New Grad, Career Advice Needed

If I had a dollar for each of the recent posts related to new grads quitting jobs, then wondering how to go about finding a "better" position, I'd be rich!

I don't mean to be harsh. I'm just a little surprised at the number of new grads who seem to be ill-prepared for their first nursing positions, have little insight on how to make these jobs work and then struggle to find new positions when they quit the first after only a few months.

I think this stems from at least 2 factors: 1. Nursing education programs don't seem to effectively address professional issues such as interviewing, the hiring process, continuing education needs of new grads, communication skills of new grads, the responsibility of the new nurse to the employer, etc. 2. Many new grads have unrealistic expectations of their first jobs and don't seem to be willing to try to work things out.

First of all, no one expects a new grad to know everything or be able to function independently on day 1. It sounds as if your manager and fellow staff were actually rather supportive of you and satisfied with your progress. Is it possible that you were putting more pressure on yourself regarding your abilities and performance than they were putting on you? There is nothing wrong with being your own worst critic, as long as you put it in perspective and realize that while you would like to improve, your performance is acceptable for your level of experience at that time.

Secondly, when you realized that you were dis-satisfied, did you work with your preceptor, manager or nurse educator to improve your skills, knowledge base and comfort level, or did you privately decide to throw in the towel?

What do you desire in a new position that did not exist in this one? A different patient population? More or less acuity? Better nurse to patient ratio? Expanded orientation? Different hours? A shorter commute? Unless you can identify what is important to you in your next job, you will probably find yourself dissatisfied in the next job as well.

Hiring and orienting a new grad is a lengthy and expensive process. It takes at least a year for the unit to recoup its investment and begin to realize the benefit of the new nurse's expertise. When a manager offers a position to a new grad, she needs to have some reassurance that the grad will stay long enough to become an asset to the unit. That is why I recommend that new grads choose their first positions very carefully, with the intention of staying for at least a year or two (barring unsafe working conditions). Managers are understandably leery of hiring nurses with a history of job changes after only a few months.

Prior to interviewing for new positions, I suggest that you do some soul searching to determine exactly what you want in a new job. Come to the interview well-prepared with questions about orientation and mentoring of new staff, continuing education, support programs for new nurses, staff ratios, working conditions, etc. Acknowledge your short stay in your previous position and emphasize that you understand the importance of making a commitment to this employer. Ask to shadow a nurse to get a feel for the unit. Don't jump at the first offer, unless you are sure that it is a job you can and will stay with for at least a year.

Good luck.

This part of your post made me grin. My last position involved management and project planning and I couldn't get out of it fast enough! Give me chaos at the bedside any day. I am capable of managing that. Other people and massive projects, not so much!

You are absolutely right that the beauty of our profession is its diversity. If you develop strong management skills, you will excel in many areas of nursing, because such skills are rare among nurses. They're not well taught in most nursing programs and few nurses get the opportunity to develop them on the job.

But in order to reach that point, you must develop some clinical expertise. That means a new job. Your explanation here of your decision to leave your position is heartfelt and understandable. Consider how you will explain this decision to a hiring manager while making the point that you want to commit to a new job. Your mention of the psych position concerns me a bit because it didn't seem well-planned. At this point it is imperative that you find a job that you reasonably expect to keep for 1-2 years. Do you homework and research facilities, including outpatient settings like the health department and physician offices. Ask friends, classmates and instructors for recommendations. Prepare for interviews by making a list of questions. Ask to shadow nurses. Ask them how satisfied they are with their jobs. Most will answer honestly. Ask how new grads are integrated into the unit. Consider working conditions and staff ratios. Don't make a rush decision.

Use this next job as a means of reaching your ultimate goal. If they provide tuition reimbursement, take some management and education classes.

Good luck to you.