New Grad

SoundofMusic · Feb 25, 2008

Just stopped by to visit this thread and provide an update. I did in fact leave my ICU and went to a med surg type floor at another local hospital. I so far am really, really happy with my new unit and feel so much better. My preceptors are just gentle old nurses and it's much more humble situation than the ICU. I can go home and be a mom and take care of my kids. My body and mind just feel radically better. Nursing is not the draining mind blowing experience it was before.

I can now just slow down and find my rhythm as a nurse. I can practice IV's, pumps, wounds, assessments, paperwork, the phones, the docs, all of the little millions of just basic nursing things that you need to get down and let become second nature. I am learning the "art" of nursing at the bedside . . .I am also enjoying the interaction with the patients and learning my own style of being with them.

All of it will serve me so well . ..talking with docs, calling up every deprt in the hospital to find out answers, transferring, admitting, helping patients work out various individual issues. I mean, every patient has their thing you have to help them with and every day brings new variety.

I don't know the answer. I just know everyone has their own path to take and it's not a cookie cutter thing. Whatever works for you at your time of life is what I say. For me the ICU will have to be later, or never at all - but I have a wonderful appreciation of it and if I ever return, I will be very proud of the path I took to get there. Once I get there, I can concentrate on the ICU skills and not the basic nursing stuff - it will just be second nature.