hopfrogger

Growing up, I always had dreams of joining the Peace Corps. I currently support two children in a mission that is close to my heart. One child is in Bolivia, the other in India. One day I hope to be able to volunteer in some capacity on a mission. I think that would be rewarding and fun! Whether or not that is feasibly possible is another thing. But I feel good that I help those kiddos out in some way. But you are right, nurses need to get paid just as with any other occupation. Most people go into a line of work with salary as at least somewhat part of the deciding factor, especially when you have a family to support!

Wow, what an insensitive comment. Makes sense though. I was curious if you were a troll so I read back through some of your posts. You are just offended that nobody on this site thinks YOU should become a nurse! You are an x-ray tech thinking of going back to school to become a nurse only for the MONEY and admitted you have no people skills. At least I know that I went into nursing for the right reasons and I care about people. I only mentioned the other job making more money because sometimes that is a deciding factor, especially when you are the sole bread winner for your family. But numbers bore me. Maybe you should go into accounting.

Thanks for your post. It may not be the same because this place does ONLY LHR. Did your facility that you are speaking of do other things besides LHR?

I appreciate all the advice :) Canesduke: The laser hair removal center does not have any doctors or surgeons working there, only treatment providers (nurses), so meeting plastic surgery contacts would not be happening there. But that is good thought :) I do suffer from anxiety, but I also feel that I am and can be hyper-vigilant. I like one patient at a time. I did not succeed on the floor and was too overwhelmed because I am just not good with time management of multiple patients. I would get so overwhelmed and flustered because I am so slow at first when I learn something because I want to do it perfectly. It is counterproductive but its hard to change that about myself. I want to take a medicine for my anxiety/OCD behaviors but I am worried that would just fog up my cognition, short-term memory, and vigilance would be out the window! When I am learning something, I have to do it repetitively a few times, maybe more.. and a little slower than most. But once I have it down, I'm great! I'm worried the OR will be too fast-paced, I will be too slow.. I dunno. I have just had bad luck with nursing so far and don't want to make another bad decision. As far as my long term goals... I'm not sure. Just trying to find my niche.. for my unique personality type (Aquarius, INFP, weirdo (Lol)

The Internship is Perioperative but just for circulating. Nothing else. You do rotate through all specialties during the internship and can possibly go into a special service later, but as a circulator only. I just don't know if 1) I would enjoy the job once in it, and 2) if I'm cut out for it. What drew me to it was the one patient at a time that the floor doesn't offer.

Okay guys, I posted a similar post yesterday and got a few responses but I need some fresh opinions because I have been presented with two offers and I have to make my decision TODAY! My anxiety level is sky high because I do not know what to do. I am a fairly recent new grad (2010) with 9 months of clinic experience and no hospital experience. I KNOW floor nursing is not for me. I have been offered an internship (six-month) in the OR for a Circulator only position. It is pretty far from home, I won't know what hours I will be working until after the internship is over, and there is call twice a month where I would have to spend the night (weekend) at the hospital. I know OR experience is great but is this the best decision for my family. My kids are teens but still Second job is at a laser hair removal facility that has been in business for over a decade and has locations all over the US. Fortune 500 company. I did shadow there and while the job would be routine, it is low stress, good hours, closer to home, and pay is better. I just don't want to make a bad decision. I tend to be pretty OCD, but I've also got an anxious personality type and tend to do things slow at first ( and maybe for awhile!!) because I second guess myself, lack a lot of confidence, and want things done perfectly. I know, its counterproductive. Other posters have commented that they could never "circulate" in the OR if it was only that because it was a boring job, although high stress as well. I'm truly stumped on what to do... Is the OR internship a better, wiser career move? But with my personality and anxiety, and perhaps slowness at first, would this even be a good fit as a circulator?? please help!! Thanks

I feel your pain. I don't think I am "strong" enough for nursing, at least not hospital nursing. I wish I were, but I can't change my personality. Now, after graduating last year... I don't know which direction to go

I am even more confused after visiting the laser center and observing. It seems fun and something I would really enjoy, low stress. They have been in business in this area for over seven years but have locations in a lot of states. It seems like a lot of people think circulating in the OR is high-stress yet boring and mundane at the same time. Its a six month internship. I just am worried that I may not like it once I got into it. Its hard to know without ever doing the job and just reading about it....

Well to be completely honest, I am a new grad with embarrassingly a month of hospital nursing experience. It was a med-surg cardiac floor and I was completely panic-stricken, overwhelmed, depressed... you name it. I had anxiety at clinicals in school and knew that I had to find a different special little pocket in this field because med-surg was not going to be it. People say give it a year. Well, I know ME and I suffer from anxiety anyway and I just knew from that moment forward that I didn't have what it takes to be a floor nurse. Just don't. I'm a great listener, counselor, problem solver.. even thought about going into psych nursing at one point. But OR nursing appealed to me because of the one patient at a time aspect... I know its stressful as well but a different kind I think. The laser hair removal appeals to me because I know it would be less stress, more money.. but would it look as good on a resume?

I'm a new grad and one thing I know for sure is that floor nursing is NOT for me. It's not beneath me, but I'm not good at it.. can't do it.. don't wanna do it. I have two offered options: OR internship (circulator), and working in a laser hair removal facility doing the laser hair removal. Which one would you pick? Pros and cons? Thanks!