Can I talk to you guys here without being bashed? I've been in Med-surg for almost 2 years now and at the year and a half mark, I took up travel nursing in the hopes that maybe the change of scenery and hospital would make me like the work more. But honestly, all it did was make me absolutely sure that I don't like it anymore. When I started, I felt like I was learning so much and I wasn't sitting around all day but now... I love travel nursing because I get a nice change of scenery but the med-surg aspect of it is exactly the same and I hate that. I'm trying to maintain my morale and not come off as "lazy" so I keep a smile on my face and keep moving but honestly, I'm physically exhausted and don't feel like I have it in me anymore. I'm kind of at my breaking point.
Med-Surg/Telemetry is all I know but I get so tired of running around like a chicken with my head cut off for things that just don't feel important. Going into a room every ten minutes for water, ice, a blanket, asking the patient if they want anything else and hearing them say no and then they call me 5 minutes later because they "thought of something" just makes me feel exhausted and annoyed. I know a lot of people are probably going to try and tell me why these things are important and to remember the reasons why I chose this profession but my body has taken a toll and I'm really disliking every moment of it. This isn't why I chose the profession.
I've been thinking of getting into Labor and Delivery where I'm not assigned to 4-6 patients a shift, but I don't even know if its going to make a difference or if I'll still be running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I really really don't like that feeling.
Just a follow up. I do work L&D NIGHT shift. I don't work days on purpose because it can be ccccrazy, especially if there is not good team work on your unit. There's terrific team work on the night shift where I am so I chose to go nights so I can feel helped and safe within my practice. Any job is going to depend so much on the culture of the unit/shift. Don't forget to think of this as well and find somewhere with a good reputation for teamwork & stability, no matter what specialty!
I'm thinking maybe if it's specialized then I can focus on one thing as opposed to a a bunch. Maybe if I do something more specific then I'd like it more.
That's the thing about any specialty in nursing-there are stressors that are tolerable that go along with the territory.
I have worked Home Health, Specialty Clinic, Rehab, LTC, Post Acute, Peds, Post-Acute, Peds Critical care and now work in Peds ER.
I remember posting what the pros and cons (if any) were to me many moons ago, so I will try to filter them down:
Home Health- pros: able to be flexible upon nursing judgment, ability to work on POC; lots of teaching, flexibility of one to one patient care (PDN) or multi one visits with focused treatments (especially for wound care or infusions or procedures)
Cons: proper support is dependent on the agency; unexpected family dynamics and or home dynamics.
Rehab/Post Acute: management of progressive treatments and modalities; multidisciplinary care that involves nursing; progression of nursing POC is heavily involved and actual time can be spent on evaluating and modifying POC; lots of teaching. Lots of variety of conditions and needs that can be addressed.
Cons: pt and family dynamics, issues regarding post discharge needs; depending on injury, lots of psychosocial rehabilitation (not necessarily a con).
LTC-Pros: predictable care; able to become familiar with pts and their routine; familiar with families; opportunity to address needs for pts.
Cons: huge ratios; family dynamics; lots of paperwork due to the highly regulatory nature of LTC.
Peds: variety of needs and conditions; focus on family and pt centered care; lots of teaching.
Critical Care: monitoring of 1:1 or 1:2 pts; familiarity of different medications and hemodynamic monitoring; of in place great teamwork atmosphere.
ER: lots of education, use of resources, pt variety ranging from urgent care to critical to trauma; use of advocacy; if in place great teamwork atmosphere.
Each I have enjoyed, but there were stressors that were...tolerable; I still was able to advocate, teach, and be able to manage what my patients and what their family needed; some needed less and was able to learn something new in the process.
My motto is: if I am able to do my nursing practice effectively and safely; everything else is secondary.
I've worked in less ideal areas, and have worked in stellar ones and everything in between; my focus of how to transcend my nursing practice really made a difference regardless where I worked; I played up my strengths and moved into other specialties and built what I needed in my nursing practice.
Just a follow up. I do work L&D NIGHT shift. I don't work days on purpose because it can be ccccrazy, especially if there is not good team work on your unit. There's terrific team work on the night shift where I am so I chose to go nights so I can feel helped and safe within my practice. Any job is going to depend so much on the culture of the unit/shift. Don't forget to think of this as well and find somewhere with a good reputation for teamwork & stability, no matter what specialty!
That is true. I applied for a night shift position in labor and delivery for now and while waiting, I'll try to finish out my assignment on night shift and then take a month off so I can recuperate from this crazy med-surg day shift experience.
Great post! I have been a RN for eight years and I have done a variety of things - full-time M/S staff, travel, research, health insurance, and public health - and I have yet to find my niche. I am looking for something that it less stressful than the bedside, but still reasonably challenging. I am back traveling for the flexibility and money, but the stress of learning ANOTHER EHR/EMR and their logistics is becoming too much. I am considering PRN bedside AND PRN home care and working when I want to work. Sadly, there are very few part-time opportunities in my neck of the woods. It's either PRN or full-time.
Great post! I have been a RN for eight years and I have done a variety of things - full-time M/S staff, travel, research, health insurance, and public health - and I have yet to find my niche. I am looking for something that it less stressful than the bedside, but still reasonably challenging. I am back traveling for the flexibility and money, but the stress of learning ANOTHER EHR/EMR and their logistics is becoming too much. I am considering PRN bedside AND PRN home care and working when I want to work. Sadly, there are very few part-time opportunities in my neck of the woods. It's either PRN or full-time.
I'm glad you said that because I think that's exactly what I'm looking for, less stress but a reasonable challenge. Nursing isn't a bad experience but I don't want nursing to consume me. I use to guilt myself for not wanting to do all of "this" and make it my life but now I don't feel so guilty. I'm looking for avenues outside of nursing and I'm already looking to do sales, real estate and business of some kind.
Specializes in ER, Med Surg, Ob/Gyn, Clinical teaching.
I'm glad you said that because I think that's exactly what I'm looking for, less stress but a reasonable challenge. Nursing isn't a bad experience but I don't want nursing to consume me. I use to guilt myself for not wanting to do all of "this" and make it my life but now I don't feel so guilty. I'm looking for avenues outside of nursing and I'm already looking to do sales, real estate and business of some kind.
I too love nursing. But the stress and paperwork is just outrageous. I'm just kinda bored with all the stress involved. I've been looking for something else... I love the academia... I'm thinking of pursuing a graduate program in human development ... I don't know... just looking for something fun and adventurous..
I don't know, just something different....
I think I'm really beginning to loose myself in all this..
Nursing is just hard.. high acuity, demanding, stressful, grouchy patients and even staff who are stressed out.. every week at least 2 staff on my floor call in for needing sometime off due to stress...
I just pray for the strength to do this little longer.. yhen find my way out...
I have a friend who works dialysis and absolutely loves it. I've never done L&D but i'm sure any L&D RN would tell you that you really need to LOVE the work to enjoy it. Just because you have fewer patients doesn't always mean it's better! PACU or endoscopy could be a better fit maybe?
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
Labour delivery nurses run their buns off to, and can miss breaks. Many complain of back, neck and shoulder issues from holding legs. Same day surgery is a short exposure, but you still are on your feet and moving.
I just wanted to come update you all. I switched to all night shifts for the duration of my assignment. After that I'm taking some time off. It hit me that I haven't had a vacation in 2 years and I started my assignment working overtime 55-60 hrs/week and I'm completely burnt out. I need to take it slow for a bit until I can get to that time when I have a vacation or else...idk. I can't keep going at the rate I was though.
TheSpectator
24 Posts
Just a follow up. I do work L&D NIGHT shift. I don't work days on purpose because it can be ccccrazy, especially if there is not good team work on your unit. There's terrific team work on the night shift where I am so I chose to go nights so I can feel helped and safe within my practice. Any job is going to depend so much on the culture of the unit/shift. Don't forget to think of this as well and find somewhere with a good reputation for teamwork & stability, no matter what specialty!