What type of nurse should I be?

[greatMindsthinkAlike]

I know ultimately I am the one who can best judge what specialty/field I should get into, I'm looking for some suggestions/ideas based on these few things. First off, I am a new nurse who graduated with a BSN in Dec 2015..I have been working as an RN on a med surg floor for 5 months. Some days I love it, some days I hate it. Still trying to sort out my feelings and determine what it really is that I like/love/hate. There are no techs at my hospital, so at times it does get overwhelming providing total care for 5-6 patients. Maybe this is a factor to my dislike of med surg nursing at this particular hospital.

Anyway, I used to think I was an adrenaline junkie, wanted to be a flight nurse and start out in the ER when I was in nursing school, etc. Started working as an RN on the Med surg floor. Maybe re-thinking the whole fast pace critical care thing, only because I am a new nurse with only 5 months experience and I still have the "new nurse nerves" some nervousness/anxiety on the floor, and often find myself hoping to be floated. This idea (the ER, fast paced critical care) might still be an option for me once I gain more experience/competence since I enjoyed my internship in the ER so much in school.

Another thing, not so sure Med Surg is my favorite . I really don't like running around trying to see and taking care of 6 patients and then having to take care of those same patients for the whole 12 hour shift. I really enjoyed the variety of the ER and seeing many patients in a shift, treating them,sending them on their way, and ready to move on to other patient..wheras Med Surg, I don't think I like having to be responsible for the same 5-6 patients all day.

I like to move around and work with my hands..starting IV's giving IVP meds, wound care, etc Just love hands on stuff. This makes me think I might like surgical nursing. I like the idea of working on and just focusing on one patient, as a team, too.

I don't like the idea of being totally responsible for the same 5-6 patients. I just don't like it. I have floated to the ICU and I liked that.I know you say, Well you have to take care of the same patients in there, but somehow it is different. OB is OK....Psch is Ok too.....

In nursing school, I generally eased through tests, earning A's abs B's and hardly struggled. I'm not bragging, I'm just here to tell you that I am afraid I must say I am one of "those" types..the "booksmart" person who struggles with everyday small things that others don't ..I am an odd type of personality....Do you know what I mean? I guess I overanalyze things and end up looking like a supersmart nerdy doofus who doesnt have "street smarts", IDK...

I feel as though I am skilled with my hands and enjoy the nitty gritty hands on "nursing" stuff...moving arounds puts me at ease whereas staying in the same area and with the same basic routine and same patients actually tends to frazzle my nerves..I'm really trying to make sense here, not sure if I am.haha.

Anyway, if you feel like you share my same traits or can at least understand a little of where I am coming from, maybe you have an area in mind or a specialty that you could throw at me.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

After that year of experience in Med-surg, request an transfer/orientation to ICU/ER. Stay there for a year or two to gain those critical skills and knowledge that is expected of that unit. Then, you'll be better equipped to float (become a member of the float pool, or remain in ICU/ER. A Med-surg float pool will float you to areas similar where you currently are. With ICU/ER skills and competencies, you'd be floated to pretty much all areas of the hospital, but primarily the units (ICU, PACU, ER, etc.). Until you complete that first year at least, you are where you're going to be.

I know new-grads are limited in what jobs are offered to them and have to take what they can get starting out. But there is no way I'd work in a hospital that does not employ techs (this, I'm sure, plays a part in your current evaluation of Med-surg). However, this little detail will give you a leg up when looking for other employment when that first year or two is done, as it will show that you are in no way a stranger to or fearful of hard work. Contrarily, Med-surg has a way of sending some nurses packing.

Gotta warn you though, although having techs makes the job a little better, you'll have the added stress of making sure they actually did what was assigned to them. Now, you know the things are done because you're the one doing them.