Discouraged

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Apr 23, 2020

Why do you want to have both positions? I would just stick with the nursing home job. It sounds like you are getting a lot of support with the nursing home. What exactly is happening in the surgical center that makes you think of NETY?

How could you not have accomplished your goal of going through nursing school?? You graduated, passed your boards, and are working more than full time. That is fantastic. Why not wait a year or at least until COVID has settled more, many hospitals at this time may not be hiring new grads. Stick with what you have now and just be patient.

Not sure why you are second guessing your career choice. You have already accomplished so much in such a short period of time, many would be thankful. I realize it may not be were you want to work, but you have two jobs and that is great.

Lookaliveforonce · Apr 27, 2020

Everything your saying is very true but I think my real fear is being stuck in a nursing home and not being diserable to a hospital due to lack of skills. Theres so many nurses at my job at the nursing home that havent been able to get into a hospital and that fear gets to me. I had an interview with a hospital made it all the way to the 3ed interview to get rejected ???

I know I super new to game and I should keep trying ?

CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN · Apr 27, 2020

4 hours ago, Lookaliveforonce said:
I know I super new to game and I should keep trying ?

...and there is your answer ?

allnurses Guide · Apr 27, 2020

12 hours ago, Lookaliveforonce said:
Everything your saying is very true but I think my real fear is being stuck in a nursing home and not being diserable to a hospital due to lack of skills. Theres so many nurses at my job at the nursing home that havent been able to get into a hospital and that fear gets to me. I had an interview with a hospital made it all the way to the 3ed interview to get rejected ???
I know I super new to game and I should keep trying ?

Why are you fearing this? I am curious. The future of nursing is going to be in population health, not acute care. Getting into a residency isn't going to happen, or isn't likely in any case - partly because you have nursing experience now and most will only take unexperienced new grads for a residency position and partly because COVID-19 has lead to some unforeseen issues with employment and likely is going to result in many new grads having trouble finding a position in any capacity.

Positioning yourself at a long term care facility that is treating you well, helping you grow and fulfilling you in every way other than that it triggers this fear deserves some thought. Do you have some long-term plan that requires you work in a hospital? Or are you just buying into the nonsense that your work in LTC matters less somehow? Because from where I sit, you are in a great position to weather this economic and pandemic crisis and to move with the market as things continue into the future. Better than many to most new grads right now.

Salisburysteak, BSN, RN · Apr 27, 2020

Working in the hospital is NOT an end all , be all of Nursing. Nurses are needed everywhere! There is absolutely nothing wrong with working in a long-term care facility. Me thinks you bought into the fallacy that hospital(acute) nursing is the “real” type of nursing.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Apr 28, 2020

4 hours ago, Salisburysteak said:
Working in the hospital is NOT an end all , be all of Nursing. Nurses are needed everywhere! There is absolutely nothing wrong with working in a long-term care facility. Me thinks you bought into the fallacy that hospital(acute) nursing is the “real” type of nursing.

and most who work in the hospitals are doing everything that they can to get out-looking for non bedside, clinics, home health, etc. I don't ever want to work in a hospital again, it would have to be the last paying job available!

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2020

OP:

The hospital is not the "great" experience you think you may be missing out on. Nurses work in so many different settings. Why do you want specifically to work in a hospital? What do you think is there that isn't anywhere else? This world needs nurses in all aspects of work. We need nurses to work psych, outpatient, ER, OR, ICU, LTAC, research, wound care, compliance, OSHA, case management, and so many more. Do you really want a hospital work, very acutely ill patients, sometimes unsafe staffing, inflexible schedules at times, not always getting to know your patient because you have 10 other things that have to be done all the while answering call bells, turning patients, bringing glasses of water, updating families and physicians?

Nursing home does have its challenges, but it sounds like it may be a nice environment.

It is unfair to yourself and others to compare yourself and work situation to others. You have found a good niche, enjoy it for now.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Apr 28, 2020

First of all, hospital nursing is not the end all ..be all of the profession. Check out the many threads here on AN. You will see that hospital nursing is brutal.

You are quite successful in two diverse areas of nursing. Be proud of that.

Hospitals may not be hiring because of the current crisis. Learn what you can now, where you are at.

Best wishes.

amoLucia · Apr 28, 2020

Nurse SMS - So well said! You and all the other respondents.

4 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:
... I don't ever want to work in a hospital again, it would have to be the last paying job available!

Many other nurses have said this. Funny, that there have been many nurses here who've said the same thing about LTC!

Oh well. Different strokes for different folks.

Note - I thought like Nurse SMS for the latter, and longest part of my LTC career.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2020

23 hours ago, Lookaliveforonce said:
Everything your saying is very true but I think my real fear is being stuck in a nursing home and not being diserable to a hospital due to lack of skills. Theres so many nurses at my job at the nursing home that havent been able to get into a hospital and that fear gets to me. I had an interview with a hospital made it all the way to the 3ed interview to get rejected ???
I know I super new to game and I should keep trying ?

I’m confused about this lack of skills you mention.... Why are you not developing your nursing skills in geriatrics?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 28, 2020

5 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:
and most who work in the hospitals are doing everything that they can to get out-looking for non bedside, clinics, home health, etc. I don't ever want to work in a hospital again, it would have to be the last paying job available!

Count me in. Med/Surg nursing took so much out of me both physically and mentally that I wouldn't go back to the hospital unless my only other choice was living in a cardboard box behind a strip mall. I did much better in long-term care, especially assisted living. Most of the residents were fun and easy to get along with; they were in the facility only because they needed help with ADLs like bathing and dressing. (That's changed a lot---now ALFs are like nursing homes, resident acuity is much higher, but they have a lot less staff and few minimum requirements for caregivers. Most of them aren't even CNAs.)

Hospital nursing is for the birds, IMHO. I'm glad there are nurses who love it and are good at it, but I don't think it's the Holy Grail of nursing. I went back and forth between hospital and LTC several times, and while I enjoyed taking care of people and watching them get better, I was much better fitted for an environment where I could actually get to know people. Just my $.02 worth.