Career decisions, switch to nursing informatics?

[dalsor]

Hey everyone. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice about a career decision that I'm facing. First, some background.

I'm 28 years old and I live in Southern California. I currently work day shift on a busy step-down unit (3 to 1 ratio) and have been really stressed out as of late. I've been a nurse for 2 and a half years and for the most part enjoy what I do. I spent multiple months trying to find my first nursing job and to get through an intense second degree program. I love making a meaningful difference in my patients lives and see the way that my care and my critical thinking impact my patients.

However, i've noticed that i'm feeling super anxious at work. I recently precepted a new grad for three months and when it was time for me to go back to being by myself I had waves of anxiety just thinking about it. When I work I think of every single problem or issue my patient could go and feel super anxious about it, or the possibility that they will code. I've been involved in some messy codes, but never my own patient, I've always been able to rapid them when I see them going downhill or intervene.

My floor also doesn't have the best team morale, a lot of my coworkers have left for different floors or left bedside. I'd say half of the staff on our floor are travelers on assignments. As far as the good stuff, I love my coworkers that are still there with me and we all get along well.

So, onto the dilemma, a few months ago I volunteered to be an EPIC superuser for my floor (for the EPIC 2014 update) and through that was able to network with the nursing informatics team. I feel very comfortable around computers and I felt like I did really well interacting with physicians and nurses in helping with the update. A few months later, the Clinical Informatics manager came to me and let me know they had a position opening up and she wanted me to interview for it. I said yes and after the interview last week was offered the job.

I have a few days to decide and am stuck at a crossroads. Part of me loves the perks of the informatics job: No weekends, no holidays, salaried and higher pay than my current position, initially for the first 6 months its going to be 8 hours shift M-F. After 6 months there is an option for 10 hour shifts so possibly M-R or T-F, also a lot less stress.

However, the cons are pretty strong for me as well. I'd be switching into a completely different side of nursing. I would be leaving the clinical side of nursing which I enjoy a lot. Also be losing my clinical skills that I have worked so hard to learn. I'm also afraid of the possibility that I would become bored. I mean, right now my work is pretty stressful, but maybe I'm going so far towards the other side that I would go crazy.

Does anyone else work in informatics or elsewhere and make the transition from bedside? Do you regret it? I was thinking 6 months in I could do a per diem bedside nurse position a day a week to maintain my clinical skills in case I eventually wanted to go back to bedside, but I'm not sure if it would be harder to find a position after being out for a while.

[NGYSUN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I am not into informatics yet. However, I will say that you may take the job and get a PRN somewhere just so you keep up with your skills. Just my 2cents suggestion...lol...