Help with nursing specialty direction!

BrandonLPN, LPN · Mar 17, 2014

My perfect job will be something with low acuity patients, low stress, routine and predictable days

Well, you could always be the magical RN, who works in the gumdrop-hospital on Lollypop Lane....

Seriously, though, I don't think there is a nursing job without stress.

You will find lower acuities in LTC. But that comes along with much higher ratios.

Clinic jobs will offer a more stable schedule, put the pay is often less. And those jobs are busy, too. It's a different kind of busy than med-surg, but still busy.

Really, there's always a trade-off. What do you enjoy? What interested you in clinicals? Are you looking to change your job venue entirely? Or just move to a more specialized floor in your hospital? Back when I worked in the hospital (as an aide), I found adult oncology very rewarding. It was my impression that the specialized floors were preferabable to med-surg cause they got fewer "dump-jobs".

RNperdiem, RN · Mar 17, 2014

I think if you are looking for all of the above, you are looking for a job in nursing that does not exist. If it does exist, you will have to wait for someone to die or retire to have a chance.

Interestingly I have found ICU to be a nice change from med-surg. Even though the patients are sicker, the doctors are much more available, the teamwork among nurses is good, and you will not be pulled in 6 or 7 different directions be the needs of many patients.

ICU skills also opens doors for other types of nursing like PACU( a very happy group) or procedural nursing.

I had a nurse come to our ICU from the endoscopy lab. I asked her why since I thought she had a cushy job with daytime hours, no weekends or nights, one patient at a time. She told me she was bored from all the routine, predictable days. All she did was start IVs, push sedation and monitor patients while they got their procedures.

Annaiya, NP · Mar 17, 2014

What about looking at a telephone RN job? Something like diabetes management and education, smoking cessation? I used to work with an insurance company that employed RNs for these jobs. You could do health education, use your RN degree, have no stress and a predictable work schedule.

1fastRN · Mar 17, 2014

Working at an infusion center? Some sort of out patient facility like dialysis? Radiology nurse (CT) I hear is a lax job.

I also thought PACU or same day surgery.

You could also look into some type of job working for a pharmaceutical company.

I just never thought nursing and low stress would be in the same sentence haha!

brownladyRN · Mar 17, 2014

My top three interest in clinical were pre op for same day surgery, health department, and home health. I understand that stress is everywhere, but I'm sure some jobs are better than others. You are so right, i feel like our floor gets all the "dump off".

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2014

School Nursing, Methadone nursing, Private Duty nursing. If you want 3 days a week, you can try post partum. Sometimes PP can be stressful but nothing like Medsurg. It a different kind of stress. I love being a PP nurse.

scifispam · Mar 17, 2014

Home health. Private duty nursing. Clinic nursing. Those are all options similar to what you want.

RunBabyRN · Mar 17, 2014

What about same-day surgery? That unit at our hospital is all M-F day shift hours, and of course there are stressors, but not nearly as much as what I see in med/surg or some of the other units. I'm sure there are days that are the exception.

naptimeRN · Mar 19, 2014

I work in a Urology Day Treatment Clinic. Lots of cystoscopies, stents, urodynamics, pelvics, vasectomies, etc. It's busy, but in a tolerable way. You know the schedule weeks ahead of time, so you generally know what to expect before walking in. I work 30 hours a week, 3 days a week. No weekends or holidays. It's not bad. But after working in med-surg and tele it can be borderline boring to me. Working a couple of shifts at the hospital (per diem) gives me my desired dose of crazy.

Look into primary care (you will probably be doing mostly phone stuff if that doesn't bother you, but would be quite difficult to get those 12 hour shifts), ambulatory surgery (my mother works in the outpatient unit of the hospital and she HATED the floors and doesn't mind this at all and the hours vary), dialysis (chronic offers 10 or 12 hour shifts for a lot of companies).

But remember that stress is subjective and so is what makes a person happy. I honestly enjoy the work I do at the hospital more (not the politics, hours, understaffing, etc) and find it more rewarding generally than the office, but I really like the hours at the new place. I love my free time more than I love working. To me, that is making up for it at this point at least. For others, they may find they have to absolutely love what they are doing and are very career oriented and don't mind the less desirable hours. What is most important to you. Find what makes you content. Keep an eye out for jobs (look every day..monster and indeed are good), apply, and try it out. Of course the grass isn't aways greener, but how would we know that if we didn't try new things. It's so hard to find a niche in my opinion, because there are so many types and areas of nursing and until you try...you don't know! Good luck!

brownladyRN · Mar 19, 2014

naptimeRN, I think you hit the nail on the head for me! The job you and your mom has would seem like perfect jobs for me if there be some positions open for it....seems as though people with those jobs keep them for a long time and there's rarely opportunities, but i will definitely continue to monitor indeed and monster. Just applied to a family doctor's office and assisted living facility...wish me luck!

naptimeRN · Mar 22, 2014

Good luck, brownladyRN! Things open up now and then. Keep an eye open and pounce:)