Are you nursing where you thought you'd be?

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I'm just wondering how many of the nurses on here are working in an area that they hadn't planned on working in.

I have heard many stories from instructors about students who complained loudly going into certain rotations--esp. nursing home--& then later on ended up taking a job in that area.

I love children & had always thought seriously about being a Peds nurse. I thought I would really like it. In our final semester, we had a rotation in pediatrics and I was miserable. Sure, the instructor's intimidation tactics & the unfriendly staff contributed to my dislike of the clinical, but I also don't like spending half an hour trying to cajole a preschooler into taking her meds. It also made me sad to see the kids who were sick due to parental neglect. It is one thing to treat your own body like crap & end up with a chronic condition, but I saw children in there who had their health ruined by noncompliant parents. :o

What about you? Are you where you thought you'd be?

I wanted to be an OB nurse, but never got the chance.

I worked for a year at a hospital in California, and they made me float from floor to floor, I eventually would have gotten a permanent postion, but I don't think it would have been OB. That was way back in 1975, and my husband at the time had very itchy feet, so we moved alot. I ended up doing LTC at different places where we moved to, because that was what was available to me.

Now I am almost 25 years into my job with the state, in MR/DDS and I do love it.

I'm at the age now, where it's the money and retirement benefits that really matter to me, not so much as where I'm at.

Definitely not where I thought or wanted to be after graduation, but I'm happy.

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Yes...for me it was a tossup between ER and NICU. I work NICU and love it.

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.

I wanted to be a midwife eventually, but I don't think I could stand working with any to-be mother in LD or as a midwife who is not doing all she can for her baby. (plans to breastfeed, taking care of her body ec. etc.) I would go mad dealing with anyone who comes in a drug addict and pregnant. I just don't have the fortitude it takes to work in something that I am so emotional about.

I work in Neuro/Stroke and love it.

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One reason I decided to become a nurse is the variety this profession offers. I always knew I would try different areas of nursing. 2 years into it, I'm on my second job (within the same hospital). My first job was on an ortho/neuro/trauma unit; in September I became a float RN which offers lots of variety, so far I love it :)

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Sort of, but not quite ... When I went to graduate school, I figured I would teach for a university. However, I had a terrible experience with that. I am now doing staff development and program development for a hospital and love it.

ddd

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Specializes in many.

I am an LPN and have worked LTC, PH (jail) and now M/S. I started out not caring, and grew to have a passion for OB. I have a job starting in OB after I take my NCLEX RN, (new grad, BSN) and hope to teach or administer someday.

It is great to hear that so many ended up blooming in a different garden. Now I am not worried about what I will do if OB and I just don't get along.

Thanks All!

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Yep...wanted to be a NICU nurse and that's where I am.

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I have a story that is related to what you say but not exactly. It is strange that it took me so long to figure out that I wanted to be a rehab nurse. For years I did telemetry and med/surg and was sort of so so about it. However, I frequently got pulled to rehab and loved it. It took sooo long for me to say to myself, "well you love being pulled to rehab why not just go work there". I am scratching my head about this now that I am approaching the two year mark in rehab and am happier than I have been in a long time.

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I couldn't ever decide WHERE I wanted to be! When I was in school, I thought, babies, then, I couldn't take to look at a sick baby, brought me to deep sadness. So I went to geriatrics, at an LTAC, and loved it. SOOO much experience...peg tubes, foleys, vents, wound care, etc.. Then I moved on to med surg/tele, then ER, ICU, Stepdown, Endo, Psych, Postpartum, and where ever else I could be pulled to learn new stuff. Before I knew it, 10 years had gone by! (With my strongest backround in med surg). It has been wonderful experience, but now I think I am a little burned on patient care, and have moved into the case managment arena. It too is very challenging with lots to learn, just different than bedside nursing. I love the versalility in nursing, never a dull moment.....:)

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Specializes in Women's health & post-partum.
I'm nowhere near where I thought ---or wished ---I'd be. Had dreams of being in the OR as a circulating nurse but foolishly stopped the 2-yr RN program I was in when I got the LPN.(That was 20 yrs ago;I was younger and not thinking clearly!) As I understand it in Oregon, one must have at least an RN degree and then "specialize" and that takes quite a bit of training or so I recall. I currently work with MR/DD clients in group homes and LOVE it and figure I'll do this till retirement...but a secret part of me still ACHES to be trained and work in the OR...

I don't know where in Oregon you are, but Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham offers a course in Surgical Technology. Of course, it's 6 quarters--you might be able to get an RN in less time than that!

"The Surgical Technology program at Mt. Hood Community College is six quarters in length leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree. It is designed for selected men and women who wish to prepare for a paramedical career as members of a multi-disciplinary team caring for patients in the operating room and in the surgical practice setting. The program combines academic study with clinical practice in metropolitan hospitals. After completion of this program, the graduate is eligible to take the national certification examination. Successfully passing this exam is a requirement for employment in many hospitals"

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Specializes in Acute rehab/geriatrics/cardiac rehab.

I knew I wanted to work in something dealing with brain and spinal cord injuries. The only other thing I considered was women's health, like OB. I enjoyed my OB clinicals but when I did my senior practicum at a rehab hospital it was like I just fit. I'm a rehabilitation nurse. I didn't even know such a field existed while I was in nursing school until my senior year. A friend happened to mention the hospital I'm at and thought I'd "fit" in there.

Especially since I get to know my patients and their families since they may stay around 3 - 4 weeks.

That's how I came to ask my teachers about doing a practicum at the rehab hospital, I was the only one in my class to do so, and at the end of my practicum, the folks there asked me to come back. I did a lot of worrying about not doing "Med/Surg" first, etc. etc but what I'm finding is that some of our patients are still quite ill so I'm dealing with IVs, blood draws, oxygen tanks, in/out catheters, foley catheters, lots of dressing changes, etc. I've heard someone call it "Med/Surg light". (Since I've never done Med/Surg, except as a student, I have no idea how it compares). I plan to stay with Rehab. I like getting to know my patients. I see people with Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries, Amputees, Stroke victims, people with MS, etc. So I have a nice variety of people I deal with.

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I went to school so I could continue working in research but be paid about double what I was getting...

I'm still in research but have switched fields to H&N cancer -- a job I would not have been eligible for without an RN.

I did think I'd never work in a hospital but I am now working psych 1-2 days a month (pays too much not to).

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