Xpost: Time sensitive job decision-- Am I crazy??? psych vs. tele...

[ivyleaf]

So, I've been a psych nurse for 5 years, straight out of school with no m/s experience. I have been looking for a new job in psych or case management and on Fri. was offered a job that initially would have been my dream job-- inpatient psych case manager at a large teaching hospital.

However, over the past few weeks I have been considering venturing into medical nursing. I am feeling pretty burned out with psych and am itching to learn more medical stuff. I loved my ED rotation in school and would love to eventually work there. However, I HATED m/s rotations in nursing school, felt like I was always running around, never time to breathe, just throwing meds at people without talking to pts or understanding the big picture of what was going on.

So last night I was at my PD job and talked to a much more experienced nurse who recommended I go in person to a local hospital where she used to work, saying she thinks they would hire me into a tele unit (where they have a posted opening), even w/no experience, with a thorough orientation.

However, I need to let the CM job know on Monday.. She recommended to go down to the hospital tomorrow (Monday)-- which I could do (I work outpatient community mental health), but it would require a lot of finageling with my schedule, changing clothes during the day -- I am feeling stressed out thinking about it. And I'm not 100% sure I would even want the job! And if I did get it, I would have to back out of the CM job after accepting...

Am I crazy for pursuing the tele job, when I have this other job offer and it is causing me so much stress?? I am worried about starting the CM job and wanting to leave before a year to transfer into a medical unit...And I don't want to be forever pigeonholed in psych!! But am I crazy going back to m/s after I hated it so much in school?? Would tele be much different?

Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

[Guest321574]

I don't think tele would be much different from med/surg, to be honest. That is not to say that you definitely wouldn't like it. But they are very similar, with the exception perhaps of slightly better ratios. BUT it would be experience that could lead to something more medical that you WOULD like, i.e. ED.

If the ED is your ultimate "some day" goal, you have two choices. Continue with the CM job, while trying for exclusively ED positions. OR try for this tele job, and if you are offered it, take it with the understanding it is a stepping stone to the ED, though you might not like it much.

Do you think going in person is absolutely necessary? That would eliminate the stress of finagling your schedule tomorrow. Or perhaps you could go on Tuesday? Even if you go in person, you likely won't be hired on the spot, so you will have to move forward with the CM position anyway, at first. Why not apply, and follow-up with a phone call, then perhaps pay a visit if you can't get a call back?

[Lovely_RN, MSN]

Tele isn't that much different than med/surg and tele nurses are frequently floated to med/surg. Also tele floors get medicine overflow patients when the census is low. I prefer tele because unlike med/surg I know they are still alive because of that monitor. lol. I also hate having up to 8 pts on med/surg. I rarely get more than 5-6 on tele at night. Even that 6th patient is too much at times if I have 1-2 really sick ones. When I have more than 5 there is always a less sick patient that I almost completely forget about (I'm not supposed to admit that right?).

As far as transferring goes. I voted no because I gave up a sweet job in chemical dependency to try my hand at acute care and really haven't cared for the experience. That said I grudgingly admit that I have learned a lot and if I had never done it I would have always wondered what if? Dang my curiosity. I wish I was experienced enough to get a CM job. That's my dream. Maybe in a few more years.

[Guest321574]

lol, Lovely RN, I did the same, gave up a great detox job, went back to psych, which i don't like a lot because i thought it would get me closer to acute care, then I did get into a med/surg job and hated it! I was headed back to psych, when i finally got my L&D offer I always wanted. Which is why i voted try for the tele, because its a means to an end.