I want to quit first RN job after a few weeks.

RNrunner1 · Mar 7, 2017

I had a similar experience working on a subacute unit of a hospital. It was a horrible experience because I felt that patients were not getting the proper care because the unit was understaffed and the patient acuity was often much higher than it should have been on this type of unit. Many patients ended up being sent right back to the med-surg or PCU floor soon after they came to the rehab unit because they were unstable. The only way to survive was to focus on speed and getting all the meds to your patients and then do whatever BS documentation was required. The nurses didn't actually listen to their patients concerns or needs and when I would try and address it, I would be ignored or minimized. Many of the doctors did not even want to come to this floor and patients would go for days without being seen. I tried to stick it out, but just was eventually let go because I wasn't able to handle enough patients quickly enough. I was supposed to be given an extension in training, but never received it. I couldn't quit because I had signed a contract or I would have sooner. While it was hard losing a job and income, it was really a blessing in disguise because it was a toxic and unsafe environment. I would listen to your gut. If it doesn't feel right then you should not force yourself to be miserable and risk losing your license for unsafe working conditions. Of course ideally it would be better to have a job offer before you leave, but if that's not possible, have an idea of what direction you will go and how you will get there.

NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2017

The "jeopardizing my license" mantra is extremely exaggerated. Most nurses who have had their licensure censured or revoked were involved in diversion, theft, intemperate use of drugs and/or alcohol, impaired practice, and other issues surrounding substance abuse and addictions.
Nurses in the LTC/subacute setting rarely, if ever, have action taken against their licensure due to patient care mistakes. Moreover, after years of reading the disciplinary action pages published by the board of nursing in the state where I practice, the vast majority of nurses who have had licensing censures (e.g. formal warning, suspension, probation, remedial education, fines, limited licensure, revocation) had been employed at hospitals, not LTC facilities.
Peoples' fears of jeopardizing their nursing licensure are disproportionate to the reality of the situation.

The fears may be overblown, but I don't think they're entirely unfounded. My first nursing year was a similar short orientation trial by fire LTC/SAR position. I left after the SECOND preventable code/death, one which developed over the span of several shifts and which would have been on my back if the patient had finally deteriorated 30 minutes later. As it was, she was taken away by EMS (and eventually removed from life support) as I was preparing for report.

I refused to document care I didn't do and refused to falsify the eMAR to look like I was giving meds at the ordered times when I wasn't (had meds due 6 out of 8 hours of the shift - it wasn't humanly possible). I stayed hours late shift after shift to catch up on documentation. Other nurses were unsupportive or would deliberately undermine me. They called me OCD for completing routine hand hygiene. It was hell.

My advice would be to only leave without notice if you are in acute fear of an event that will leave you traumatized or compromise your professional integrity. Otherwise, stick to your guns, do things right when shortcuts harm patients, and get hoofing it to find another job.

SincityBSN · Mar 7, 2017

No Matter what anyone says here on this site or there at your work, remember, it is YOUR license at risk. If you don't feel like you gotten enough training, ask for more, if denied, go up the food chain, but stay within organizational protocol. If worse comes to worse, give them two weeks notice and tell them, you don't feel like you are working in a safe environment. That you feel like you haven't had sufficient training and orientation time. I work in an acute setting. My orientation was 10 wks. with an additional 2 wks if needed. Don't get stuck on semantics of what is considered Acute, complex or basic nursing task. Starting as a newgrad is culture shock. I know its overwhelming. There was a charge nurse on my floor that had the philosophy of "if you throw a new grad to the wolves, they will learn faster, because it forces them to" and she wondered why her preceptees were dropping like flies out of the job or constantly breaking down and were a mess. That is not a acceptable way to learn or teach. Some people might react well to that method, I know I don't. But My preceptor was kind, understanding and patient. I did my 10 wks and was ready. They say it takes a newgrad a year, yes, one year for them to get their nurse on and be totally comfortable and confident in there job and at that point burnout do to stress and overwhelming tasks are managed. That's why more and more facilities are adopting newgrad residency programs that are at least a year long. So they can give the newgrad support and training within that first year. I personally would never work in a SNF or longterm care facility but that's just me. We get alot of pts from those places at my hospital. And it's not the fault of the caregivers most of the time. Ultimately it's because the nurses are put into impossible situations. Think I'm wrong? look at the Nurse patient ratios in Magnet hospitals, M/S 4-1, sometimes 5-1, but never more.

Creamsoda, ASN, RN · Mar 8, 2017

you havent been there long. That being said, certainly you can look for other work. Id start looking in a hospital, a place that gives new grads a long orientation. Most facilities do these days. You have only been there 3 weeks. Even if you dont find something for another 2-3 months you can still keep them off your resume. Your a new grad, a gap between graduation and first job can be expected especially as new grads might have a harder time these days. You can stay working there if you can handle it temporarily so you are still making money. Consider re-locating to other cities, states if its feasable to get employment in a more supportive environment.

djh123 · Mar 8, 2017

I'd already commented on this thread once, but the best advice I can give you - but honestly, I don't know just how hard your unit is (and the acuity changes fairly often anyway) - is what someone told me when I was in my LTC/rehab job in the first few months. They said that everything becomes routine, even the emergency or semi-emergency situations. Yeah, I was practically jogging a few months ago when one of my ladies was quickly developing some serious problems, but my general reaction to almost anything now is far calmer than it was when I started. No matter what's happening, I (almost always) squelch any 'panic mode' and say 'OK, what's happening, what have I/we checked, what's their DNR status, take a quick look at Dx/Hx if I need to, same with any recent labs or X-rays, orders, then decide what *I* can do, whether I need to call the dr., etc. ... all within a few minutes, or I may do a thing or two, monitor the person for another hour or two... it all depends... but all of that becomes routine, along with time management.

notnursinganymore · Mar 8, 2017

18 to 20 patients with that level of care sounds like a war zone. Consider this, would you want to be one of those patients with one stressed out nurse to care for 17 or 18 others? I sure would not. Your feelings are justified, and if you don't go with your gut, it will eat your lunch and you will become your own patient. I left the nursing floor eleven years ago and once in awhile I check back to see what is going on in the nursing world on this page. My advice for what it's worth as seasoned BSN before it was necessary to be one: Don't become your own patient.

Disabled RN,Emt, · Mar 8, 2017

Hi New grad. I understand your frustrations. I agree with the good advice offered by those that have posted. My first job as a grad RN was 3-11 House supervisor. I have many years in medical as EMT and Industrial medicine where I also obtained supervisory and departmental management. So thus the right out of school house supervisor position. The money was great. But I wanted my nursing skills and such was not available in Nursing home environment. I was offered a position at local hospital. I wanted desperately to work for this particular hospital. I went and had a good honest discussion with my director. I knew there was a parttime RN that wanted a full time job at the nursing home. She released me to go to work at the hospital. I loved my patient care at the hospital. But eventually left and found my calling. Psych. nursing. (only class I aced every quizz and test). My primary reason for leaving the hospital was my own health. I have currently been type 1 diabetic for 54 years. AS a floor nurse on an extremely busy unit I was constantly experiencing hypoglycemic symptoms. I was constantly stuffing junk down to hold my sugars until I could take lunch. But had to put my patient safety first. If I had an episode while giving medications and made a mistake I put my patient at risk and in danger. So in Psych the pace was slower and I was able to eat on a fairly regular basis. Another thing I loved about psych nursing was That I was able to actually able to spend time with my patients. Mental Health has its very / over busy days as well. And unpredictable minute to minute. Especially when working with Resident adolescents there by court order, all with very sad historys. But daily someone will start a fight or attack a faculty member. or as I experienced and found a 13 year old hanging from his closet door by bedsheets. A horrible experience. My sister has been a nurse for over 35 years. Worked home health as well as many nursing homes. She felt like a "pill Dispenser" . Now disabled I miss my patients dearly. My point is that ALL nursing jobs will be stressful. In Mental Health I had as many as 40+ patients in my care. Stress is part of any nursing career. I focused on my patient care. Even in my first job at the nursing home, I assisted my staff with dressing changes, and g-tube feedings, colostomy changes etc. I enjoyed patient contact. Not all long term care facilities have shift supervisors that can assist nursing staff. My biggest disappointments in nursing home nursing was the elderly that had focused on their failures and mistakes and other negative happenings in their lives. These folks are very sad and difficult to encourage. I have strong ppl skills and felt useless in not being able to do for these deserving individuals what I had done so many times in my previous jobs in all my medical professions. I too advise that you try to give it more time. I had a number of fellow students that ended up in same situation. A number gave up all together on nursing. It takes time to find out if that is the nursing type job you belong in. My first hospital job my first month was extremely fast especially since I was a nontraditional nursing student. I was in my 40s when I graduated. My interview for the hospital job with HR and the hospital Director of Nursing went great, they too recognized my many years in my prior medical jobs. But when they left me in my new Nurse Manager's office. ??? I sat for what seemed like forever in a room with this Nurse manager in total silence as she read over my Resume. Her first words to me were LOUD and angry. "I DO NOT WANT TO HIRE YOU> YOU ARE TOO OLD TO BE TRYING TO START A NURSING CAREER! I was stunned. She rode me like a mad person. No Nursing professor could have prepared me for this. I was so excited about being there. So determined to be the best I could be for my patients I utilized the strong ppl skills I had developed since age 21. I had many CVA patients. And even a physician that was having to lose his career due to ALS. I can say without a boast or a doubt that I made a difference in my patients improvements. BC each of them knew (many told me personally) that I actually lived them. I love all mankind and that was reflected in my nursing career. I have a deceased brother also a long term RN. He and my sister all felt the same about all people no matter their careers and education, we treated them all with the love and care we would give a family member. Several of the doctors I cared for their patient's : when I was faced with giving up my career told me what their patient's had to say about me. Basically I "treated them like family" even those many adolescents I cared for in mental health told their psychiatrist (according to him) I"I know Mr. Art loves me because he shows that he does even when I have been bad" I believed in not only discussing what they had done wrong but also in pointing out to them what I saw in them The attributes the potential they had. I received a lot of disagreement from other mental health nurses stating that those kids would crush me. But in the end the staff believed in my methods and adopted some of them. I had found my nitch in nursing. The job That not only I lived but I was able to manage my own health issues as well. Give yourself time. And if you decide that the job you have is not for you, then put out your resumes and when the right job comes along YOU decide what you want to do. 2 week notice is a courtesy to your employer and gives them a little time to start finding a replacement. Some employers if upset with you about not giving a notice or at least talking with your nurse manager and director will try to use it against you, but most new or potential employers today do not call for a reference but send out forms with specific questions and only want hose questions answered to avoid personal conflicts and personality differences between a good worker and a boss. Don't let the stress get to you sweetie. You got into nursing for a reason.

Geosurfsup · Mar 8, 2017

Always give notice of resignation. You do not want to be accused of "abandoning patients." Even if the issue of abandonment is not true, you do not want to go through defending yourself at a discipline hearing or even at your next interview.

BeenThere8 · Mar 8, 2017

There is some great advice here. Stay put for awhile and give proper notice. I have worked A lot of different types of units as a travel RN and in my opinion, time management is the important part to get down in order to have a decent day on any unit.

Since you are in that area, stay for a year and focus on time management. With the load you get in that environment if you can manage your time well there, you will do fine on a medsurg unit. I would definitely work on getting on to a medsurg unit within a year and a half or sooner because that's where you can actually put your skills and knowledge to work but timing is everything no matter where you work. Good time management skills will lessen your anxiety and stress level on any job.

Good luck to you and hang in there we all need you.

ICU_UcMe, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2017

At will means neither of you have to give a reason for termination of your employment. That said, if you don't give the proper notification for them to find someone else to fill your position then I'd expect that to get around and bite you in the long run. How you left your last job says a lot to your future employer, and trust that word does get around.

If I were you, I'd give notice and be honest. Tell them that you feel the job is bigger than you were prepared for, and that you don't feel adequately equipped to deal with this many pts at this stage. Maybe it's something they can work with you on, and maybe it's something they wont. Either way, it's the professional thing to do.

MrsK62 · Mar 8, 2017

I really sympathize with your feelings of being overwhelmed. The fact is that nursing is really hard. It's such an important job, and you do literally have their lives in your hands. I hope there are other nurses working with you on your shift so you can ask questions.

you can quit and find another job, but that might also be hard. I think you should give it six months or maybe even a year. If you have o do unpaid overtime to get your paperwork done think of it as an unpaid internship or additional schooling you're getting for free. If there's a procedure you're supposed to do and you're a little unsure, Google it. You mentioned that you want to do a good job and not cut corners. This tells me you have potential to be a great nurse. Give yourself a chance.

phill_rn, MSN, APRN · Mar 9, 2017

To all the vile, nasty nurses who eat their young: You know who you are. STOP IT ALREADY! To everyone else, its up to us to put a stop to this counterproductive, misreable behavior.

Sorry to hear you were black listed, take comfort in knowing you're a nurse and there will be work.