New nurse just doing screening, frustrated!

[Bikernurseof3]

I would really love to hear some feedback on my situation. I am an older new nurse grad. ( Dec. 2013) I got a job at a small privately owned surgical hospital in my city, specializing in back surgery. My three month leadership at the end of school was in pre-op at a large hospital and I learned a lot and decided I really liked working with lots of different patients and its fast paced etc. So when I took this job, the lady that hired me said I would be training in pre-op, but she also wanted me to train in pre-admit making phone calls to patients scheduled for surgery. I basically get a brief history, list of meds and tell them what to expect day of surgery. I have been doing this for 6 months with maybe 6 or 7 days in pre op. I am in a room by myself with very little interaction with anyone and it is really getting boring. I have talked with the lady that hired me and she said she would try to get me more days to train in pre op, but the bottom line is I don't want to be in this area. I want to work directly with patients. Do many nurses do phone interviewing, I mean it seems like i'm not using any of my education and I'm not developing any skills at all. Its the job that none of the nurses want at my hospital. I think they need me more in pre admit, but when she hired me, she acted like this would be temporary. Would love some feedback.

[Wave Watcher]

"And for the love of Doritos,............."

Great, now I'm hungry. Thanks.

OP: Keep on Keeping on! Hang in there!

[tara07733]

I'm a student so tHat for what it's worth but I have a question? If the OP's ultimate goal is bedside nursing but she has to stay at this job for, say, 1+ years how can she keep the hands-on skills she learned up to damage and fresh in her brain and make herself appealing to employers for a floor nursing position?

I totally understand how this job can seem like a perfect job for many, especially those looking to get out of floor nursing. When my son had his tonsils removed last summer I had a great experience with the surgical coordinator who worked at the ENT office. She was excellent and it made me think of how great a job like that can be (for the record, she wasn't a nurse but a biology degree holder).

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Me​ too!

[Bikernurseof3]

I'm actually 50 and not sure I want to do floor nursing. I just really liked pre op, which most of my instructors disagreed with. They felt everyone should work the floor, which I understand but I just felt like this area fit me. I really appreciate the comments and varied perspectives.

[pfchang]

I do think you are probably learning more than you think you are. Look at the patient histories, meds, scheduled surgeries, etc, from a broader perspective. Why is one patient taking Plavix and another warfarin? Why was another patient's surgery postponed and rescheduled? Abnormal EKG? What was done about it so the surgery could be rescheduled? What can you do to improve the patient experience or quality measures in your current job?

Be the person to offer to do the extras, show your initiative and then ask again when the time is right for what you want. I don't think everyone needs to work the floor.