Job change - anxiety

guest825264 · Feb 27, 2019

Hi Michnurse1! I worked med surg and I certainly understand the stress/anxiety issue. I suffered much when I was on med surg. I have actually gone on a nurse job adventure trying out all kinds of nurse jobs and I can say there are greener pastures out there. I have worked med surg, home health, wound care clinic, ALF and now LTC. Every job had good points and bad points. I enjoyed the wound care clinic, which was a M-F 8-5 job like you describe. The stress was much less. I was not being bombarded with multiple tasks for multiple patients simultaneously and the clinic (unlike the hospital) closes every night. No weekends, holidays off, it was great. Now the bad (for me) I did not like the monotony and there were more office politics than at the hospital. It was a bit clickish. So I would make sure you get along and fit in with the group. But I say go for it. You are not happy now, so why not make a change? Hospital nursing is not for everyone, it certainly was not for me. Good news is that it is not the only job for nurses. I say try the office job and if that doesn't work out then try home health or some other specialty. You need to have a job that keeps you healthy and meets your needs, then you can thrive!

Michnurse1 · Feb 27, 2019

5 hours ago, Krispy Kritter said:
Hi Michnurse1! I worked med surg and I certainly understand the stress/anxiety issue. I suffered much when I was on med surg. I have actually gone on a nurse job adventure trying out all kinds of nurse jobs and I can say there are greener pastures out there. I have worked med surg, home health, wound care clinic, ALF and now LTC. Every job had good points and bad points. I enjoyed the wound care clinic, which was a M-F 8-5 job like you describe. The stress was much less. I was not being bombarded with multiple tasks for multiple patients simultaneously and the clinic (unlike the hospital) closes every night. No weekends, holidays off, it was great. Now the bad (for me) I did not like the monotony and there were more office politics than at the hospital. It was a bit clickish. So I would make sure you get along and fit in with the group. But I say go for it. You are not happy now, so why not make a change? Hospital nursing is not for everyone, it certainly was not for me. Good news is that it is not the only job for nurses. I say try the office job and if that doesn't work out then try home health or some other specialty. You need to have a job that keeps you healthy and meets your needs, then you can thrive!

Thank you so much for your advice and opinion! It’s tough making decisions that ultimately impact your future but I need to remember how much is out there for us as nurses! I’m thinking the clinic will be a good fit, just worried I’ll regret it (anxious mind lol)

guest825264 · Feb 27, 2019

Please follow up and let me know how it goes!

Iheartwoundcare, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 2, 2019

I, too, had terrible anxiety working bedside 12 hour shifts. That type of nursing just was not for me. I began floating as a wound care RN and finally got a great job in a wound care clinic making more than I did at the hospital. It was the best decision I ever made. The skill set is different, but that’s Ok. You don’t have to run around a med surg unit with your hair on fire to be a “real” nurse. ?

TriciaJ, RN · Mar 5, 2019

I say go for it. Opportunities like that don't come around every day. Yes, there may be a downside but if you can work regular hours for the same pay, why would you turn it down?

There may be some who say you should stick it out at your current job for a minimum of 1 year, even 2. You think 12 hr shifts at the bedside aren't for you. Frankly, I don't think they're for anyone. I really wonder about any occupation where you have to be chronically anxious to the point of becoming ill. Something has to change. When more nurses find ways to vote with their feet (and hands and brains) then maybe hospital administrators will smarten up.

Meanwhile, grab it. If you hate it you can move to the next thing. Good luck!

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2019

I tried working M-F and it was hard. I want to be done with work after 3 days. It is what I am used to. I want to know that I can schedule health appointments etc., when I am off during the week (without using leave), and I also want to be able to take vacations using a minimal amount of days. The days went by fast when I worked M-F and not in a good way. I actually felt more tired working in this way. It would work for me if I worked from home I think, and not with a field nurse type of job. I took a pay cut to work M-F. Training was worse compared to the bedside type of positions. I felt squeezed and was expected to do the work of 3-4 nurses. I am looking to get back into what I was okay with. The work enviornment was the issue. I figured this out recently. Things changed so frequently at the previous place, very minimal organization, we used paper charts, staff was barely around to assist the nurses. At the new place if I end up working at it, there will be a MD accessible 24 hours. There is a schedule in place for the patients so they know what they and we know what they will be doing day to day. I will have less patients. My pay will be higher with the same rank. I plan to do something on the side while I work as a nurse a few days a week. I would not be able to do anything on the side if I work M-F. When I was shadowing the place I saw a nurse eating lunch. I kid you not whenever I shawdowed a place I never saw the nurses sitting down eating lunch. I feel working the 12s may let me test out another type of career without leaving the nursing field all together. Do what is best for you though.

TAKOO01, BSN · Mar 14, 2019

On 2/27/2019 at 3:40 AM, Krispy Kritter said:
I enjoyed the wound care clinic,

I did per diem for a WC clinic and loved it too. I tried to hang on to try for a full time position, but the nurses never left. There was variety in the day, and totally manageable.

Go for the clinic gig, OP!

Aurora0941 · Mar 15, 2019

I am going through the EXACT same situation right now except I am not on med surg but a step down unit from the ICU. I have only been a nurse for 6 months. I am trying hard to find an outpatient position that is not in a hospital. My mental health is suffering as well, I feel depressed and uninterested in the work I am doing as well as extremely overworked and overwhelmed. I say go for it. Your happiness is most important.

citynurse25 · Mar 21, 2019

I felt the same way when I worked at the hospital. The random shifts were also very hard for me. I've always have problems with anxiety, so it was hard for me to tell if what I was feeling was normal new grad stuff or if it was my anxiety. As I got closer to the one year mark, the anxious feelings never improved. I took an outpatient job after about 10 months Med/Surg and I don't regret it. There is still some stress and anxiety in outpatient jobs...but it is a different type of stress. For me, it has been way more manageable. I like having a set schedule every week. I like having weekends off when my friends and family do. I still feel like I help people and make a difference. I worked in family practice for a few years and am now working in a public health clinic - both have been great experiences. There are times when I wish I had a couple years of acute care experience, but its not really in line with my career goals anymore. I think hospital nurses are awesome and play an important role in health care. But if working in the hospital is really affecting your mental health... there is still a whole outpatient world that is also an important part of healthcare.

It also doesn't hurt to ask those who know you well. I'm in grad school right now and have thought some about switching to a part time job at the hospital that would be more flexible...so I can focus more on my full time classes. I talked about it with my partner and my mom. Hearing their outside perspective (and reality checks) were helpful.

I was listening to a video (cant remember what the video was) the other day talking about the saying "its just a bad day, not a bad life". The point of the video was that if you keep having the bad days over and over...well that can turn into your life. At the end of the day, you know yourself best. This is just my experience im sharing. But life is short and you should do what will make you feel like your best self! Good luck!