nurset4835

Elkpark, thank you for your response. I really appreciate all of the support and reality checks. All are much needed, obviously!

Heron, you are absolutely right. Thank you!

I'm not sure I follow you...

I know you are absolutely right and I value your time and encouragement so much. I guess being "newly wed" may be a part of this. We both hope that with this job change I will find much more happiness and can find my outlet. Thank you so much for your time and advice.

We live in more of a rural area. Only 2 hospitals here and no opportunity for 3-11. I have done many searches for that. Even for up to an hour long commute. Hasn't presented itself as an option, unfortunately. Thanks for your response

Hello everyone. It's been awhile. From my first posts, I know you guys read that I have been very depressed since beginning my career as a new nurse on a MedSurg unit doing 3 12 hr shifts a week. That stress has remained after 1.5 years of working on the same unit. I talked with my director on Wednesday to turn in a 2 week notice, despite not having a back-up plan. She is a very compassionate and encouraging person, to say the least. Obviously, I am very lucky. We talked for quite some time and she recommended I talk with the director of our facility's endo lab, as there is a full-time position open. Hours are M-F around 7-3 but can vary, and one weekend a month on call. She called and recommended me. I was offered the job after a couple of meetings this week. I am so thankful for this offer. From what my director tells me, this is a job that doesn't come around often, and there are several others, just on my unit, who wanted it. But, I am anxious. I am scared of making a mistake. Scared of starting in a new area considering how I have felt the last year and a half. I love caring for patients. When I get to interact with them, it is truly the best part of my job. But 12 hour shifts wear me out and I hate going home to an empty house. Experience, I am sure, is what I am lacking as far as the new job in concerned. But, I also think it's more than that. My husband works M-F evenings, around 2-11. Now my hours are going to be completely opposite of his. We are newly married and have no children. Therefore, we both spend a lot of time at home alone. I miss him constantly. He has worked this job for almost 6 years (we have been dating for 8 - HS sweethearts). I hate spending every evening alone. I grew up in a house where my mother worked from home and dad had his own business. I had a brother and a sister with a lot of family nearby, so we had a busy house. Now, I feel like our friends and family don't come around often because they assume my husband is working. I work a lot of weekends, so I don't see him then, either. I am just lost. I have accepted the offer and feel this is something I need to try, but I guess I am looking for encouragement and advice as far as what to expect and how to cope. Thank you all in advance for leaving out judgments, and taking the time to reply to this.

I have been a nurse for 6-7 months on a med/surg unit. I feel like you do, but very depressed. I am not sure exactly the source of the depression, but I understand what you mean. I agree with the above poster...every week you will notice a difference in how you prioritize. (I am just about in the same boat.) So I guess we should give ourselves more time before we decide it's not for us?

I should also add to this that my original plan was to continue on to be a NP in dermatology, which I still love, but understand there is a LOT of stress in this, too. I read another nurse's blog online. She stated "I use to want it all. Now I just want to be a good wife and a mom." I am getting married in next year to my high school sweetheart. He also says I can work part-time if I need to, so I am letting PRN nurses pick up shifts I don't want because of high stress. But, I feel like that! I don't care about having tons of nice things or money. I would rather work for half the money and be happy than feel like this!

It seems that I am currently more depressed than I have been in my entire life. I began my job as a RN in June. I have learned how to cope with the anxiety and stress I feel about/during the job, but it is definitely still present. I was previously on Celexa, but I am so non-compliant with taking medicines. I just don't want to be dependent on anything! I have talked to my doctor about this and she prescribed Buspar that I can take PRN but I have yet to try the med since it was just prescribed today. Just knowing that I have to work even two days from now, I feel so incredibly down and stressed. The high demands of MedSurg, I know, are not something I want to be a part of forever. I would get out NOW if I could, but I know that most other positions would want 1 year of clinical experience. I am currently working towards my BSN online but my employer is assisting with the tuition, so I know I am held to that job if I want all of the reimbursement. I don't even know if I want to do the clinical side of nursing anymore. Maybe education or the business side. I love helping people and seeing them get better, though. I love my hometown and I currently work at the hospital there. I am constantly looking online for open positions in admin there, but I know my manager wouldn't want to recommend me if I haven't even completed a year on the floor. Any advice or thoughts here? Anyone else feel this way? Maybe nursing just isn't what I thought it would be? Or is this something that many new nurses go through until they adjust to their new career? I used to be a very optimistic person and working in this consistently negative environment seems to be draining the life out of me.

At my hospital, they say they have a waiting list of applicants and I feel as though saying you can only stay if part-time is available miiiiight make them say "too bad" if there's not a position open? Just looking at all sides!

Thank you so much for your reply! After reading other posts discussing an issue like this, I became concerned that my manager would be upset considering I have not worked there for long and they put money and effort into training new grads. Plus, would it affect my ability to say I have one year's experience in MedSurg? I really appreciate your time!

I started working my first nursing job this past June. I have my ADN and I am working on my BSN. My plan has always been to pursue my Master's degree. I am wanting to move from full time hours (3 12-hr shifts a week) to part-time hours (2 12-hr shifts a week). This way, I could focus on school and get it done faster, as I would have more time to spare. I just don't know how to go about this or what my manager's reaction would be. Any advice?