I've been in med surg (still considered a new grad) for several months. I'm hating it. I'm hating running around all day, trying to remember what I did for the day when I actually get to sit down and chart, the phone calls, the new and changing orders, the dressing changes, the IV pump that will not stop beeping because there is air in the line although I can never see it, the back aches, the feeling of being exhausted at the end of my shift, the smell, the absolute endless paperwork that must be reviewed and initialed what seems like hourly, new admits, and the bad attitude of patients, just to name a few.
I'm seriously contemplating going into a different area of nursing. Right now I'm thinking absolute minimal contact with patients, low stress, routine, or something with only a few hours of contact, like dialysis. Are there any other areas of nursing you can think of? I only have my ADN, so management type recommendations are of no good :)
is it hard to get into? what are hte salary differences between a hospital staff RN and pshych nurse?
Depends on what facilities are located in your area, or on whether you are willing to relocate. I am making approx. $2/hr more as a psych nurse than I did in my last med/surg job. If interested, you need to check it out. Many nurses do not want to work in psych, while many psych nurses love working in this specialty.
I disagree with "sticking it out". Why burn yourself out right out of the gate? I've found that "a year in med/surg" is really not the requirement any more--some of the specialties are so desperate they'll take new grads, for goodness sake.
When I burned out after 8 years recovering open hearts and doing trauma ICU, I went to PACU. Limited patient interaction, but still the intensity I wanted. When even that became too much, I spent 3 years in OR as a circulator. It was a lot of fun, and I regained my love of nursing after feeling pretty bruised and battered.
I disagree with "sticking it out". Why burn yourself out right out of the gate? I've found that "a year in med/surg" is really not the requirement any more--some of the specialties are so desperate they'll take new grads, for goodness sake.
When I burned out after 8 years recovering open hearts and doing trauma ICU, I went to PACU. Limited patient interaction, but still the intensity I wanted. When even that became too much, I spent 3 years in OR as a circulator. It was a lot of fun, and I regained my love of nursing after feeling pretty bruised and battered.
Find something you love--you deserve it :)
I agree 100%. I maintain that every nurse should have at least 2 yrs of acute nursing before thinking about moving to areas, such as rehab, homecare, psych nursing or primary health. The clinical and assessment skills gained during these years are vital for any nursing career and will never be lost, whatever direction you take later on. There are plenty of acute areas of nursing that may suit your taste better, but, please try and stay in the acute field for now. If you were to go into some of the fields described on this thread, later on in your career, you will be able to with the confidence and knowledge required for these areas.
medsurgrnco, BSN, RN
539 Posts
Depends on what facilities are located in your area, or on whether you are willing to relocate. I am making approx. $2/hr more as a psych nurse than I did in my last med/surg job. If interested, you need to check it out. Many nurses do not want to work in psych, while many psych nurses love working in this specialty.