I don't think I like my job-now what?

[peepnbiscuits]

Let me preface this by saying that I've been an RN for seven years, and I was an LPN for five years prior to that. I've been in job situations that have been challenging, frustrating, and certainly un-glamorus (come on, nursing has its own twisted glamor doesn't it?!) but I guess I've never been in a situation where I just...don't like what I'm doing. I think what makes this more complicated is that I had really wanted this job- I should specify, this is in an urgent care clinic- because it was in this urgent care clinic when I was 11 years old I decided I wanted to be in the health care field. Sort of a circle of life thing. I had all these weird warm fuzzies over it, and it's not what I had hoped.

I am coming from 5 years of inpatient OB, postpartum and the ironic thing is that I was looking for a setting where I could utilize more of my nursing skills because in postpartum I felt like I was losing a lot of the complex assessment skills and things I had learned when I worked on cardiac and float. Well, in urgent care...it's more like putting them in a room, get a set of vitals and chart why they're here. The doctor will do everything else, you just keep 'em coming and make sure you sell them on the online health profiles- get them to set it up in the room. Maybe start an IV or run an EKG if needed. It's just not what I thought it would be, and I feel bad. I'm 37 years old and feel like I've made a really juvenile move.

The other thing I feel I should add, because this might be some of the internal conflict is that I just had a baby on 11/11. I'm getting to the end of my maternity leave, and while this is our third kiddo, the prospect of going back is pretty saddening. But that just begs the question all the more: if I really enjoyed my job, wouldn't I be pleased to go back- or do I not like my job because all I want to do is be home with my baby? (Or a little of column A and little of column B, right?)

So, I've been at this job since July. What would be prudent do you all (whomever is reading this anyway) think? How much longer do I give it? Do I give it any at all? How would I go about talking to my boss about this?! I feel like a total flake. "Oh yeah I've been holding out for this job since 1991, now's my chance! She was really impressed by that fact.

So, that's my sob story. Chow down.

[MrsSilverFox, BSN, LPN, RN]

Believe it or not I think this happens a lot to us nurses, and no doubt other professionals as well.

I have done this exact same thing. Wished and prayed for a job, thinking that it would be so much better than what I was currently doing.

I have worked most of my career in the ED or Urgent care settings, moving from staff nurse to charge nurse. I was comfortable and good at my job, because I knew the policies and procedures like the back of my hand, then I saw a job that I thought would be so much better, and I was getting bored. I am a big believer that once you get comfortable you start to make mistakes, so I started to look around at other jobs. One day I decided to just do it, resign from my job and move, yupp all the way to the US from Canada. They made it sound so glamorous and of course way more interesting than what I was currently doing. I already knew a lot of other Canadian nurse who had worked and were working in Nevada, so I thought, why not?.

Well instead of being valued for my years of experience and education, I was treated like I was invisible. It was horrible. No orientation no real guidance. I usually looked after 9 patients with no help. It was difficult to get a pee break never mind a lunch break. I struggled with everything and there was absolutely no communication between the charge staff and the staff nurses. Couldn't find the nursing policies anywhere and no one seemed to know where they were. Everyone did things differently, no rhyme or reason. I had more experience and education than the chief nursing officer, it was all very disappointing. I was so depressed and couldn't wait to return to what I knew....in Canada. But the plus side was that I did meet one of my dearest friends there and we meet up all the time I return to town. She to is Canadian but is married and very settled in the city.

So sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side, but at least you tried. I once talked to a director of nursing (once I returned to Canada) and she told me that she looks for diversity on a resume. Diversity in different areas of nursing , she told me that it shows that you aren't afraid of change. We all know how nurses hate change, well for the most part, if you don't believe me, talk to staff who had to implement computerized charting into an old pen to paper charting system. YIKES.

Don't ever regret taking a chance. You still learned something, even if it doesn't seem like it currently.

I did return to Canada and to the ER department that I was so familiar with and it was great. That was many years ago. I have taken it as a learning experience and I know what I will look for in the future.

I am a big believer that if you aren't happy than you need to make a change. Don't feel bad and don't lose sleep over it, take it as a learning experience and move on or in my case, move back. hahaha

All the best of luck to you.

[bear94, BSN, RN]

I do not have children, so I can't speak about the influence your baby may be having on you... But the way I see it, is you have had a couple of months to let your feelings stew and release their real aroma. So, your mind is probably made up. I think you should go back to work, see how you feel, and if you still feel the same after a monthish, maybe you should move on to something different? Trust me, I know how it feels waiting to find out whether or not the grass is really greener on the other side- it's pretty nerve racking. Also, you stated you've worked in different areas; surely you haven't forgotten the stress that came along with working in higher acuity facilities. Keep that in mind too!

Good luck to you! And I hope you can make the right decision for yourself. :)

[aflahe00]

There's so many different areas and environments in nursing surely you haven't explored all of them