Tired of jumping jobs, does anyone like her job?

[rearviewmirror]

After hopping between 5-6 jobs in last few yrs, and finally saying good bye to patient care, I spent 1.5 yrs at utilization management job, stuck in a cubicle and having to worry about cases that come back to haunt the next day. It never felt like in the hospital where you can leave with sense of freedom after your shift.

I want to go back to the clinical setting, but it is difficult considering that I usually hate patient care. I don't mean to be ugly about it, but I really do not enjoy seeing patients in acute care setting (medsurg or ER or ICU).

What are some jobs that an introvert who does not like acute care can do to enjoy? Preferably less intense, more relaxed, no crazy hours?

[OldDude]

I make pretty good money mowing yards.

[Floor_Nurse]

This grass is always greener... Sometimes a hiring manager will look for a "flag" to see if you've been hopping, but then again, that same hiring manager may have recently accepted his/her new position and will soon get sick & tired of it, only to seek a new job. You have to find your niche and stick with it.

My position (almost) requires me to do chest compressions and chart at the same time but I can't do both, so the patient will just have to wait until the documentation is done (I'M JUST KIDDING!).

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

I will say what I said on another thread this morning. Try urgent care or clinic. The workflow is better (in my opinion) and there are less irons in the fire. When I worked urgent care I had very good work-life balance. Every once in awhile you have an emergency, but not usually. It is also much better on your body than floor nursing.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Oh I meant to specify I hate acute care, you know, lifting + 250lb, changing pans or wiping, running amok, dealing with family, dealing with ER patients faking seizure, dealing with people demanding dilaudid, doing compressions while being expected to chart at the same time, having to wheel people because they magically can't walk anymore once they come to the hospital, enabling helplessness, etc.

I am totally fine with interacting with people who are not acutely sick and are able to walk, talk like regular person. Again I'm not trying to be mean here, but just what I went through and what I know about myself. Thanks :)

Patients in ambulatory surgery, pre-op, or in PACU ARE acutely ill... they are having interventional procedures performed. They also throw up a lot and require intense pain management and respiratory interventions.

Best of luck with your search.

[lcgivz12]

I worked in surgery for 6 years because at the time, I did not really like patient-contact care. Surgery is unlike any other department. It is a cave and very isolated from other departments. It is a close-knit team and your work environment revolves around working closely with your team and the relationships you develop with them. Your patients are asleep and the only time you relate to them is the 5 or 10 minutes you spend with them before surgery. I really liked this. That being said, I worked in several O.R.'s and few of them were not good experiences because the team energy was negative. It effected my personal life.

I currently work in endoscopy and sedate patients for GI procedures. This is a similar environment to O.R. and is honestly the best working environment I have ever worked. This is because there is very little drama among the department staff. This is a rare gem in the field of nursing and a working environment I will not be leaving anytime soon.

[ivyleaf]

Clinic is definitely easier on the body, and although it can be stressful, it is generally lower stakes stress (pt has to wait 20min for his injection vs pt is crashing and you're waiting for rapid response to arrive). Depending on the setting you're in, it is not always ideal for introverts. I'm a float; the place I have been for almost the last year, I work with a doc and an MA and am constantly juggling requests from doc (can you get pt's non urgent eye exam moved up since pt doesn't care enough to call himself), patients (where is the nearest bathroom) , and phone calls (i looked at my lab results online need to discuss how my RDWs are 0.01 off from last time, with the dr himself, asap). it gets old, but the stakes are low.

[Marisette, BSN, RN]

OP, looking around your post trying to see if I can fine a few good tips. There seems to be no consistency of what specialty will lead to longevity with an employer. I don't think it's based on the specialty. I think what matters is the atmosphere, the actual work environment. Do you get along well with your coworkers? Is management supportive? Do you feel you can complete most of your work by the end of the day or are you feeling rushed and overwhelmed? Are you properly trained to meet the demands of the job? I think nurses who can answer yes to these questions will stay on. I don't know how one can determine if a potential employer will be able to meet these demands. But, even a "low stress" nursing specialty can be miserable if you walk into a toxic environment.

[Mrs Future RN]

Mommy/Baby in a non high risk facility. I think there has been 1 code in the past six years on my floor and NICU handles the infant should something go wrong with them. Most moms are young and healthy, even after a c-section, they are up and walking after 13 hours. Over half of the job is educating moms on self and infant care.

[MelEpiRN]

I am a stroke program coordinator. I love it. I too am an introvert. I find program coordination gives me the perfect blend of data analysis/ behind the scenes PI, etc and patient/ staff interaction. I participate in health fairs, go to all stroke codes to help the staff (which are exciting, gives me that adrenaline rush) educate patients and family. Hospitals have different coordinator jobs (not just stroke) so maybe that'd be a good option for you.

[rnkannur]

Why not considering Psych Nursing , some units are slow paced , some are hectic , but be proactive , pour PRN meds and keep them calm , should shift would go good. I have been in this area for the last 3 yrs after 14 yrs of critical care and I love it .

[HeySis, BSN, RN]

Oh I meant to specify I hate acute care, you know, lifting + 250lb, changing pans or wiping, running amok, dealing with family, dealing with ER patients faking seizure, dealing with people demanding dilaudid, doing compressions while being expected to chart at the same time, having to wheel people because they magically can't walk anymore once they come to the hospital, enabling helplessness, etc.

I am totally fine with interacting with people who are not acutely sick and are able to walk, talk like regular person. Again I'm not trying to be mean here, but just what I went through and what I know about myself. Thanks :)

PACU is not for you then, Your patients will need acute critical care, holding airways and charting at the same time is pretty standard in my PACU. So is getting report form an anesthesiologist, and OR circulator all the while you're assessing if the patient is breathing, correcting it if they are not and getting hooked up to monitors all at the same time. And there are a lot of pain med requests.... some from people who are barely breathing but demanding you put them back to sleep. We also have no bathroom and our patients are not allowed to get off their stretcher, so bedpans are pretty common. So are accidents in the OR that are left for you to clean up (wipe butts) and post op N & V.

[Alex_RN, BSN]

...you know, lifting + 250lb, changing pans or wiping, running amok, dealing with family, dealing with ER patients faking seizure, dealing with people demanding dilaudid, doing compressions while being expected to chart at the same time, having to wheel people because they magically can't walk anymore once they come to the hospital, enabling helplessness, etc.

You just perfectly described my typical day in acute care. Seriously, I am not kidding or being sarcastic.

I like my job but it suits me. Good luck on your search and keep us posted.