Job Dilemma!

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Hello everyone!

I have a somewhat dilemma on my hands. So I started working as DOU nurse doing 8 hour shifts five nights week, been doing it for four months now. I am feeling burnt out, I don't see my family and I dropped my BSN classes because I don't physically have time for them, because my free time is dedicated to my three year old and attempting to stay awake or driving to work. I love my job, I LOVE being a nurse, but I HATE working in this shift and in this hospital because it's all of us new grads running the place because every experienced nurse quit after they switched to eight hours.

I got a job offer that I pretty much "accepted", working as a detox nurse in a drug rehab center, I haven't turned in my two weeks notice yet because I am still in this doubtful state of mind. I need advice...am I going to kill my nursing career growth if I switch from getting exposed to Med Surg, Telemetry, DOU, and ICU, to becoming a detox nurse? I wish to be a labor and delivery nurse or postpartum nurse in the future, and I am very scared that if I do decide to switch to detox nursing, I will not be able to grow into what I wish...

If I do take this job, it is ten minutes from my house, it is 12 hour shifts, and that means I will see my family, be able to continue my education, as well as get all the necessary certifications needed for L&D...

It's a dilemma for me because I really am scared to make a mistake...What do you guys think?

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

What is a DOU?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I wouldn't take the detox unit job. I think your current job would open more doors for you than working in detox will. Especially if you want to work in L&D.

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I wouldn't have quit the BSN program because by doing that you have limited your options. Try to get back into school and find a balance between work and school. I can't say I truly understand what you are going through by I do sympathize. I have two children, a teen and a toddler. I am working on my BSN, 2-3 classes a semester. I have just switched to a oncology-medicine floor. It isn't easy. There are days my eyes are barely open but I rest when I can and ask for help. I don't feel bad about it either as I know, it is improving my life. I would stick with the med-surg job. It is being offered now and if you do the detox you may later regret it because it may be hard to get into medsurg later. I would try to at-least take 1 nursing class. If you have help from family or a spouse, ask for it, fight for it. I don't really like the nightshift but if you can do it for 6 months, maybe you will be able to switch to a dayshift position somewhere.

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Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

The age old myth that a new RN " needs" one year on a med surg floor, is ... outdated

its completely unnecessary.. it won't HURT, and it does provide good experience, but me and practically all of my classmates went directly to our chosen specialties... including ICUs, L&D, ER, operating Room , etc etc

oh: and I disagree with one poster who says med surg might not be available to you in the future, FALSE.... med surg will ALWAYS need people, they will train if necessary... ALWAYS

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