Leaving nursing job after 2 months

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everyone, I am a new graduate nurse on the telemetry unit at a large academic medical center. This is my first nursing job after school and I'm on orientation. Nursing is a second career for me, my first job was in clinical research. I have a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and in nursing.

My goal after nursing school was to go back to clinical research. I was unable to find any jobs in the research field and I ended up accepting a position on the telemetry floor. The hospital I work for just posted a job opening for a clinical research nurse in orthopaedics unit and I want to apply for the position. But I'm afraid it may backfire on me if my manager finds out. I'm on the second month of a three month orientation period.

I enjoy interacting with patients, but I do

not feel intellectually challenged and I dread going to work each day. I feel like a glorified waiter at my current position and I think I would be much happier working in research. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

You can't transfer unless you have done at least 6 months in a position, so unless you have another option, bide your time and pay your dues. We all have to learn to crawl before walking. So many new nurses would love to have hospital opportunities, just don't get too greedy because while you have another degree, so do many of us. Nursing is about helping others, so it's kinda odd you forget that and are trying to get ahead of yourself. I am a hiring manager and director level nurse, first thing I look at is someone's length of stay. If your moving around it's gana catch up to you. Be great full someone took a chance on you, your brand new with tags so the fact you even have a hospital gig be glad!!

Specializes in ER.
Life is tooooo short, follow your dreams and do what makes you happy and feel good. Listen to that voice you hear and it will guide you the right direction. Ignoring the inner voice will bring you misery. Good luck!!!

Can you be A little more trite and blandly positively affirming? Maybe we can come up with some happy, encouraging affirmations to put on your refrigerator. How about a 365 day a year encouraging calendar?

Or maybe watch Willy Wonka again and see what happens to spoiled verucka?? I am trying to be emphatic, however, it is such a slap in those of our faces that chose this career to help others, ever thought "being a waitress" makes people happy when it means you have helped someone that can't do things themselves? Wow how people like you make it through nursing programs super scary!! If your bedside mannner is anything like your posts, I suspect your patients are running you ragged because they know you could care less. Stop and talk to them snd get to know their story and when patients sense you are truly there to care and help, well most won't take advantage of you. This is why nurses need experience before being hired on such a critical floor!!

Scary to think people like yourself work in tele:i I mean could you actually respond to a patient going down the tubes? Or would you be that nurse we all see crying about how bad your assignment is for the day!!!

Here is some words of advice.. let another nurse who actually gives a crap work and stay home!!

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
All the people who just like your post are affiliated with nursing schools or have been lousy nurse in the past. Don't listen to their advice. Total nonsense.

If by "affiliated with a nursing school" you mean graduated from one, then you're right. Yes, in that respect, we are all "affiliated with a nursing school".

There isn't a huge reason to be offended by OP's statement about not being intellectually challenged. I don't say "never" very often, but I have NEVER seen a 2nd-month orientee who didn't have darn good reason to be "intellectually challenged." In other words, at that stage one is an absolute novice. If s/he finds her/himself not intellectually challenged, that means either s/he is either incapable of understanding that which is supposed to be learned or simply has no interest in the situation. To give the benefit of the doubt I will assume the OP's is the latter situation.

I advise leaving, without regard to the research position.

The not being intellectually challenged part isn't offensive; it's the likening it to being a glorified waiter that is offensive.

Specializes in school nurse.

Applying for a new job within the hospital during orientation? Probable career suicide (within that corporation, I mean.) Doing it in order to "follow your inner voice"? That translates into quitting something as soon as it doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy. In life, not all things are warm and fuzzy...

Plus, you haven't even given it a real chance.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Hi everyone, I am a new graduate nurse on the telemetry unit at a large academic medical center. This is my first nursing job after school and I'm on orientation. Nursing is a second career for me, my first job was in clinical research. I have a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and in nursing.

My goal after nursing school was to go back to clinical research. I was unable to find any jobs in the research field and I ended up accepting a position on the telemetry floor. The hospital I work for just posted a job opening for a clinical research nurse in orthopaedics unit and I want to apply for the position. But I'm afraid it may backfire on me if my manager finds out. I'm on the second month of a three month orientation period.

I enjoy interacting with patients, but I do

not feel intellectually challenged and I dread going to work each day. I feel like a glorified waiter at my current position and I think I would be much happier working in research. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

If you're bored or "not intellectually challenged," you aren't doing it right.

After two months on the job, there is still SO much to learn, but it appears that you aren't willing to start learning it. So you're passing meds, are you not paying attention? Why is this lady getting this medication AND that one? Do they interact? How about the co-morbidities? How come this guy is getting a medication for that diagnosis (that he doesn't have). Is there an off-label use for this drug? Are you assessing your patients? Looking up their lab values, reading the physicians' notes or even better, rounding with them?

Open your mind, start actively learning. I'm sure you'll be intellectually challenged in spite of yourself. After a couple a years, you'll be competent. THEN you can start looking for nursing research jobs. The reason those research positions hired NURSES is that they need nurses. Right now, you aren't a competent nurse.

You are not able to transfer within your orientation period. If it's research you want, and money you need, keep your current position while you job search.

Dealing with people in real life is much harder than dealing with statistics. If you can't hang.. get outta dodge.

In the meantime take care of those people, you might find that you like it.

It's very doubtful that another area of the hospital will hire you if you are still on orientation in your home unit. Leaving during orientation is a huge red flag, although I understand it happens sometimes. I've been in tele for almost 2 years and will say if you don't feel challenged at this point, you don't know what you don't know. Your preceptor may be doing quite a bit of the work still and maybe you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. But, if you don't like bedside nursing, it's not for everyone. However, if you like this employer, I would stick it out for a year (that is the bare minimum) and then ask to transfer to the research position.

It's very doubtful that another area of the hospital will hire you if you are still on orientation in your home unit. Leaving during orientation is a huge red flag, although I understand it happens sometimes. I've been in tele for almost 2 years and will say if you don't feel challenged at this point, you don't know what you don't know. Your preceptor may be doing quite a bit of the work still and maybe you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. But, if you don't like bedside nursing, it's not for everyone. However, if you like this employer, I would stick it out for a year (that is the bare minimum) and then ask to transfer to the research position.

why all of this negativity? This person came here to look for some help to look for some advice and you make her feel like she's a lousy person. How did you become an RN a compassionate RN living in a negative world.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
why all of this negativity? This person came here to look for some help to look for some advice and you make her feel like she's a lousy person. How did you become an RN a compassionate RN living in a negative world.

Giving realistic advice rather than fanciful sunshine and rainbows is the most appropriate and helpful response on an Internet forum.

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