Nursing field dilemma

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Hi everyone! :)

I've been a nurse for almost 2 years now. I've always knew I wanted to be a nurse, but right after graduation, I started working on a very busy hospital on a Med/Surg floor. With 7 patients, with 3 of them being confused, there are times that I can say that I really love what I do, but most of the time, i get exhausted and burned out. I started to think whether nursing was really for me. I sent this post to see if there were nurses out there that's going through the same problem as I am. And if you do, did you guys ever think about changing may be on a different nursing field? May be ICU or peds or something, I know there's a lot out there, I just don't know which once are which. I would really appreciate your response. Hope you could help me see other options. thanks in advance

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On a lighter note, I misread the title of your thread as "Nursing filled enema" and I thought "Hmm, this ought to be good."

The lateral movement opportunities in nursing are one of the many positive aspects of this profession. If you are seriously burned out, make a change. Do not throw away education and experienced earned by sweat and tears. Look for another position.

As a side note, I do get burned out sometimes. Usually I'm just going through a rough spot, and the problem is often me. I'm not getting enough sleep, exercise, and eating poorly. So far, I find if I tweak my diet and exercise regularly (basically take care of myself), my outlook improves considerably. Twice in my current position I've set deadlines in addition to changing my self-care routine: Okay, if I'm still unhappy with this job in four weeks, I'm looking for a new position. Each time, I have stayed in my job. But knowing that there is an endpoint of sorts, that there is a choice of staying or going can be freeing and uplifting. Just some food for thought, in the event that you find you are job hopping, or frequently burned out.

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On a lighter note, I misread the title of your thread as "Nursing filled enema" and I thought "Hmm, this ought to be good.":lol2: That's funny!

To the OP, I agree with BluegrassRN, although I have no experience. If you're not happy with what you're doing then try another field of nursing that suits you better. Nurses enjoy diff areas for diff reasons, and I think it can all get crazy and stressful at times. However, if it's too much for you and it's making you unhappy then I say venture out there and try your hands in a different area of nursing. It may very well make a huge difference, Good luck :redbeathe

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Specializes in med-surg, step-down, ICU/CCU, ED.

Great advice given! Wow, I'm going to use some it myself....

Luckycharms, when you're feeling like that it's a sure sign that you need a change. I worked ICU and stepdown for 5 years, never felt burned out. Now 6 months into ED nursing I'm feeling like you do.

Good luck. I hope you do get out before it's too late. I've heard nice things about working peds, it might be worth checking out.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

there is only one way to know - change what you are doing.

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