How to say it to my manager?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi All, I have recently posted that I wanted to quit my job in med/surg. I have a 6 week orientation, this is my 5th week. I have realized that med/surg is not for me.... too many patients and too little time invested in them during the shift. Bedside nursing is just too fast pace for me. My preceptor and nursing staff is quite hostile to me. I go home crying every night and dreading going to work. Considering that I'm a shy person... I have a problem communicating... especially when I'm dealing with an adult population... sometimes I just don't know what to say to my patients. Lets just say... i'm a wimp :crying2: I tend to like working w/ vent patients or babies b/c I don't have to talk so much (AM I Crazy?). I asked my manager if she could transfer me to a slower pace setting..and she wants to know why. How do I say it in a way that won't burn bridges?

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

You have explained yourself well, right here. But there will always be families, coworkers, others on your team. Do you have other communication issues that need to be addressed? Please work on those.

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Well, no, you're not crazy. Do you have problems communicating with doctors? I ask because I am, was, like you. Not communicating with co-workers can cause a lot of problems. Seems to me if you asked to be transferred to a slower paced unit the reason is obvious! You want to work in a slower paced unit! I think you have to be honest with the manager. You just don't feel like med/surg nursing is right for you. Tell you have feel you have really tried but after 5 weeks you know in your heart it isn't for you. I can't say I agree with this, any new unit will be hard. Maybe 5 weeks wasn't enough? Any new unit, any new job, has a learning curve, a "hump" to get over then it gets easier. I'm not saying you should stay on med/surg just that you might need to tough it out longer. Ideally your hospital or manager can easily transfer you to another unit now?

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PS working as an OR circulating nurse you don't have to communicate with your patients as much, just the quick pre assessment OR check list. But you HAVE to communicate well with surgeons and fellow OR staff.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

With babies/children you will have to communicate with their very stressed out and often ineffectively coping family members. Most every child comes with at least one parent or grandparent.

I hope you gain a little confidence and find a good fit for you. As advised above, start working on the shyness/communication issues. It is something that can be overcome. Good luck!

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

I think you should get through orientation and try nursing on your own. I remember when I was on orientation. I always felt nervous and unsure when the preceptors were around watching me and asking a bunch of questions. When your own your own. You don't have people breathing down your neck and you can develop your own style. You may want to go to nights but don't expect for the patients to sleep. most of them are up.

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Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.

Maybe home care might be the way to go, but pediatric home care will require you to have one year of pediatric experience. And most other home care will require a year of med surge...but not all? it is a possibility? But I agree with the poster that said that you have to learn to deal with the parents. Even in home care the parents often come with their own issues, but you only have one patient. not that it is always slow paced, but eventually you build a rhythm and you do ok. and a lot of time in home care you have the same patients so there are small changes to cope with where with working on med surg you probably rarely have the same patients two days in a row.

visit the section for people who work home care and perhaps that might be something you are interested in if the hospital doesnt work out.

anangelsmommy

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Informatics.
Well, no, you're not crazy. Do you have problems communicating with doctors? I ask because I am, was, like you. Not communicating with co-workers can cause a lot of problems. Seems to me if you asked to be transferred to a slower paced unit the reason is obvious! You want to work in a slower paced unit! I think you have to be honest with the manager. You just don't feel like med/surg nursing is right for you. Tell you have feel you have really tried but after 5 weeks you know in your heart it isn't for you. I can't say I agree with this, any new unit will be hard. Maybe 5 weeks wasn't enough? Any new unit, any new job, has a learning curve, a "hump" to get over then it gets easier. I'm not saying you should stay on med/surg just that you might need to tough it out longer. Ideally your hospital or manager can easily transfer you to another unit now?

i too work in a Med Surg unit on my 4 week of orientation so im not too far from the OP i am starting to call doctors in the unit. I know i should be doing more. im handling around 4 patients so far. They add 1 patient to my workload each week. I got told by the third week that i need to beef it up. I have 6 weeks orientation and then im on my own. 2 weeks days after and then i transfer to the night shift. I hope im able to make it at the end of the orientation

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