New Nurse. Need help, Please. What are my options???

Nurses General Nursing

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Please help. I am at a major crossroads and don't know where to go from here. I graduated with my BSN in May and started work 6 months ago as a critical care nurse. I have had a great orientation and work with the greatest group of people, but am not happy at work. At first I thought it was just the transition/pressure of the job and I needed to give it time, but it has been 6 months and I am increasingly unhappy. And I am very certain that other types of bedside nursing are not for me either. I would love to use my nursing degree though, as I really enjoy the premise of nursing and what it stands for. The situation is slightly sticky: I signed a time commitment at this hospital, I feel that I should return to school but I can't commit to a program because I really don't know what I'm going to love waking up and doing every day, and I'm far away from my family and want to return to my home state in July (but signed the time commitment for a job and a place I don't like). So these are the options that I'm interested in. Any advice would greatly help as my research on these areas is not sending me one way more than another.

1. NP school (FNP or Womens health. But I'm worried I would get out of school and not enjoy this either. Part of me thinks that I might be meant for a job with less patient care?)

2. Law school (I'm taking the LSAT just to see how I do, and might apply next year depending. But I know there are areas of risk management, medical malpractice, etc. that a nursing + law degree would fit. However, I'm more of a science person. Law has never really interested me)

3. Medical/Pharmaceutical sales (I think I would really enjoy this. But the general consensus is...jobs are HARD to get. And I don't know if I'm cut throat enough)

4. I have heard of positions that involve teaching how to use medical equipment combined with selling that equipment. I have searched for these jobs as well, and have found none. But I like to teach, this might be good for me if I could find an opportunity.

So these are my thoughts, and self doubts...all out there for all of you to see. I need help, advice, direction. I'm young with no major responsibilities except to be my best at my current job and find a nursing niche that I will love doing every day. In July, I need to move back to my home state and start school/a different job that will make me smile (At least sometimes...:p). I have searched myself hoping to find a passion for one thing over another, and am left empty handed. I feel that I won't know what I love doing every day until I am actually doing it.

Thank you for your time. Any thoughts?

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Specializes in post-op.

Have you though about home health care? I was on the verge of leaving to go back to the hospital d/t wanting more hands on care, but I am pregnant and have decided that now is not a good time to make that sort of change. Anyway- you have a more 1:1 contact with patients and a lot of your time is spent charting. You still can use your nursing skills, but not be in a hospital environment. Just a thought, especially if you dont have a lot of experience it is hard to get some of the other jobs you mentioned. HH is a growing field and usually will take someone with a year exp. How long is your time commitment to the hospital? What happens if you break it? I would ensure that you are truly interested in those other fields before returning to school. You wouldnt want to spend money or time on something you do not like, you would be mad at yourself ! Good luck in whatever you chose!

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I'm sure you thought of this but is it possible you are just home sick? You should consider adding to your list opting out of your contract and moving back home, trying a different nursing job BEFORE you spend a ton of money on another career that you aren't sure you will like. Sometimes the unit you work on, the people you are working with, the way the facility is run, can make a significant impact without you even knowing it. It seems like you might be jumping the gun a little bit. You can't make a decision on anything until you find out what you like and you can't find out what you like until you try it out. Maybe it would be money well spent to pay the place you work now what ever the contract states you will owe for leaving early. Good Luck

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Specializes in Professional Development Specialist.

I'd try another area and hospital before spending more money on school too. I recently got turned down (I'm another new grad, but with even less prospects) by Poison Control. The recruiter was really nice, it's the only actual phone call I've gotten in months of looking for work. It sounds like a good environment if you're not enthusiastic about bedside nursing anymore. You will likely need more critical care experience plus triage/ER but if you're willing to go back to school it might be worthwhile to consider a few more years in the field.

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I have had to learn the hard way to honor your commitments. If you signed a contract then you can suck it up for 6 more months in order to leave with a good name intact. No matter what you do, if this was your first REAL job, its gonna set a tone for everything else you apply for in the nursing field if you decide to stay in nursing. And in this economy you dont want to give an upper hand to the next applicant because you didnt fulfill your obligations to your contract. Do you even know you will find a job in your home town? How will you support yourself while you pursue these other careers? I say give it 6 months and if you still hate it then leave and maybe find a more flexible job thats PRN. This way you are not committed to them and you can have the breathing room to go home for a while or to think about your next move but atleast you will have a job in the mean time. Whatever you do, good luck.

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Thanks everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it and am taking it all into consideration. Just because a few of you asked, my commitment to this hospital is 2 years. I signed a statement during my interview stating that I committed to being here for 2 years (Apparently we are the first class of new grads that they had sign this...the year before it was only a one year commitment). It was easy to do then because I really wanted the job. To my knowledge I don't have to pay anything back, but I really hate quitting things so it's still hard to break the commitment. I intend to stay here until the 1 year mark though.

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Specializes in Home Health, Outpatient Med, Radiology.

Have you looked in to nursing case management/discharge planning? You plan for the needs of the patient so when they are discharged, they have what they need in order to appropriately care for themselves. You may be helping them fill out for disability due to an injury, helping them fill out for Medicaid if they have no insurance, planning for a home health agency to come into their home, getting them set up to receive meals on wheels, or getting them signed up for different grant programs to get assistance paying for a ramp for their home. Many more things are involved in the job.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

I'm still just a student, so I don't have any experience with this, but...I was talking to my ex-roommate the other day. She has been a nurse for 6 or 7 years now. She was giving me advice and told me that she was absolutely MISERABLE her first year as a nurse. She said she felt incompetent, like she just didn't "get it". However, after 6 months or so, she said things began to fall into place and she began to feel more confident. She is very happy as a nurse now. Maybe you should give it a little more time, or just try a different area before going off in another direction.

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I am in the EXACT same boat as you. I know some of it is stress of being a new nurse. I know some of it is the stress of my type unit. Sometimes, I come home from work saying "I can handle this." Other days I feel like a failure. My boyfriend can tell I'm not happy and so can my parents. I moved 600 miles from home, primarily for the job and educational opportunities. I didn't think much about it. I moved by myself knowing not one person. It gets lonely! Sometimes after a tough day you just want to complain to your best friend or mom over a cup of tea! For now, I've decided to stick it out until about the year mark. Then I plan to move back home. There's other things in my personal life also affecting this decision, but I don't second guess nursing to much. Just think: the type of unit just might not be a good fit for you. As for me, I plan on trying a new type of floor instead of giving up staff nursing all together. Instead of a classroom setting like I originally planned for my education, I want to pursue my Master's online now. It allows time and flexibility while you figure out where you want to go and who you want to be. A year ago, you would have never heard me saying any of this. However, life takes its funny twists and turns. Everything happens for a reason. You'll figure out what's right for you. You have plenty of time to learn!

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Dear New Nurse,

I have been a nurse 32 years. I love bedside nursing and always have. However, it is really a lot harder for you today to start than it was for me. There is a lot more pressure to be "perfect", and not much tolerance while you grow into your experience. We as nursed eat our young and kill off our old. Hang in there for the duration of your contract. Most hospitals will allow you to change positions after about a year, and if you start looking in on your hospital website, you might apply for a clinic position such as Endoscopy. I have done that for the past 5 years and it is a welcome relief from Critical Care. You will survive.:p

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Specializes in LTC.

Just found this thread and it really struck accord with me as I am in LTC. I've been at my present job 7 months yesterday and I still loathe it. I don't think patient care is for me and I'd rather something (perhaps OR nurse) that doesn't involve me having to practically be a handmaiden to patients. Don't get me wrong, I love to help others and it puts a smile on my face when my patients are better after being quite sick for so wrong, but the politics on the unit, the profound amount of work is too much to bear at this point. I'm thinking of possibly bumping down my hours from 5 days to 4 to see if perhaps this would make a difference. Any more options?

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