Re-deployed and hating it

Silverdragon102, BSN · Oct 20, 2006

My Trust recently moved the ward I had worked on for 7 years, a specialist plastic surgery unit, out of its original Middlesex location to an inner London site 12 miles away.
12 miles dosen't sound much but the new location would have involved a journey of 2 hours for me and on the 12-hour days I would have been getting up at 4,30 AM to reach the site for the 7AM shift start so I chose to be re-deployed to another Trust hospital closer to home.
All they offered me was Critical Care, an area I know nothing about but I thought I'd give it a go.
After 2 weeks of it I absolutely detest it. I dread going to work.. All my surgical and wound-care skills are now useless and I 'm just not cut out for watching monitors and noting numbers.
With the recruitment situation as it currently is (most London Trusts have a new-staff freeze) I am finding it hard to get another post.
Help!

Sorry to hear you are having problems. Yes jobs are hard at the moment but have you had a thought about practice nursing or working for primary care trust?

Hope things pick up soon for you

Tanvi Tusti · Oct 20, 2006

My Trust recently moved the ward I had worked on for 7 years, a specialist plastic surgery unit, out of its original Middlesex location to an inner London site 12 miles away.
12 miles dosen't sound much but the new location would have involved a journey of 2 hours for me and on the 12-hour days I would have been getting up at 4,30 AM to reach the site for the 7AM shift start so I chose to be re-deployed to another Trust hospital closer to home.
All they offered me was Critical Care, an area I know nothing about but I thought I'd give it a go.
After 2 weeks of it I absolutely detest it. I dread going to work.. All my surgical and wound-care skills are now useless and I 'm just not cut out for watching monitors and noting numbers.
With the recruitment situation as it currently is (most London Trusts have a new-staff freeze) I am finding it hard to get another post.
Help!

Hi and welcome :groupwelcome:

First I must say I am sorry to hear of your predicament, theres nothing worse than being unhappy at work.

I dont know if it will of any help to you, but let me tell you a little of my experiences.

I qualified in 1990 and the only job I could get at the time in my local hospital was ICU. I hated my placement on there as a student and was dreading it. Like you I detested it, after a month I was looking for other work. In the process of looking, my feelings towards work were changing. I was actually starting to enjoy it. I was getting to know what I was doing and my confidence was growing. I decided I would give it another go and subsequently spent 10 years working in ICU lol.

I went from hating it to loving it so Im hoping the same will happen to you. I know it may not feel like it at the minute, but you have only been there 2 weeks and to top it all you came from a radically different work environment. Give it more time, as you get more confidence you may find you are starting to like it. I love the autonomy you get working in ICU and its so incredibly rewarding. Its not just all about watching monitors. theres a lot of one to one care that you never have the time to do on the busy wards.

I really think you need to give it another month or so. Set a date in your head and say to yourself that if you still hate it by then, then look into doing something different. Please be open minded about it and dont convince yourself that you hate it, just give it a chance. (youre talking to wrong person here though as I absolutly LOVE it lol)

Failing all, how about a radical move such as applying for midwifery or something and give that a go. I worked in France for a while in ICU there and when I came back to the UK I decided I would have a shift for a while and go do midwifery, which was something I had niggling away at the back of my mind. I did it for 4 years but still came back to ICU!

I hope things work out for you and keep us posted.

xx

RGN1 · Oct 20, 2006

The situation is horrible in nursing at the moment & I'm so sorry you've fallen victim to it.

I hope you settle, 2 weeks is pretty short but I do hear what you're saying.

How about going on the Nursing Times website & registering for information about a job that you would really want? They'll email you everytime something suitable comes in.

At least you have plenty of experience so you might find you're in a better position than some of the newly qaulified nurses.

i wish you luck & hope things settle down for you. Keep us all posted! xxx

MVH119 · Oct 22, 2006

Thank you all for your kind words, It really gives me something to carry on for.

I'm never going to enjoy ITU. I like patients that can talk to me, it was perhaps the thing I liked most about my old ward. I loved the social side of it,the chatting to patients and the therapeutic relationship and the easy trajectory of surgery.

I do realise I was nursing in a comfort zone. I knew all there was to know about Plastics and now I know nothing.

I cannot do it

Tanvi Tusti · Oct 23, 2006

Thank you all for your kind words, It really gives me something to carry on for.
I'm never going to enjoy ITU. I like patients that can talk to me, it was perhaps the thing I liked most about my old ward. I loved the social side of it,the chatting to patients and the therapeutic relationship and the easy trajectory of surgery.
I do realise I was nursing in a comfort zone. I knew all there was to know about Plastics and now I know nothing.
I cannot do it

Really sorry to hear you feel that way. I hope things start to get better for you soon. Have you tried to find another job? What about the private sector, anything there?

Keep us posted and good luck :icon_hug:

RGN1 · Oct 23, 2006

Really sorry to hear you feel that way. I hope things start to get better for you soon. Have you tried to find another job? What about the private sector, anything there?
Keep us posted and good luck :icon_hug:

The Private sector is certainly something to think about. I work in the private sector & although it's no push over (as some people in the NHS think) where I work is very nice. It's busy but friendly & full of variety because you get everything from cosmetics to gynae, orthopaedic to general surgery plus IVF & medical thrown in for good measure!

I really, really hope you find something soon because there's nothing worse than feeling like you do at work. Fingers firmly crossed for you - hope to see some good news posted soon!!xxx

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2006

I feel for you it is hard when you are forced to work somewhere else. It happened to my old renal unit in Manchester, and the staff took ages to settle and years on I believe they still refer to themselves as the Withington lot.

MVH119 · Oct 26, 2006

Latest news is I went to the Clinical Manager of ITU and said how unhappy I was with the job.

She was surprisingly sympathetic and said that it was no fault of mine that I had been moved to ITU and that not everyone is cut out for ITU and that if I remained unhappy with the job she would try her best to get me re-deployed to a surgical ward but to try it out for a while longer.

So I will do that.

In my heart of hearts I know ITU won't ever suit me but from courtesy I'll let the supernumary period finish. And be grateful for ANY surgical work.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Oct 27, 2006

Latest news is I went to the Clinical Manager of ITU and said how unhappy I was with the job.
She was surprisingly sympathetic and said that it was no fault of mine that I had been moved to ITU and that not everyone is cut out for ITU and that if I remained unhappy with the job she would try her best to get me re-deployed to a surgical ward but to try it out for a while longer.
So I will do that.
In my heart of hearts I know ITU won't ever suit me but from courtesy I'll let the supernumary period finish. And be grateful for ANY surgical work.

It is good that you have their support as it should be easier to move. Also atleast if anyone asks you have given it a good try

Hope things move smoothly for you

Era · Oct 30, 2006

Thank you all for your kind words, It really gives me something to carry on for.
I'm never going to enjoy ITU. I like patients that can talk to me, it was perhaps the thing I liked most about my old ward. I loved the social side of it,the chatting to patients and the therapeutic relationship and the easy trajectory of surgery.
I do realise I was nursing in a comfort zone. I knew all there was to know about Plastics and now I know nothing.
I cannot do it

I used to work at the old Middx! Anyway, I was just going to say, we're all going through hell also where I work now. So many changes and there's not a lot we can do about it unless you decide to work your way out of nursing untill the madness of the NHS has subsided a little bit. May I ask you; have you contacted HR for a relocation to a ward that's at least close to your specialty?

The best of luck to you. I hope it gets better soon.

MVH119 · Nov 9, 2006

It is a month now and if anything I dislike the job more as time goes on.

I am in fact very seriously considering quitting nursing completely.