappydayRn]

I say take what will work with your life. I am working nights on a Med Surg floor and it's been 9 months. I love my co-workers and I make good money. However I am sad and lonely. I miss my family and am now looking very hard for a clinic position. I have learned so much working med-surg but I'm unhappy and just want to reclaim my life.

IMO it's your life and you have your priorities, do what you feel is right for you and your loved ones.

[fungez]

Take the clinic job. Trust me, you do not want to be working nights with three kids to worry about all shift.

I've done both and clinic is much better. Yeah, the pay's not as good but everything else is better. You'll be home in the evening and weekends with your children and you can leave in the middle of the day and no one considers it a felony.

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

8 patients is WAAY to many. No wonder you are stressed. I would start by complaining re the nurse/patient ratio.

I can tell you that if you can't handle the stress NOW it will most probably not get better.

Probably best to take the clinic job (at least you have another option, many people are still trying to get a job). The associated health and mental problems with too much stress are definitely not worth it, believe me. Then you can spend quality time with your kids & maybe get the med/surg experience when you are older.

I don't have kids but they would definitely come first. If you can afford it, go for it.

[shoegalRN, RN]

Take the clinic job.

If you can, see if you can find a position in the GI Lab/Clinic. I do outpatient clinic and the GI lab 3 days during the week. I am a weekend ER nurse and I work 8 hour shifts during the week because I get bored and need change.

If you can land a position in the GI lab, you will still get hands on patient experience (no sedation though) and still get the clinic hours. No nights or weekends.

You will do a lot of patient teaching in the clinic. When I work the clinic, all I do is patient teaching and once in a while do an IV for a direct admit to the hospital. I do mostly TB shots or readings, or Hep B & C IM injections.

When I work the GI lab, I work admissions and recovery. Meaning I start the patient's IV, go over all the legal paperwork, get the patient hooked the monitor, and do patient teaching. When I work recovery, I recover the patient from their procedure, do vitals q 10 minutes (via monitor), make sure pt has no complications from procedure, make sure all necessary paperwork is signed by pt and doctor, explained what was found during procedure, and discharge patient to home with a ride. I really like the GI lab because I feel like it's making me a more well rounded nurse.

If I were you, I would do what's best for your family. Take the clinic job if that fits with your family needs.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I went to a large multi site clinic straight from nursing school. Worked office Ob-gyn for over 10 years. Now 6.5 in research. I have never regretted not doing hospital nursing.

[tencat]

Go for the clinic. It might pay less, but you will not have to miss holidays or weekends with the kids, and that is WAY more important than money....

[dekagirlsRN]

I thought for sure almost everyone would be advising you to do med-surg for a year. So happy many are telling you to follow your heart. I'm a new RN (40 yrs. old) and decided to leave my first hospital job after only six months for a non-profit organization. I couldn't live with the stress any longer, and I didn't feel it was fair to my family because I was so unhappy. As the saying goes, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." The pay isn't better, but my family and I are richer. Good luck to you.

[mochamocha]

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

I agree. Having a balance in life is very important. Sounds like the clinic job will suit you well. Who knows? You might end up loving it and grow within the practice... and then you can bring those experiences on to another facility in the future. I've known several people who started out in the clinic as new grad and after years of experience, they were still able to get a hospital job. Volunteer at hospital on weekends if you can and start making connections for the future. :)

[marilynmom, LPN, NP]

Go for the clinic job!!! You would be NUTS not to!

I worked in ICU for 2 years and though Im thankful for the experience, I wouldn't do it again, and now I try to stay as far away from the hospital as possible. There is too much stress and burnout and unhappiness in the hospital, no thanks.

Every nursing job I have had, I have learned a different skill set. Each of which has only increased my knowledge base as an RN....clinic is no different. All my friends who have worked clinic love it--and isn't being happy paramount to your life? It is for me.

[soccer25]

I agree with what most people have been saying. Go for the clinic job! You will most likely be much happier, which is truly important.

[Nurseinprocess]

8 patients is WAAY to many. No wonder you are stressed. I would start by complaining re the nurse/patient ratio.

I can tell you that if you can't handle the stress NOW it will most probably not get better.

Probably best to take the clinic job (at least you have another option, many people are still trying to get a job). The associated health and mental problems with too much stress are definitely not worth it, believe me. Then you can spend quality time with your kids & maybe get the med/surg experience when you are older.

I don't have kids but they would definitely come first. If you can afford it, go for it.

Complain about the nurse/pt ratio??? Does that really work??? I have had that pt load most every night since I began my job. Would you mind calling the nurse managers at my hospital to tell them that they are overworking me ?

To the op, how old are your kids? Do you need to be there for them more during the night or during the day? I don't know what to tell you about being overwhelmed by your current situation. I've been on the job 3 months now and if I end up getting 9 pts I may cry , but 8 is manageable, although it stinks. What is your current pt load? I am more afraid of getting floated to another unit than anything else (still have a few weeks to stress about that happening).