I’m a new grad MICU nurse at a level 1 trauma center and have realized this job isn’t for me. I always got great grades in school, passed the NCLEX with the minimum questions, have a great attention to detail and thought ICU would be the best place for me. truth is, I’m absolutely mentally exhausted and constantly anxious. I’m stressed at home before work and anxious after work. Also not a fan of constant cleaning, dealing with confusion, demanding patients/families, and all the other routine bedside responsibilities. I don’t think I’m very good with people so talking to patients and family’s adds to the stress. I guess I didn’t expect the high amount of family interaction when I first shadowed the ICU and thoguht everyone would be intubated and sedated. My back hurts all the time from turning patients and I spend all my days off recovering from nightshift. However I do enjoy some of the skills such as putting in IVs or titrating drips on vented sedated patients. I actually love high acuity situations when they’re not my patients… I enjoy helping others when their patient is crashing and I didn’t mind this job when I was on orientation because having a precepter as a safety net helped my anxiety a lot. I really love working on teams and with others but having my own patients really stresses me out because I feel like all the weight is on my shoulders. I’ve honestly gotten so defeated with nursing I’ve even thought about going to cosmetology school because I need a creative outlet, love hands on work, painting, art and anything creative. Im considering going to preop/pacu, IR, Cath lab, or circulating/scrubbing in the OR. Does anyone have experience with moving to these and whats the big differences between them? also does anyone know anything about RNFA in the OR? I think I’d love assisting with surgery’s. I’m just worried I’d get bored circulating or somehow be just as stressed and overworked on the OR.   submitted by   /u/Passage6621 [link]   [comments]