Hospital RN/Will I ever grow to like it?

roxannekkb · Apr 26, 2004

Hi,
I've never posted before, but I have been reading the discussions on this board. I'm a new RN (about 6 mos) and work in a hospital (med/surg). Honestly, I really don't enjoy hospital nursing. I don't know if it's because I still am not totally comfortable with my skills or I just don't like it. I try to psyche myself up everyday, but in the end I can't wait to get out of there and dread the next day I have to work. Is this normal for a new RN? Or are there some nurses that maybe just don't have a calling to work in the hospital? I just keep thinking, should I get out now or should I give it some more time and maybe I'll grow to like it. I respect all of the nurses on my floor and the hard job that they do. I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice? (This is my second career, I did something totally different for years before I became a nurse). Thanks for any advice you can give me. Jill

Hospital nursing is not for everyone, and you most certainly do not have to "pay your dues" in med/surg. I would have lasted about 5 minutes on a med/surg floor. Instead, I went straight into the NICU after nursing school, and there I stayed until I left nursing completely.

You can try working on a different type of unit in the hospital. Or try a different type of nursing--doctor's office, school nurse, working for a pharm company, a clinic--these all provide a very different atmosphere from the hospital. In my opinion, there is a big difference between just not liking something and being uncomfortable/inexperienced. I knew in nursing school that I could never do the floor, and it sounds like working on a hospital adult floor is just not for you.

Don't be afraid to check out new things, or feel that this is where you have to be.

Chaya, ASN, RN · Apr 26, 2004

Hi Jill,

I've been in nursing about five years now, also as a second career. It took me about 9 mos-1 yr. to stop feeling panicky about going to work, but then I'm a late-bloomer and it always takes me a while to adjust to a new situation. One day I just realized I wasn't uncomfortable anymore. One thing to consider would be if you are uncomfortable with the skills or if it's just the hospital environment you don't like. If you have the skills down but just don't like the environment I don't see any problem with starting to search for something new as it would probably take a few weeks anyway. Good luck!

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 26, 2004

There is a big difference between being insecure about your skills and genuinely not liking something. If you think your "dislike" is due mainly to not feeling comfortable with your skills, I would recommend giving it a little more time, finding a mentor, etc.

However, if you actually dislike the type of work your are doing, then I would try another type of nursing. Like an earlier poster, I knew I would hate adult med/surg and so I never worked there. I too, went straight into a NICU as a new grad and loved it.

What type of nursing interests you the most? Do you have any ideas as to what you might like?

llg

Tweety, BSN, RN · Apr 26, 2004

Is it normal? Yes. Yes it is normal to have bad feelings at the end of the day as a new grad because there's so much to do and so much to learn.

But as was said, this may not be your niche. Since you're not 100% sure, hang in there another couple to six months and get that year under your belt and see how you feel. Having a year's experience will be an asset in looking for something else.

Good luck.

Rustyhammer · Apr 26, 2004

After almost 20 years I feel that way sometimes.

But most of the time I love my job.

-R

MelissaRN · Apr 26, 2004

I totally understand where you are coming from. I work on an adult medical floor and it's been quite a year. I don't dread going in as much, but I do still feel grouchy before going in. I don't wish for a car accident to avoid going in any longer. :chuckle

I have found that I just don't like the hospital environment. It's busy, there's no time to really work with the patients and co-workers are rotten to each other. I signed on to a home health agency and start in June. It's slower pace and Mon-Fri. Still have to get up the nerve to talk to my boss to put my notice in :imbar

Ortho_RN · Apr 26, 2004

I feel the same way sometimes... I worked on this floor as an aide and enjoyed the staff.. But since I am a nurse now, you can see the difference in them.. NOt to me personally but just to other nurses in general.. Some of them are too busy trying to find something wrong that the other shift has done, to worry about themselves... So not only am I stressed b/c I sometimes have 12-13pts, but I also have to worry about every lil thing...

It will get better I hope :)

MelissaRN · Apr 26, 2004

You are so right OrthoRN. The nurses on my floor are the exact same way. Day shift comes on just looking for things and then in turn the next shift finds stuff on them. If you make a mistake it's talked about throughout the whole deptartment and everyone knows about it if you have to "got to the office". You're pretty much bashed by the whole staff until someone else screws up and then they are all over that person.

jkaee · Apr 26, 2004

I agree with the above posters.....I worked med surg for about 8 months and absolutely hated it, but then again I worked on an Ortho floor in a different hospital and loved it. If you really hate it that much, then explore other options....there's no rule that says you have to stay in med surg. I have known nurses that went right into specialty areas, and I have known nurses that left the hospital after 20 or so years and went into LTC. I know that I would never go back to med surg, and right now I'm happy in LTC for many reasons.

Like I said, if you are really that miserable, then start looking at different options. It's not worth dreading going into work all the time.

Good luck!

Katnip, RN · Apr 26, 2004

It could very well be you haven't found your niche yet. Med/surg to me is very hard to start in...lots of patients, need a lot of skills and need to be extremely organized from the get go. Most units are like that.

Six months isn't that long, start thinking about what area you want to be in. Do share days, explore a bit.

Like the more experienced folk here said, everyone has days like that now and then. But it shouldn't be routine.

Jamesdotter · Apr 26, 2004

I think it's perfectly normal to dislike hospital nursing. I had a classmate (this was, of course about a hundred years ago, more or less) who hated, hated, HATED hospital nursing, even as a student. As soon as we graduated, she took a job as a public health nurse, and never wavered from it. I've lost track of her, but suspect that she probably retired as a (now) community health nurse.