Hi everyone, I am a new graduate nurse on the telemetry unit at a large academic medical center. This is my first nursing job after school and I'm on orientation. Nursing is a second career for me, my first job was in clinical research. I have a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and in nursing.
My goal after nursing school was to go back to clinical research. I was unable to find any jobs in the research field and I ended up accepting a position on the telemetry floor. The hospital I work for just posted a job opening for a clinical research nurse in orthopaedics unit and I want to apply for the position. But I'm afraid it may backfire on me if my manager finds out. I'm on the second month of a three month orientation period.
I enjoy interacting with patients, but I do
not feel intellectually challenged and I dread going to work each day. I feel like a glorified waiter at my current position and I think I would be much happier working in research. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I agree people have been pretty snarky, have some compassion for OP's situation :)
I don't know. The OP got some pretty good insight but has failed to respond to any of it. I get suspicious when somebody posts something inflammatory and then runs for the hills.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I agree people have been pretty snarky, have some compassion for OP's situation :)
Oh for the love of all that is holy! "Compassion" seems to be a word that means "what I want to hear" to some people. What you don't seem to understand is that giving real world advice is actually helpful to the OP, even when it's not what she wants to hear.
I've been in nursing for about 30 years and I'm not in education either. I have found it a combination of many thing and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be in research but it seems to be more of a rash interpretation of your current job. Every new adventure in a career takes time to get a clear picture of your responsibilities, what your strengths are and how many options are available to you. If you are truly interested in research, it would certainly be in your best interest to obtain some valuable experience in the field in order to get to the best results. The best leaders, researchers and educators are in fact the people who have climbed the ladder with a full understanding of the task, knowledge and responsibilities of those the lead, teach or research. Your benefits of any research efforts would be much more valuable. That happens to be a lot of what's wrong in healthcare today. Too many people out there making rule about things they don't fully understand. Stick with your job and make every effort to find the challenges, expand your knowledge and share it with your patients, families and coworkers. Then set out to research ways to make healthcare better.
Nursing has been fighting an uphill battle for eons to change how we are viewed as mindless pill-pushing, order following, physician serving, physician screwing, husband seeking, poop slinging robots to have one of our own, although arguably...barely, do the same is particularly galling. We are professionals and deserve to be thought of AND treated as such. If we allow such rhetoric as was opined in the OP to go unanswered then we only give further reason for people to continue to treat us like uneducated hand maids which I, for one, certainly am not. So yes...words do matter. YOU may not mind being denigrated on a PUBLIC forum and that's fine for you but it's also fine for others to express their opinions of what was said. Wait until you have a few more years of dealing with the public and other health care providers as a nurse under your belt and your view may change.
I just don't see people giving anyone more respect because they are telling them they "I should have more respect!"
It may feel like a release to "fight" back against people not giving you your "due", but it doesn't change anything.
Nurses need to have a more science based and more rigorous education. It needs to be a job that not just anyone can get into. Then you have more respect. Then you are in more rarified company, can demand more, and are not seen as a waitress.
If you keep allowing nursing theory classes to dominate the coursework, you will keep getting inferior nurses, and they will make everyone else look bad.
Telling people to respect you doesn't make anyone respect you. Nurses need to have higher expectations for their profession.
I just don't see people giving anyone more respect because they are telling them they "I should have more respect!"
It may feel like a release to "fight" back against people not giving you your "due", but it doesn't change anything.
Nurses need to have a more science based and more rigorous education. It needs to be a job that not just anyone can get into. Then you have more respect. Then you are in more rarified company, can demand more, and are not seen as a waitress.
If you keep allowing nursing theory classes to dominate the coursework, you will keep getting inferior nurses, and they will make everyone else look bad.
Telling people to respect you doesn't make anyone respect you. Nurses need to have higher expectations for their profession.
I agree with you. That said, if someone boils the nursing role down the way the OP does, it's not because of these things you mention either. Don't you think it's a little odd to (without making it anywhere near "expert" status) not feel any measure of intellectual stimulation when doing a role in which you DO have the ability to improve someone's health or...screw up big time with serious ramifications?
I think THAT may be what has put some people off a little. Someone who hasn't even proven s/he has what it takes to safely do the role is the one making statements about waitressing and lack of intellectual stimulation. Eh, it's a little odd, you know? If you've done the job for 20 years and are no longer feeling particularly challenged that's one thing...
I'm not trying to argue at all. I haven't even begun nursing school yet. I've read a few posts and it seems those that have years as an RN get very upset with anyone that expresses how their position has made them feel. The name of the site is ALLNURSES. not just seasoned nurses, new nurses, potential nurses. She has every right to express how the job makes her feel without being berated. Maybe direct patient care isn't her niche. Maybe she's the RN that does the research to improve the medications, processes, procedures, etc used by nurses such as yourself. We don't always land our dream job right the gate. If her niche is research she might feel like her role right now is less than glorious. Whereas if your niche is patient care, research might be like watching paint dry for you.
I don't think she was trying to bash anyone. She came here for the support and advice of others in the field...she figured your experience would be of value. She doesn't say anywhere that nurses that work with patients are glorified waitresses...she says that's how SHE feels. You like wool. She likes silk. You like silk she likes wool.
Just think there's a way to look at it from her POV. Not at all trying to be rude. Hope you don't get upset w/ me.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I'm not trying to argue at all. I haven't even begun nursing school yet. I've read a few posts and it seems those that have years as an RN get very upset with anyone that expresses how their position has made them feel. The name of the site is ALLNURSES. not just seasoned nurses, new nurses, potential nurses. She has every right to express how the job makes her feel without being berated. Maybe direct patient care isn't her niche. Maybe she's the RN that does the research to improve the medications, processes, procedures, etc used by nurses such as yourself. We don't always land our dream job right the gate. If her niche is research she might feel like her role right now is less than glorious. Whereas if your niche is patient care, research might be like watching paint dry for you.
I don't think she was trying to bash anyone. She came here for the support and advice of others in the field...she figured your experience would be of value. She doesn't say anywhere that nurses that work with patients are glorified waitresses...she says that's how SHE feels. You like wool. She likes silk. You like silk she likes wool.
Just think there's a way to look at it from her POV. Not at all trying to be rude. Hope you don't get upset w/ me.
You don't get it. The original poster asked for advice. She got advice -- most of it honest, realistic and truthful. Blowing rainbows up her skirt isn't honest, realistic, truthful or helpful. The honest and unvarnished truth is that there's something horribly wrong with a new grad, especially a new grad on a telemetry floor who is bored or "not intellectually challenged". NOT telling her that is irresponsible.
I don't care HOW fascinated someone is with research, that's a position that usually requires a competent nurse. A new grad with two months of "experience" is NOT competent, especially a new grad who cannot be bothered to try to LEARN the job. Whether or not the original poster was "trying to bash anyone," she revealed a poor attitude, whopping ignorance and a dangerous lack of curiosity about the job she was hired to do. At two months in, you don't even know what you don't know, and if you feel as though you're not intellectually challenged, you're not even trying to learn.
Yes, there is a way to look at things from the OP's point of view, but please forgive those of us who know better for not doing so.
It's sad that anyone would think being brash is the way to express a difference of opinion. I watched my Great Grandmother work as a nurse for years. She worked with seasoned nurses and new grads. She never once took the approach of being intolerant when a new nurse expressed their feelings about the position they took fresh out of school. No one wants to be coddled and treated like a child. But no one deserves to be spoken to as if they have no feelings either. Which any nurse would understand because that's the way plenty of nurses are treated by coworkers and family members of patients they are caring for.
No, I don't agree that a new nurses first position should be in telemetry. But that's where she is and unfortunately she doesn't like it. It's not what you say it's how you say it. You wouldn't tell a patient's Mother to shut up and leave the room. You would find a polite way to get her to hush. So why talk to a fellow nurse that way.
Example, You're new on the floor and I understand it's not something you enjoy. Two months into a position you really don't have a full grasp of the ins and outs of the job. The floor you are working on is one of the toughest but also one of the most rewarding. I understand you might feel as though you aren't getting the full on feeling or elation you expected to get when you started your journey into nursing. Two months in you're still getting your feet wet. Your superiors aren't going to give you everything on day one, maybe they realize you seem uninterested. I encourage you to find something that you do enjoy about the position. It's hard as a new grad to get a position in a hospital. Trying to apply for another job during your probationary period would not be smart. If you simply cannot stand it your best bet is to look outside of the hospital you are in now because both your current manager and the manager for the position you want will frown upon your desire to leave a new position so quickly.
I said everything you said without being...brash. I get that no one is going to hold your hand when you are a nurse. I know as a nurse you have to deal with the "real" rather than sugar coating. But don't you see enough of that on a hospital unit. Why aren't nurses more supportive of one another? No matter how many times you are annoyed by a patient you don't become intolerant...same principle should apply elsewhere.
BeachyRN26
9 Posts
I agree people have been pretty snarky, have some compassion for OP's situation :)