Anybody else in a rut? Just curious.....Can't find my calling......

[PANURSE4]

Hello,

One of my friends just recently called me the luckiest graduate nurse....but I'm not feeling so lucky. ( I think she felt I was lucky because I was out earning my instructors by 13/hr even before I took my boards)

I graduated in 2005 (RN). I have a BS in Administration of Justice and went to nursing school after a personal experience led me in that direction. I was passionate about being of service to the sick and was seeking fulfillment in the whole spiritual side of nursing. I found a weekend program at a nearby skilled facility and enjoyed only working 32 hours on Sat and Sundays. I made 37.5/hr, not because I was a superior nurse, but because I worked faithfully ever Sat and Sun and therefore received the weekend RN rate. (My husband was home with the children so it worked out great) I also enjoyed the fact that I was getting some decent experience for a new grad...... 42 vented pts....wound vacs, chest tubes......blood cultures and other blood draws (Had IV team at hospital) TPN, G-tubes.....you name it. (Really got a lot of wound care experience there too) I soon became the weekend supervisor at this facility and really learned so much in that area too...............

At the beginning of August I took a RNAC position making 32.5/hr, Mon thru Friday......no weekends and I take call for the building typically once a month. I took the position because of my family schedule and I'm hating it. My friend says I'm lucky to be making the kind of money I am for being a relatively new nurse......and especially in this economy, but I'm really thinking I would be happier with private duty or becoming self employed. I really want longer shifts again(though not the norm for private duty) and I do not feel fullfilled in RNAC position. Anyone with some thoughts or similiar situation. Should I suck it up with the economy in crisis or move to happier ground? I feel like I'm in a rut.

Thanks :nuke:

[PANURSE4]

No replies to my post......

Lots of views.......

Was just curious to see if anyone else felt they needed a new direction. I decided to give the paper work job a try. I figured if I still feel this way in a year, then I'll think about going back to direct patient care.

At least I got it off my chest.:wink2:

[rn-n- 2005]

You have voiced some of the same things that I feel. I, too, graduated in 2005 and worked inpatient Hematology/ Oncology (Adult). I liked it at first and learned a tremendous amount. I was feeling burned out and slightly traumatized with all the suffering and death- even though those nurses do a great job- and made a change to the ED last January. I liked it at first but now I feel extremely stressed before work and want to do something less stressful.

Some of my friends say that I'm lucky to be making the money I make with 3 1/2 years of experience but I work hard for my money!!! I was surfing the internet and saw an opportunity to work fulltime as an Advice nurse for a major health insurance company. It would mean working every other Saturday and no nights!! Now, I work every other weekend and nights.

I am not sure what to tell you except there are a lot of Nursing Jobs out there and they are all different. I'm not sure about you but one of the things that attracted me to nusing was the fact that it's so varied.

Keep me posted and good luck whatever you decide. Money only keeps us happy for the short term. :nuke:

Ann

BTW, what's a RNAC?

[PANURSE4]

Hi Ann!

Thanks for the reply. I guess I thought I was going to graduate and just happily know what I wanted to do for the rest of my nursing life! Not so.....

RNAC is a Registered Nurse Assessment Coordinator. I just found out not so long ago what one was too.....now I am one!

Essentially, I am responsible for bringing all the money into the skilled facility. I know everything about every patient in that facility because I am "capturing" all of their billables for insurance/medicare/purposes. It's a lot of stuff to know and I'm still learning. It's a paperwork nurse job. As a part of the nursing 'management' administration, you may guide your nursing staff and take call for the building once a month, but you really provide very little direct patient care.

I've decided that I'm going to hang on a little while because I don't want to be hasty, but I think I thrive more in a different environment.

You are right. The wonderful thing about nursing is the variety!

Kay