ED62

I would recommend you work at a level 3 as the bulk of higher acuity patients are seen there and usually in an environment where increased hands-on care and slightly slower paced mentoring will occur. Be careful for what you want, you may get it. I encourage people to develop teamwork, then skills and communication. Once you feel comfortable in your own shoes then increase your skills through education and that would possible include certification and possible movement to a higher level of patient acuity in a Level 1 or 2 Trauma Center. Remember.....this is a marathon, not a sprint. ED62

Pinkdoves, Becoming a Nurse is not easy. When you decided to become a Nurse you must have been influenced by something or someone in your life. If it was a someone, then have you reached out to that person and talked about your feelings? If it was a something then did you talk to your preceptors or mentors? I can understand how this transition can be difficult. I am a Director of an Emergency Department and developed a residency to help develop new Nurses. Did you attend a residency? If not do you have an assigned mentor in your unit to speak with? No one wants to appear vulnerable and in the beginning of your career it can be very stressful. It does not help that we are in a pandemic. At this time I would not recommend any overtime as you need to get a handle with your new reality. Bedside care sets your base of knowledge and is critical to developing your career. I regularly work at the bedside whenever I can and it keeps my skills sharp and always remind me of what a nurse basically is. I sit on an advisory board for one of our local Nursing Programs and I can hear (Using MS Teams now) the concerns in both students and instructors. Keep the faith, you are in a wonderful profession and just need to better understand where you fit in this crazy world of Nursing. ED62