Wanting to quit my job after less than 6 months...Advice?

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I am a new grad nurse that began working on a floor that I had been a tech on for over a year while in nursing school. I was hesitant to apply for the floor since I knew I wanted something more challenging than a basic med-surg floor. After speaking with several people, including my director, I decided that starting at the bottom and gaining basic time management and nursing skills would be easier for me on a floor that I was familiar with. After my first day of orientation, I felt I may have made a mistake.

When I was being "interviewed" for the position, I committed to my boss 18 months to 2 years. I did not sign a contract but I believe that your word is a very powerful tool.

Once off orientation, I became bored. Our ratio is 1:5 and we have trach-vent pt, total needs, trauma, etc. Our floor is technically an Intermediate Care floor but sometimes it feels like a catch all. I have now been off orientation for 7 weeks and I am so bored at work I feel like I could do my job well and take on more responsibilities.

My ultimate goal is to go to a trauma ICU. I currently work at the only L2 trauma center in our area and I feel as though if I were to apply to our trauma ICU before I complete the 18 months, my director will hinder my chances and potentially cause me to not get the job. However, I truly do not think I can stay on this floor for 18 months to 2 years. I may be able to manage 6 months maximum.

I have so many complaints about the way our coordinator and director are managing the floor and both are so over worked they seem irritated when I present a concern that I shut down. The way things are now is not what I agreed to when I gave my director my word to stay.

I am so confused...I feel trapped.

Any advice on this?

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I am a new grad nurse that began working on a floor that I had been a tech on for over a year while in nursing school. I was hesitant to apply for the floor since I knew I wanted something more challenging than a basic med-surg floor. After speaking with several people, including my director, I decided that starting at the bottom and gaining basic time management and nursing skills would be easier for me on a floor that I was familiar with. After my first day of orientation, I felt I may have made a mistake.

When I was being "interviewed" for the position, I committed to my boss 18 months to 2 years. I did not sign a contract but I believe that your word is a very powerful tool.

Once off orientation, I became bored. Our ratio is 1:5 and we have trach-vent pt, total needs, trauma, etc. Our floor is technically an Intermediate Care floor but sometimes it feels like a catch all. I have now been off orientation for 7 weeks and I am so bored at work I feel like I could do my job well and take on more responsibilities.

My ultimate goal is to go to a trauma ICU. I currently work at the only L2 trauma center in our area and I feel as though if I were to apply to our trauma ICU before I complete the 18 months, my director will hinder my chances and potentially cause me to not get the job. However, I truly do not think I can stay on this floor for 18 months to 2 years. I may be able to manage 6 months maximum.

I have so many complaints about the way our coordinator and director are managing the floor and both are so over worked they seem irritated when I present a concern that I shut down. The way things are now is not what I agreed to when I gave my director my word to stay.

I am so confused...I feel trapped.

Any advice on this?

If you are bored this early in your career, you're doing it wrong.

Med/Surg is a great place to learn time management, prioritization, basic nursing skills, critical thinking and so many other important skills that will serve you well your entire career. But you have to focus. If you're bored, it's because you're task oriented -- still somewhat in CNA mode. It's great that you've mastered your skills, have the Med pass down and know your environment. But unless your brain is fully engaged, you're not doing it right.

It's not enough to give the Warfarin at 6 PM per protocol. You have to understand why the patient is getting it, the normal and therapeutic ranges of the lab values associated with Warfarin therapy, when to hold the drug and how to communicate with the prescriber that you've held the drug, why you've held the drug and what orders to anticipate once you have communicated with her. It's not enough to follow orders, you have to understand why something was ordered -- for which diagnosis, what is it expected to accomplish, what is the proper dose and is the ordered dose within range, are there any lab values that should make you think twice about following this order, what is the protocol, if any for this treatment . . . if you're bored with five patients, you're just ticking off tasks, not engaging in the critical thinking that is so much a part of nursing.

My advice is to engage your brain and give the manager the 18 months you've promised her. It generally takes about two years to become competent in a job, so 2 years would be better. There's plenty of time to move on to greener pastures after you've learned all you can at this job, and it doesn't sound as if you're learning.

Everyone has complaints about management. You have no credibility for complaining. You're a new grad; you don't really know that much about how nursing units are managed. That alone would be irritating when you present a concern. But shutting down is not an adult way to handle an obstacle either. You need to work on that.

You gave your word to stay. You have so much to learn -- I'm not sure you even realize how much you don't know. Stay. Engage your brain. Learn as much as you can. Then think about leaving.

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