How did you get through clinical rotations that you had no interest in?

Published

With so many different specialties, do you really HAVE to enjoy and excel at every rotation to be a good nurse? OB has about driven me bonkers:uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Enjoy? No.

Do your best so you can excel, yes.

A favorite speaker of mine says "You choose your attitude". If you go into an area of non-interest, and put no effort into it, it will only be worse. If you go into with an attitude of "what makes some people really like this? What is there here that I don't know about that might turn out to be interesting? Which nurse loves this area and is willing to share enthusiasm with me?" you might be surprised with what you find. Or, you may be convinced this area really isn't for you, but you can understand what that person likes about it. Since I like people first, then the area; I tend to enjoy where I am at any given time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Sorry, I really can't relate. I loved every last one of my clinicals. There was not one rotation that I didn't enjoy or wished it would be over already. I loved all the new experiences, exposure to different types of patients, procedures, disease processes. I could happily work in any area of nursing. Alas, despite my enthusiasm for nursing i can't say nursing is equally enthusiastic about me!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I want to be a med-surg nurse after I graduate. I disliked OB and I loathed Home Health. I got through them for two reasons:

1. I need to do at least a satisfactory job here so that I can move on a be a nurse in the areas I do enjoy. There is no way around the fact that I have to spend X number of weeks in OB in order to become a med-surg nurse in the long run.

2. I am taking care of patients here just like in the specialties I do enjoy, and these patients deserve the same level of interest and care from me that med-surg patients do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

find the learning opportunity in all rotations. Sure you might not enjoy a certain specialty as much as you might enjoy another, but there is always something to lean. Try to keep an open mind and volunteer to do as much/experience as much as you can. You never know-you may end up actually enjoying it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I agree with the others about trying to make the most of the learning experiences available and trying to understand why some people like that field.

But also: Sometimes, you just have to "suck it up and be strong." Life doen't always give you a pleasant day to enjoy. Even in a job that is the best fit for you, there will be things you don't like and days that you don't enjoy. But you just have to endure them knowing that you are there for a reason -- to learn, to further develop as a nurse, to help the people around you, etc. Make the most of it and get through it.

I knew early on that I wanted to be a NICU nurse. How much of my nursing school experiences related directly to babies? Almost none. Nursing school was H*** for me. But I got through it. If you are strong and wise, you can too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I had to no med surg floor for 300 clinical hrs and I loathed it!! But, I do enjoy renal disease/probs so I would come to clinicals with the expectations of finding a patient with renal related diagnosis or a patient that had a interesting, rare medical diagnosis. By doing this it forced me to focus on my single patient and was a great learing experience vs. walking around thinking about how much I loath med surg.

Also, it doesn't last forever so just grin and bare it AND try and use it as a learning experience.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I HATED maternity too! But like everyone said, you just have to get through it (without going insane in the process). Good luck....it'll be over before you know it. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU Level III.

Know that this may be the ONLY time in your life you will work in that specialty. I haaaaaated peds and med/surg and loved ICU. I work in an ICU and never *plan* to step foot on a med surg floor (unless floated to pedi m/s...mm fun).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

The thought that I may not pass the skills of that clinical area kept me exceptionaly focused in the clinical areas I hated (psyc, L&D, LTC.). I could barely get through those areas once- to have to repeat them for some reason kept me VERY motivated to get it right the first time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

I too had a hard time with OB and plugged away day after day lol Just remember the big picture, a badge with RN on it :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

I didn't care for my OB rotation but when I floated to OB as an RN, I loved it! Go figure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion