Help! having second thoughts and feel sad

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jul 11, 2012

I have worked in 10 different facilities/ settings in the last 5 years. It has been a eye opening and life changing experience.

Relax, go with the flow ,and appreciate the small town setting.

SMILE and be your own sweet self, I have a feeling.. they are going to love you.

missladyrn · Jul 11, 2012

Go, give it your best. It will be hard at first feeling out of your comfort zone, but once you get past that part you might find you like it. All you can do is try.

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2012

Look at this way...YOU have a right to be there and earn a living...and you are providing a service to that comunity and taking care of their ill. Please consider your self an asset. I always consider myself that way and know the patient is lucky to have me as their IV nurse. Your patients will be lucky too..OK. Go with a giving heart .

trevirt2 · Jul 11, 2012

Where are you moving to work?

beeker · Jul 11, 2012

Tell yourself you will try it for 6 months and then revisit. It is going to take a little getting used to, but it is temporary and not forever. You can do this! Military families are split up all the time. Is it easy? Definitely not! And people travel overseas for work sometimes. If you have a good job at a snf that you like, why are you moving? Much better opportunity or experience available? Give it your best. But make sure to leave the snf on good terms in case you do decide you want to be home and need to come back. It might be nice to be away for a bit. You will probably be so tired the first few months you will want to have the quiet time to rest between shifts. Maybe you could try to group your shifts so you can go home often, or have your husband come see you. Also do some research to see what things are within driving distance to do in your new area. Maybe see some museums and the like. You might make some great friends.

And, you can always go home if it does not work out. How long of a drive is it home? I stated my new job in January and to be honest, the time has flown by so fast I can't believe it has been almost 7 months. You might be pleasantly surprised. If not, go home. Worth a shot though!

allnurses Guide · Jul 11, 2012

Try not to conjure up and then start worrying about things that have not even happened yet. You are nervous and fearful and that is understandable. But it has just as much of a chance of being a great experience as it does a poor one. It is unfair to those you will be working with to go in expecting and being on the alert for the worst in them and unfair to yourself to assume you won't be seen as an asset.

Maremma · Jul 11, 2012

Why can't you at least take your cats with you so you have a "little piece of home" there with you when you get off shifts? Maybe it would make it a little easier on you?

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Jul 11, 2012

It will be tough. Some nights you will ask yourself why, but you are gaining experience you might not get otherwise. Give it a chance. Perhaps once you are settled you can get a fish? or perhaps bring a cat home with you? Good luck and try to make the best of things.

sauconyrunner · Jul 11, 2012

You can do this! you really can! It will be stressful and difficult and sometimes boring and occasionally you will feel like an outsider, but...if you treat people well they will treat you well back.

Example: I worked at a hospital that had 12 Emergency Beds and 6 (count them) yes I said 6 in patient beds. It was really remote, and the area was dirt poor. I treated all the patients very nicely (like you will, I am sure) one day I was running on the side of the road, and this pick up pulled over and was driving verrry slowly. I was getting very nervous, and the sound of dueling banjos was playing in my head. Before I hit panic mode, this older guy leaned out and said, "Thank you Doctor Lady, I feel a lot better now!" I'm no Doctor, but the community was actually super accepting. I still have friends from my time there. I don't miss it, but I do miss my friends.

I was sent to a lot of tiny rural places, and in every one but one, I was able to make friends and enjoy things. The one exception was a place where they thought I was making 80.00 an hour so they were annoyed.

Keep your chin up! I think after a few weeks you will love it. Remember, all those people, they aren't gonna eat you, so how bad can it be!

amzyRN · Jul 11, 2012

I can't take my cats because the apartment I'm renting doesn't allow pets. I will try to leave on good terms with the SNF. I am chosing this experience over the SNF because I want a broader base of experience that will require me to use more of my assessment skills. The SNF is good experience and I like the residents of the facility and I like the staff also, but my long term goals are to work as a nurse practitioner, probably a FNP. If I thought I would be specializing in geriatrics I would stay at the SNF. Additionally, the facility is not as reputable as the small hospital and the SNF is an on-call position. I am trying to enhance my resume to ensure a stable job when I return to CA. I do not have my heart set on working in a hospital, however, and would be open to working in an outpatient setting, but I want it to help me with my long term goal of my NP. Do you think SNF experience would lend itself to say an outpatient surgical center or oncology office? I feel the SNF does not open me up to enough possibilities, whereas the small hospital does, at least to future employers. If I'm wrong in my thinking, definitely let me know. Thanks for all the encouragement!

Erikadawn RN · Jul 12, 2012

I am thinking of taking a job in upstate NY, I am a fairly new RN without a BSN. In Philadelphia, that's like, no where fast. I can have the opportunity to be trained in the hospital. Still a little scared, please keep us posted on how you do? Maybe a blog, I would love to read about your experiences.