Why do you do what you do and DON'T do what you don't do?

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i always tell students to ask that of every nurse they ever encounter, because somewhere in there something will resonate. my example:

"oh, i just love labor/delivery/postpartum dyad care! what a great opportunity to get a new family off to a good start, establish breastfeeding, most of the patients are so happy and healthy, if they are happy now it's a beginning of a relationship with our hospital for whatever they need later ... can't beat it, i'll never do anything else.":heartbeat

vs.:

"oh my sweet patootie, if i never see ob again it'll be too soon. tits and fundi and peri pads and meconium and those whiny b***** with their eight-page birth plans and the mothers and mothers-in-law in the way tripping over all those germy flower arrangements .... yeeck, get me outta here!":mad:

as for me,

i work for myself because i love the autonomy, i love the work because it makes me see new things every week, i like problem-solving and explaining and life care planning works like that in spades. :up:

i would never go back to floor nursing at my age, but when i was younger and did work in hospitals i preferred icu because while i didn't mind (well, not too much) working hard all day long without a break but i hated like hell wasting my time running up and down long hallways, and i felt more comfortable knowing everything about one or two patients than not too much about ten.:down:

next?

I do med surg because I got offered my first job there, lol. I was like every other student in my class who would have rather croaked than work MS. But it turned out to be a wonderful experience, I worked in an overflow unit and saw every diagnosis, worked with every team of doctors, and learned so much.

I now do traveling and work on a post op floor. I love floor post ops: Pain pills or PCAs, wean off o2, take out foley, walk, walk, walk, incentive spirometer, check incision, and they are out the door the next day :)

I don't do ICU because although I think I would love being able to focus on 1 or 2 patients, I do not thrive off adrenaline. Vents used to scare me, but I learned how to work with them on a travel assignment in an LTACH and now I know they are good.

I don't do peds because at least most patients are ale to understand that when I am poking you with a needle, or other unpleasant things it's because you are sick and need to get better.

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I do tele/ med surg. I like it. Most of the pt's have similar diagnosis. So I know what is normal for the course of each surgery/diagnosis/exacerbation and then can go from each variation. I know how to intervene when someone strays from the course, and can make suggestions on how to get back on track. I know what to do in an emergency. I know when something doesn't look right, and bares close watching even if the labs and VS seem ok for the moment. I like watching pt's get better and improve each day after open heart surgery. Day one out of the unit they can barely walk 100 feet, by discharge they are getting up and around by themselves. It's nice to see people improve and get well.

I don't do peds. I tried it, and I don't like having parents who don't want to make the child with a chronic illness take the meds, and then when the kid ends up sick it's the hospitals job to fix her. Of course we have to do that without hurting the kid. I don't like parents who look at you and say, my kid isn't going to like that med. Well, you are the parent, you need to set an example. Saying the kid isn't going to like that in front of the child, already makes the kid not like it.

I don't like L&D, I never could understand fetal monitoring strips, and the para, gravida lingo. The whole specialty has its own special language and code that seems designed so only special few initiates can understand.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

I work NICU because I spent most of my adult life dealing with adult felons, hard heads and knuckleheads, and don't have any patience for that anymore, thank you very much.

Plus, when I first walked onto a NICU in school and saw a 22 weeker lying in that Giraffe on a HFJV, I was instantly hooked.

Now, having done it for two years, been involved with many a saved baby life, seeing the GOOD that we do here when we make these babies live and thrive and go home with rapturous parents...well, there's just no better feeling.

Though it limits my options, I'd never even consider doing anything else.

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Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

When I worked as a nurse I loved rural Family Practice...we saw everything, it was an opportunity to have a very long term relationship with the patients, to do lots of education, learn about family dynamics and how it effected the health of the family unit. It was never boring, one day it would be a person learning they are a diabetic, the next a newly pregnant woman. We would see them in all stages of life and health, in rural FP we are in it for the long haul, not just a hospital stay.

I worked a straight Peds clinic for a while and HATED it...it was the parents that about drove me 'round the bend.

I've never had an interest in "birthin' those babies" so I didn't enjoy OB, I did enjoy the outpatient part though. I didn't enjoy ICU or ER...not an adrenalin junkie.

I'm currently working as a Patient Sitter and while I'm very greatful for the job...as Jack Nicholson said " you can sell crazy somewhere else, we're all filled up here"...I've worked with enough violent and reaallllly crazy ones that I KNOW I'd not be a good psyc nurse.

I'm enjoying reading through this thread and can't wait for more responses, it proves that there is a place for all nurses to have fulfilment and job satisfaction in our profession.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I don't do hospital nursing anymore because I felt like a task master and not a nurse. With staffing issues and high ratios, I never had time to do the kind of teaching, talking and helping that I think is key to nursing.

I also don't do OB for many of the reasons listed in the OP. I don't know nuthin bout birthin no babies.

I do school nursing because I am able to build relationships with the students, the families, my staff and the enture community. I am able to do lots of teaching and health and wellness initiatives. I believe prevention is key, and I am able to focus a lot of my attention to that. I also love the kids, they are like little sponges soaking up all the info I throw at them. They also make me laugh every day!

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Specializes in Emergency.

I work ER because that's where I got hired. But it is a very good match to my personality and what I like. I like the uncertainty of not knowing what's going to happen next, the routine of no routine.I like seeing it all in terms of injury and illness. I like the range of pts from 2 days old to 100+ years. I like the endorphin blast when someone comes in and they're not just going south, they're at McMurdo Station. Sometimes we stabilize them and sometimes we don't. I like that I'm only going to see a pt a shift at the most (frequent fliers notwithstanding). I like conferring with the docs on what to do next if a treatment is giving the desired effect.

I don't think I could handle the volume of routine coupled with the same pts day after day that is med/surg. Didn't like it for the most part in school. Nothing wrong with med/surg but it isn't for me. And while I enjoyed my ICU rotation in school, I'm not anal enough to be on the unit day in/day out.

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gawd, i hope students are reading this. all those soon-to-be-new grads who think they'll go right to critical care-- maybe something here will catch their attention. school is really such a limited experience. i loved these replies!

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I am an HIV NP through and through and through and through and... (well, you get the idea).

1) I love the patient population

2) Talking about sex and drugs is part of my job

3) Guidelines change all the time and there is always something new

4) Strong social justice and advocacy/policy component

5) Many opportunities for education: patients, families, and the community

Things I don't do: peds. The soundtrack of screaming sick children is not my cup of tea. At present I am also terrified of touching a pregnant woman without excessive consultation (ah! the liability!), but I could probably learn if I did it every day.

Also don't do critical care. I did that as an RN and, while it was ok, I like patients who talk and opportunities for prevention. I'd rather keep them OUT of the ICU than do the whole adrenaline thing.

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I love the idea of knowing everything about your patients. ICU (or rather critical care areas ER/PACU/NICU) is for me.

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gawd, i hope students are reading this. all those soon-to-be-new grads who think they'll go right to critical care-- maybe something here will catch their attention. school is really such a limited experience. i loved these replies!

this student is reading! i would love peds but i already know i better take what i can get, say thank you, and learn all that i can.

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Specializes in Med-Surg; Telemetry; School Nurse pk-8.

I work on a med-surg tele floor per diem and I also work as a school nurse. I think the school nursing is my favorite type of nursing care, but sadly the pay is nowhere near hospital pay, so I keep the per diem job to supplement my income. Still, I am thankful that in this economy I have not one job, but two.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ER.

What I do: a lot! I work in an ER fulltime, NICU/PICU stepdown per diem, inpatient pedi psych peri diem, and acute pedi and med-surg per diem. I love them all for very different reasons, and I want to experience as many fields as possible in my career.

What I can't do: the OR. The bright lights give me severe migraines every time. Other than that, I'm pretty open to experiences.

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