Moving On

1 So I relocated for a job and have been here for basically 2 years. It is a med surg floor. The area leaves a lot to be desired and I wanted to move. But here is the dillemma. I am afraid to move on. I do not want to go from a frying pan into the fire. I dread the thought of not being at my comfort level, where I am at this job. It is almost like I am willing to go somewhere else as long as it is a replica of my current job/facilityhours/position etc. I do not want to go on to a step down unit or anything like that because I feel like my skills are completely lacking and my knowledge leaves a lot to be desired. but both are enough at my current position. I do not want to be back at starting point 1 , I remember vividly how much dread and anxiety I was consumed with the first few months of my new job. Do other people feel this way often? When did you know to take the plunge? lol Knowing myself, I think I will be re typing this in 25 years and that kind of scares me. I have never been a job hopper unless the company closed or laid off people etc. I never went around looking for a non existing Shangri -La.I feel stuck here forever.
I think if you want badly enough, a new LIFE for yourself in anotherplace, then that is what you need to go for. Your new nursing jobwould be just a small part of that; your job isn't your life, or ratherit doesn't have to be. So, if you new job isn't perfect, as in, JUSTlike the one you have now... so what? You have this new LIFE,with new scenery, new friends, new activities, to look forward to.Do you have any idea where you want to move? With the jobmarket the way it is, you really want to do some heavy research.Do you want a big city? You'll have to find one with plenty ofnursing jobs available. Coastal area? I think Florida is always hiringbut I could be wrong.I mean, I think if you land somewhere where the market isgood for nurses looking for jobs, then you have a good chanceof finding at least a Med Surge job that is comparable to whatyou are doing.

I can't really say anything to help you, but I know EXACTLY what you mean. I am a little more than a year in, and I know that at the end of two years, I will want to move on. And it scares the living daylights out of me for the exact reasons you mentioned: starting over from scratch or at least feeling like I am. Learning the unit again, the names/specialties of the docs again, the P&P again. What if I've been trained incorrectly, and I don't even know it?I'm interested in hearing your follow-up to this post once you do take the plunge.