Leaving job after only 6 months?

Nurses New Nurse

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Long story short, I am a new BSN RN who accepted a position on a med surg floor near my house. At the time of acceptance, I wanted to live at home in case I needed further treatment for a medical condition I have and also to help my parents financially.

Now, I am in orientation and am already contemplating transferring to another hospital (within the same network) after 6 months. Night shift is harder on me physically than I thought, my fiance lives in this new city and I miss him like crazy, and my parents are actually planning on moving FURTHER away from my current hospital which would increase my commute time to over an hour which could even be unsafe to drive after a 13 hour shift.

I am incredibly conscience of my career and networking and don't wish to burn any bridges. I am also very thankful for my job, and thus I was wondering... what do you guys think? Is it okay (career wise) to transfer within the same network after 6 months or should I wait a full year? Would it be a bad decision career wise? During orientation they said 6 months is the minimum, but I am curious as to how that may look to future employers. I want to be professional, however I realize that life is short and I want to do what is safer for me (my commute at the new hospital would be ~5 minutes).

Thank you in advance for your insight!

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If it were me, I would try to stay here as long as possible. I would look at 18 or 24 months. But all the while I would be working on learning and getting myself in a positive light, I would also be scouting the horizon. When there is something irresistible after the one year mark, start applying. That would be my timeline. But that is me.

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Do you feel that you could talk to your manager about switching to day shift (without giving too much personal detail about your medical history and without making it obvious that you're considering other jobs)? Just mention the drive you may have to make for each shift and the fatigue you're feeling. It's no guarantee that you'll get on day shift (there's usually a line of people waiting to get on days) but it might be worth asking before you look for other jobs.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

You are right, it can be seen as ungrateful to leave a position in 6 months...because it takes 6 months to one year to be fully productive.

But I'm sympathetic to your situation and looking at the big picture. If you remain within the network, the loss to your unit and facility may be mitigated.

As far as tenure, yes, in and of itself, 6 months is very short. But if you stay 1-2 years at your next position, then you are beginning to build a credible work history and the first tenure is not as important.

It's a question of values and what you decide is the best decision for you :)

Best wishes,

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