Floor nursing making me question....

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My whole choice of career. As a second career person, I was hoping for a rewarding second career to carry me through my 40s and beyond. And, I'm a male. Don't get me wrong, I see the light.....there's enormous flexibility in this profession, and I will find a happy place. But FLOOR nursing is my first job. Awful. Hate it. It's a low level service job. You're everybody's tool. Or fill in your own word there. You know what I mean. What I'd like to hear, are stories of those of you who made it out to a role that's actually more rewarding and less of a daily endurance and tolerance test. What did you find? ER? ICU? NP life better? Medical sales? Home care? Natural based healing? Would love to hear your story

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Sounds like you're having a bad day (or, week, month). As a new second-career grad, I know it's very tough at first. You might be mourning the loss of what you'd imagined it being like. I think it gets better in time...

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I felt the same way. I'm in graduate school and really enjoy seeing patients in the FNP role. I would have gone back to stay at home mom otherwise. If I'm going to be a waitress/maid I will do that for the people I love.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

I'm a second career changer. I hated my first job as a nurse. It was rough and thought I made a mistake. Then, I realized second career or not, being on the floor is tough and is usually exacerbated by you being new. I managed to last a year on my unit, which helped improved my time management and critical thinking skills. I was able to transfer to a unit/specialty that was more my niche. It's still floor nursing, but I enjoy what I do. I have come a long way and I look forward in continuing to grow in my nursing career.

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Nursing is a second career for me, I'm in my 40's, and I'm also a male. I work in a specialty area, but many of my friends got jobs on med/surg units. Your description of the job is exactly the same as what I have heard from them. However, like you said, there are so many different options in nursing. On the upside, at least you're honing your time management and other nursing skills while there. It seems apparent that floor nursing is not what you want, so bide your time until you can transfer to another unit. But realize that it is not like what you are experiencing on every unit. Some people love med/surg but I'm not one of them. For me, perfecting your time management and nursing skills can only take you so far.

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Specializes in Hem/Onc/BMT.

I know what you mean. But I really hope you try different specialty before denouncing floor nursing altogether.

I started as an LVN working tele floor and SNF. At some point I swore I've had it enough and decided to leave nursing. Years later... I am an RN working on a hem/onc floor and absolutely in love with this floor nursing job. I like having the knowledge to understand the complex medical condition my patients have and their progress. It gives me a great satisfaction knowing that my nursing role -- observing patients, quick action when their condition changes, my support -- is crucial in their positive outcome and successful treatment. What I do now is far far from a low-level service job, a pill-pusher, glorified maid... which I know too well from my previous jobs...

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I have made a very happy move from floor nursing to telehealth. No shiftwork, patient contact only over the phone, no bodily fluids, no violence. If you enjoy computers, have superlative communication skills and want to try something different, give it a try. I hope you find something you enjoy. Floor nursing really sucks.

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Specializes in Progressive Care Unit.

Try a different unit in your hospital, and if that still doesn't work, trying moving to another hospital. Floor nursing from one hospital to another may have a big difference. :)

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

Because I had worked in a hospital as an LVN I knew I didn't ever want to do med-surg. I decided to skip it and go directly into critical care as a new grad. Was a great choice for me. I chose a hospital that invested a lot of time and money (but offered low pay) into training me in a 9 month critical care residency. That training and experience has led me to lots of other fun and rewarding nursing jobs. I have done MICU, SICU, PICU, travel (I would ONLY travel as an ICU nurse), ER, critical care transport, ground & air and now to a great job as full time Rapid Response team RN.

I have to assume that med-surg was all you could get as a new grad? Lucky for me I graduated at a time when a grad had their choice of hospitals and units.

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If I didn't have my job as a postpartum nurse, I would not be able to work as a floor nurse. I love working in PP, and it truly is the best job I've ever had. You probably just have to find your niche, and floor nursing may not be it. Try ER or ICU.

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A new grad working a floor job? I have been there too. You are dealing as much with social problems as much as medical problems: "Mr.X refuses to go to dialysis unless we let him order exactly what he wants to eat despite having orders for a renal diet".

I worked hard, left late too many times, never took a full lunch(or lunch at all mostly) but the workload ground me down.

The past 15 years in ICU have been very rewarding. ICU skills are tremendously useful outside ICU if you want to work in PACU or procedural nursing.

The good thing about having a job you hate is that you will have something to compare other nursing jobs to and the new jobs will look good compared to where you have been. A little perspective is a good thing.

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