Hospital vs. clinic???

[SummerLei]

Hey guys!

I need some advice. I am a new grad RN and just started my first job in the hospital. I find the hospital environment to be very very stressful and overwhelming. I never want to be off of orientation. Working in the hospital has been causing me to have a lot of anxiety lately. I have been thinking about looking for a job in a clinic or doctor's office setting in maybe a year or two (I am going to stick it out in the hospital for as long as I can). My questions are as follows:

- do RNs that work in the clinic or doctor's office setting make the same amount of money as those who work in the hospital setting?

- what constitutes a typical day as an RN working in a clinic or doctor's office?

Thanks for all the help!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

No matter what line of work you are in, there is a inescapable truth: No employer ever pays more than they have to (to fill the job with qualified people). So, the more challenging or difficult a job is, the more that it will pay. Jobs with more stress, workload, educational requirements, etc. will pay more than jobs that don't have the same level of difficulty.

Physician offices are notorious for very low pay. In my part of the country, it is very rare for an RN to work in a physician office -they are mostly staffed with MAs and LVNs. RNs are usually employed only by big multi-specialty clinics that offer "RN only" services like wound care or Infusion Suites. There is no career advancement in these jobs - 5 years from now, you would be doing exactly the same thing; probably for the same pay.

New things are always stressful - as you gain more skills & knowledge, the job becomes easier. Please try to hang in there rather than abandoning your job before you make it through the training period. Did you give up and just stick with your tricycle after taking your first tumble on a 2-wheeler??? You can do this.