ICU RN thinking of switching

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I just gave birth to my daughter last month and had an amazing experience at the hospital I delivered at (not the one I work at). The nurses in L&D and PP all raved about how much they truly love their job and find it rewarding. I am an ICU nurse and while I find my job rewarding I can in no way say I love it. My patients are either needy or crazy or both and sometimes I look at the board of patients at the beginning of my shift and groan b/c I know that all the pairs have at least one pain in the ass in them. I have learned how to handle stressful situations and feel I would be an asset were I to change specialties. The nurses I had all told me I should apply. Eventually I'm going back to get my masters and I'm afraid that if I don't try something else before I specialize.....well that maybe there was something in nursing better suited for me than ICU. Any advice??

Also, is an ICU personality better suited for L&D than PP? One of the L&D nurses said I might get bored in PP. What do I know.

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Specializes in ICU, Tele, Dialysis.

I say try it out! You will never know if you don't go for it. I have moved around a lot, in and out of ICU. I tried hospice, home health, I've worked in a nursing home and in hospital float pools. It's been pretty cool to have experienced so many different areas, it's given me a different outlook. Give it a try, you can always go back to ICU.

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

Go for it. Could you work at a hospital that floats to all three areas? L and D, PP, and nursery? I know several around here do, or allow you to if you want. I know our womens center has the highest job satisfaction rate in the hospital, so I would give it a try, just to see if you could find your "niche" there. Of course, there are PITAs in L and D too, and in PP, nursery, nicu, etc. Just can't escape them! But maybe if you really like what you do, its not so bad. Thats how it is for me in the nursery, I like it so I can handle the PITA's that come

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funny you should post this, i have worked in er for the past 13 years. i just recently put in for a transfer to our ob department. i will start monday. i just decided to take the plunge because it was something i always saw myself doing. if i hate it, i can go back to er in 6 months or when something comes open. we shall see how i like it!

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Specializes in LDRP.

My patients are either needy or crazy or both and sometimes I look at the board of patients at the beginning of my shift and groan b/c I know that all the pairs have at least one pain in the ass in them

well, ob is great. ( i do l&d not pp) though, trust me, you will not be spared from needy/crazy/ pain in the orifice patients. they get pregnant, too.

yes, most of them are great, though.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

OB is like a mini ED. you will see them allllllll---OB is not "easy street", unlike some people think.

Believe me, you will have lots of needy, messed-up, drug addicted and/or psychologically-disturbed patients in your care. And all you do will affect two people (or three) at the same time, so it can be challenging......What is good for mom, may not be for her unborn baby. Also know, just like in ICU, you will deal with families and significant others who will make you want to drink on the job, make no mistake. Baby-mama and baby-daddy drama gets so old! Visiting hours? No such thing, people come and go when they want and they can be so demanding and rude as well as disruptive. And nothing is more heartbreaking than a neonatal/perinatal loss. You will be expected to be a Rock of Gibraltar-like person in cases like this------and it will break your heart when you see such losses. OB is usually happy, but when it's bad, it is VERY bad.

BUT it is my experience, ICU nurses make excellent OB nurses. Their skills are top notch. If OB is truly what you want to do, you will excel, no doubt. You bring excellent skills with you.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

PS congratulations on the birth of your baby!

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I second what SBE says, that many ICU/PCU nurses come to OB and really do well. Go for it!

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Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I'll let you know what I finally decide.

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SmilingBluEyes--thanks for telling it like it is although it makes me more frightened now since I'm a new grad possibly entering a PP floor. Our nurse recruiter suggested this for me since I couldn't handle the stepdown floor of our large teaching hospital. I hope I can manage.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

You should do fine. Let us know how it goes.

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