Advice for a New Grad RN After Quitting job/ Orientation after 5 & 1/2 months

OMG I thought I was the only weirdo out here LOL.
To the OP, I think even though it's a tough situation for you, you can turn it around into postives. What valuable skills did you learn and master, and things you've realized you can improve on. I'm sure you have lots of great examples for future interviews to portray your ICU position in a positive light. Good luck to you I'm sure you'll find a position that's right for you.

Donovan,
I am going to disagree with all the other posters and say leave the ICU off your resume. No matter what you say, the interviewer is going to read into it. Nine months is not long to be without a job as a new grad, especially in the current tough job market. You can just say you were taking care of your sick Grandma or something, it doesn't matter. There is no way for them to find out unless you live in a small town where everybody knows everybody elses business.

I would also like to say you are very brave for even attempting to start out in such a challenging area, where many people do not last long. I know first hand how getting fired can be a shameful experience and a real blow to your confidence. Do not let this be the end of your career! Its like a bike, you just have to get right back on and keep trying. I was fired from my 1st job as an LPN because I had such anxiety when talking to Drs that I couldn't even think straight and used to say some pretty stupid things. They thought I was nuts and one of them, the medical director, went to my DON and told her to fire me. I was totally devastated but you just have to keep going. I have grown as a nurse so much since then (15 years ago), and you will too. Whatever you do, don't allow yourself to wallow in depression.

I am a new grad with an Associates Degree and I can not imagine going directly from nursing school into the ICU, that is a HUGE jump. I am surprised that they even let you do that?? Just training on a regular med/surg floor is difficult enough. It almost seems unethical to have a new grad go right into ICU. Your 5 1/2 months of training in ICU is equivalent to 1 year of med/surg at least!! That is a MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT for you and I would definitely put it on your resume, NO new grad ever gets that kind of experience, incredible training. A new job would be FOOLS not to hire a new nurse with that kind of training. Also, remember, maybe they had you "resign" for other reasons, usually money is involved, maybe it wasn't as clear cut as just your time management skills, hospitals are pretty sleezy. I don't see why an interview person wouldn't completely understand you saying "ICU wasn't for you, it wasn't the right fit" God knows I would NEVER want to work in ICU, it is a much different kind of nursing than regular nursing, not very touchy feely, very clinical and can be very cold. It was a major coincidence that your interview person was a previous ICU nurse, that is 1 in a million. Keep telling the interviewers that you always dreamed of working in the ICU, but after 5 1/2 months of extreme pressure and people dying, etc, etc. you found it wasn't for you, a good interviewer would TOTALLY understand. YOUR TRAINING IS INVALUABLE AND TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW -

i have learned to stay away from hospitals who say they have magnet status...i use to get caught up with the prestige..now i dont care

i share your pain and sympathise with you but just because they try to make you feel that you cant handle ICU does not make it true


i had a similar situation..i had left ny moved to nc and taken a position on a medicine unit...at the famous "duke" magnet hospital in NC

i was treated as if i was incompetent i was so humiliated and then they propose the same question you may need to go to a slower floor????? that type of conversation...
my preceptor was horrible meaning.... nonsupportive she told me i was doing great and told management i was horrible

i quit after 1 month of humiliation
i got another position at a nursing home but i did not put my duke experience on my resume..

the ghetto nursing home as i call it treated me with more respect than prestigious duke and i slowly recovered..the ghetto place had more class and i met lots of great people..so i learned not to judge the smaller facility

i then applied to another local acute care setting hospital in NC went on the floor and explained to the nurse manager that i had relocated from ny with 8 months experience , i worked at duke for 1 month but left because i was treated so badly that i left from a broken heart and now work at a nursing home but would still want to work in a hospital if given the chance as i wanted to learn and grow and care for the patients because it was all about them....


she took compassion on me hired me on the spot ..i was suppose to be oriented for 3 months but was off orientation after 2 weeks, the ceo of the hospital came to me personally and told me he heard of the great job i was doing and thanked me for being there

i was pleasantly surprised. they said i came on the unit and just got right into pt care with no problems as if i had years of experience


lesson:dont let one bad experience ruin your whole career to make you feel incompitent
one mans loss is another mans treasure

some people try to stifle your growth and its ok to quit and move on and try other hospitals

my suggession: you dont have to put the ICU experience on your resume because if leaves you open to being judged unfairly

you are still a new grad you can just start out fresh looking..if they ask you why you havent found anything tell them you took a break but now you are ready to work

on interviews let them feel its all about the pts and the company thats what they want to hear

i did not put my duke exp on any resume at all they were what i wanted to forget.

I think the term "bad fit" is not the best choice of words. I would just be completely (and probably overly) honest about the whole situation. Saying that it was a bad fit makes it sound like you can't get along with your co-workers.

I would say that it was overwhelming and that you felt you needed more time to work on your skills and that you are looking for an environment that lets you do that and at the same time, is a better fit in terms of acuity or training.

I think people talk enough as it is, especially in nursing. A hiring manager will figure out that somewhere in your past you have a secret and the fear of that secret is worse than the truth.

You really have done nothing wrong. Really. In fact, I think you did a great job considering the circumstances.

I appreciate your situation. It must have been difficult for you to a) have gone through that and b) share your story. I applaud your fortitude. I have a couple of thoughts about your situation.

First, there was a time when no way no day would a new grad get an ICU or ED spot. You did a year of med surge first. I don’t agree with letting new grads into the high acuity areas unless there is some significant previous experience. I am an ICU RN. I watched several new grads (with no previous experience) struggle in the critical care environment. Some made it. Some did not. Those that did not were offered the opportunity to go to a med surge floor for 6 to 12 months and then try again later. Having said that, I have to ask: Why did they not offer this to you? Or did they? If they let you stay for five months it seems they should have protected their investment.

Please don't take this the wrong way...are you sure you are cut out for nursing? Not everyone is. This is something only you can answer, but we must always consider all the points of view if the proper decision is to be made. If, however, nursing is what you want to do then keep trying brother. Keep trying. I just feel compelled to look at the whole picture.

Please don't listen to anyone who says don't mention your experience. You will be falsifying a work document which is lying and grounds for termination. It will come back to haunt you.

Nurses are holistic. With that in mind, how is the rest of your life? Are there personal issues that are spilling over into work? If so, I would address those or you might not make any progress.

In any case, with some self reflection and determination I am sure you will do great things. Good luck.

Ivan

I just cant believe some of the unhelpful comments made on this thread. The man comes here for support, you dont even know him, and you are adding to his already injured self confidence. How can he not take this the wrong way? Are you really trying to encourage self exploration or are you just feeding your own ego by assuming he is flawed and you are just such a super nurse?
Oh, and could that last line get any more condescending?

The same goes for the PDR reader. Very unhelpful comments that just serve to feed your own ego.

Wow, really helpful and you managed to get a dig in on renal nurses too. It is nurses like you who run people out of the ICU.

My intent was honestly not to offend, and if I have then my apologies to the OP. The advice was from the heart. Which is why I recommended that he keep trying. That was right before the part where I recommended that he not follow your advice about lying.