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589 Posts
Boy, do I know where you are coming from. When I accepted a position at our community hospital one of my nursing instructors blew her top. "The best and brightest do not work at ....hospital" she told me. Maybe so, maybe not. What I was looking for was an opportunity to learn without being in over my head as well as an opportunity in critical care. Something I was not sure I could accomplish in the "big" city. I could have entered a critical care fellowship upon graduation, but those programs do not guarantee a position upon completion. And there was also the drive time. The local facility I work at is 10 minutes from my house. The "big" city facilities are 45 plus minutes. If I work a 12 hour shift, sometimes becoming a 13 hour shift if everything breaks loose at end of shift, add an hour to and from, that becomes a 15 hour day. Not intrested! Not to mention gas prices. I am sooooo glad that I decided to listen to my own thoughts, instead of someone elses. The nurses I work with have been wonderful about teaching me the ropes. And I may well take a contingent job at one of the bigger facilities in a year or so, just to gain experience. But it will be on my terms.
I guess what I'm trying to say is follow your heart. I believe we are where we are supposed to be, when we are supposed to be there. It doesn't matter where anyone else thinks your career should go. What matters is what you want. I'm sure there were those who thought Florence Nightingale chose the wrong path. Thank goodness she did what she did!
DolphinRN84, MSN, RN, APRN, NP
1,326 Posts
333 Posts
528 Posts
I have worked at both kinds of hospitals and like you, I like a smaller atmosphere where workers and patients aren't just a number...If you want a bigger environment later, you can always take a per-diem position at a big hospital and still stay at your current place. You have to follow your instincts, and it sounds as though you have! Congratulations!!!:welcome:
augigi, CNS
1,366 Posts
Congrats on your new job - it's always great to find your niche. There are so many opportunities for nurses out there, there is just no reason to stay somewhere that makes you miserable.