New nurse needs advice

[Rae RN]

Hi! New to the website....just wanted to start a thread and vent a little...see what happens. I graduated in May with my BSN and am currently working on a VERY busy post surgical floor. My problem is this: I'm not happy. At all.

I take a lot of personal satisfaction from what I do...and I have rarely gone home from a shift with any type of fufillment. The staff is very helpful, I had a great preceptor, but I'm just not happy. The floor is very stressful and when I get overwhelmed I tend to get scatter brained--even with brain sheets and med due lists. My patient assignments can get very hefty, some days I have 10 patients with an LPN, up to four fresh post-ops and mutiple discharges and I have done primary nursing with up to 7 patients. I get SO anxious and I need reassurance from other nurses...which they tend to get annoyed after a while. The anxiety is so bad I've considered getting medicated, and I am depressed on my days off when I should be enjoying myself. I refuse to beleive that a job is worth my mental health, or that I will get "used to it". I follow my gut and if it doesn't feel right, it usually isnt. I was wondering if there were any less stressful nursing jobs I could transfer to.

I've always wanted to do community health or teaching in some way, but I need my MSN to teach and I'm not sure if my confidence level will allow me to practice in a more independant setting such as home health. Nursing homes are a no as well...too many years as an aid there.

I've heard drug reps are ideal positions for people who are single with no kids, but where would I apply?

Are doctors offices less stressful (I would miss hospital pay)...or maybe a Clinic or Health dept?

Not sure what to do...any advice is much appreciated. :redbeathe

[mystic33]

I have read so many stories on here that word for word describes your current situation. Maybe if you do a search in the new licensure new nurses section you will find a lot of information that will provide some help to you. I am also a new nurse and even though it gets so bad at times, and I feel the same way you do, I am clinging to the hope that it will get better. When the days are truly tough, I try to focus now on the good things I did and minimise the negatives as focusing on what went wrong constantly will only further demoralize you even worst. My advice to you would be to hang in there, do the best that you can and when you get to your 1 yr anniver., then you can apply somewhere else to your liking. 7 pts to handle though is absolutely absurd.

[havehope]

Maybe a doctors office would be better. I'm thinking less stressful for sure, and even though its a pay cut, would you rather be happy and make a little less, or make more and come home like you do everyday? What about school nurses? I'm not sure if they need MSN, I know teachers do but not sure about them. That would also be less money AND less stressful, you'd get holidays off, etc.

I hope everything works out for you!