"Get me outta here!"

lilypad2424 · Jan 21, 2007

I find myself second guessing everything these days. I just hope that all this hard work pays off (nursing school.) I just want to get on with it!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2007

As a student and a new grad, like the poster above I 2nd guessed myself daily.

Everyone has differing experiences. I know a lot of people who went into nursing school with one field in mind, went to clinicals and ditched that idea. Others who had one field in mind and never worked anywhere else and were happy. And yes, there are those that have one field in mind, get there and are miserable. This happened to a couple of co-workers who started out in ER and hated it, hated their co-workers, hated the docs. :)

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2007

Oh yeah. Critical care was the object of my tunnel vision all through nursing school. It was my first job out of nursing school and the only area I would consider. I didn't like it. It wasn't for me. Stuck with it for a year. But it wasn't a waste. I think of it as a valuable but painful learning experience. I found out what I was good at and what I did like. Nothing is wasted. I take the experience with me into hospice care.

Go with your gut. Take the plunge. The worst thing that could happen is self-discovery.

TazziRN, RN · Jan 21, 2007

I had intended all my life to be a peds nurse, but I got a job in an ER during my last semester of school and never left. As much as I love children, I think I would have been unhappy in Peds, or doing any kind of inpt care. I love the adrenalin rush of the ER and I see enough kids to get my kid fix.

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 21, 2007

Oh yeah. Critical care was the object of my tunnel vision all through nursing school. It was my first job out of nursing school and the only area I would consider. I didn't like it. It wasn't for me. Stuck with it for a year. But it wasn't a waste. I think of it as a valuable but painful learning experience. I found out what I was good at and what I did like. Nothing is wasted. I take the experience with me into hospice care.
Go with your gut. Take the plunge. The worst thing that could happen is self-discovery.

This is the lesson I try to teach the students I work with. Keep an open mind and be brutally honest with yourself in order to figure out "what types of jobs you actually like" and "what things you are actually good at."

Many people develop romantic, unrealistic notions about a specialty area because of one or two appealing aspects of that job. The appeal of those one or two aspects of the job blind them to the other aspects of the job -- other aspects that are not so appealing. It's only after they have started to work in that area that they realize the importance of those other things. They don't know the reality until they try it -- and most of the time, you just have to give it a try and see what happens. If it doesn't turn out the way you dreamed that it would, that's not the end of the world: it's just another learning opportunity.

In addition, different specialties require different talents and skills. A specialty might be very appealing to you ... but if you don't have those particular talents in abundance, it may be a poor choice for your career. Just look at all the ridiculous losers on American Idol. Just because they would like to be singers, doesn't mean they they have the talent to be successful at it. The same is true in other careers. You have much greater chances of being both happy and successful if you choose a career path that suits you not only your interests, but also suits your talents. Continually struggling to fit into a job that just doesn't suit you is not satisfying.

So I strongly recommend keeping an open mind throughout your career so that you make good decisions that will keep you both happy and successful.

llg

Nightcrawler, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2007

A lot of good responses here. When I was going through nursing school, I was stuck too. For the first couple of semesters I wasn't too worried about it. When someone would ask what area I was going to specialize in, I just told them that so far I had enjoyed virtually every area and that I had plenty of time to explore; and I did, until 4th semester came around.

Suddenly I was faced with having to find a job, and I had no idea what I wanted to do!!!!!!!

It seems silly, but I ended up choosing by exclusion. I sat down and made a list of things that I KNEW that I didn't want to do. Not into vomit and feces so much, so no GI lab, or floor for me. Sputum makes me gag every time, so respiratory is not for me, not to mention that vents scare me to death!!! I knew all along that I didnt want to do Peds..... and on and on and on.

Suddenly I reallized that there wasn't a whole lot left. Mainly L and D, oncology and cardiac. I felt that l&D would be too limiting for me as a new grad, I did want to build up some varied basic skills before becoming that specialized. The final decision was made when I spent my senior practicum on a Cardiac Stepdown, working with post cardiac and vascular surguries and heart and lung transplants pre and post op. I loved it, loved it loved it, and ended up working on that floor for a year and a half. Heck, I only left because I wanted to move back home where the cost of living was more affordable. If only I could move that hospital, coworkers and patient population a thousand miles north :welcome: !!!

Anyway, sorry for rambling. Seriously, when the time comes to make a decision, sit down and make that I DONT wanna list, and you will find that things become much clearer

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 21, 2007

Anyway, sorry for rambling. Seriously, when the time comes to make a decision, sit down and make that I DONT wanna list, and you will find that things become much clearer

I don't think you were rambling. I think you were sharing a very pertinent story that might help people.

I often do the same thing when I have a big or tough decision to make. I start by eliminating all the choices that I definitely DON'T want. That makes the list of possibilities much smaller and more managable. When you look at what's left on the list, your preferences start to become more clear.

I'm happy you found your niche -- and hope that everyone else can do the same. Thanks for sharing.

pink2blue1 · Jan 21, 2007

Prior to becoming a nurse have, have any of you had a strong desire to work in a certain area and then second guess yourself later on and end up miserable there? It's funny, I can't see myself anywhere but either NICU or ER (once I become a nurse), and yet I have no experience in either!

I always thought I wanted to work in L&D, Post partum, Nursery or something like that and I never had the desire for ER. But when I was in nursing school I wasn't too thrilled with Mother baby at all, I found it to be boring most of the time and I quite LOVED the ER!

I am now just working on Med-Surg, and I love it! I am an LVN and will wait to move to a specialty area once I get my RN, but I am glad we got to see all areas when I was in school. It gave me a better idea of what I like and don't like.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jan 21, 2007

I started my quest for a nursing degree with the sole intent and purpose of becoming a labor and delivery nurse. Three years into my studies, I was working as a tech on the OB floor when a minutes-old newborn coded and died. I was left to try to comfort the hysterical parents and grandparents while the nurses and doctors worked on the infant, and it was then that I realized I'd never be able to handle L&D. I'd lost a newborn daughter myself years before, and this scenario brought back too many bad memories. I worked peds and postpartum quite often in later years as a float nurse and enjoyed it immensely, but I refused to train for L&D.

By that time, however, I'd fallen in love with folks at the other end of the life span, and so I've spent most of my career thus far caring for the elderly. I'm not crazy about nursing homes, but I love assisted living, which is where I am now and plan to stay as long as I remain a nurse. Who'da thunk it, way back in the day when my career was still but a dream?

prowlingMA · Jan 21, 2007

reminds me of the saying " if you want to hear god laugh tell him your plans". being open to anything will usually get you exactly where you need to be.

i had some bad situations lead me to a wonderful job where i am now and now look back on it all as a great path that lead me here, and i am happy to have had the bad experiences to appreciate the good ones.

"god bless the broken road" that lead me here.

whartonjelly · Jan 21, 2007

:nono: It is definately more challengeing to work with pregnant moms and babes whom you can not see, feel or hear.

Dont cross off land d yet.

I always thought I wanted to work in L&D, Post partum, Nursery or something like that and I never had the desire for ER. But when I was in nursing school I wasn't too thrilled with Mother baby at all, I found it to be boring most of the time and I quite LOVED the ER!
I am now just working on Med-Surg, and I love it! I am an LVN and will wait to move to a specialty area once I get my RN, but I am glad we got to see all areas when I was in school. It gave me a better idea of what I like and don't like.