Quitting Nursing, but dont want to feel like a failure!!!

[Ddaisy]

I have been an LPN for 3 years and worked for a family practice while going to school for my RN. My goal was to get into the hospital setting. I just graduated in may and was hired on a medsurg floor in september. I dont like medsurg at all. I hate it , and know two months into the job I dont know what to do. My manager and coworkers are great. I dont want to tell my parents anything since they are very proud of me and how far I have gotten being a teenmom. I feel lost and not sure what to do. I dont want to feel like a quitter either.I get very nervouse before a shift I cry after my shift is over, my hands get sweaty and I get very nervous when I dont know what to tell a patient when they ask a question. I get nightmares and just feel miserable during the days am off, thinking of what awaits for When I go back. I have been thinking of going to clinic nursing, I know the pay is less but I might be happier. Yet I dont know if this area will allow professional growth. I have also thought of going for my buisness degree and totally changing my career. can someone relate?? Some advice please

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

Why don't you try to switch departments first...?

[CryssyD]

If you enjoyed the clinic nursing as an LPN, there probably isn't any reason you can't enjoy it as an RN. Yes, the pay may be less, but money isn't everything. It doesn't compensate for the anxiety and unhappiness you seem to be experiencing in your present work.

What about long-term care? There's usually less to be anxious about, although it can still be very busy and has challenges of its own. Is there a specialty that interests you, like peds or OB or oncology? I totally understand when people say they can't stand med-surg--I hated it with a passion. But you invested the time, effort, and money to get your RN--why not let yourself branch out a bit and try a couple of new things before going back to your previous comfort zone?

Leaving med-surg doesn't make you a quitter, by the way. There is more to life than med-surg!

[caliotter3]

Most people don't start to lose that 'sense of dread' until around the one year mark. If you give yourself more time, that is, time to overcome the discomfort, then you will know that moving to a new area of nursing will not be a premature reaction to new role jitters. And making the change at that time will preclude you from feeling that you "failed" or "acted too hastily".

[elkpark]

All of us felt the way you describe at that point in our careers. The first year or so of practicing, and making the transition from student to practicing nurse, is really difficult (even though you were already an LPN; this is an entirely new role, new setting, and new responsibilities). I, too, encourage you to hang in there, give it some time, and wait to see how things work out over time. A few months into a new job is really too early (at any point in your career) to have a clear view of how it's going to work out for you.

Best wishes!

[ddaviddudley]

The solution is simple: move to a different department once you have at least one year of experience. There's so many different specialties in nursing that you can get into. Most nurses hate their first job anyways