Leaving your first nursing job, how hard was it?

Nurses General Nursing

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I hate working at the hospital I work at. Ive been there for almost 2 years and cant take it anymore. But I enjoy knowing where to find things, the protocols, the comfort of familiar surroundings, etc. How hard was it for you to leave your first nursing job? Ive been here since I graduated and the thought of leaving is scary. But if I dont leave, I will be leaving nursing altogether. Any advice? Thanks.

It wasn't hard to leave. New grads had fewer options of where to work when I graduated. A lot of us started with jobs we settled for rather than the jobs we really wanted. The jobs we really wanted required a year of experience. I gave my floor one year of service and left with 3 weeks notice.

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I'm still at my first nursing job 6 years later, although my position has changed. Just the thought of it sounds heartwrenching. If that day ever comes, it'll be very hard for me to handle!

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It wasn't hard at all.

My first day off of orientation, I was alone and the somewhat hateful nurses from dayshift when in for the kill and ganged up on me over things that weren't my responsibility (I didn't do some of their AM things like the other night nurse was doing--I barely had time to do my own stuff!). I left in tears, cried all the way home and made up my mind I wasn't going back. I'm not one to not give notice, not my style, but if I had to work another day in that place....... They can't keep nurses there, and the dayshift nurses are alot of the reason why.

I found another job within 2 weeks, love it there. It's so different--the other nurses are supportive, friendly, and management will work with you on things. And now I'm not driving 1/2 hour to work and am making $3 more/hour. So it worked out for the best.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

It was easy. I hated long term care, and have had much better jobs since. Sometimes it's a blessing that you don't realize til after you've done it!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

Thanks so much for your responses and advice. I love my patients, we have alot who are in and out frequently. Ive cried with them and laughed with them, they are kinda like my family. But the staff is another story. Seniority means nothing and the physician care leaves much to be desired. I will miss my patients the most. I feel comfortable in this place in my role as a nurse and Im not so sure I will feel this way in another stange place. I will feel like a new grad again, which is so scary. I hope I will be able to find something that I will be happy with. Thanks so much. This site has so much support.

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Specializes in cardiac.

It was easy for me. The pt/Rn ratio was 8 to 1 on a step down/ tele unit. Lots of horrible personality issues with staff. Manager would rather watch her nurses drown than come out of her office to help do an admission etc. 1 charge nurse for 2 units with total of 50 pts. So she mainly did bed placements. She wasn't much help(not her fault). Pay sucked. No incentives like, shift differential for 3-7, holidays etc. It was a horrible place to work. I was glad to be gone.

I've moved on and have gained employment at another facility. I haven't started yet. SO.. have to wait and see if it's any different there.

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Specializes in cardiac.
Thanks so much for your responses and advice. I love my patients, we have alot who are in and out frequently. Ive cried with them and laughed with them, they are kinda like my family. But the staff is another story. Seniority means nothing and the physician care leaves much to be desired. I will miss my patients the most. I feel comfortable in this place in my role as a nurse and Im not so sure I will feel this way in another stange place. I will feel like a new grad again, which is so scary. I hope I will be able to find something that I will be happy with. Thanks so much. This site has so much support.

I can relate. Change is very scary. But, I'm hoping that it's going to be a good thing.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

It was quite easy to walk away from my first nursing job. My first nursing job was at a shabby nursing home where I had received only 8 hours of orientation before being cut loose to work on my own as the charge nurse for the 3-11pm shift. I submitted my 2-week notice of resignation after a lady fell out of bed and busted her head open. Since I was a new nurse, I had no clue that I was expected to write an incident report after the fall occurred. I only stuck around at this particular job for 6 weeks at the most.

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Not hard at all, considering that my evil head nurse forced me to quit after only 11 weeks (none of the things she wrote me up for was even remotely true, I guess I just didn't fit into her little clique of ass-kissing toadies :angryfire )

After that, I did my year in med-surg, but had to quit due to an impossible patient load that caused me (as well as other, very experienced nurses) to work tons of OT 'cause we didn't have time to chart until after our shift... so leaving this job, although harder (I had a great NM), wasn't hard either.

But at my next one I stayed for 5 1/2 years until my maternity leave - I would have never found this job (and my niche, dialysis) if it hadn't been for the experiences in these first two jobs - and, of course, leaving them.

So follow your heart, it sounds like you're ready to move on. Two years in a first job is great!

Best of luck,

DeLana :)

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Specializes in ER/ ICU.

I stayed at my first nursing job almost 9 1/2 years. I knew it wasn't great, but I am not one who likes change. I floated between ER and ICU and finally got so burned out w/ staffing and unreasonable acuity scales that I felt I had to leave for patient safety and my license. I work at an awesome hospital and make alot more $ and have a voice. I have learned change is not always bad.

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