Help! I feel like I made a mistake

[dukeRN92]

My husband and I went to nursing school together in Virginia in a small town. We both decided we didn't want to live there anymore as we had been there our whole lives. During our last semester we applied to hospitals out of state and miraculously both obtained jobs at Duke. I took a job in the Neuro ICU and he took a step down job. He is officially off of orientation now and loves his unit. I'm on week 7/12 and I am absolutely miserable. I cry every day before work and cry when I leave. I feel utterly depressed. I don't know if its my preceptor, the unit, or just the workload that is making me feel sad. I worked as a CNA for 2 years in a step down neuro unit through school so it isn't the patient care that I don't like. I don't know what to do though. Should I try to go to a different unit? My husband thinks I should talk to my manager about transferring out. I feel bad doing this as I hate conflict. But on my days off, all I can think about is how I dread going back in. Also my unit makes you rotate for the first year, and I am used to night shift so having to go back and forth doesn't really benefit me either. Please offer advice! I don't know what to do and I'm scared I made a mistake getting into nursing

[Rainbow_RN, BSN, RN]

It's not a conflict. It's you being assertive with your happiness on the line. Congrats on your job offer from Duke -- I know just how competitive that is, having gone to school in North Carolina. There are SO MANY areas of nursing. Don't get stuck in one that you hate so early on! That's just my two cents, coming from a lowly ADN graduate that hasn't started to practice yet. Many blessings to you ~

[LadysSolo]

You worked on a step down neuro unit so you knew what you were getting into, so I don't think it's nursing (although I could be wrong.) But rotating shifts is very hard on the body, there have been studies done (can't quote one off the top of my head though, but you could look it up if interested) and that may be part of your discouragement. I would try to get on a unit where you don't have to rotate shifts until you get your feet under you (so to speak) as a nurse, and then maybe go back to neuro if you really enjoy it.