shine123

I have been an RN in Alberta for almost 3 years now, although one of those years I was off on mat leave. I worked acute care before going on leave (it is one year in Alberta) and then found I couldn't keep my line because I was not able to work the shift work or even the morning shifts due to the fact that it was an hour commute, I became a single parent, and lack of babysitters for shift work. Anyways I had to take a job in nursing of which I had and have no interest, and where there are no benefits such as education days, no career growth, little communication etc... however the hours work with daycare (it is also part time hours and ten dollars less per hour than in the hospitals here). I have been doing this for one and a half years and feel like I am dying inside. I feel like nursing just hasn't worked out for me, and I see no forecast in the future for that changing. I have applied to other nursing jobs and have had no response at all. I am thinking of leaving nursing and trying to find a job where I can actually get full time work with benefits, but not sure which direction to take. Any suggestions? Advice?

Thank you so, so much for all of your responses. They have all really helped me see things more clearly. The only reason I doubt the clinic job is because the actual work is not my idea of where I wanted to be (never thought I would be working with feet and doing nail care and all that). But it may be worth it for the peace of mind alone. I don't feel any stress when I think about the clinic, but when I think about LTC I feel the stress pouring in, I just feel like the patient load is too heavy for one person, not too mention how difficult nights can be. As well, child care is so much easier to find with a normal work week. Thanks again everyone!! I am so grateful for this discussion board...

Need some advice. I have an opportunity to work at a foot wound clinic Mon-Friday, all evenings/weekends off, or at a long term care facility on the sub acute transitional unit, but the shifts are all nights (11-7). The wage is higher at the LTC facility, but the hours are better at the clinic. Also at LTC I would be the only RN on for the night shift in charge of 32 patients (to me that seems like a very big pt load). These two are my options as there are no other places hiring right now due to cutbacks, so I am grateful for the opportunities, but still not sure what to do. I should mention that I am still a fairly new nurse with only 1 year experience on a med/surg unit, and I have a one year old at home. I am having trouble with this decision. What do you all think? Thanks in advance..

Thanks for the responses. Some good points. I may have been misunderstood by using the word 'glamorous', as we do all sorts that most wouldn't think of doing on a daily basis. I just never considered working with feet as part of my career path.

Need some advice. Does anyone have experience working in a foot clinic? It deals mostly with foot ulcers related to diabetes, chf, that type of thing. Lots of dressing changes and nail care. Not the most glamorous job. BUT, the hours are perfect; days only, with weeknights and weekends off. I am working casual in post partum right now but the hours are terrible for child care needs. I only have weekends, nights, and no one wants to babysit early mornings or late nights. My spouse also works weekends and early mornings, plus we have no family around to help take care of our child. I also am only guaranteed hours until end of August, then in September it is up in the air. I also feel exhausted working the nights and then taking care of my one year old. Anyone else been in this situation and have to take a less glamorous job, but with great hours?? If you had experience in a foot clinic, did you like it?

I have just started working casual on a unit in the Calgary Health Region. I had a line on a different unit, but let it go after maternity leave, (mistake). I was hoping I would get a line after working casual to try to get better hours, and at the same time, try a different area of nursing. About 2 weeks after that, the hiring freeze happened. As everyone knows there are hardly any lines, part or full time, available at all. I am a single mom, and these casual hours have been terrible for trying to manage child care and work. I have an opportunity to work outside of the region 6 hours per day (dayshift), although it is a job that I would not normally consider for myself, still in nursing though. I have also considered moving back to Saskatchewan. Not sure what is the best, or if I should just stay within the region. Any advice?

Wow, I could have wrote exactly what you did. I feel the exact same way that you do. I have worked for 6 months but then was on mat leave, and only just returned to work this past week. I changed units to start something new, however I feel like a complete idiot all of the time because I feel like I come across as a nervous, incompetent wreck. I feel like I should know more than what I do. I compare myself to other nurses that have just started and I am thinking how do they know all this stuff, and I don't. I have two degrees so I know I have a brain, but at work in the hospital it just doesn't seem to work. I have difficulty remembering all of the new info, when I speak, it comes out all jumbled and I look like I have no idea what I am doing. Out of the hospital though, I am fine and calm. I don't know if this means I should change careers or just realize that it will take some time to become confident and knowledgeable. It irritates me how experienced nurses expect you to know everything on your second day on a unit.

Thanks for the responses everyone...it sure helps to know that we are not alone and that these feelings are common and hopefully (fingers crossed) will go away soon. Stay confident and strong!!

I am a new nurse. I graduated one and a half years ago, worked six months, then had to take time off for mat leave, anyways, just starting back at work. I have been reading some of these posts lately, and I am so perplexed by nursing. I feel the exact same way as a majority of you new nurses do. Overwhelmed, scared, nervous, I dread going back to work after days off. I literally count down the hours until I have to go back to work, just like I did when I was ten years old having to go back to school on a Monday morning after a weekend. I have all these feelings and a majority of you do as well, after spending tens of thousands of dollars in tuition and four years in university, only to have feelings of inadequacy and self doubt. I always feel like I am not smart enough, not knowledgeable enough, and don't have enough experience. I have two degrees and have worked other areas such as administration and hospitality, but have never felt like this. I am just wondering what it is about the field of nursing that makes us feel the way we do, because I hate how my career choice makes me feel. Is it simply lack of experience? Does it stem from lack of support from colleagues? A fear of making a mistake? Does this happen in other fields as well? Any ideas? Any advice how to get through these first few years and not only survive, but thrive?

I am hoping someone out there can relate to me. I graduated only 1 1/2 years ago, however, after 6 months of practice I was off on maternity leave. I took the full year (am here in Canada) but have recently returned to work. I was on an adult medical floor, but thought after the year that I wanted to switch to post partum, which is something that I have always wanted to try. I started on my new unit this past week, however I am finding it so difficult and so hard after being off for a year. I find that I have trouble retaining information, I feel inadequate, I feel nervous and I am full of self doubt. I feel like a fraud. Has anyone else had difficulty after returning to work after an absence. My confidence is shaken and I am having trouble dealing with the transition.....I need the job though.......I feel like a scared nervous wreck.....any words of advice??? Thanks for the help...