Working in L&D, NICU, Peds or mother baby with anxiety

[D.A.R]

Hello everyone I’m a CNA and I’m new to this site so idk how welcomed CNAs are but I have always wanted to work in peds, mother baby, labor and delivery, or the NICU. As of now I work with the elderly doing home health and I enjoy it but I want to try working in a hospital as well. I can be pretty shy and I’ll be excited about a job opportunity when I apply then when I really think about it, I panic. I think about dealing with unhappy parents it worries me that I won’t be able to handle them. I do enjoy the main task at hand of being a CNA it makes me feel accomplished and I know I’m compassionate and empathetic but I just don’t have that back bone right now. I’m also only 24 so I feel like people see me and think “what does she know she’s young.” I eventually want to be a nurse and with that comes even more responsibility. Do any of you have anxiety as nurses or CNA but are still darn good at your job or should I look for other career choices?

[brownbook]

CNA's are welcome here.

You want to work in a hospital? Apply at local hospitals and take any reasonable job that is offered. After you have some acute care experience it will be easier to apply for positions in specialty units you're interested in.

If you limit yourself to Peds, mother baby, L&D, NICU, only, you may never find a job. Some of those specialties don't use CNA's.

A low, manageable, level of anxiety is preferable to a nurse who is overconfident, never makes sure, doesn't double check or ever have doubts.

All nurses and doctors have anxiety. My neice just graduated as a pediatrician and told me she is very anxious!

[D.A.R]

20 hours ago, brownbook said:

CNA's are welcome here.

You want to work in a hospital? Apply at local hospitals and take any reasonable job that is offered. After you have some acute care experience it will be easier to apply for positions in specialty units you're interested in.

If you limit yourself to Peds, mother baby, L&D, NICU, only, you may never find a job. Some of those specialties don't use CNA's.

A low, manageable, level of anxiety is preferable to a nurse who is overconfident, never makes sure, doesn't double check or ever have doubts.

All nurses and doctors have anxiety. My neice just graduated as a pediatrician and told me she is very anxious!

Is that the only way? I’m scared to be placed just anywhere because if I pick job I don’t like and still can’t get the job I want I’ll just be stuck. The hospitals in my area are always hiring techs for the specialties I mentioned above. Which I guess could be good or bad.

[brownbook]

A job where you'll be stuck vs a job you want.

Once you get acute care experience as a CNA, a few months or a year, even on an acute care floor you don't really like, you shouldn't be stuck. With one year experience you can apply to other units within the hospital or other hospitals in the area. Having a good reputation and good evaluations from your supervisor will certainly help a lot.

You could even work part time, extra help, in acute care and part time in home health., keeping all your options open. If you feel stuck in acute care you can go back to home health full time.

A unit where you want to work, that is overstaffed with qualified with RN's and CNA's, may suddenly have nurses, CNA's, quit, change jobs, have babies, get married, move, etc., and have openings.

Usually nursing/CNA jobs are very fluid. Usually an experienced CNA can get a job fairly easily.