loreali12

Thank you so much! This makes me feel a bit better. There are a ton of substitute openings in my area, is it possible to do that and also keep my 36hr inpatient hours in the meantime?

Hello all! I have 2.5 years of experience working in acute care adults AND pediatrics. I have always known acute care is not what I want to do forever and am interested in public/community health. I like the preventative/education side of nursing and I love my kiddos in pediatrics! There seem to be a lot of school nursing jobs in my area and I always thought it would be something I'd want to do but I find myself afraid to be the sole health care provider in a sea of kids! It seems silly since I have been working with patients of all ages in medsurg and ICU settings and I am a competent RN but for some reason the idea of having to completely take charge in an emergency with no help from others makes me hesitate on school nursing. So for all of you school nurses, do you feel this way? Do your nursing instincts just take charge in these situations? Am I actually not cut out for it? Any advice would be appreciated!!

Hi! Personally, I would choose whichever job interests you the most! both of those exist everywhere. From what I have seen in the hospitals I have worked in, the infection prevention nurse did a lot of presentations on the unit and in monthly meetings etc. and was always available for us to call if we had a question about putting patients on and taking off of precautions. A clinical research nurse would be good experience if you were interested in research! There are a lot of different subjects you can do research for in nursing. I have a family member who is an oncology research nurse and she loves it. If research is something you think you'd like, any research experience will help you get a different research job if you want it. All in all, as you know from my post you commented on, currently I think the best opportunity is where you will be happiest! That goes for everyone. If you aren't happy in your current position, think about the day to day of both of the positions you have available to and choose the one that will make you happy. In the end that is all that matters and you will do a better job if you love your job!

Thanks for your response! I have actually decided to pursue something completely different, leaving the nursing field. I don't want to say what just because it's definitely someting with supposed less job stability and I don't want the thread to be distracted by that. I have decided to enroll in a community college to learn the skills I need for the new career which would mean class two days a week. This is what I feel nervous to tell my management. I feel weird telling them I am pursuing something so totally different and I'm worried they won't want to give me the flexibility of requesting off those two days every week during the school year. I've spoken with a couple friends and they think I am overthinking and that I am an adult and allowed to have other interests which I know is true, I'm just afraid of the reaction I might get.

I have been an acute care RN for two years, adult and pediatric. I have finally come to the conclusion (finally been honest with myself) that nursing is not for me. I kind of knew ever since I first started nursing school, but everybody kept telling me it would get better so I believed them. Some people are born for this career and it shows in their passion and excellence, however, I am not one of these people. I dread going to work. I search job opportunities in every possible area I could use my RN degree/experience and nothing sparks a fire in my soul (excuse the cheesy phrase). I have found another career option I would like to pursue but getting there will require me to change my availability at my current job and maybe eventually go part-time or per diem. I have no idea how to tell my manager this without sounding like I'm completely miserable and not committed to my current job which I guess is partially true but I need to keep the job for financial reasons while I pursue a new path. Does anyone else feel this way? Has anyone else made the career change? I know a lot of people will want me to stick it out and search around until I find a niche in nursing that I love but I would rather get out sooner rather than later after I've spent years and years of my life trying to like a career that I am not passionate about. If you've read this whole post, thank you!! I'd love to hear your input, please be nice :) With love.