Insight on different Nursing fields

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I'm honestly believing I'm getting burned out in the medical surgical floor and becoming depressed. My girlfriend has noticed im just never truly happy anymore, and i feel that way too. It's not like I had one bad day, I have been feeling a deepening depression that's been progressing further to the point I'm actually looking for psychological support. Considering that I've been through 6 years of college and passed both the ADN and BSN degrees while being able to deal with the stress. I know I have a passion for nursing since I understood the information so well and I actually graduated with Magna Cum Laude.

Now, I want to see if exploring Oncology or public health nursing will provide me that fulfilling feeling that I am making a change. Instead of supplying pain medications to addicts or giving antibiotics to patients are technically brain dead.

Regarding public health, I helped a classmate who is majoring in public health by giving a hour presentation on strokes to an elderly Filipino group. I felt happy doing it. I was wondering if this is how it is to be in public health nursing?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I feel like I will be quitting my job within the next few months before my depression deepens.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

So sorry you are finding yourself so affected by your working environment. But, if you are, then that is certainly a reason for change. There is a significant amount of nursing research on job satisfaction, including which specialty areas seem to have the most 'satisfied' nurses. Oddly enough, (at least to me) oncology has been found to be one of those areas. NICU (neonatal) is another one. So you definitely may be on the right track. There's not a lot of info on public health nurses that can be generalized - probably because this can vary significantly depending on how it is structured/funded.

BTW, if that is your picture -- PLEASE change it to something more anonymous. Social media related to professional issues/opinions can have serious consequences for nurses & other licensed professionals.... sometimes very unexpectedly. Please be careful.

Best of luck with your career change - you're doing it for all the right reasons.

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So sorry you are finding yourself so affected by your working environment. But, if you are, then that is certainly a reason for change. There is a significant amount of nursing research on job satisfaction, including which specialty areas seem to have the most 'satisfied' nurses. Oddly enough, (at least to me) oncology has been found to be one of those areas. NICU (neonatal) is another one. So you definitely may be on the right track. There's not a lot of info on public health nurses that can be generalized - probably because this can vary significantly depending on how it is structured/funded.

BTW, if that is your picture -- PLEASE change it to something more anonymous. Social media related to professional issues/opinions can have serious consequences for nurses & other licensed professionals.... sometimes very unexpectedly. Please be careful.

Best of luck with your career change - you're doing it for all the right reasons.

Thank you so much for your help! I actual have been off for a couple days and ended up feeling a lot less burden that I haven't felt in months. I guess I found out my stressor. With my mind more clear, I feel like exploring other areas of nursing to find my niche. it's just that it's mentally draining to deal with unappreciative patients on a daily basis and coming home with so little personal times and lasting back pain. Regardless, I am alot better. :)

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Hi there-I have been a cardiac telemetry nurse for 3 years (basically same clientele and pace as med/surg), and I'm feeling the same way.

Unsure of how difficult it will be to get into a specialty without being a new grad.

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