NoviceRN10 901 Posts Has 5 years experience. Apr 8, 2012 I don't get why everyone is telling you just to "Suck it up, buttercup." Bedside nursing can be stressful and make you miserable, and not just because someone is not willing to "give it a chance." I hope you are able to find something that you can do that makes you happier and less stressed.
OCNRN63, RN 5,978 Posts Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website. Apr 8, 2012 I think people are encouraging her to try to stick it out because she hasn't been anywhere long enough to get comfortable. If you just throw your hands up and give up when things get tough, then nursing may not be the best career to be in. There's a lot of "hard" in nursing, no matter what you do. (Before anyone suggests it, home health would not be a good option for someone who needs to gain confidence.)
Cuddleswithpuddles 667 Posts Has 11 years experience. Apr 8, 2012 I don't get why everyone is telling you just to "Suck it up, buttercup." Bedside nursing can be stressful and make you miserable, and not just because someone is not willing to "give it a chance." I hope you are able to find something that you can do that makes you happier and less stressed.Oh yeah. No one is saying bedside nursing is easy. However, people (including myself) are sensing a mindset that will be a hindrance to the OP wherever he or she goes. How far can one go with a mindset that says quit because you're not the best?
Vespertinas 652 Posts Apr 8, 2012 What would you do after this? You do have a nursing degree. At least use that rather than pointlessly paying off a loan for the next decade.Look at your hospital's available job openings. Wait until you've worked at your place for a year and start applying! There are plenty of other departments that aren't "floor" nursing which you may find more suited to your style. Someone mentioned outpatient clinics which could be great. Occupational health is good too though those positions get snatched up quickly. Also, do you have a mentor where you work? Ideally, there should be someone who can listen to you vent and can give you guidance. Do you feel you can confide in your preceptor? She's still your resource even after you're "freed". If not, set up an appointment with your educator or ask your manager if she can set you up with a "buddy". Having this support can do wonders.As of now, are you using your basic resources? Do you delegate enough to your support staff? Do you call on your charge nurse when you're overwhelmed with an admission? Do you feel there is any teamwork among staff that you could ask a nearby RN to please check to see what room 14 wants while you're elsewhere?
Nurzelady 103 Posts Apr 8, 2012 I am having a hard time reconciling "I have always been the most successful and the smartest" with "so now that I'm not, I want to quit". So you are going to go from being the top of your game to being a quitter? All this really says about your prior achievements then is that they must not have been too difficult to achieve, if you are the type who gives up when running up against true effort.Time to pull up your big girl pants.Honestly I don't perceive the way you do as "quitting". The way I see it is like trying to fit a puzzle piece into a space that doesn't belong there. It's about finding what's best for you so that you can give more to the people you're working for. My ultimate goal in life is not to be the greatest Medsurg nurse ever so why should I stay in something I don't like doing? I never liked Medsurg, in fact I've hated it since nursing school but because of the economy, its the only kind of jobs that's been made available to me. I struggled, I suffered, I worked hard but this not a field of nursing that interests me.
Nurzelady 103 Posts Apr 8, 2012 What would you do after this? You do have a nursing degree. At least use that rather than pointlessly paying off a loan for the next decade.Look at your hospital's available job openings. Wait until you've worked at your place for a year and start applying! There are plenty of other departments that aren't "floor" nursing which you may find more suited to your style. Someone mentioned outpatient clinics which could be great. Occupational health is good too though those positions get snatched up quickly. Also, do you have a mentor where you work? Ideally, there should be someone who can listen to you vent and can give you guidance. Do you feel you can confide in your preceptor? She's still your resource even after you're "freed". If not, set up an appointment with your educator or ask your manager if she can set you up with a "buddy". Having this support can do wonders.As of now, are you using your basic resources? Do you delegate enough to your support staff? Do you call on your charge nurse when you're overwhelmed with an admission? Do you feel there is any teamwork among staff that you could ask a nearby RN to please check to see what room 14 wants while you're elsewhere?I work in a smaller hospital so we don't have all those resources. And nope I can not confide in my preceptor. He's a guy in whom I have nothing in common with. I delegate, I call on my charge nurse, I talk to my cnas, all those things. I don't have a problem with time management, I always finish on time and get my work done. I've been applying to jobs since last year an no luck yet.
Vespertinas 652 Posts Apr 8, 2012 I think it's totally understandable that you have decided med-surg is not for you, especially since you had that idea before you graduated and also because PLENTY of nurses say it's not for them. May I ask what areas you think you may be interested in?
Nurzelady 103 Posts Apr 8, 2012 To those who told me to just "suck it up", "don't be a quitter", it's not that simple. How many of you have worked on a medsurg floor before? Here's a better history of what I've dealt with in Medsurg. First job, was the worst. I was a fresh new grad, only worked there 3mons b4 I left, because I was making too many mistakes because I had a preceptor who taught me all the "shortcuts" and it ended up backfiring on me, NOT her. Plus on top of the extreme anxiety and stress, I just had to go. The job I have now is better but it's still a stressful unit because it is Medsurg. I've been harrased, had a several doctors yell at me over the phone, had confused patients fight me, yelling across the halls, a few falls, despite hourly roundings, had some mean coworkers give me a hard time during report, and cleaned more poop than I ever imagined. There's just so little respect in this job, you rarely get appreciated for the things that you do do. And you deal with this ALL the time. Until you've walked in my shoes and seen what I've seen, please don't just tell me to "suck it up" and jeopardize the quality of my life and happiness for a paycheck. It's really making me hate nursing altogether. And I've read the posts in the medsurg specialty area, this is the norm.
Nurzelady 103 Posts Apr 8, 2012 I think it's totally understandable that you have decided med-surg is not for you, especially since you had that idea before you graduated and also because PLENTY of nurses say it's not for them. May I ask what areas you think you may be interested in?I've been trying to figure that out, but I really don't know. Things I do like though, is teaching, being able to relate to my patients by talking to them, and seeing an improvement in them from the care we give them. I wanna do something where I give people the quality of their life back from whatever they're suffering with. I hate seeing so many coming in and out of the hospital with the same problems. It's like everything we did, didn't even matter. I'm thinking something that involves preventive health or public health.
troop949 175 Posts Specializes in Public Health. Apr 9, 2012 . I wanna do something where I give people the quality of their life back from whatever they're suffering with. I hate seeing so many coming in and out of the hospital with the same problems. It's like everything we did, didn't even matter. I'm thinking something that involves preventive health or public health.As a person with a background in public health, I'd say you described what prevention is all about quite nicely. I say, go for it. Have you looked at any job openings at your local/state health dept?
PetsToPeople 201 Posts Apr 9, 2012 Everything you've mentioned so far that is stressing you out sounds like typical nursing job problems you would deal with on any hospital floor.
Nurzelady 103 Posts Apr 9, 2012 As a person with a background in public health, I'd say you described what prevention is all about quite nicely. I say, go for it. Have you looked at any job openings at your local/state health dept?I'm starting to look now. I'm not familiar though with all the appropriate websites to find one, but as of right now I don't really see any openings
