MTtoBSN

Hey there and welcome! I tried emailing you, but it told me your email address was invalid. I'd be happy to share some of my tips and experiences with you. My wife and I also used to make Youtube videos about albinism and how it relates to our daily life. I do a brief segment on nursing in one or two of them. You can catch them at www.Youtube.com/AshleyMatt720or you can PM me as well. good luck! Matt

Hi, yes, you can PM me your FB name. I already sent you a PM as well.

Hi there, It's been a while since I posted to this thread but I guess quite a bit has changed for me so... I left the hospital, not because I couldn't hack it, but because I felt like a trained monkey could do what I was doing. It seemed like the majority of my day was consumed with med passes. I took a job at a home health agency as the clinical supervisor, managing all clinical operations. People think home health is where your nursing skills go to die. I disagree. While some skills do dwindle, you also end up with different skills that open bigger and better doors. I've learned management, case management, staffing, and continuing to expand on my clinical decision making. Additionally, there were clinical skills like wound care (which I personally love) that I never got to see in the hospital (especially since most hospitals have specialized WOCN teams). Admittedly, home health doesn't pay that great (at least here in Georgia). From what I hear though, many prisons don't either. So, it may be something you may be interested in. For me, I get to do the kind of nursing that I got into the field for. I do mostly admin stuff but still get some direct patient care here and there. 1 on 1 care where I get to really feel like I impact people's lives. I work specifically in pediatric cardiac home health. Lol, it's ironic. I swore I'd never do peds and I'd NEVER do home health. Never say never. But that should give you an idea of how much I must like this place. ?

1. For blood pressure, I use surgical loupes. Unfortunately these are about as expensive as bioptics but are different enough that you can't use bioptics instead. You see, surgical loupes are for short ranges like seeing things about a foot and a half away. Bioptic scopes are long range like binoculars, to see a couple hundred feet away. Another option is to use the big standing sphygmomanometer, my nursing school had one, and I've seen them on the nursing unit in the hospital as well. These are my 2 work-arounds for that so far, I hope that helps. 2. I do use a larger print watch that I found at the center for the visually impaired 3. I'm so happy to have provided that hope. I will be frank, nursing is a very challenging profession, and isn't always like how it's romanticised on the johnson-johnson nurse's week commercials. In some cases, the vision can add an additional challenge on top of that (not that often in my experience, but it depends on your adaptability, and your ability to create your own workarounds ). I would be happy to answer any questions you have. You can PM me for more info. 4. Just a little update about me... I left the hospital and have 't looked back. I found the nursing unit to be too stressful for me (almost none of it involved eyesight). It's just the nature of the job. Many of my coworkers who were also part of my new-grad cohort at the time had left as well. I landed an excellent opportunity in an unlikely place (for me). I'm now a nuesing supervisor for a home health agency. I NEVER thought I would like home health as much as I do and being a supervisor is a good new challenge. ALSO... my wife and I have a youtube channel if you guys would like to learn a little more. We BOTH have albinism, and our goal is to inspire and entertain others with albinism. Side note: no one knows I'm a nurse yet. We haven't covered what we do for work yet, so don't spoil the surprise for the other viewers please! It'll be our little secret . Our channel name is AshleyMatt720. So, search us on youtube and check us out. In the meantime, you can post any other questions here or PM me as well.

It sounds like the stressors of your job are far exceeding your ability to cope. What you need is a few days to just sit down and think about things. While it sounds like your job has many benefits, it sounds as though they are not enough to overcome the negatives. When did you begin feeling this way about this job? Right away? A few weeks in? Years? Was this something that had a sudden onset or did it develop over the course of a long time? Lastly, how much longer do you think you can go like this? Your plan of action depends heavily on how you answer those questions, but if you answer them the way I suspect you might, you migh consider creating an escape plan. first, lets take a moment to recharge your batteries and think about something else for a second. To ask you what you're passionate abour in life is too broad of a question. Instead, I'd like to ask you what in life currently excites you or brings you joy? Many times it is things we are good at doing that bring us excitement or joy. Maybe there is something specific you've always dreamt of doing or accomplishing in your lifetime. Anything at all, no matter how seemingly small, mundane, grand, or silly.

I have heard the market was tough for new grads in Florida. It seems there are a lot of openings for new grads in GA. I know it's not that close (depending on where in FL you live), but I guess it would be an easier move than other states much further away. The South is generally lower paying than other states, but the closer to Atlanta you get, the higher the pay (compared to the rest of GA anyway).

Wow, the more I read, the more your story sounds EXACTLY like mine.

i second this! I just went through all of that earlier this month. I even posted here on AN asking for advice on other specialties, and people's experiences with them. Sadly, I only got a few good/useful responses and also some very critical ones. It didn't bother me other than the comments that treated me as though I was some kid who knew nothing about how the world works. I'm a grown man who knows what works and what doesn't, floor nursing just simply doesn't, for me, right now at this point. So I sat down and made a realistic list of possible specialties, being honest with myself about my own strengths, weaknesses and wants. For me, my strongest areas in school were community and mental health as I was never a clinical all-star, but I had exceptional communication skills. I applied to several mental health and community health locations. Not to toot my own horn, but I generally interview well, and I received multiple offers. I ultimately chose a mental health facility that actually paid me a little bit more than my hospital job (where I was for only 3 months). might this new job be stressful? Probably, but not all stress is equal and some stresses seem to be less and/or a lot more manageable to some than others. You just have to find what you are better geared for. Lastly, don't let this experience bring you down or make you question your ability as a nurse. I did the same thing. That just might not have been your forte at that given point in time, or at all, but that's okay. There is so much more to nursing than the architype nursing role. We ALL care for patients/clients in different ways at various levels. PM me if you would like to talk further or want some additional advice on resumes or interviews or something. I wish you the best of luck!

As an update, after leaving he hospital, I received multiple offers for community health and mental health positions. I ended up deciding mental health (since it was higher paying than many of the community health options). To clarify my position, I was never looking for easy, but a more manageable level of stress based off of my perception of what I find most stressful. Don't mistake me for some kid fresh out of school who hasn't experienced life. This is a 2nd career for me; I'm a grown man who knows what works and what doesn't. I know high levels of stress are part of healthcare culture. If there is one thing, however, that the multiple recent deahs in my family have taught me, it is that life is too short to spend it being miserable. Even worse, to shorten it by being stressed all the time. Just a difference in outlook on life. Just my $0.02, YMMV

i completely agree. I am not looking for maximum lay and minimum work. I'm aware that I will have to take a pay cut in order to find my happy medium.

Please don't misunderstand and jump to conclusions, making knee-jerk accusations. I simpy stated "less-stressful", not "no stress", and not "low stress". We all agree that like, pain, stress is also subjective. I clearly define parameters as to what I find stressful, and whar I do not. Psych (what limited experience in it that I have) I found to be a more manageable type of stress, not easy. Let's also agree that floor nurses are not the be-all-end-all of nurses, and there are plenty of specialties that don't involve medsurg skills. I understand the frustration of your comment, however misplaced it might be.

As a side note, tothose who were encouraging me to stay in the hospital, I'm considering giving it another try at another hospital which MIGHT be better. At mine we can have up to 6 Pts vs 5 max at the other, and at my hospital we have to start our own IVs vs IV team at the other (which for me, IVs are a significant source of stress because I'm awful at them) and the other is a Magnet hospital. This other place was my first choice but I didn't get in right out og school. If I don't like it there, I won't like it at any hospital. My only worry is that if I don't end up liking it there, I 'll have a contract and can't leave. We'll see, THAT residency program doesn't start until Spring, so I may not be able to wait that long to get out of my current job. If any of the behavioral health or public health jobs I've applied to offer me a job before that, I'm inclined to take them.

I definitely appreciate all of the input and encouraging words (and even hugs :)). To clarify, however, despite all recommendations to stay, I'm 90% sure I'm leaving the hospital environment which is why I ask that you continue to procide your best opinions onlower stress jobs Please! I know your ability to deal with the stress improves as time goes on but I can't live like this. I don't have the nerves to last me until it gets better, and I've even seen experienced nurses on my floor get super stressed, so I know the stress won't ever completely be behind me. I'm aware that this is just the nature of the field, which is why I lean towards something outside the hospital. Maybe I have an anxiety disorder that only surfaces in the clinical/hospital environment, or maybe I'm just maxed out on coping mechanisms (there is A LOT of chaos in my personal life right now, among which, not having time to grieve multiple recent close deaths). Maybe a combination of both.

I get that I have to "pay my dues" but I just feel miswrable doing it. I work nights, I don't ask for any special days off, I'm not expecting high pay, I just want to not dread going to work. i just feel like my patients deserve better. I go home feeling stressed because I feel like I gave substandard care. There is a learning curve and stressors in any position, but some are less so than others.

Thanks SierraMoon, I really should have taken the opportunity when my preceptor got floated to the ICU. They asked me if I wanted to go with her but my preceptor said since I was going to be on the medsurg floor, she didn't want to take a day of training away from me, but that it was my choice. Looking back now, I should've done it. Unfortunately my unit is so in need (because of high turnover) that they don't really let you "explore" within the facility until after several months. I have always wondered though