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If you are feeling burnt out, find a way to manage to take some time off and reevaluate. Part of the reason I chose nursing after much deliberation is because of the flexibility it allows. There are so many different avenues to take. If the hospital setting isn't for you, there are other options out there for people with a nursing degree. When I was feeling similarly burnt out, I quit my job, with no job lined up (a risk I was willing to take at the time), and flew to stay with a friend in a warm place near the ocean for a month to clear my head. Nursing can be a rewarding career if you don't forget to be good to yourself, too. After the month away, I returned home and spent another couple weeks looking at my job possibilities. I ended up becoming a traveler for a few contracts and found a good job fit. If you aren't in a position to be able to leave your current location, I would still try to take a short time away from nursing. You have figured out patient populations that you don't want to work with, so that should give you a better idea of what you might like. I have to say, yesterday I was floated to help out in OB. It was so refreshing to help out with an entirely different population than I've been used to (adult ICU). Maybe a complete change of gears in the population you take care of would be good for you? Good luck figuring it out. You chose wisely, a career where you will always be able to find work. My dad likes to remind me, it's called work and not fun for a reason.

Right out of school, the only job I could seem to land was in the ICU at the hospital where I did most of my clinicals, 50 miles from the city I lived in. I didn't have dreams of working in the ICU right out of school but it didn't seem like I had another option. The city I lived in had several hospitals, including an awesome level 1 trauma center. Those hospitals were all saturated with nurses, though, and nearly impossible to get a job there as a new grad. So, I ended up taking the ICU job, night shift, a far commute from home. It was a pretty high acuity ICU, a level 2 trauma center. The nurses I worked with were excellent. I felt like the experience right out of school was second to none. I stayed there 3 years. It was very hard, especially the first year or so, and sometimes I think back and don't know how I did it. Had to grow some tough skin. The long commute definitely did not make it easier, but I had no desire to lice in that town. I took naps in my car on the ride home pretty frequently. If you have the opportunity to go work in an ICU, I would take it. Get some experience and then apply to your dream hospital. Maintain connections with the level 1 you want to work at and maybe let them know you intend to apply there in the future. They will respect that you went elsewhere for the better experience. After my first 3 years in the ICU, I became a traveler. Lots of options as a traveler for ICU nurses. I now have a very cushy full time ICU job in an awesome location. I respect medical floor nurses as I think their patient loads are often unfair. I appreciate the 2:1 nurse to patient ratio in the ICU and I like having all the information on monitors in front of me. Take the ICU job. It is harder right out of the blocks, but well worth it, in the end.

I started in an ICU almost a year ago right out of school. My orientation was about 4 months. I had not had any prior work or clinical experience in an ICU. I will be honest that it was very hard and overwhelming. I had moments where I was not sure if I was going to "survive" orientation. You have to have tough skin and come to terms with the fact that you may feel stupid on a regular basis until you get the groove. Other nurses may give you an attitude and that can be just as difficult as learning the job, but you have to stay sure of yourself. They hired YOU for a reason! Check out icufaqs.org. They also sell a book. It is clutch.