NewGrad08CA

ShariDCST, i guess i know where i'm NOT working and that's in "your OR". actually, i dont know what kind of ORs you work in but the ones i've seen the RN just sits there and watches, maybe not in all cases, but enough of them that it's relaxing enough. and to whoever posted the one about wearing a pedometer and clocking 5 or whatever miles per shift, that doesn't even sound feasible. again, i dont know what kind of facility you work in and i woudn't want to work there if you paid me. and about OR nurses "eating their young", i dont and wont put up with that kind of treatment. with your license, an RN is suppose to be an independent worker, and no one tells me what to do or how to do my job, except maybe the patient themself. i don't work for you, the doctor, or anyone else except the patient. you do what you want with your license and i'll do what i have to to protect mine. the RN is an independent critical thinker who makes his/her own decision as to what's best, for the patient AND for him/herself. i have to protect my own well-being first and foremost. in school, i was taught to take care of yourself first before taking care of others. i read about alot of the NICU nurses over on that forum and how burnt out they are, how depressed they are, etc....it's really pathetic to think about. i'm not about to turn into a psych case working at any NICU like that, or any unit for that matter. how do you deal with a dying infant who you cared for for 6 months? you deal by not taking it personally. you deal by appearing cold, even though inside you're really compassionate. you act like you dont' care, but you really do. you just dont show it. you accept death. this is called self-awareness. people die, get over it and move on with the next case. you must keep your emotions in check in order to cope. if you break down after each case, then you won't last in NICU. as for consoling the parents, same concept. you say your i'm sorries and move on. need more consoling? that's when you call the chaplain, priest, social worker, or psychologist to help them deal with it. many of you might not agree with my philosophy, but i got to keep my sanity if i expect to last in nursing. speaking of which, i think Correctional Nursing is the best fit for me, so in case any of you wonder whatever happened to me, well, that's where i'll be, working in a prison with hardened criminals and putting them in their place. by the way, i am a male (not female for that gay guy who called me darling), with a law enforcement military mindset. maybe that's where my mind has been wired. but, to each their own. i doubt i'll be working at any hospital after hearing and reading about all the bs (corporate and otherwise) that goes on in them. i'll be in prison where most of you probably want me to be anyway, except, i'll be wearing a nurse's uniform, carrying a big stick, maybe a gun, and certainly a large-bore needle filled with a general anesthetic. Good luck and good bye everyone. :paw:

oh, munchkin i just saw your response after posting my last one. OR huh? something to think more about. now that's more of a therapeutic response i was looking for. thank you!

not very "therapeutic" responses from most of you, not to mention judgmental. the first things i learned in school were about therapeutic communication, being nonjudgmental, and never assume and read into something that may not be true. where did you fellow nurses go to school? the only half-decent response was from NOCnewbie, recommending correctional nursing. in fact, i heard that is a great area to go into. it's kickback and pays great. i think that fits me too because i had wanted to be a police officer before i got into nursing. do they let the RN carry a gun? doubt it. that would be perfect for me. as far as not wanting to work with me, etc....that's fine because i wouldn't want to work with anyone who wouldn't want to work with me. remember, i don't work for you, so you're not my boss. i work for the patient. as a new grad RN in a high-demand profession with such shortage of nurses, i hold the cards and call the shots as to where i want to work and who with. boy, school sure has taught me how to be assertive well huh?

my likes: fast-paced, adventure, kicking back and relaxing, hands-on stuff like injections, maybe even some trauma, high pay (the higher the better), friendly faces. my dislikes: a heavy workload, working my ass off, stress, psych and geri, teaching (if i wanted to teach, i'd get a teaching credential and be a teacher), talking to the patient (especially about random meaningless stuff), family members who stare at you, mean and strict supervisors who works you like a dog, nurses who don't seem to care or take their job seriously, nurses and doctors who are mean and unfriendly, doctors (and nurses) who think they are God and could care less about a nursing student like when i was in school, no collaboration between healthcare team (yes, your CNA is part of your team and is as important as the physician himself, and if you don't think so, then i wouldn't want to work with you). what i like about the ER: fast-paced, adventurous, random patients (i dont see the same face each day), time flies, and you see all types of cases. what i dislike about the ER: random patients (never know what kind of psycho will walk through that door), high risk for TB or similar type infection. what i like about NICU: minimal talking to the patient, no TB risk (if i am correct), saving an innocent life. what i dislike about NICU: very strict infection control (dont want to have to wash my hands every 5 minutes), teaching parents, giving emotional support or consoling parents when their baby dies, handling fragile preterm newborns. what i like about the OR: patient is sedated so no talking to the patient, just "kick back" while the surgeon does the work, the trauma of a surgery (cool to watch). what i dislike about the OR: when equipment malfunctions (i'm no techie). what i like about Urgent Care: less critical cases than ER, seems more relaxing than ER. what i dislike about Urgent Care: too many illegal immigrants seeking free services who can't afford to go to a real ER. you're limited in the type of patients you see (you don't see real trauma, like gunshot wounds, etc.). sorry for being so blunt, but i need some advice other than to leave nursing because you might think it might not be for me (if i wanted to leave, i would already have). i am from los angeles and a new grad who just took the nclex recently and will assume for this thread's sake that i have passed. so, what unit sounds the best for me? thank you for your response.