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

[nurseprnRN]

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.

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.

next?

[wearingmanyhats, RN]

I am a nurse educator (teaching CNA's in clinicals) I love being able to watch them find their wings... they only see me for 5 days... but in those 5 days, they grow more confident every day. I love that I am working with geriatrics, and the residents enjoy having the extra attention from my students

I do not do hospital... although I really liked the challenges, and learning about new (to me ) desease processes, I had a car accident 10 yrs ago, and have moderate back pain if I try to lift anything...

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

I do tele / ICU step-down - first, because that is where I landed a job, and now, because I really like it and feel like this environment will make me into a great nurse someday. The ratio isn't horrible (not fantastic either), the dx are varied, my co-workers are mostly awesome.

No thanks to L&D, peds. Babies and kids are great, but it feels like too much responsibility. And they are NOISY! Even when I hear little kids on my unit, I think - time to go home visitors!

Besides, my elderly ladies and gentlemen tell the best stories!

[SaraO'Hara]

I do short-term rehab, which has the fewest patients and most autonomy of an LVN position in my area. My patients are (mostly) alert, oriented, and go home after a few weeks having improved.

I would like to do critical care because I am drawn to the idea of knowing every function of 1-2 patients, working with advanced medical equipment. I'm a very left-brained individual.

I would much rather not do OB. I have a great aversion to childbirth, placentas... ack.