I have been working in pediatrics for about 9 months. I know it's not a long time but it is A LOT longer than I'd thought I'd ever last in an acute care job.
I am the type of person who likes to plan ahead. I need to have some sort of goal at the end of this. The issue is, I have no idea what my goals are anymore...life used to be so simple: graduate high school, college, then work. Well now that I've done all this and I'm 23 I have no idea what to do.
Unlike my peers I have no desire to be a nurse practitioner. I just feel lost. I'm not sure what I want to do with the rest of my life bc it sure isn't being an acute care nurse. I guess what I'm asking is how did you guys end up knowing what you want to do? I always am scared of losing time. I feel like I could be doing something to prepare for my future, but IDK what I even want anymore...
IDK if any of this makes any sense. I may just be in shock still from being an adult and having a real job LOL. I often think about moving careers but I know nursing can bring me to a lot of different jobs anyway. I know people are going to be like "you should focus on learning acute care" and I agree. I'm just talking about my future pursuits (like what I'll be doing 10 years from now). Does anyone else feel lost?
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
You’ve received some great words of wisdom from previous posters and I completely agree. I’ve been bedside for 14 years and never want to be NP or management, yet I know I will transition away from bedside in the upcoming years. I’m still not sure exactly what the transition will be, but as my experience has grown it’s been easier to narrow down what I don’t want to do, and what I want to do.
Don’t do that!! I’m closing in on 40 and you definitely couldn’t pay me to be 23 again!
Exactly. I love my wisdom that has come in my 40’s over 23. I just wish I had my working body parts that I had a 23. My hips have taken a beating lately. But there is no way I’d want to go back to my twenties. I’m living my best life now!!
Specializes in Informatics / Trauma / Hospice / Immunology.
My two ideas for you:
1) spend some quiet time alone really thinking about where the pressure to keep moving is coming from and what it means.
2) rather than setting only career goals, set personal development goals (making or building relationships, exploring new places, learning a new skill in life, learn about other cultures, think about living somewhere else, etc).
Try to have fun and figure out more about who you are as a person. The rest will follow.
I panic about losing my youth every day... oh god im gonna cry again LOL
LMAOOOOO ME TOO I just turned 24 a week ago and I'm hitting my second year at acute rehab. I really wanna try something new too but I don't have any intrinsic ~passions~ that I'm gravitating towards. I had an offer for ICU stepdown but I got blocked by my director. Apparently was supposed to get an offer from postpartum but I got blocked again, I have no idea what I'm gonna do now.
JadedCPN, BSN, RN
1,476 Posts
You’ve received some great words of wisdom from previous posters and I completely agree. I’ve been bedside for 14 years and never want to be NP or management, yet I know I will transition away from bedside in the upcoming years. I’m still not sure exactly what the transition will be, but as my experience has grown it’s been easier to narrow down what I don’t want to do, and what I want to do.