Would someone PLEASE PLEASE tell me how to know which field is best for me?

[NurseCard, ADN]

Because I'm currently in Med/Surge, and while I do truly feel like I'm decent at it... at the same time, my hat's off to anyone who can stay in that field for 30 years. Because I'll tell you what, my honest opinion is that for most nurses, Med Surge is a rite of passage. I've been at it for three years now and I'm really starting to think that that is just about enough.

Someone posted a web site not long ago that had questions on it for medical school students, in which you could answer several questions and find out what field might be the best for you. I was wondering if there is a site like this that exists specifically for nurses and nursing students.

I would love to be able to honestly answer some personality questions that might really give me an idea. I'm actually starting to think that I just need to get out of nursing alltogether but I just don't know where I would go. I can't see putting my family back in the poorhouse, for one thing.

[rn/writer, RN]

Don't know of any particular "diagnostic" site, but start your brainstorming with what interests you. What do you like/dislike about life in general. What kinds of attributes do you possess? Some community colleges offer personality tests and various inventories that help you pin down what you need to function at your best. The Meyers-Briggs personality inventory is one tool that many find useful.

Once you have yourself sorted out, then you can go looking for a job that fits.

You might also contact a head-hunter in your area and see if they can help you. Head-hunters help match prospective employees with employers, although I don't know how often they work with nurses. Can't hurt.

I know what you mean about med/surg. If that were my only option as a nurse, I'd be a cashier.

BTW, I absolutely LOVE your avatar. Hugh Laurie ROCKS.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I'm sure there is no magic answer. The keys lie in "knowing yoursef" and in being willing to take a little risk to try something new. Neither one is necessarily quick and easy -- but both are well-worth the effort.

What aspects of nursing do you like? What aspects do you not like? When you browse this site, what types of jobs sound interesting to you? What skills have you developed that you can use as a foundation to try something new? etc. You might want to buy one of the career planning books for nurses to help you think things through. Some career planning books that are not profession-specific might also be helpful. (To find some, go to Amazon.com and do a search. They are there.)

While you are doing that, you can also be assessing your environment. What opportunites exist that are within your reach? Talk to people who know your local job market and talk to people who know you. Get some of their ideas, etc.

Then you just have to be brave and try one of them. You might find that it is a "safer" choice to stay with your same employer so that you can keep your seniority etc. Also, it might be easier to return to your old job if you decide that you made a mistake. Keep trying until you find something. Sometimes, just doing something a little different can give you that "refreshment" that your career needs. There's no need to throw it all away, just try something A LITTLE different -- maybe assume more of a leadership role -- or work on a specialty unit that builds on your med/surg skills.

Good luck,

llg

[NurseCard, ADN]

Thanks you all... I know that I need to just jump on in and try something different, because I'm never really going to know until I try it.

[julieandtj]

I found this another thread around here somewhere...Try http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/