Should I even be here?

[what2donow]

So, if I spend every slow night I have at work searching the internet for a new job and researching my little heart out different possible career paths for nurses (and not), that probably means I'm in the wrong area, right? I am so tired of this and just wish I could figure out what the right career is for me, but I feel lost and like I have no one to look to for advice. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to find your nursing niche? I would love a career counselor who specifically knew about the various paths for nurses, but I don't know if such a thing exists.

I work in the ICU and feel that I am just not cut out for it. I am fearful all the time and feel like a klutz and a moron. This pains me, because I have always thought of myself as an intelligent person- did very well in school without a huge effort, am known as the "smart" one of my friends, and always got compliments on my performance at my previous nursing job (which was like a specialty med-surg). I do realize that it takes time to feel comfortable, especially in a place as complex and intense and the ICU, but my gut feeling is that I want OUT before having the experiences it takes to become comfortable! I don't know that I am particularly suited to bedside nursing at all, actually.

Anyway, getting long-winded. Anyone with advice, or advice on where to find those with advice??

[fishbowlcrew]

Set an alarm the night before you shift starts. Once it goes off, think about how do you feel before about your job. Are you dreading to come into work and why do you feel what you feel? Do you feel that you are a novice? Maybe you need to seek more experiences so that you can reaction quickly and confidently as situations of unknown parallels arise.

[lou12]

The speciality med/surg, was it like a step down unit? because perhaps having a job between med/surg and ICU would be helpful to improving your confidence. Also do you have a mentor you can turn to for advice and questions-if not talk with the unit manager with your concerns.