Anyone hate their first job?

actioncat · Jan 7, 2005

You are not a failure!

You have a right to work in a supportive atmsophere. No place is going to be perfect, of course, but you deserve to learn in a functional environment. What you are describing is not. I say, good idea to run. You don't want to become like these nurses, do you? There are plenty of jobs out there, you don't need to stay withone that is ruining your mental and physical health!

What you are describing cannot be good for the patients either.

ETA: I am still with my first nuring job. I thought about quitting all the time when I first started and I have decent coworkers. There is no way I would have stayed if everyone had been mean.

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2005

my first nursing job was a nightmare. the precepting nurse i was assigned to literally screamed at me. in front of patients in front of other staff, she belittled me to the doctors and when i reported this, the NM said that she had a different personality and that i should suck it up.

thankfully i quit when i had my baby. now i have the perfect job. its good you quit. it isnt you; it really is the enviornment sometimes.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2005

I hated my first job for some of the same reasons, and left after one year. In retrospect, I can see where my sensitivity threshold was too low due to the anxiety of learning to become a nurse. I try to remember this now when dealing with new grads. Hope you find your niche.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jan 7, 2005

My very first nursing job drove me to the brink of insanity within three short months. I was a charge nurse in a small LTC where the administrator would grab me as I was chasing down wandering Alzheimers patients, passing meds, giving insulins etc. and tell me to scrub the Betadine stains out of a drawer in a room that wasn't even in use! She was an expert at "majoring in the minors"---I'd be running down the hall, and she'd want me to drop whatever I was doing in order to go tend to some housekeeping detail, or to answer phones while the secretary went off to lunch, or unplug a toilet on East hall (I worked the West hall).

She also got away with understaffing by assigning two CNAs to 20 residents, and then making the nurse take the remaining six or eight.....that meant doing all ADL care PLUS my own work.

The final blow came when she actually YELLED at me, in front of my CNAs, several residents and their family members, for taking my lunch. That's right: I wasn't even entitled to the 30-minute break mandated by law. That same afternoon she brought in an agency nurse to work the rest of my shift and told me to take over for a CNA who'd gone home sick........a CNA who had 15 residents by herself, all of whom were total care, 2-person assist, etc.

Needless to say, I knew that this was not the place for ANY self-respecting RN, let alone a new grad, and I found another job the very next day, one that I stuck with for almost 2 years.

Don't stay with a job you're unhappy with......there are too many others out there. Good luck!

momcats3 · Jan 7, 2005

Hi :)

I quit my first job, too, after about 10 weeks. I was in very similar circumstances, and they had me doing all sorts of things I really had minimal training on. I was told to "ask another nurse" if I needed help. Ha! Ha! that was a real joke! I came to the point where I did not feel safe working on that floor. Anyway, I gave my two weeks notice, and did not have another job lined up. It was the smartest thing I ever did!

Good luck.

sharann, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2005

Hey, I worked there! Only difference is I worked noc's. Glad you didn't stay where it wasn't healthy for you. I hope you let them know WHY you left if you had an exit interview. Otherwise, write a letter to HR. Good luck and perhaps you should take more time in choosing a specialty this time. I don't know what is wromg with those awfu nurses(couldn't be anyone from here though!)

begalli · Jan 8, 2005

LOVED my first job. Still do several years later.

I have learned so much about the dissatisfaction in nursing around the nation when I read these boards every day. I realize how lucky I am and I'm so thankful for the job, the manager, and the unit that I work for AND the other nurses, doctors and healthcare pros that I work with.

I wish more nurses could voice the same feelings that I, and many I work with, have about what we do, who we work with, and where we work.

It's so sad and just so wrong.

live4today, RN · Jan 8, 2005

Jayla.......the unit you worked on is identical to the one I used to work on not long ago. It's not you.......it's exactly as you said -- lack of good leadership and lack of good teamwork. :rolleyes:

I hope your next job is good to you. If not, keep on looking. Don't EVER sell yourself short for foolishness. :)

Lapa · Jan 8, 2005

My first job in LTC was terrible. Facility was understaffed, roof was leaking, poor residents walked straight through puddles on the floor in their socks when it was raining. Nurses were so mad because of overwork, they never helped. You couldn't print out senses when come to work (no computer) - you literally had to write all residents names to take report. Supply room - forget a bout it - never could find anything.

Every time i came to work -- i never knew when i could go home after shift was over. They used agency's nurses a lot -- and those nurses always were 45 min-1 hour late. I felt lucky they showed up at all.

But the last drop that made me leave was supervisor attitude towards me concerning one patient. Here I am, LPN with 2 months exp., come to work in the morning and getting the following report: "pt so and so doesn't look very good, seems like in respiratory distress, might die in your shift, DNR, so monitor..." Well, first thing i go to his room -- diaphoretic, respirations 50/min, requested to go to the hospital. I ran to charge nurse, she goes "well, if he requested, send him off, but call the MD first". I was still terrified to call MDs then. I dialed the number, started to give VS, described pt's condition.. in the middle of conversation charge nurse showed up from nowhere, grabbed the phone from me "let's me talk to MD". And here she went "I just assessed the pt, he doesn't seem in respiratory distress, he is fine, sorry to disturb you, Doc". I was so humiliated, you couldn't beleive it. But how i can stand my grounds? Who am I? just a new grad... what do i know? Every time i and that sharge nurse work together, she always found the way to humiliate me. If i complained about next shift is not showing up, she would say with grin in her face "you don't understand nursing profession, my dear, you think you are going home when you shift ends?, you better get used to it.."

anyway, i quit in 3 weeks and felt like i should come back to CNA duties. Only the fact that i put so much effort to get LPN license stopped me.

After a month i got another job. Much better facility, helpful nurses. Supplies there. Doctors call back. Charge nurse treats me like her own child (what if get mad and quit! they need me!). it's still hard and crazy, but at least i feel comfortable.

so, pont is: the h.. with your old job, you get better. they didn't deserve you

PHTLS · Jan 8, 2005

Hi! I just quit my first nursing job. It was on a med-surg floor, which was not what I was planning to do after graduation. My goal was to go directly into community health nursing, but I got antsy because the process of application was lengthy, and took a hospital job.
Anyway, the unit had weak leadership, lack of teamwork, and an over-abundance of gossip, backstabbing and bullying. People (nurses, techs, secretaries, transport, etc. ect.) got away with acting however they pleased. My last day I had to literally fight a tech to get a hold of the only functioning pulse ox machine I could find because she was doing her afternoon vitals. I respect that she has her job to do too, but my demented patient who keeps pulling out his NC, O2 sat dropping to 76% (which I wouldn't have known without the pulse ox machine) who is in need of a restraint order takes precedence over afternoon vitals IMO. Especially when I told her I'd give the darn machine right back!!!!
In addition, I was tired of being made to feel incompetent and lazy by the 7p to 7a staff, especially considering I took on average a 15 minute break during the majority of my 12 hour shifts. I know I didn't do everything right...that I made mistakes. I'm a brand new nurse (started this job in August), and I'd appreciate constructive criticism, not a sneer and dead silence during my entire report. How do people get to be so mean and bitter?
Anyway, despite the fact that I feel justified in leaving that place because it was ruining all aspects of my life (I was sleepless, lost weight, and my personal relationships suffered greatly), I still feel like a failure. So, my question is, has anyone else left their first nursing job too? I just need to know I'm not alone here...
Thanks!

If you worked with me, I'd support you. I'm not into that nurses eat their young bs. Being in the Army all these years has taught me "TEAMWORK", something you seldom see in the civilian world.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jan 8, 2005

Oh boy did I quit my first job, and that bridge was certainly burned to the ground..sadly not my me!

I was also working a med surge floor which was not what I had planned, but you know they always say you have to do the old M/S floors to get in your time till you move on...so I said..uhggggggg okay! (I was going to preceptor by THEIR agreement in 6 months to the ED! Found out that was a lie...but anyway!).

Okay..backstabbing, fighting, rumors, patients being judged and treated by their first impressions by worn out nurses (not a good situation), constant call ins, no staff, and the holiday season to boot! OH brother it was horrid and I felt like I was in some sort of chotic bees nest with no way out! Oh yes..and I found out what the term "nurses eat their young" was all about!!!!!!!!!!! I was chewed up and spit out every shift!

I got called in so many times I couldn't count them all, and I didn't mind as much at the time because I could use the money for Christmas...but then I get a call from a DON I didn't even know! So I go down to her office...oh boy!!!!!!

This woman introduced herself to me, then immediately started telling me that I have not been coming to work, late all the time, didn't get my TB test, was difficult to work with according to the other staff, and that even though I had a signed agreement...I did not qualify with this record to go onto the ED preceptorship but to remain for 2 years in med surge (hmmmmm perhaps the reason for this sudden call to the office...they must have needed me to stay huh?!?!?)..

I finally had to interupt her and say...Okay do you have the correct file??? I have been doing my shifts and never turned down a call in, always 20 minutes early, get along great with others, always have a smile, took my TB tests not only once, but three times because they kept loosing my paperwork (and never complained), and she must certainly have the wrong person...

THen she started actually screaming at me from her nice cherrywood desk..."you think I am stupid enough to pull the wrong file? Who do you think you are, this just goes to show your unwillingness to work with others!"

I was dumbfounded...must have looked like a doe in the headlights! I restated that this must be an error, or maybe I wasn't clocking in properly and be happy to show her how I clock in to make sure my timecards were correct...but since I check my paychecks for errors I had never noticed any according to my own records at home (I have learned to always keep a record of my own hours at home to double check..I have been dissed several hundred dollars a few times before!!!).

Again she just started screaming at me, and I turned white and started to shake when I finally blew! "Look, I have promised to be here today, and I still have 4 hours left of shift. I will complete my shift and leave my keys and passcard...not with you but with security whom will escort me out of this facility to assure I am doing NOTHING wrong or even accidentally taking even a cotton ball in my pocket! Then I will walk out these doors, and NEVER look back ever again!".

She yelled again at me that I would never be a nurse again..and I suprisingly very calmly said with a smirk (I think I smirked..or it was a grimice of shock..LOL!)..."Trust me, if this is an example of a MAGNET hospitals policy of treating nurses..then my dear..if I had my license handy...you can have it and I will not EVER regret the choice! At this point...lady, you can have this facilities nursing bs...I don't need it!"

I completed my shift, security (I knew security and told the head to escort me out as a favor) escorted me to my car, and I left NEVER to return again! The security guy was dumbfounded too, and quite sad actually..we had many conversations together and we really enjoyed eachothers company at the old coffee shop late in noc shift!

I have NEVER EVER been treated with so much general disrespect...I mean my gosh a person treats their dog better than that woman did to me! NO thanks..and I was very serious about the license too!

Thank goodness my next two jobs were not as bad..not great..but certainly not as bad (I was only temp at one job..I didn't quit..LOL! Outdoor school nurse, and that was FUN!!!!!!).

Professionals should not treat eachother this way...let alone less than a human being like that woman did me...no..you get out right then and there if you are not comprimising a patients safety (which I would have if I didn't wait till end of shift..which can make you loose your license as I found out later..so glad I didn't storm out!).

And my suggestion..RUN and never look back...oh yeah..and assume there will be NO reference! LOL! That was 6 months wasted (I learned a lot though..LOL!), and the loss of my ED preceptorship..which changed the course of my career significantly...would I do it again! Darned straight I would!!!!!!!