So far... not so good!!! Need advice PLSE!!!

[taapple]

Okay, i'll try to keep this brief :) Graduated and passed my RN boards in March of this year, was working L&D as an extern for almost a year, decided it would be an easier transition to accept a job on the same unit after my boards. If you asked me why I chose L&d, I couldnt really tell you, I didnt have some calling to do it like many others, just thought I would like working with women and babies. I had no prior healthcare experience and I am now working in the largest hospital in the state in an EXTREMELY busy high risk L&D. I am not happy to say the least. I leave work in tears. I know a huge part of this is that I am new and do not have enough confidence yet but I am also not nearly as excited about L&D as I thought I would be. My question is how to match what I do like about nursing to a specific specialty. During school I most enjoyed procedures like IV's, assessments, getting pt. history, etc., oh and i like 12 hour shifts versus the M-F thing. I think seeing many patients in a day rather than this ongoing floor nursing is what I like. B/c I'm new i want to steer clear of anything too fast paced. No ER at this point. I need to take things down a notch to get my feet wet. Any suggestions of what areas exist for a recent new grad that has this type of environment. I was thinking pre-op but it seems like you cant necessarily get hired just for pre-op- you must do the entire peri-op including OR and Pacu and then most of those jobs are Monday-Friday! Do Or's that run 24 hours hire just for pre-op??? PLease help. Thank you!!!

[ORSmurf]

Okay, i'll try to keep this brief :) Graduated and passed my RN boards in March of this year, was working L&D as an extern for almost a year, decided it would be an easier transition to accept a job on the same unit after my boards. If you asked me why I chose L&d, I couldnt really tell you, I didnt have some calling to do it like many others, just thought I would like working with women and babies. I had no prior healthcare experience and I am now working in the largest hospital in the state in an EXTREMELY busy high risk L&D. I am not happy to say the least. I leave work in tears. I know a huge part of this is that I am new and do not have enough confidence yet but I am also not nearly as excited about L&D as I thought I would be. My question is how to match what I do like about nursing to a specific specialty. During school I most enjoyed procedures like IV's, assessments, getting pt. history, etc., oh and i like 12 hour shifts versus the M-F thing. I think seeing many patients in a day rather than this ongoing floor nursing is what I like. B/c I'm new i want to steer clear of anything too fast paced. No ER at this point. I need to take things down a notch to get my feet wet. Any suggestions of what areas exist for a recent new grad that has this type of environment. I was thinking pre-op but it seems like you cant necessarily get hired just for pre-op- you must do the entire peri-op including OR and Pacu and then most of those jobs are Monday-Friday! Do Or's that run 24 hours hire just for pre-op??? PLease help. Thank you!!!

I work at a surgery center and they hire RN's for pre-op or PACU and they don't cross over to OR (I sometimes wish they did, since we're so short on OR nurses!). We have a M-F schedule though.

[wayover20]

I work in a day surgery unit doing pre and post ops only and work M-F. Although we work very close with pacu and or nurses, we don't rotate thru either of those areas.