Grass is always greener...maybe?

[miranda819, BSN]

I think I am suffering from 'the grass is always greener on the other side' syndrome. I find myself searching for jobs, even though I have only been in my current position for 3 months. I constantly go back and forth in my mind, is this what I want to be doing right now, should I look somewhere else, is this the right job for me. I left a night shift position on a horribly busy mother-baby unit to come to a case management/parent education position, and it's like a night and day difference. There are days where I want to be back in that clinical setting and others where I don't miss it at all. I can't seem to wrap my brain around what direction I should be going. When I accepted this current position, I wanted a slower pace, less stress, day time job. I got exactly what I asked for, but now I wonder if that is truly what I wanted, or just a break from the crazy floor nursing environment. A big part of me thinks it would be silly to give up such an 'easy' Monday-Friday, 8-5 position, but the other part wants to be back with other nurses. Right now I work with mainly social workers and I'm the only RN in the group, so some of this could be that I feel like the odd man out. Anyone else have similar feelings? Am I doomed to be a job hopper?

[UpennRN]

Hi Miranda,

I don't have any advice for you, other than that I am going through the same exact thing. I have been on my busy med/surg floor for a little over a year now. In that past year I was so desperate to get outta there that I've excessively stalked job postings and even applied to other hospitals but never went through with anything.

At this point I am looking at non-clinical positions. My colleagues always tell me "the grass is always greener" and that I might miss bedside nursing, which is true.

I think I'm going to give a new outpatient position a try, and if I hate it, who says I can't go back to bedside nursing?

No one says you can't go back!

[scott5698]

Try a prn position a couple days a month and see if it scratches the itch you have!

[RNperdiem, RN]

I would second a prn job in mother-baby. It would keep your skills up-to-date, bring some perspective, and give you a little extra money.

Many of the per diem nurses I work with have regular non-bedside jobs like informatics or research, and they like to work a shift or two a month to keep their bedside skills. If they ever need or want to go back to direct patient care, they will be more employable.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Three months in is nowhere near long enough to get a feel for your new position.

I have a feeling you have been "on the hunt" so long you can't stop.

Focus on excelling in your new job. If you don't feel it's a good fit after a year... consider a move.