Anyone else frustrated with being a new nurse?

Nurses New Nurse

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I have been a nurse for 4 months. So far, I've been disappointed and frustrated with my job. I am not sure how much has to do with my hospital, floor, and shift, and how much has to do with me. In the last month 5 nurses and 2 CNAs have left. 2 more nurses and 2 CNAs turned in their notices tonight. We have a new chief nursing executive that has us on a bare bones staffing grid and people have been dropping like flies. I work 3-11 on a Med/Surg floor. I dread going into work, am stressed the wole time I'm there, and cannot wait until I am off for a few days. I never expected to practice in the "Ivory Tower" like they taught us in school, but I never expected it to be like THIS. I never do anything for my patients except, "Here take this pill" or "Here's your shot." Is anyone else as disappointed with nursing as I am?

Specializes in mostly in the basement.

Just wanted to vent about my own experience....:)

I have been in the ED for almost 3 months as a new grad(yes, I know some people don't think you should do that anyway but I figured I'd try it and see). Anyway, it is a nightmare. I have yet to be assigned an actual preceptor. Every day I go in and basically stand around until the charge nurse can pester someone to be willing to "take " me. I have the routine down well enough, but I am unable to help out with code situations or anything like that. I guess I thought I would be taught certain things. I am more than proactive about seeking out my own learning experiences but I am just floating around in a no man's land right now. I still have no computer access of my own, Pyxis or Accucheck #'s. My unit is also, frankly, kinda gross and extremely disorganized. Most of the staff seems pretty disgruntled and I don't think they're necessarily rude people, probably just overwhelmed by the situation.

Anyway, I have begun sending out my resume again but don't know if that will look bad. Plus, I do feel bad because I really wanted this to work but it's just so NOT.

Anyway, thanks for listening and always open to good advice.....

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Specializes in ICU, step down, dialysis.

Oh that's terrible...having to wait for a preceptor like that. Plus all the other stuff too you mentioned. And it is just so unfair to you. A friend of mine with 20 plus years experience quit a job here recently because she had over 10 preceptors. I quit an OR job because I felt my orientation was lacking (actually quit two OR jobs for that reason).

I don't have a problem with new grads in ER, but you really need a detailed orientation. I think if you should find another job, just make sure to ask questions in regards to how you will be precepted, do you have enough preceptors, etc. Sometimes if you do get assigned one, it may not be the right person, so don't feel bad about asking for another one.

ALso, I think if you could find place, if there is one close by to you, that has special programs for new grads in speciality areas, that would be a great help to adjusting to the hard life of ER nursing (done that myself too). If not, you can still do it, just in your interviews ask some pretty detailed questions about your orientation.

Good luck to you, and and I am so sorry that you have to go through this with your very first job. But don't let it get ya down too much, there's lots of jobs out there (at least in most places).

Just wanted to vent about my own experience....:)

I have been in the ED for almost 3 months as a new grad(yes, I know some people don't think you should do that anyway but I figured I'd try it and see). Anyway, it is a nightmare. I have yet to be assigned an actual preceptor. Every day I go in and basically stand around until the charge nurse can pester someone to be willing to "take " me. I have the routine down well enough, but I am unable to help out with code situations or anything like that. I guess I thought I would be taught certain things. I am more than proactive about seeking out my own learning experiences but I am just floating around in a no man's land right now. I still have no computer access of my own, Pyxis or Accucheck #'s. My unit is also, frankly, kinda gross and extremely disorganized. Most of the staff seems pretty disgruntled and I don't think they're necessarily rude people, probably just overwhelmed by the situation.

Anyway, I have begun sending out my resume again but don't know if that will look bad. Plus, I do feel bad because I really wanted this to work but it's just so NOT.

Anyway, thanks for listening and always open to good advice.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Just wanted to vent about my own experience....:)

I have been in the ED for almost 3 months as a new grad(yes, I know some people don't think you should do that anyway but I figured I'd try it and see). Anyway, it is a nightmare. I have yet to be assigned an actual preceptor. Every day I go in and basically stand around until the charge nurse can pester someone to be willing to "take " me. I have the routine down well enough, but I am unable to help out with code situations or anything like that. I guess I thought I would be taught certain things. I am more than proactive about seeking out my own learning experiences but I am just floating around in a no man's land right now. I still have no computer access of my own, Pyxis or Accucheck #'s. My unit is also, frankly, kinda gross and extremely disorganized. Most of the staff seems pretty disgruntled and I don't think they're necessarily rude people, probably just overwhelmed by the situation.

Anyway, I have begun sending out my resume again but don't know if that will look bad. Plus, I do feel bad because I really wanted this to work but it's just so NOT.

Anyway, thanks for listening and always open to good advice.....

My very first nursing job was like that. It was on a Med. Surg. unit that was very disorganized. The preceptor that I was given was basically told that she was going to precept me. She turned out to be far, far less than ideal. So I went to my manager very early on (the second week) and told her that I felt I was getting very little from the experience. I told her that anything that I knew was because I had worked previously as a nurse apprentice on a Med. Surg. unit. At this time, my manager admitted that this person was probably not the strongest nurse on the unit. Ok, then why was she selected???? I requested another preceptor. Well, they kept me on my former preceptor's schedule, but I never got another preceptor. I would show up and the charge nurse would be like, "Let's see...today I will put you with the unit secretary." Then one day she scanned her entire schedule of nurses working that day and still couldn't find anyone to put me with. On that particular day, she said I could "float" to the other Med. Surg. unit and work with another nurse there and if there wasn't one, then that charge nurse would be willing to precept. That day I decided to give notice. My manager also seemed less than interested in the fact that I was being shuffled around. Then at the end, she tells me what a good nurse I'm going to be and offered to have me work on another unit, blah, blah. By this time, I had already made up my mind to leave. This is probably going to sound horrible, but I left that job at the start of my 3rd week. I had no trouble getting another job. During one interview, the manager just wanted to know why I left. I was very honest (tactful all the while). In the other interview, the manager didn't even ask about it. I was offered both jobs. I say keep looking.

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