Starting a new job soon, and I'm SCARED!

[NurseCard, ADN]

Okay, so I'm both excited and scared. Excited because I'm finally getting to do what I always thought might be my "niche", psychiatric nursing. I start that job in four weeks, at a facility here in my state that is state owned but no longer state run, exactly.

Scared though for many reasons. 1) I'm actually leaving what, for many people, would be a pretty darn good job at a good place to work. I work med/ surge, which can be hell and some nights IS hell, but our nurse to patient ratios are usually pretty good; at nights on average it's 1:6 or 1:7, with nurse techs. There are other good things happening at my hospital. There are bad things to but I think these things happen at ANY hospital; lots of gossiping about other staff, low morale at-times. 2) My new job is going to be a 35-40 minute commute; my current job is only a 15 minute commute. 3) I'm giving up a BUNCH of sick time, which I THINK I can somehow "buy" since I have so much saved up. I've been working at this place for seven years; the only hospital I've ever worked at

So WHY am I doing this? Well, for one thing I've always wanted to be a psyche nurse and my hospital no longer has a unit devoted to behavioral health. Second, really the closest psyche unit to me is still at least a 30 minute commute; this job, the 40 minute commute, was available to me.

I'm sick of med/surge. Sick SICK of it. I've totally and completely lost any and all patience that I had with the utter DETAILS of the job. I'm tired of doing skin care; turning patients and checking heels and dressing sacral wounds are things I don't like doing. I'm just tired of all the details; all the skin issues, all the labs, all the tasks, all the mean doctors. If I ever go back to doing anything similar to med-surge, I'm going to try to find a urology unit, or maybe go to work in a urologist's office. I love urology patients; strange as that sounds. =) I love patients that are walkie talkies and that generally have MINOR medical issues that are active, or perhaps major medical issues that still have to be treated, but that are currently inactive.

In general... I guess I'm tired of taking care of people who are majorly physically ill. I've been doing it for seven years.

I could have transferred to another, perhaps easier unit of the hospital to work on... but, I don't know what it is; if I'm always getting bad evals or if I'm doing poorly on interviews with other unit managers, or if my med/surge manager just didn't want me to leave.. but everytime I've tried to transfer off of that unit (and there have been a few times; both when I was a tech AND during my time as a nurse), I've been denied transfer, or just told that someone else was getting the job. I'm tired of trying; I finally said a while back that if I leave my current job, I'm just going to leave the hospital.

There's one more thing; I guess the reason why I'm doing this NOW. I almost got suspended a little while back, over a confrontation that I had with a patient. I posted about this incident on allnurses and even said at that time that I felt like maybe psyche wasn't the area for me after all. I was later offered some opinions and insights that made me feel better about THAT. But anyway... this patient ended up going to administration over me.

So, I had to have a big huge meeting with my *new* nurse manager, who also informed me of a bunch of OTHER stuff that I have screwed up on.

So now I'm basically feeling like I'm being watched like a hawk by my manager and everyone else, and if I screw up I'm going to be axed. I FEEL like, if I really WANTED to turn things around for myself at my current job, I could... but I don't want to. Like I said, I've just lost my patience for my job. I'm SO tired of all of the things that I have to do, and pay attention to, in my job. I don't have a great attention for detail at all. I know that I am still going to need good assessment skills as a psychiatric nurse, but I feel like I'm good at being able to tell when a person's demeanor, mood, have changed. I'm very mindful of how my patients are feeling. If I walk into their room and they are smiling and feel great and talking and reading and such, I'm like, GREAT!!! :) That is what makes my whole day; when my patients feel good.

So... having said all of that... I STILL feel like I'm making a huge mistake. My schedule isn't even going to be as good; I work three twelve hour shifts a week now; at my new job I'll be working 4-5 eight hour night shifts a week, with maybe a double shift thrown in here and there so that I'm not working as many nights.

So, has ANYONE done anything like this before? Bettered their job situation by, perhaps making it a little worse in other ways?? Going to what will *probably* be a better job, but having to sacrifice covenience, a great schedule, even sick time?

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

No job is perfect. You have to weight the good with the bad. I don't think you're going to be happy where you are. You may be making the biggest mistake in your career, but you never know if you don't take any risks.

Sounds like you've really thought it out.

I wish you well in whatever happens. Good luck!

[catlady, BSN, RN]

Wow. I feel your pain. And I say that in all sincerity.

But for the issues you're having on your current unit, and that you don't seem to get anywhere trying to transfer in-house, I'd say don't make the move. However, given your current situation and the likelihood that things are not going to get better, then I'd say go ahead. Is going to this psych unit the only other option you have? Or should you hold out for something that's better hours and closer to home. Are you just taking the first thing you could find to get out of where you are now?

Be careful when you are leaving. You can't burn off seven years in one place. Give a polite letter of resignation, be as professional as possible all the way through your last day. No complaining, no bitterness for anyone to see. Find out if there are a few people there you can count on for references down the road (especially if the psych job doesn't work out). You need a positive coming out of your old job. I wouldn't worry too much about the sick time. That's the least of your worries right now.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I can truly empathize.

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

RealNurseWitch- I PM'd you!

[Jupiter Crash]

I hope everything works out for the best. Good jobs are hard to come by, but bad jobs are not valid reasons to whip yourself :selfbonk:

[NurseCard, ADN]

Well, after thinking it over, doing a little crying and talking to some of my coworkers... I've decided to go forward with the new job. I feel like it is really somethng I have to do. I honestly cannot imagine me staying in the SAAAAME job for the next few years; I honestly cannot imagine being able to move and grow if I do that. Psyche is where I feel that my heart is; it's something I've been drawn to from the very beginning. I WANT to do this.

Igflamimi (sp?), this is for you. =) I know you've heard bad things about this place. I already feel like I'm probably jumping from... well, not even the frying pan more like the simmering pot... into the fire. You aren't even the first person who thinks I'm nuts for wanting to work there. I think that it is a good place for me to at least start. It can lead in a lot of directions for me. It will provide a good opportunity for me to eventually gain state employment (right now I would actually be working for a private agency but could move into a state position down the road), it's good experience so that maybe I can get a BETTER job in Psyche eventually (we all know how competitive good jobs are). Plus, one of my best friends worked there for three years and while he never was CRAZY in love with his job, he tells me even now that it's not a bad place to work.

So... I dunno. It may be a big mistake, but I have to make it. I'm really in fear of my job truly stagnating and yes, getting terribly burned out and frustrated and eventually losing my job... if I don't make some sort of move.

There is ONE thing that I'm going to ask my boss, to maybe make all of this a bit less frightening. I'm going to ask to stay on PRN instead of quitting alltogether. That way I have an even stronger option of going back if things don't work out with the new job. And working a shift or two every six weeks... that wouldn't be bad at all, and I'd still have my skills.

So... thanks all!!!! :icon_hug:

[Guest717236]

Good luck with your new job! Its always scary to change jobs and

specialties. Have an open mind. I worked in a Crisis intervention unit

that was located in an old historic home. It was a transition point to

attempt to keep patients in their community before sending to

the hospital (as appropriate). On a given day there were numerous

police cars outside our building all day long. It was a very busy clinic and

small inpatient setting.

A well meaning coworker of my Dads told him there was a big problem

at the center. It worried my parents and was unfair. The police

had their standards for how many should be in attendance.

If we had 3 crisis situations, I am sure it looked like there was trouble

inside. It was rare to have a potentially dangerous situation, but we

did upon occassion.

So check this new place out for yourself and get your experience.

Then you can move into another job if you need to.

Best wishes!!!!!!!!!!!!:balloons:

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

Good luck, I have moved around a bit in nursing and I learned something new in each area.

I don't think you are making a mistake, you are taking a step forward!

[zaggar]

You can accomplish whatever you want to do.

Stand in front of the mirror and say it until you forget all fear.

You are a good nurse, and time just keeps on ticking. So do what you want.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good luck!