I am a new male RN, BSN. I graduated in August of '12 and started at my job on a neurology/med-surg unit. I never really wanted to do med-surg, but many nurses told me that it is a great place to start because you can hone your time management skills, prioritization, and whatnot. Where do I ultimately want to end up? I have no clue. I don't know what the end game is.
Anyway, as many new nurses have stated on this forum, I am truly miserable. I work nights because the pace is generally slower than days (our floor is extremely busy), and I care for between four to five patients (less than other med-surg floors in other hospitals in our city, but often higher acuity than what they see, I'm told).
I just feel constantly behind. It takes me forever to chart, to see all of my patients, and give a comprehensive report to day shift. I feel sick on the drive to work, and suffer 'GI distress' once there. At work I feel constantly on edge and snap at co-workers (definitely not a good thing). I just feel like I should be better at this job than I am. I feel like I should be more confident and comfortable. I know I should be grateful to even have this job, but I truly resent it. Am I expecting to much at this point? Is year one of nursing truly just this gauntlet of misery? (Sorry for getting emo there!)
I opted for med-surg post graduation. Was this a wise choice? Are there other areas in which a newer grad could also do well in? What are they? I have never left a job in less than one year of service, but this one has gotten me thinking that perhaps I should.
Ultimately, even if no one responds to this post, I'm happy that this forum exists so I can at least vent.
Thanks!