Looking for options

Woopsadaisy · Feb 17, 2013

Hey, you didn't say where you work now, or what sort of facility you are in, so it's kinda hard to make a suggestion.But I will say that having been around a few years now, that there are a plethora of nursing jobs that are not stressful, or AS stressful. Nursing homes are one, assisted living is another.... Scopes or pain clinic, patient services, TCU, Pacu is a nice job....working labor and delivery might be better?Also, critical access hospitals are usually less stressful. Working at the prison can be nice beaus there is not any family to deal with, not a lot of bedside time, more autonomy than many jobs, and if you don't like the way you patient is acting, you can ask guards to take him/her back to their cell....there is always a guard n with yo. And prisoners are shackled.Anyway, you'll find it, just keep looking.Also, doctors office or any kind of office, cancer center, Cardiac rehab... Med surg is notorious for being stressful, stay away from there. Pediatrics is too... As is surgery and of course ED, ICU, or step down....Hope that helps!Woops

ybanurse · Feb 17, 2013

Working in a nursing home as an RN is very stressful and you'll be bogged down in paperwork. Every nurse I know right now wants out of the field, but can't think of anything else to do that makes the money we get. Nursing nowadays sucks, the nursing homes especially. Try home health or hospice

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2013

I have not personally worked in a correctional facility, but other nurses tell me it is horrible. One nurse lasted there one day. The problem with that, in my area, is those jobs are thru an agency, so the correctional facility does not hire you, and you really are not employed by them. Therefore, you might not get benefits such as health insurance. Other than med-surg or ICU, the jobs in my area seem to go by "word of mouth." You just about have to "know someone" to get a desirable job. Maybe try networking with that in mind. I worked an ICU step-down for several years, and it was more stressful than the patients in ICU, by far. One thing that helped reduce stress for me was to get an adequate amount of sleep, and I stopped working back-to-back 12-14 hr shifts. I finally realized that my brain was tired, and I was trying to "go" on 5 hrs. of sleep per night.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Feb 18, 2013

What exactly is it that is causing such stress? It may be worthwhile to stop and reflect each time that you feel yourself becoming 'stressed'.... what is the trigger? Demanding patients? Too much to do? Dealing with other staff? You need to try to get a better handle on your triggers before you can actually do something about them. If you cannot make any clear associations, you may be experiencing free-floating, non-specific anxiety that is not really due to work. If so, changing jobs wouldn't do a thing to improve your situation.