Hate my JOB!

Nurses New Nurse

Published

I hope this won't get long, but I have a feeling it might.....

I finished nursing school and recieved my license in May of 2010. I was on a scholarship to a local hospital and in return I agreed to work for said hospital for 3 yrs. First of all, what we were told about how we would obtain a job was a lie. We were told we'd be bumped to the top of the list in applications but that wasn't the case. I filled out 10 applications and nothing, then I applied for a position on the same floor I did clinicals and praticum (this was a last resort bc I already knew I didn't want to work on that floor). I did get that job and am very thankful for a job in this economy. That said, I've been working since June and I hate it. I enjoy MOST of the people I work with during the day shift, but there is major problems between the day and night shift report off. That's just one thing that really stinks bc you start your day off bad and you end badly as well. The orientation to the floor was crap. I never got ANY feedback as to how I was progressing, even when I asked. I was always and still am being told that at 6 months I'll get an eval. Well, as a new nurse I needed evals weekly in order to feel I am becoming more proficient. I need positive reinforcement. What we do is very trying, stressful, hard, and not always rewarding. The only comments we (and I am talking about the entire staff on this floor) get are the one we get when we do something wrong or just not quite right. My patients seem VERY happy with me. Never had any complaints in that department, but our work load is such that I can't even spend enough time with said patients. It's a telemetry floor and a VERY VERY busy one at that. Every night I come home I feel like crying bc I feel I'm trapped. At this hospital you can't transfer for 1 yr. So I kept telling myself that I just have to suck it up for ___ months. The other night I had enough. I'm emotionall and mentally beaten down daily and my family and sanity is suffering. I've decided to get a license in a nearby state and start apply at other hospitals in departments I already knew I wanted to work in. I am going to agree to pay the hospital back for the scholarship. My sanity is worth more than $7,000. The management on the floor also doesn't accomodate education. They actually told me an interview that they do not work with school schedules that if I plan on continuing to get my BSN, it would be best if I only did it online.

This isn't a very nuturing environment and as a new nurse I think that's important......

Any comments, critisisms, or suggestions?????????????????

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Specializes in Utilization Review.

I've said it before...sanity/peace of mind/health should be put before ANY loyalty to a job that-WHEN it comes time for layoffs- won't think twice about not being loyal to you. Pay them their money and go. I hate my job too and I graduated in May. It's good you recognize your needs and sounds like you've tried and thought this out. It's time to go when your health and sanity start to suffer. It's REALLY time to go when you're willing to move to another state to get away. More power to ya. Don't let anyone tell you different. I was lied to as well regarding training and orientation, and as I mentioned my concern to an experienced nurse, she pat me on the back and said "Get used to being lied to in your career..." very encouraging. Anyway, hope you find something that suits you.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing, Clinic Nursing.

i am sorry that you are having such a difficult time and you are not getting the support you need. can you talk to your supervisor about transferring early; sometimes they will make an exception if they don't want to lose you all together.

have to checked your hospitals tuition policy? many hospitals say you have to work for them but they don't specify how much. can you work part-time for them or prn and still fulfill our obligation?

best of luck!

theemmyrn

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i do agree with the other posters, but OP i gotta give it to you straight. sounds like the culture of the unit doesnt jive with what your lookin for. if you change hospitals and get outta telemetry you may have a shot at your sanity stayin somewhat intact. or find a place thats a little bit better about nsg education. but the grass is usually overall the same color green in nursing if you get my drift. :spbox:

but it sounds like mgmt on your unit may like the divide and conquer culture--ie lots of infighting.:argue:

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Thank you all for your replies.

About the tuition policy...we verbally agreed (that is the group of students in that first scholarship program) to work 3 years, but nothing was signed. That being said, I am against NOT paying them back just because it's not on paper.

About transfering early---not a chance where I'm at, even the seasoned nurses on my floor are currently trying to transfer and they've worked more than their year and are having a very difficult time moving to another unit/floor.

I also agree that this telemetry floor isn't for me and something different is my best bet at maintaining my sanity.

I'll be applying for my "other" license this week and getting a temp one in that state until all the paper work is done. All I can do is apply for other positions at other hospitals and hope for the best. If I don't get a different job, then I'll continue duking it out where I'm at. One thing I forgot to mention is that when I started on this floor it was very well known to everyone I spoke with that if you can make it on this floor, you can make it ANYWHERE! Luckily I can make it there, I just don't WANT to make it there anymore.

Thanks again.

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I understand what you is going through. I graduated in May 2010 too from a BSN program. I couldn't get a job anywhere in the DFW area because of my crappy job record (my fault alone). Ended up taking a job at a local hospital in my home town at the rehab center in June also. I went to a job fair at the rehab center but it was never mention that they was only hiring for the rehab part at the job fair. They basically blackmail into the position because I originally wanted med-surg but they told me I could get a interview with the med-surg dept but they couldn't guarantee me a job there (hint hint). Training was ok (I was a LVN before so I had a little experience) but I never got any weekly feedback from my manager. I quickly found out who were the manager and supervisor picks. I know of about three manager picks= they get to take 2hr lunch breaks, go to meetings in the middle of the day with guess who to watch their patients, get several fridays off for jury duty ( learn that her dad is head of the jury duty committee), never answer the call lights or get up off her butt just to name a few things. Oh I had been wrote up for basically BS. I answered someone else patient's call light told them (the primary nurse assigned to that patient) what they need but I get wrote up because they never came. Oh I also got wrote because basically I couldn't please the patient or the family- the mother basically lied on not only me but several people, now the supervisor asking two people to get into the room to verify what the mother says= WTH). Oh but when the manager picks couldn't please the family and trust the family went to the supervisor about it, I never heard of her getting wrote up. This hospital is known by the community as shady but I couldn't get hired anywhere else literally. Sorry the vent but I understand your situation. I hope you make the best choice

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Man, do I feel you! I finished my orientation about a month ago in ICU. We only had 12 weeks orientation and to call it orientation is laughable. Basically it was "all right, here's your patients...figure it out. If you think you might kill someone, let us know." I'm lucky that I'm a strong person who can take the initiative to make sure someone helps me when i need it but I can't believe anyone expects a new nurse to survive in this environment. No doubt every person in my residency program will be either leaving as soon as their contract is up or sooner and paying the money. I'm going to try to stick it out and most times I feel like I can but then I have nights where my manager pulls me aside to reprimand me for something that's not my fault and it makes me feel like I can't take it anymore. Yesterday I was berated for not following policy when I switched shifts with someone. That person has been here for years and didn't know the policy! I just did what I was told and ended up getting in trouble. Sorry for the rant but just know that I feel you. Just do your best to stick it out and if you end up doing something wrong just stand up for yourself. If no one teaches you, it's not your fault!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I can sympathize with the problem of not getting that promised performance evaluation. That is just plain unfair.

Reality check -- I just wanted to ask the OP who she expects to provide "positive reinforcement' for her?? There aren't a lot of external rewards in nursing. It isn't realistic to expect a manager/supervisor to supply a continuous stream of "atta girls" - look at how many direct reports they have, and their overall workload. As a working nurse, positive reinforcement comes from knowing that you did the right thing... like the fact that her patients are "very happy" - this shows she is doing well despite the heavy workload.

However, I find it difficult to believe that an employer who provides large scholarships does not also support continuing education. My guess - this (burned out?) manager who doesn't want the hassle of trying to use creative scheduling to accomodate nurses returning to school. The OP should make an appointment and talk to someone in HR about this situation. Turnover is expensive, they may be able to provide some options for her.

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Got to add my say. I hate my job too. New nurse started on Med-Surg/Oncology floor in August. I don't like the people I work with, my training as a new nurse was 4 weeks. Oh, let me repeat that my orientation was FOUR WEEKS LONG! They felt that because I was already an LPN I had experience. I worked in an office as a phone nurse. My clinical skills were not up to par. I asked for more orientation and was denied it. To top it off, my husband and I moved to this area for this job. We hate the area... the cultures, the racism here. So we want to move. I want to move ASAP. But I am trying to think logically. I am trying to stick it out for a year. But would love to move on in Feb. In Feb I will be there 6 months. Do you feel 6 months is enough before moving on? I don't want to transfer to another floor. I hate where I live, I hate my job. I am losing my sanity and I have been drepressed. It's affecting my relationship with my husband and I am miserable every day that I have to work.

grrrr....

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Op i feel your pain. I hate my job too! Why does it have to be like this? I am a new grad at my first job and I am miserable. I spend my days off dreading going back and I am barely making it through my shifts without having a total nervous breakdown. I have no support and if I ask a question I am treated like I am too stupid to be alive. I know new grad jobs are hard to come by and I am afraid to give this one up before finding something else, but I cant continue like this for long. I am learning as i go and each shift gets a little better, but I feel like I am risking my license working somewhere so unsafe. Staff turnover is super high and I think my place hires new grads because experienced nurses keep walking out the door. The other 4 I started with have all quit already, but I am not in a place financially to quit.

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