Which nursing field?

School nursing and mother/baby.

It's going to vary greatly based on the facility and the culture of the unit/department. There are inpatient floor nurses who feel valued and supported, feel like they have enough resources and practice safely. There are outpatient clinics who feel overworked, understaffed, and underpaid. There's not a single specialty that I can guarantee will be great” no matter where you work. Visit the school nursing forum here and you'll quickly learn that many of them get treated like glorified babysitters, with little respect and even fewer resources to help them provide adequate care. Even home health and hospice nurses, who generally care for only one patient at a time, can be overwhelmed by lack of supervisor and physician support, unrealistic time constraints, etc.

It would be one thing if you said you were looking for something less physically demanding. But asking us to throw out a specialty area that will make you feel valued” across the board is simply not realistic.

It's true that jobs outside of the inpatient setting tend to be less physically and psychologically stressful. Outpatient clinics, case management, telephone triage and quality/safety positions may be good places to start, but it's not a guarantee they will give you what you're looking for. The truth is that people tend to stay in specialities they truly enjoy, especially when the salary/benefits meet their financial needs and the schedule fits their lifestyle. This is going to be different for everyone. A nurse that thrives on the pace and critical thinking of the ER may never find it fulfilling to have a job in a doctor's office, even if she gets paid well and has a great schedule. Find out what aspects of nursing you like the most, decide how much money you need to make to be satisfied, and what hours you need to have the work/life balance you desire. Then start hunting for jobs that best meet all three of those criteria. When you find that, you've found the secret.

I have never felt valued by administration or management. If you are floor nursing, you WILL be ground into the dirt. Healthcare is a corporate machine that flogs nurses like mules.

Ask to shadow other hospital positions like endo, PACU, etc. Think about clinic nursing or other positions outside the hospital.

Working from home for an insurance company works for me. You need to search out what works for you.

Best of luck, it's a jungle out there.

I think it's not the great job you're looking for, it's a great facility and manager. THAT is the secret sauce.

Also: Home care private duty was a balm for me. 1:1 client, plenty of time to 'fluff-and-buff'. If you get a great client, it is not like work at all.

I agree there isn't one "perfect" job. I do appreciate everyones' feedback. I also agree that the people make the job. That being said, I was looking just for opinions on what people really like and stay at. In the hospitals I work at, most people don't remain floor nurses for for much more than a few years. Also, regarding school nursing, would I have to work with kids? :/