Hmm... Behavioral Health or Triage Nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. Stay at close-to-home job I hate or go back to long-commute job I love?

    • 0
      Duh, regular work hours are worth entitled and impatient patients. Stay at family practice answering phones all day.
    • 3
      Don't be stupid. Screw gas prices and commute time and go back to crazies you love. Behavioral Health nursing is a free ticket to Heaven.

3 members have participated

First, let me say I am a psych nurse at heart. I had a Behavioral Health RN job in a large metropolitan hospital on a unit that treated only patients in need of the most intensive therapies. Most of our patients were one bed availability away from the state mental hospital. I loved running groups. I loved listening to people's stories of struggle, sorrow, and pain. And I hope was a small spoke in the wheel toward their recoveries. The stories were heart wrenching and stomach churning. I'd go home wondering how the world kept spinning on its axis while I was choking back tears recalling the reprehensible child abuse a patient suffered that had then manifested itself into horrific coping mechanisms. All of this compelled me to look at my life through a kinder, less judgmental lens. It also kept me from feeling sorry for myself for whatever slights I'd suffered in life. Their stories provided a unique perspective on the devastating impact childhood trauma has on a human being. The biggest surprise was that my job as a Behavioral Health Nurse ended up helping me in ways no amount of therapy ever could have. I kept a great quote in my head for when people asked me why I enjoyed behavioral health nursing (probably aghast that I, Miss Perky-Happy-Funny-Person-Nurse would do something so... well, un-pleasant). I think what people really meant when they asked me that question was, 'cleaning up poop is one thing, but wanting to help the same people who throw their poop at you is another.' The questions were never that direct so they came out as 'how do you do that for a living?". In my head I'd refer to Carl Jung's quote "knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of others" with one important addition: There is great empowerment in knowing your own darkness. That empowerment, the feeling I had at the end of a long day that ultimately culminated with a patient using a newly learned coping skill as if they had just batted their first home run, is I guess, what some refer to as job satisfaction. And I had a lot of it.

So, dear nurses.com friends, here is my quandary: I left mental health nursing to be closer to home, to have regular office hours, to have family time on nights, weekends, and holidays. Great, right? It sounded so logical and seemed so obvious. A 10 minute calm back road drive at 0800 instead of a 35 minute hair-raising interstate drive at 0550. Duh. I ain't that stupid. So I made the switch. To office nursing. More specifically, Triage Nursing. And. I. Hate. It! With a passion! I won't waste space typing out all the reasons except to say I have no patience working with healthy patients who think they're first in line for an Adderall refill when I'm trying to squeeze in a patient for one-sided facial droop, slurred speech, and confusion. Sorry. Not happnin'. I'm more polite to my homeless schizophrenics. I have more patience with my ex-con fighting for his life to overcome addiction. I have become a hater of the WNL family practice patient. Period. I am going to hell probably.

But before I do, please help me. I am 45 years old and I should be able to figure this out! Do you drive farther to a job you love? A job with shift flexibility and DVT-preventative sustainability. Or do you save precious time and drive to a job you hate?

FYI, money is the same.

Thank you for your input. I love you guys.

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This is one of those decisions that other people can't make for you. I used to drive 1.5- 2 hours (each way) to and from work, then I had a baby and found something less than 5 minutes away. I'm lucky, because I like the new job as much as the old one ...but I'd stay at the closer job even if I didn't, because I like having that extra 4 hours with my son.

So the question on my mind would be, what's going on at home and how much will I miss it if I'm an gone for an extra hour on the days I work?

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A 35 minute drive is nothing. I do that everyday for school, work, groceries (sometimes), getting to Target. So yes, its worth the drive to a job you love...

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

I commute several hours a week for a job I like much better than the one I had 20 minutes away. You are talking about the difference between a 10 minutes commute to a job you hate vs. a 35 minute commute to a job you absolutely love. For me and my life situation right now, there would be no question. I would do the longer commute. However, I don't know the details of your life and there are more considerations than just the commute. Please let us know what you decide and best wishes!

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.

Only you know what's best for you. I do triage nursing and I can totally identify with what your are saying, so I vote for the longer communte and job satisfaction. Good luck with your decision.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Life is too short to hate 40 hours a week of it. Go to what you want and are good at and accept the good with the bad.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I don't think a 35 min drive is that bad. Get some good music or audio books and enjoy the ride.

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