Should I Stay Or Go

Published

Specializes in Cardiac, Dialysis, Med-Surg.

i currently work as an occupational health nurse at a large factory. i love my job. the people are wonderful, the pay is good, and my boss is very supporitve. however the hours are terrible. i work monday through friday from 5:30 pm until 2 or 4 am. i am supposed to get off at 2 am but if the factory workers have overtime i have to stay until they are done. we also have to work occassional saturdays. i have 4 children that i feel like i never see. i have missed a lot of activities that they are involved with. i usually leave at least one of them crying because mommy has to work again.:o so i intereviewed this week with a hospital working 7 pm to 7 am three nights a week. i would be working in sicu ( no previous icu experience). i don't know what to do. my current employer will not change my hours, i have asked. i feel a little intimanated about the new job because of not having icu experience, but i miss my kids. please help!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

you've got to follow your heart..your kids are only young once (fortunately!). is there another not-so-intimidating position you could get to lower your stressors?? trust your instincts..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

ggod luck rn in ky

Up Vote Up Vote ×

sounds like you've already made up your mind. If I've learned some things in my 32 years on this earth, one of them is that you are better off not making decisions based on fear. What are you so afraid of? Best wishes, I know it's not easy. Love and peace.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

Intimidation is not the same as inability or lack of interest....do you have any interest in this new job? Are you doing it merely for the change of shifts or is it something you can see yourself doing and enjoying?

As for the intimidation -- from what I can figure from your profile, you've "only" got 6 years of nursing behind you....from your age, I would guess it wasn't much time between the time you graduated and your first job (this is all a guess, with my point to come, lol). Were you confident and ready to hit the road the minute you graduated? Wasn't there a lot of fear and intimidation being the new nurse wherever you started? This can't be a new feeling or one that you haven't dealt with before?

I only point this out as I'm just completing my 2nd semester of an ADN program. I will be starting a SN internship in two weeks; I am PETRIFIED!! I will be totally out of my school element with my terrific clinical instructor, my buddies in clinicals, the knowledge of expectations, etc. I worked in a CUBICLE before I started NS. What in the WORLD do I think I'm doing going in to an internship in an ER at this point?!?!? I don't know that I'll be ready with two more semesters completed!! I go through the NCLEX review book and want to cry when I think of how much I DON'T know about this profession!! And I've been told I will always feel this way to some degree!!

So, my guess is, you'll do fine. I believe a large part of success is determination and the will to succeed. Does that mean you can bank on having a good boss or great working environment? Nope, that's never a guarantee. Does it mean if it doesn't work out, you're free to continue looking? Yep. And that sounds like something that would bode well for you and your children!!

Best wishes!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac, Dialysis, Med-Surg.

thanks for the advice! i accepted the position in the icu last week and am very excited about it! i look forward to learning new things and have been trying to get a head start ( i bought a great icu nursing book and have been studying daily). i can not wait to be a mom again!!!!!!:balloons:

wdwpixie- yes i have felt like this before and have gotten through it. i trust that i will do fine too! thank you so much for the advice!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psych,emergency,telemetry,home health.

i believe you did the right thing.kids grow very fast and before you realize it,they don't need you no more compared to when they're young and all they wanted is to cling to you.take advantage of it.i am also a mom of 2 boys, 8 and 5.i work nights but i still get the chance to spend quality time with them.i just love it!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
wdwpixie- yes i have felt like this before and have gotten through it. i trust that i will do fine too! thank you so much for the advice!!!!

best wishes and congrats!! as the poster above me points out, your kids grow up so fast!!

my "baby" returns from his freshman year of college today.....i think it's a good thing i have ns to worry about as it helped me not miss him so drastically!! i will tell you -- the time flies....it seems he was just this cute little tow-headed thing who loved to play video games and run around the house. he's now a very mature, sensitive 6'2" boy/man -- who's apparently in love!! and doing a study abroad this summer in ireland!! argh!!! :uhoh21: i am not ready for this!!!

best wishes to you and your family!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Good luck in the new position. It will be wonderful to be home with the kids more and be able to set aside some special time for the family. You did good in both areas, a new position that excites you and gives you new skills, and being able to be home more for the kids. Keep smiling and let us know how things go.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion