What else can I do with my BSN?

empatheticnurse · Nov 2, 2011

You are not alone. I have been an RN for three years now. I have worked in CCU, PCU, homecare and to be honest have never felt that I have been completely satisfied anywhere. Not sure if it's just my luck, or if its just the way healthcare is becoming, but the communication (or lack of), the fact that everyone wants to be the boss but no one wants to be responsible type of care has really gotten my down. With all of this said, to answer your question, there is lots to do in nursing. Research, triage phone nurse, homecare, acute care, hospice, educator. The thing that I have learned within my past 3 years is that you can't be scared. The days you walk in scared are the days that mistakes or potential for mistakes are made. If you are great non clinical, then that means you have the knowledge, just chill out and apply it on the floor. Stand up for yourself and patient. Be an advocate for your learning and take as many classes as you can. It may not sound like a great idea to you right now, but having acute care experience will help you out in the long run. Good luck and if you weren't so far along with your degree i would tell ya to run the other way...lol! Just kidding...there are good days and bad days with any job but with nursing we (nurses) chose this because we wanted to help others..(right?!) Keeping this in the forefront during your workday will help get you through some tough times. Take care!

talaxandra · Nov 2, 2011

Non-clinical roles are competitive and better paid than floor nursing. THis is part of the reason why they almost always require a period of clinical experience; the other reaosn is that you often need hands on experience in order to be able to do the job.

My advice, which you are of course free to ignore, is that you concentrate more on strategies to help increase your clinical confidence, and look at positions where you'll have as much post-graduate support as possible, rather than exploring non-clinical options this early.

elkpark · Nov 2, 2011

I'm not trying to talk you into doing anything in particular, but, just as a reality check, most new grads (or soon-to-be new grads) are feeling much the way you describe. Toward the end of nursing school, and when you first start practicing after you graduate, is when it really starts to sink in how little you know compared to how much there is "out there" to know. The transition from nursing student to practicing nurse is notoriously stressful and difficult, but, at some point, you just have to hunker down and live through it (if you want to stay in nursing, that is :)). I vividly recall going home in tears many nights when I first started practicing, because I was so sure that I was never going to be able to hack it and I (and the school!) had made a horrible mistake. Shoot, I've been in nursing for close to 30 years now, and there are still days when I "feel like a moron" at work (not too many any more, thank goodness! )

If you are doing well (well enough) in class and clinical at school, I would encourage you to have a little faith in your school -- they've been doing this a lot longer than you have :), presumably, and, if they think you're doing well enough to graduate, get licensed, and start practicing, you probably are, even though it doesn't feel like it to you.

Best wishes for your journey!