Advice- Newer RN Thinking About Changing Jobs

Nurses New Nurse

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0I have been in my department (my first nursing job) for just over a year now, and am starting to think about my future and what I actually want to do. I got extremely lucky, and got hired into the CVOR as a new grad. I really love my job, and definitely would not mind staying in my current position, but I am not sure if it is really my "passion." The hours and call are also kind of rough (but it is first shift, just call on weekends and nights).

I really like what I do now, but since starting nursing school, and throughout clinicals, I have always wanted to do labor and delivery, and eventually be a midwife. I have always felt that this would be my dream job, and still do feel like this even though I am in a position I really like now.

There is now a position open in a different facility in labor and delivery. It is a further commute, and night shift (which I have never worked, so would be kind of scared about that).

I am thinking about applying for this position, but am definitely scared thinking about if I actually did get the job. Is leaving my first RN job, that I do like, after only a year a bad idea? Anyone else been in a similar position and/or have any advice?

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Specializes in Tele, Interventional Pain Management, OR.

It wouldn't hurt to apply if you're interested in L&D.

But allow yourself to deeply consider whether or not you're cut out for night shift. I am leaving my first RN job after ten months (tele/cardiac unit) because of my schedule. I have been working night shift since January and waiting for my unit director to switch me to days since April. She finally lowered the boom a few weeks ago and informed me that it would be "at least several months" before she could put me on the dayshift roster.

That conversation let me know it was time to move on. Despite all my years as a working person, successfully balancing school and crazy retail hours before becoming a nurse, I finally found the one thing I can't do--work night shift. I am just one of those people who can't deal with the physiological and psychological effects of forcing myself to be awake overnight three or four times a week. I never made any mistakes on the job but feeling like I could fall asleep on the hour-plus commute home was scary.

I start a clinic RN job in a week and a half and I'm thrilled to rejoin the land of the living!

I share my story not to discourage you, but to make sure you consider the reality of night shift if you're thinking your current schedule is rough. It's been hard for me to admit to myself that I can't do something, but nights were it. To be fair, it didn't help that the night manager stopped scheduling my shifts consecutively (which I prefer) and started plugging me in so I'd work a night, off a night, work a night...or work two, off one, work three. Ugh. I felt like a depressed, sleep-deprived zombie-person who could make a significant error at any moment. It definitely forced me to slow down on the job and pay extra-careful attention to details.

The other reason I share my story: to show that a relatively new nurse CAN switch practice areas. My newness made me a bit of a tough sell for the clinic position, but I persevered through several interviews and landed the job!

Good luck!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

It takes about two years to become fully competent as a new nurse. If you love your job and don't mind staying in your current position, stay another year. At one year, you are probably just now starting to be a return on your manager's investment in hiring and orienting you.

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@Jena- You are the exact reason I am so scared of night shift- I have heard some people are fine with it and adjust easily, and others who hate it and it makes their lives miserable. I am really not sure what camp I would be in; I am really not a "morning" person either, and honestly my dream shift would be somewhere between 11a-11p and 3p-3a. I have worked 6a-6p before, and I did not like that schedule at all. Not sure if I would feel the same way about a 7p-7a job.

Also, maybe "rough" wasn't the right word to describe my hours.. I have no problem working the hours I do, it is just extremely variable.. My department is really feast or famine- some weeks we have tons of cases going late, emergencies, etc., and I end up working 60-70 hours. Other weeks, we have few to no scheduled cases, and there are times I have been mandated off to the point of working less than 20 hours in a week. None of this is by choice, it is all mandatory (because of on call) overtime, or mandated time off. I would enjoy having a more steady hours job; I wouldn't mind picking up extra hours or volunteering off sometimes, but so much variability can be hard. I also take 10-15 nights/weekend days of call a month, so this can be a big issue in being able to do things outside of work as well. Honestly, other than being offered my dream job, the only reason I would even consider leaving my department is because of the schedule.

@Ruby- This was kind of the direction I was thinking.. I don't mind my current position at all, and I know a year is not long to work somewhere (it would be the shortest time I have ever worked anywhere thus far in my life). I also don't want to leave on bad terms by not being there long after my training. I really love the idea of working in my dream job, but I'm currently leaning in the direction of waiting a while longer to attempt this.

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