principessaGG

Thank you so much for you response @Julieanne1219. So today I found out their medical is no where as good as hospital but after the HORRIFIC night I had, I may make the leap anyway.....My body just can't do it anymore....Do you find this job less physically demanding? Thank you so much.

I have been an RN working in various hospitals, med surg and med tel since 2006. As a last hurrah, I recently started working in a step down ICU. I love learning new things but HATE how task oriented it is and how NOT patient oriented it is. I am 51 years old working in a sea of 20 something year old nurses who, I feel, are now being taught differently. I am not saying it is wrong, but I just find myself very unhappy. I know my biggest strength is bonding and taking care of the "patient". I don't love all the drips, labs, CPR etc... so...I find myself thinking that it is time to move to hospice where my people skills will be most useful. I had a phone interview with a large hospice company that has openings in several in patient hospice centers (pro is that they are 12 hr shifts) but I am afraid it will be too much like med surg. They also have a care manager position which is day shift ( I know work nights because I can't handle the pace of days in the hospital anymore in the physical sense) but it is 8-5 Monday to Friday, no weekends and no on call. It would be going to some long term care facilities and acting as their case manager. The recruiter, when I told her about my people skills said I would probably like the care manager position better Does anyone have any thoughts on this? My fear with the care manager role is taking home charting which I don't really want and the 5 days a week. However, if it is more of a laid back job....tell me your thoughts. Thank you so much!

Hi, I have 14 years experience as a nurse and have my BSN. I just got a job in a step down ICU at a great company however the physical demands are enormous....and so much to learn as my background has always been med-surg. I just got a phone call for a job interview for a VA-long term care facility which I had applied quite a while back....wondering what that is like...maybe a little easier on me physically? I have never worked long term care but would love to work with veterans. I have a LOT of experience working with the geriatric population. Also what is it like to work for the VA? thoughts anyone? any input would be greatly appreciated! THANK YOU

Thank you so much for the advice. I will certainly keep this in mind.

So this may be lengthy but right now I don't know where else to turn but to my fellow nurses. I am going through a divorce...I have 2 grown children that are in the military and live in other parts of the country. After this marriage is said and done, I don't have a reason to stay in NJ...it is expensive to live here and I would rather be close to one of my children. I really want to try travel nursing so I have the flexibility to see each of them and travel in between assignments overseas to where my family has a home. It's time I start to save money while working and then think about ME. I am older now and have to worry about myself and my mental sanity. However, I am afraid. Why? Well, while the above plan sounds GREAT, I would be leaving a job with great medical benefits, stability and a position in the endoscopy dept where I started 4 months ago. All my previous experience was in med surg. at the bedside where I only recently was given the opportunity to run away from, lol. However, it is depressing to only be able to have 2 weeks vacation at a time ( they will never approve more than that at one time) and now impossible to see my boys for long weekends as I work 8 hour shifts. I am also afraid of travel assignments due to the feared "worst assignments" etc at my age. Also although I have read you get medical benefits, I have also read they aren't good ones. Then there is the issue of the home base. I can always keep an address of a brother etc here in NJ, but I will no longer have a home in my name. Will that be a problem for tax reasons while travelling and staying with my sons while working? What do you guys and gals think for my future? I appreciate any input. I want to be happy and at peace. Thanks for any advice

I am now doing admission,...I find it hard to do Oasis charting in the home with the client. Oasis is very involved and would be awkward . Dont you agree?

good for you....I wish I had the opportunity...I have expressed an interest from the beginning to my MCP but I don't think it exists in my case. I have not read a book, shopped or anything. I feel like I have lost control of my life...terrible. Good luck to you!

I am not sure I know what that is?

so I have given this field a year...I LOVE LOVE LOVE the work with the patients...I LOVE the feeling of one to one nursing! You can actually make a difference...so different than the hospital where i worked for 8 years..however...I SIMPLY CANNOT STAND CHARTING every day into every night when i get home...I have tried everything and there seems to be no way around this...I don't know what to do and feel like my only option is to go back to the hospital and get beat up again.... any thoughts out there..??

I appreciate any input from my fellow nurses out there! I started as a nurse in 2006 in my 30's in a hospital on a med surg floor with a specialty in geriatrics. I then moved to a general med surg floor until 2012. The usual 8 patients, 12 hour ( really 14) shifts. Insanity. I left from 2012 and worked for a year , 5 days a week at a doctors office. I lasted a year because that was super boring. While I loved the doctors and infectious diseases, there wasn't much nursing involved. I was more of a medical secretary. I returned to the hospital but of course, only got hired on a med surg floor due to my experience. I have been there the last two years. I love my manager and while I love my patients, I am having some personal health issues which are really causing me great difficulty being on my feet for up to 14 hours a day and taking care of up to 8 patients a day. My floor is very very fast paced and we have no where to chart and sit , etc. I now have an opportunity to move to home health care. I was offered a position full time within my company so I don't lose my great health benefits. Of course, it is 5 days a week. I have never done home health. However, my favorite part of my job is my PATIENTS. I am told that it would be much easier on my health as far as the pace and being on my feet etc... Any input from anyone would be appreciated....Thank you!!!

helping people get better....thank God that will still be the focus....thank you...Feel so much better after these positive words of encouragement....feeling better already....med surge floor won't let me go until May..so now just waiting. Thanks again!

Again, Thank you everyone. Just waiting for official offer from HR before I give my notice to my current job....waiting...lol...hard part begins...

Thank you for your words of encouragement!! Can't tell you how mud better I felt after reading your post! Thank you...truly

thanks....!! The manager called me back and I had to give her an answer...I accepted!! excited and Nervous!! Thought my days of being nervous were done...but I guess NOT!!

I have worked in Med Surg for 7 years with a certification in geriatrics (ugh). I left for one year to work for an ID group but realized i missed the hospital too much and didn't like working in an office!! The only job I could get in the hospital was back in a med/surg floor. I was just offered a full time ER position , day shift in a brand new 100 million dollar renovated ER 40 minutes closer to my house hospital !! Same company and the hospital where I originally started my career....so....it all sounds great...except yes, I am in my 40's and I am experienced enough to know the ER is totally different and I will once again , be the NEW inexperienced kid on the block....hate that feeling again...however, also HATE the hours of charting on med/surg floor and the 2 techs to 32 patients and blah blah ....feeling like a med dispenser rather than a nurse ..etc...so change doesn't sound so bad...Just afraid of not having enough knowledge since i know i will have to get my telemetry certification, my ACLS, and PALS....thoughts anyone...???????