I am a new grad (have been off orientation and on my own since October last year), and am finding that very little challenges me at work lately.
I was (and still am) a very motivated learner-I always seek out things I don't know and ask/learn about them. I am very proactive about my own education on the floor. But my problem is that I'm only a year out and I'm finding that I'm in a bit of a rut already. I loved my first 8 months or so-every day I went to work I learned something new and it was great!
Lately I've been going in and not learning anything new, and it leaves me a feeling down. I still go into the heart rooms (or any really critical pt for that matter) and review their gtts and their hemodynamics, and depending on the nurse do potential trouble shooting, but really I haven't been challenged in a while. I've made it known to our charge nurses that I would like a challenge, and they try to find complex things, but it just hasn't been happening lately.
I've been signing up for classes left and right, and am on the list to cross-train to recover open hearts, but I'm wondering if any of you have any ideas for me? I feel like I'm getting stagnant-and I'm FAR to young in my career to be feeling that way. I'm getting bored, and I feel like I can't just change units after mine put so much time/energy/$$ training me so thouroughly. Please-any advice is appreciated! Thanks!
Thank you all for your feedback, especially those with the constructive comments. I have started studying for my CCRN on my days off (I don't feel right studying at work). I have continued to ask for harder patients, and have gotten a few lately. I continue to go in and learn with every difficult patient (gtts aren't working as expected, balloon pumps with multiple gtts affecting augmentation, cooling protocols after out of hospital arrests, etc), and am still learning. I've also found some more classes to take (which for me is always fun to go back to work with the new knowledge and apply at the bedside). So, hopefully with the track that I'm on I can keep myself challenged. If not, then I may consider a change like some of you suggested-trauma ICU is definately an interest of mine at some point. :) Again, thank you for the comments!
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nursecass
110 Posts
Thank you all for your feedback, especially those with the constructive comments. I have started studying for my CCRN on my days off (I don't feel right studying at work). I have continued to ask for harder patients, and have gotten a few lately. I continue to go in and learn with every difficult patient (gtts aren't working as expected, balloon pumps with multiple gtts affecting augmentation, cooling protocols after out of hospital arrests, etc), and am still learning. I've also found some more classes to take (which for me is always fun to go back to work with the new knowledge and apply at the bedside). So, hopefully with the track that I'm on I can keep myself challenged. If not, then I may consider a change like some of you suggested-trauma ICU is definately an interest of mine at some point. :) Again, thank you for the comments!