Which fields of nursing have the most stable clients

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I found out that (at least for me):

unstable patient = stress = me not happy.

So I was wondering which nursing fields have the most medically stable clients? Psych, MD's office, public health, and clinics are some that come to mind... does anyone agree/disagree or have any thoughts? Thanks.

Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Case management and public health deal with some of the most complicated patients of ALL, they seek these specialties services because they are unstable!!! Not just medically, but socially, economically, mentally, you name it. Just because these are desk jobs does not automatically make them easy or less stressful.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

And if you're looking for a stress-free job in nursing where you're happy all the time, I highly recommend you find a different field!

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Any patient can make a dramatic turn in any setting. Public health, clinic nursing would be your bet bet ;)

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Please, please read some of my posting history before you believe that PH and clinic are ANY kind of "best bet." 5 years of both burnt me out, sent me to the hospital more than once, killed my enthusiasm for nursing and broke my spirit.....because of STRESS.

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Definitely not Med-Surg and LTC is extremely stressful-School Nursing is low-key, until of course the emergency. I'm doing QAPI and staff education and my stress level has significantly decreased along with the enjoyment of being able to be creative.

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I suppose we ought to have asked the OP what "unstable" means to him/her. Do you mean BPs in the toilet and the patient's circling the drain, or shaky on his feet and ready to fall, or emotionally labile, or precipitous labor, or ... ? What is it that makes you uneasy? Is it not knowing how to deal with (X), or ... ? Maybe it's not any one specific patient condition or a lack of confidence in dealing with a particular physiological event that could be remedied. Maybe it's fear of violence, or a particular kind of patient that brings back bad memories from somewhere.

OP, help me out here.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I found out that (at least for me):

unstable patient = stress = me not happy.

So I was wondering which nursing fields have the most medically stable clients? Psych, MD's office, public health, and clinics are some that come to mind... does anyone agree/disagree or have any thoughts? Thanks.

It was all that I could do to keep from laughing hysterically when you wrote "psych" as being a potential source of stable patients, especially as in the last two weeks we've had to give more emergency IMs than I could count.

You may find stable psych patients in outpatient programs and MD offices. May. To be honest, stable patients are far more likely found in MD offices than even in outpatient or community settings.

If you want the most stable patients, leave the bedside and look at research, case management, utilization review, education and administration for possible opportunities.

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Hospice maybe? They certainly won't unexpectedly die. Perhaps sooner than expected, but it's expected. (Hospice nurses feel free to correct me. I'm going by what I imagine and my entire one day in nursing school of shadowing, hehe!)

But nursing is never going to be "stress-free."

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I have a relative who is the nurse manager of an outpatient psych center. The nurses have been there over 15 years and my relative has been manager for at least 25 years. If someone retires, a job opening might turn up.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Forensic. Dead is the most stable anyone ever will be.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

But nursing is never going to be "stress-free."

THIS :yes:

I'm sorry to be a downer, but most of nursing IS stressful. :blink:

Home health can be stressful, LTC can be stressful, clinics have emergencies too.

I did Medicare chart reviews; less stress, however reading and interpreting awful handwriting can be stressful, even trying to capture information so that the person can have their procedures and treatment covered, then you can't can be stressful; depends on the person. This job wasn't for me. :no: I went back into the trenches...:)

I'm with GrnTea; OP, I need more clarification. :yes:

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Specializes in Oncology.
Disagree with this, only because I work medsurg and it's EXTREMELY stressful. I've called several code strokes and rapid responses (no code blues yet *knock on wood!*). I've had to transfer patients to tele units and ICU. Medsurg is not "stable patients" by any means, they're acutely ill. We also deal with a lot of detoxers, dementia/Alzheimer's, combative/noncompliant patients.

If you're trying to avoid stress, which it sounds like this is the issue opposed to the stable vs. nonstable patients, medsurg is NOT for you!!

I'd consider an office/clinic setting where you have set appointments and no walk-ins..then you know what to expect when you start your day.

Many of the patients on medsurg now would have been in ICU in yesteryear. Further, the fact that these patients are only staying one or two days means your acuity is up overall because you're not getting that 4 day post cholecystectomy patient to even out your assignment because she's home making do.

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