Least stressful nursing specialty

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2016

Each specialty has some kind of stress. It just depends on the person and their personality. What may cause me stress may not cause you stress. For example , I'm a post partum nurse . it's low stress For me compared to when I worked in ICU and ER. However, and ICU nurse may not thrive in a post partum environment.

Now lower acuity sometimes equal less stress. Lower acuity units may include PP, school nursing, home health, well baby nursery, and etc....

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 17, 2016

None, each has their own stressors

RNmomma3 · Feb 17, 2016

I think it varies so much by the individual. I must say though, please do not run to Home health for less stress. It is such a myth. I came from labor and delivery to Home health and it has been a very stressful past 9 months. There are very complicated patients on HH and many times I spend several hours getting the run around from MD'S who no longer want to give orders or oversee the patient. I love HH, but for flexibility and it's higher paying than acute care in my area.

DoeRN · Feb 17, 2016

None, each has their own stressors

I have to agree with this one especially since I've worked in several different departments. I worked in a clinic for a year and though it wasn't as stressful as working on the floors it was a bear within its self. I had weekends and holidays off but I was WAY more involved in my patient's lives versus working on the floors. Especially since I would see them on a daily basis for several months. Home health wasn't too bad but again it can be because it's a different set of problems. Psych wasn't physically draining but mentally because you get so tired of redirecting patients. Heck even wound care nursing can be stressful.

Right now I'm PRN and work 2 days a week as a float nurse because I'm in school full time. That being said from my experience float nurses tend to get heavier assignments. So I have 2 high stress days, 4 low stress days, one medium stress day because I'm anxious about the 2 days that I have to work back to back. I'm trying to get out of nursing all together.

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2016

Agree withy he posters saying every area has it's own stressors.

i work in Rehab.

we had an ER Nurse join our staff, needing a break from the stress of ER. She lasted a month before going back to ER. For her, the need to juggle the care and needs of 5 to 6 pts for an entire shift was hard. Even harder was dealing with the difficult pts for the entire shift and knowing that that same pt would be there tomorrow, and the next day and possibly next week.

Me, on the other hand can manage that but cannot deal with the unknown element of the ER

NOADLS · Feb 17, 2016

The affluent new grad princesses hint that NICU is the goldmine.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Feb 17, 2016

Not working in nursing is stress free from what I hear...

Nurse Leigh · Feb 17, 2016

I agree with PPs, although I do recall thinking that if someone had a strong background in IVs and perhaps oncology (certified for chemo administration) that our hospitals outpt infusion unit wouldn't be terrible. These nurses got hospital pay and spent their shift (days, no weekends or holidays, I believe) inserting IVs or accessing ports and central lines to infuse various products.

I'm guessing the experience I mentioned would be helpful or even necessary and getting that would *not* be stress free.

MidLifeRN2012 · Feb 17, 2016

Psych is pretty non- stressful once you get used to the types of patients you get. My unit doesn't take medically compromised patients outside of having DM2 or HTN. No wounds, IVs, catheters. No bed bounds. All ambulatory and self toileting. Most invasive thing is an IM injection of psych meds when pt acts out. Pills and charting mostly. An occasional Code Grey with restraints but it is not as common as you may think.

OscarTheOwl · Feb 17, 2016

I wanna be a work from home nurse when I grow up. Probably hugely stressful in its own right, but I prefer to be stressed in my jammies.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Feb 17, 2016

Psych is pretty non- stressful once you get used to the types of patients you get. My unit doesn't take medically compromised patients outside of having DM2 or HTN. No wounds, IVs, catheters. No bed bounds. All ambulatory and self toileting. Most invasive thing is an IM injection of psych meds when pt acts out. Pills and charting mostly. An occasional Code Grey with restraints but it is not as common as you may think.

I think it depends on the facility because where I worked we had them more often than I liked & it was pretty stressful. Also a lot of patients trying to kill themselves. So I wouldn't count psych out as being stress free.