What do you like about your job?

EDNURSE20, BSN · May 8, 2017

I'm getting ready to apply for the new grad programme in my country. I have to choose 3 areas I'm interested in working in, but all I want is surgical. Not sure what my other two choices should be. I'm thinking about ED, perioperative, women's health, possibly peds or ccu. I know I don't want icu, oncology, medical or aged care.

Cat365 · May 8, 2017

I like ED. It's fast paced and I rarely have the same patient for an extended period of time. Down side is that you don't have a lot of time to learn about a patient and you often don't know the end of the story.

NightNerd, MSN, RN · May 8, 2017

My job is med-surg/tele on a unit for psychiatric patients. This has been a very love-hate job for me, lol, but starting to lean more toward love. My coworkers on nights are pretty much phenomenal, so that helps. I also genuinely enjoy most of my patients; they are definitely a unique group. I have the opportunity to make some positive difference in their lives every shift, even if it's a very small victory like keeping them safe, warm, and fed for a night. I know med-surg/tele is not going to be my thing forever, but the critical thinking and variety of skills I've picked up here have been amazing, and they are definitely things I'll take with me wherever I end up next.

The downside here is MAJOR risk of burnout, this population takes a mental and emotional toll like I never believed. Surprisingly, I don't have a huge fear of getting hurt at work now that I've been there a little while. It's good to be cautious, but I've found that there's no reason to be scared all the time. Work with your team, pay attention to when things start to escalate, and get practice with different restraints/meds/etc., and that will go a long way toward keeping everyone safe.