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Discussion

Feeling trapped at bedside

Hi! I’m in need of some good sound advice. I’ve been an RN for 6 months on a busy med-surg/Tele floor. & currently.. to be honest I hate it. I have good days & I do love patient interactions at times but I just cannot see myself doing this any longer. I can barely see myself doing this for a whole year.

i feel like I’m constantly fussing with adults to do what they need to do. They are in the hospital but some reason wants to deny needed treatment which leads to another set of problems. Or I get yelled at by doctors when trying to get orders to help treat pts but since the problem isn’t an emergency they are angry because I’m calling at ungodly times in the morning... which I can hardly help most of the time. & tbh I’m feel like I’m being burnt out & I haven’t even really started. I’m just tired ALL the time.

Maybe it’s not my niche. I also feel like I’m not where I’m supposed to be as a nurse as well. I know we all need help throughout our career. But I feel like there are so many things I didn’t know & often wish I could go back in time & spend more time shadow nursing or working as a tech. & i am always the only one from night shift who stays 2 hrs over trying to document. I rarely leave on time. It’s quite noticeable. & I’m always running like a chicken with its head cut off. My saving grace in all this has been the people I work with.

I honestly believe my charge nurse try to give me the easier pts & the last admissions(when it can be helped). Usually I have 5 pts. & I struggle with keeping things on time with those 5. I just know this isn’t for me. & it just seems like every other nursing job requires 2 years or more of bedside nursing or a masters degree. Which sucks for those of us who hates it.

So my question is.. any suggestions on some other nursing jobs I could take that could be less stressful?? I know no nursing job is easy but I want something that doesn’t make me want to burst into tears before I go. I was thinking case management... if anyone has details on case management I will be open to that to. Or nursing informatics?? I just need some ideas on where I could possibly go?

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    You're only six months in; it takes at least a year to become confident. This is true in any new career, not just nursing. Switching jobs or switching specialties takes a while to get used to as well.

    You've probably heard this before, but all of your complaints are typical of being new to nursing, and most of them resolve about the one year mark. You spent years preparing to be a nurse; don't give it all up without giving it a good chance.! Read some of the threads on the "First Year After Licensure Forum." There's lots of folks out there who feel as you do. I vividly remember feeling the same way about 41 years ago!

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    It's very possible this is not your niche. It's also very possible you're experiencing the same growing pains that many of us did. It sounds like despite your struggles you are in an environment where you have support from your coworkers, which is not something I would rush to leave. Give yourself time. Nobody is an expert overnight. Unfortunately, case management and jobs that require less physical stress (because believe me, those are not stress-free jobs) usually require multiple years of experience anyway; you might still want to pursue those jobs and that's fine, but it would serve you better to focus on the here and now and coping mechanisms for your stress.

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