Not wanting to work at hospital?

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It seems like the majority of the threads I have read on here are from people wanting to work at the hospital. I was just wondering if I was the only one that doesn't particularly want to work at a hospital?

Isn't it pretty much a rule that Dr. Offices pay less than hospitals?

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Specializes in maternal child, public/community health.

As an older student, I knew even before I started nursing school that I did not want to work in a hospital. There were numerous reasons including health issues that would make hospital nursing difficult but not impossible and the desire to work in a setting where I would develop a long-term relationship with patients. I wanted a job in public/community health which included a lot of patient teaching.I wanted to work with an underserved population.

My first job was at a peds clinic. I liked it okay but knew it was not something I would do long-term. I wanted something with more variety.

After 10 months, I took a job in public/community health that I love. I work for a non-profit agency in a home-based program for pregnant and parenting teen moms. It is a challenging job - every day and every visit is different (often from what i had planned when I arrived for the visit!). I do a lot of education, not just with the teens, but also with family members on everything from how to improve pregnancy outcomes, infant care including current recommendations (often different than what grandma did), nutrition, why a family member with hypertension really needs to see a PCP, how to access care when undocumented or uninsured, etc. . Being in the home, I get a very clear picture of family dynamics, barriers to health care, etc. As we develop a relationship, teens will often tell me things they have never told anyone. I work with a great team which includes, not only nurses, but also social workers who work with me to provide holistic care for the moms and their babes.

I love what I do but it has its challenges (which is why I like it!). Teen moms are still teens and act like teens. Sometimes that can be frustrating until I remind myself, "She is 16. That is why she..." Most are in difficult life situations which can be emotionally draining. Some who have tried this type of nursing are uncomfortable going into unknown homes in parts of town that can be intimidating or dealing with bugs, mice, unwelcoming family members, etc. Some find the unpredictablity unsettling. If I were young, I doubt I would want to do this type of nursing right out of school.(Even as an older grad, I probably would not be comfortable doing acute care with cardiac patients, home IV antibiotics,etc. without more training and great backup). I had both life experience and experience in a related field that prepared me for what I do.

The rewards are great - seeing a mom who was hesitant about talking to her baby on the floor engaging in age-appropriate play, or graduating from high school after we helped her problem-solve the barriers to her going back to school, or the pregnant mom whose baby was not growing well in utero at 20 weeks but gives birth to a healthy, full-term 7 1/2# babe.

Because I have not worked in a hospital, I have not developed some skills that I would have had reinforced in that environment - I don't do NG tubes, give meds, start IVs, etc. But nursing is not just about what you DO, about tasks. It is how you think. Though I do not do a lot of nursing tasks, I use the nursing process every day in my job. I use critical thinking and develop care plans. No matter what type of nursing you do, there will be other nursing skills that are not as developed in that particular environment.

The great thing about nursing is that there are so many different types of nursing. If bedside nursing is not your thing, you will have many other choices.

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As an older student, I knew even before I started nursing school that I did not want to work in a hospital. There were numerous reasons including health issues that would make hospital nursing difficult but not impossible and the desire to work in a setting where I would develop a long-term relationship with patients. I wanted a job in public/community health which included a lot of patient teaching.I wanted to work with an underserved population.

My first job was at a peds clinic. I liked it okay but knew it was not something I would do long-term. I wanted something with more variety.

After 10 months, I took a job in public/community health that I love. I work for a non-profit agency in a home-based program for pregnant and parenting teen moms. It is a challenging job - every day and every visit is different (often from what i had planned when I arrived for the visit!). I do a lot of education, not just with the teens, but also with family members on everything from how to improve pregnancy outcomes, infant care including current recommendations (often different than what grandma did), nutrition, why a family member with hypertension really needs to see a PCP, how to access care when undocumented or uninsured, etc. . Being in the home, I get a very clear picture of family dynamics, barriers to health care, etc. As we develop a relationship, teens will often tell me things they have never told anyone. I work with a great team which includes, not only nurses, but also social workers who work with me to provide holistic care for the moms and their babes.

I love what I do but it has its challenges (which is why I like it!). Teen moms are still teens and act like teens. Sometimes that can be frustrating until I remind myself, "She is 16. That is why she..." Most are in difficult life situations which can be emotionally draining. Some who have tried this type of nursing are uncomfortable going into unknown homes in parts of town that can be intimidating or dealing with bugs, mice, unwelcoming family members, etc. Some find the unpredictablity unsettling. If I were young, I doubt I would want to do this type of nursing right out of school.(Even as an older grad, I probably would not be comfortable doing acute care with cardiac patients, home IV antibiotics,etc. without more training and great backup). I had both life experience and experience in a related field that prepared me for what I do.

The rewards are great - seeing a mom who was hesitant about talking to her baby on the floor engaging in age-appropriate play, or graduating from high school after we helped her problem-solve the barriers to her going back to school, or the pregnant mom whose baby was not growing well in utero at 20 weeks but gives birth to a healthy, full-term 7 1/2# babe.

Because I have not worked in a hospital, I have not developed some skills that I would have had reinforced in that environment - I don't do NG tubes, give meds, start IVs, etc. But nursing is not just about what you DO, about tasks. It is how you think. Though I do not do a lot of nursing tasks, I use the nursing process every day in my job. I use critical thinking and develop care plans. No matter what type of nursing you do, there will be other nursing skills that are not as developed in that particular environment.

The great thing about nursing is that there are so many different types of nursing. If bedside nursing is not your thing, you will have many other choices.

Mostly, I want to work with peds oncology, either in a hospital/LTC, or home setting. My next greatest desire is to work with the under-served population as a community/public health; just like the quoted poster.

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you GUYS confuse me with your similar names. hahaha.

We planned it that way. ;)

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Only been up to 14,4xx so that might take a bit to get some training to go higher. Man I miss living in CO

***bragging*** Yeah, well I've been up to about 2,500 feet.

:lol2:

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I want to work in a hospital because I don't think there are any ICU units outside of a hospital.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
you GUYS confuse me with your similar names. hahaha.

Im the original though so dont listen to that that guy

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I don't want to work in a hospital. I've known that from before I even started nursing school!

I'm mostly interested in public/community health and peds, so a clinic or a pediatricians office is where I want to be after I graduate!

Depending on how life pans out, I might end up working at the hospital I go to school at for a year or two, but that's pretty much the longest I think I'd be able to stand doing stuff in a hospital...and then I want to go abroad for a year or two if I haven't already done so, then forget the hospital setting completely unless I become desperate.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

nah, I want the hospital setting. At least for now as a new RN.

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Specializes in LDRP.
Im the original though so dont listen to that that guy

im beginning to think you are the same person. hahahaha :lol2:

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im beginning to think you are the same person. hahahaha :lol2:

Uh oh. Caught us...or caught him...or caught me...which is it? :confused::D

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

I felt the same way. Hospital nursing just seemed to task-oriented to me. I skipped the hospital and went straight into a mental health facility. Haha, guess I should clarify that I went there as a nurse. There are other options out there, hope you find what you're looking for!

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