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Discussion

Is this for me?

Hello, all!

I am an RN on an inpatient orthopedic unit in Minnesota. I graduated from nursing school in December 2014 and have been at my job for almost 8 months, and sometimes I really wonder if I want to leave bedside nursing.

For the most part, my time as a new nurse has been so much better than I anticipated. In school I was warned constantly about nurses who "eat their young", and in reality, I have rarely encountered anything like this. I have never found my job unmanageably stressful; I don't dread going to work. That being said, I don't know if I am cut out for this kind of work. For example, the rare patient or family complaint about my care really gets to me. Usually these are completely unfounded, or a misunderstanding; I feel like I am definitely being too sensitive, but I also feel like it's possible that I would be happier in a job that didn't put me in a situation where I am constantly being critiqued on my work by people with a poor understanding of it, i.e., many of my patients. I'm not sure that I find the good experiences meaningful enough to make the bad ones worth it. I'm going to stick it out at my job for a year, but I'm not sure what my next step should be or even what direction to head in.

I appreciate any and all advice, commiseration, etc!

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    I doubt whether there is ANY real world job without some sort of negative feedback occasionally. You simply cannot please everyone all the time. IMO, it would be a mistake to leave a job that is (in your own words) "much better than anticipated" because of feedback you don't like.

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    I doubt whether there is ANY real world job without some sort of negative feedback occasionally. You simply cannot please everyone all the time. IMO, it would be a mistake to leave a job that is (in your own words) "much better than anticipated" because of feedback you don't like.

    This I agree with.

    There are always going to be people who are dissatisfied with something. Somehow we need to learn how to deal with these situations. We need to understand that this is their perception whether it is right or wrong.

    I too have had a better than expected experience and plan on staying where I am.

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    You are a new nurse of 8 months and have had a rare complaint. You are doing pretty well really, it's a shame these rare events have overshadowed the good stuff. Maybe a special project at work might emphasize your talents and garner the appreciation you seek. A patient-centered learning activity such as transitioning to home for caregivers or a staff activity like a pet-walk or group night at a ballgame might get the juices going.

    Don't feel like you're stuck with Ortho. From what I remember the work can be very physically draining. Your basic med-surg experience, though, is a gateway to all kinds of adventures. There are so many areas of nursing to find satisfaction both at and far far away from the bedside. It's not too early to start looking around and researching a career move. Ask other nurses about their job, what do they do, not necessarily what they like about it. Your preferences will be different. Clinic, IV therapy, Interventional Radiology, Endoscopy .... the list is extensive and you're not competing with all the new grads. You got experience!

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