Anyone here quit after being on orientation and thinking of leaving nursing altogether? I started my first job in January and am about to finish my orientation at the end of this month... The problem is, I am miserable! I hate the acute care setting, the continuous stress, and the understaffing. I am about to get off orientation at the end of the month but I already KNOW that hospital nursing is not for me. I feel guilty about leaving after the time they invested in me to orient but I really hate it!! I also feel like a failure for not being able to finish what I started... nursing was my 2nd degree (have a BA in psychology) but now I am seriously considering that nursing may not be for me and want to switch career paths again.
Has anyone else quit their first job... how easy was it to find a second job in nursing? Also, I don't think I want to be a nurse in a hospital anymore but it seems like every other job (public health nurse, home health nurse, case management, etc.) that I am more interested in wants at least 1-2 years acute care experience. Would I be considered a failure in the eyes of the managers if I leave the hospital world after only 3 months? Am I still marketable as a nurse? (I wouldn't be leaving on unfavorable terms)
Thanks for any advice or for anybody else sharing their experiences to commiserate with me!
Just remember that anyone's advice is based upon their own experience and situations. You need to decide for yourself what is best for you. Sometimes it will work out and other times you'll find yourself faced with more challenges. Such is life.
I was tempted to quit during orientation. I hated it. The juggling act of everything needing to be done 20 minutes ago. Having to prioritize important meds, important phone calls to/from docs, important patient assessments... they're ALL important! I mean, sure, sometimes everything happens at once and you just have to deal with it, but when that's the status quo...!!! Yes, every job has it's stresses but just because someone is struggling with the consistent stresses of tightly staffed acute care nursing doesn't mean they can't handle any stressful situation. Anyway, back to my story...
I took the challenge that, as much as I hated it, I wasn't going to quit. I was going to give it my best shot. It was miserable and I felt like I was floundering terribly, but I also felt I was making great progress - not anywhere near good enough, but there's so much to learn! I learned a lot that can only be learned through experience. But it wasn't enough. At the end of orientation, they took the decision out of my hands and exercised their option to let me go. In spite of all the talk of nursing shortages, they didn't offer me more orientation or another position in the hospital. I'm proud of myself for trying. The experience also let me realize that my skills and temperament are better suited to another area. I think I could be a good enough nurse in an ideal world with great ratios and resources. But I'm not good enough in the less than ideal world of short staffing. So shoot me for admitting my limitations instead of working somewhere willing to overlook inferior care (not that I could personally live with delivering inferior care).
Nursing school only gave a glimpse of day to day nursing. In school, we had time to look up the patient's condition and look through their records and get the "whole" picture. We had time to familiarize ourselves with each of their medications and treatments and test results. We had time to do a comprehensive patient assessment, physical, psychosocial, etc. We were able to ask questions and get assistance without making someone else get behind in their work. We could get to know our patients and support them psychologically while taking care of their physical needs. We would discuss our patients after clinicals and be able to learn from each other as well as from our experience. It was stimulating and challenging and rewarding.
In the "real world," all of that good stuff became relegated to the "it would be nice if..." realm. Trying to get all the meds out on time, even while an IV bag is running dry in one room, a doctor is calling back on another patient, and, oh, look, a new post-op patient to be assessed ASAP... I could barely remember who each patient was and what their issues were because I'd be running from one thing to another all shift. Well, I was new and it takes time to get a system that works for oneself. Fine. But even the experienced nurses seemed to be running just barely able to get everything done. They didn't have time to talk to their patients. They didn't have time to share about an interesting case with their colleagues. It looked like even once I got it all down, I'd still be running around putting out fires until my shift ended.
I enjoyed a lot of aspects of nursing school and clinicals... but the time crunch on most nursing units is not something I can handle. I can't feel good about my work. Apparently my supervisors agreed. I don't want to "waste" my nursing education. I've managed to find work in a health care related area where I'm working more with information. I can go back and check my work and make corrections. I can plan my work day ahead of time. If I have questions, I can put them aside and get to them later. There are days that more hectic than others and I have to "make do" but it's nothing compared to the average hospital floor or LTC facility, where it seems like nurses have to "make do" every day.
I'm not encouraging anyone to quit. But I don't like to hear the attitude that quitting is always the wrong choice. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. And we don't know the exact situation they are dealing with. I certainly do wish the OP the best and hope that she can find a way to make the best choice for herself.
jjjoy...........can I ask what is your current job. Sounds fun. :)????
I am essentially a "cubicle worker" at this point and I'm okay with that. I basically decided that I would rather work in an office environment. So I checked the job board of a local hospital and applied for any administrative position that I was vaguely qualified for. After several weeks of checking back, the HR person got to know me and began to forward my application to positions she thought I might be qualified for. Interviews were difficult because I was "overqualified" for the positions and would be accepting much lower pay than clinical nursing. Supervisors were reluctant to hire me for fear I'd leave as soon something better came up. Finally, though, two different departments offered me jobs. From here, I'm not sure what direction I'll head. Maybe graduate studies in administration? Information sciences?
I do enjoy my job, though it has its drawbacks, as do all jobs. The key is that I don't feel nauseated going in each day, don't breakdown crying in the bathroom daily, and don't feel like I'm leaving the battlefield of an ongoing war at the end of my day. Some people HATE sitting at a desk all. They do it as long as they have to but not any longer than that. If I HAD to make clinical nursing work, I suppose I could... luckily, I don't have to. I appreciate that fact every day as I don't believe my health, physical or mental, would do very well in such conditions. I admire those who make it work despite the difficulties. I admire those who thrive in the chaotic environment of many acute hospital floors.
I dislike the "take it or leave it" attitude of many nurses in regard to complaints of the stresses of nursing. I do believe I could be a decent nurse if the conditions were better. It still might not be my first choice, but I'm a competent person and a hard worker. I should be able to adequately function in an average working environment. Not everyone can be a super-nurse and the more supportive the environment, the better everyone can perform. We need you super-nurses, most certainly. But we also need "just okay" nurses as well. Otherwise the consciencious "just okay" nurses leave because they can't perform well enough and don't hide it or accept it. They either quit or are let go. Then all you have left are three kinds of nurses: super-nurses, who thrive on managing a crazy workload, stressed-out nurses who barely manage their ridiculous workload day to day and discourage others from going into nursing, and sub-par nurses who scrape by because everyone else is too busy covering their own tails to check their work or call them to task. These sub-par nurses may need the job so badly that they'll lower their standards of care or they may be so accustomed to cut corners that they don't see any problems with the quality of their care. We need too many nurses to demand that every nurse be a super-nurse. I'll get off my soapbox now.
I sorta did. I graduated in May got a job at a smaller hospital. I worked on the med/surg floor. The floor I worked on had a very high acuity I worked at this job for 5 months. I just couldn't handle it. I quit before I had a second job lined up. I interviewed at 4 different LTC facilities and had a job offer at each. I have been working in LTC now for 3 months and love it.
Just remember that anyone's advice is based upon their own experience and situations. You need to decide for yourself what is best for you. Sometimes it will work out and other times you'll find yourself faced with more challenges. Such is life.
I was tempted to quit during orientation. I hated it. The juggling act of everything needing to be done 20 minutes ago. Having to prioritize important meds, important phone calls to/from docs, important patient assessments... they're ALL important! I mean, sure, sometimes everything happens at once and you just have to deal with it, but when that's the status quo...!!! Yes, every job has it's stresses but just because someone is struggling with the consistent stresses of tightly staffed acute care nursing doesn't mean they can't handle any stressful situation. Anyway, back to my story...
I took the challenge that, as much as I hated it, I wasn't going to quit. I was going to give it my best shot. It was miserable and I felt like I was floundering terribly, but I also felt I was making great progress - not anywhere near good enough, but there's so much to learn! I learned a lot that can only be learned through experience. But it wasn't enough. At the end of orientation, they took the decision out of my hands and exercised their option to let me go. In spite of all the talk of nursing shortages, they didn't offer me more orientation or another position in the hospital. I'm proud of myself for trying. The experience also let me realize that my skills and temperament are better suited to another area. I think I could be a good enough nurse in an ideal world with great ratios and resources. But I'm not good enough in the less than ideal world of short staffing. So shoot me for admitting my limitations instead of working somewhere willing to overlook inferior care (not that I could personally live with delivering inferior care).
Nursing school only gave a glimpse of day to day nursing. In school, we had time to look up the patient's condition and look through their records and get the "whole" picture. We had time to familiarize ourselves with each of their medications and treatments and test results. We had time to do a comprehensive patient assessment, physical, psychosocial, etc. We were able to ask questions and get assistance without making someone else get behind in their work. We could get to know our patients and support them psychologically while taking care of their physical needs. We would discuss our patients after clinicals and be able to learn from each other as well as from our experience. It was stimulating and challenging and rewarding.
In the "real world," all of that good stuff became relegated to the "it would be nice if..." realm. Trying to get all the meds out on time, even while an IV bag is running dry in one room, a doctor is calling back on another patient, and, oh, look, a new post-op patient to be assessed ASAP... I could barely remember who each patient was and what their issues were because I'd be running from one thing to another all shift. Well, I was new and it takes time to get a system that works for oneself. Fine. But even the experienced nurses seemed to be running just barely able to get everything done. They didn't have time to talk to their patients. They didn't have time to share about an interesting case with their colleagues. It looked like even once I got it all down, I'd still be running around putting out fires until my shift ended.
I enjoyed a lot of aspects of nursing school and clinicals... but the time crunch on most nursing units is not something I can handle. I can't feel good about my work. Apparently my supervisors agreed. I don't want to "waste" my nursing education. I've managed to find work in a health care related area where I'm working more with information. I can go back and check my work and make corrections. I can plan my work day ahead of time. If I have questions, I can put them aside and get to them later. There are days that more hectic than others and I have to "make do" but it's nothing compared to the average hospital floor or LTC facility, where it seems like nurses have to "make do" every day.
I'm not encouraging anyone to quit. But I don't like to hear the attitude that quitting is always the wrong choice. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. And we don't know the exact situation they are dealing with. I certainly do wish the OP the best and hope that she can find a way to make the best choice for herself.
:yelclap: It is so refreshing to hear your point of view. I wholeheartedly agree :yelclap:I am personally going through the dilemma of quitting a position during orientation. I have over a year experience on a med surg floor and now I want to move to other areas in nursing mainly ICU. I worry that the stress level may be higher, but with two patients I will get to know the pt and the disease process and I could better streamline my care. And willl not try to juggle 8 different pts care and hoping at the end of the day that I am not forgetting something important.
My first job was on a busy tele unit ( I swore in school that I would Neverever work tele!). Once orientation was over, it finally hit me that I am nurse, responsible for a group of sick patients! I was so stressed out my first year of nursing. I used to have to psych myself up to even get out of my car and walk into the hospital. Any nursing students reading this, Please, Please, Please read as much as you can of your nursing books and really understand them inside and out. That is the only thing that saved me, having the knowledge base and skill set ready to apply quickly. When a patient is crashing, you don't have the time to look every little thing up. I worked with a group of wonderful nurses who always pitched in to help me out when I needed it. If you don't have that support, it will make your work day a living hell. I was one of 5 new grads who started on that unit and after one year, only 2 of us was left. The other nurse decreased down to only one day a week. I stayed on that unit for 4 years and would not trade that experience in for anything, I learned so much. After about a year and a half, I finally started feeling competent on that unit. I no longer work bedside nursing in the hospital, but am in LTC. LTC has its stress, but it is nowhere near that of the hospital. Please try to stick it out atleast for a year if you can. If you can't, there are numerous nursing specialties out there to go into. Good Luck!
Thank you to everyone who posted replies and shared their stories with me. After another two weeks, I have decided I am definitely going to leave after orientation. I got accepted into a MS in community health program in boston (am in cali now) so I am going to quit this job and move to boston a little earlier (in July) and take a couple months off to travel, go on vacation, etc. Also, I am from boston originally, so I got my previous per diem RN position at a homeless clinic (I did that for 5 months before I went into the hospital setting) which I really loved. I am grateful for the experience in the hospital (I know so much more about assessing a patient) and feel badly about leaving after orientation but I really feel like I would rather be happy in my job.
To those of you who left after orientation, what did you say to your nurse managers?? How did they react? How much notice did you have to give??
Also, my other option was to ask them, after orientation, to work per diem (am supposed to work 0.8). Has anyone done that after orientation? I think I could handle 1-2 days/wk on the floor but definitely not 4 days/wk!!
I quit during my so-called orientation at a hospital (I was never even given a preceptor!). Because I was still on "orientation" they said there was no point to work the usual two weeks notice, though I did say I would. I would think that most places would feel the same way...why keep paying to orient when they are leaving?
I also am a recent graduate - I have now been a floor nurse for 6 months. I think what helped me is that I worked on my floor as an "extern" while I was in school. I knew what to expect and saw the day to day frustrations, so I went in with my eyes open. I have also seen other new grads ask for their orientation to be extended because they did not feel ready to be on "their own" yet, and my boss has done this for several individuals. I realize floor nursing is not for everyone, but right now it is what I want to do. So perhaps before you leave altogether you should go and have a talk with your nurse/floor manager and see what options are available to you.
I have only been an RN for about 10 months and in the rural area it was really hard to find a job in a hospital. I wound up working for the state in a treatment facility for civilally committed sex offenders. The hours rotate like most hospitals but the stress levels are very low for the most part and now I don't think I am going to even try hospital nursing at all as I always knew I did not want to work med surg and the small hospitals in our area won't let you work in ob (where i really wanted to work) without med surg experience. So hang in there maybe try correctional or psych nursing or if you have a sex offender program try that the pay is decent and there is very little risk to your health as all the patients have well documented histories and you don't have very many surprises when it comes to blood borne diseases. Best of luck to you and don't worry you're not a failure and you're not alone.
In my experience I know most new nurses feel exactly the same way. I've been a nurse for 8 years and hated every single day of it for the first 5 years. I started out in ER (a bad place to start for a new grad) and the nurses there certainly lived by the old saying "nurses eat their young." I found myself becoming an angry, bitter nurse and realized that that wasn't the kind of nurse I wanted to be. After two years there I moved to a 12-bed stroke unit where the assistant nurse managers were very kind and nurturing. It took about 6 months there before I felt like I didn't at least hate nursing, but was still unhappy. After three years there I moved to radiology and was surprised that I actually missed bedside nursing. So, now for the last three years I've actually liked nursing. My advice? Give it time, move around to different units and departments. Even go out of the hospital - try school nursing or community health. The great thing about nursing is there are a lot of different areas. Find a place where the nurses are a team, willing to help and most of all have a positive attitude. Also remember, if you're young and this is your first job in the "real world" that's an adjustment in itself. Hang in there and give it time. Nursing really is a great profession and I would hate for you to miss out on it.
In my experience I know most new nurses feel exactly the same way. I've been a nurse for 8 years and hated every single day of it for the first 5 years. I started out in ER (a bad place to start for a new grad) and the nurses there certainly lived by the old saying "nurses eat their young." I found myself becoming an angry, bitter nurse and realized that that wasn't the kind of nurse I wanted to be. After two years there I moved to a 12-bed stroke unit where the assistant nurse managers were very kind and nurturing. It took about 6 months there before I felt like I didn't at least hate nursing, but was still unhappy. After three years there I moved to radiology and was surprised that I actually missed bedside nursing. So, now for the last three years I've actually liked nursing. My advice? Give it time, move around to different units and departments. Even go out of the hospital - try school nursing or community health. The great thing about nursing is there are a lot of different areas. Find a place where the nurses are a team, willing to help and most of all have a positive attitude. Also remember, if you're young and this is your first job in the "real world" that's an adjustment in itself. Hang in there and give it time. Nursing really is a great profession and I would hate for you to miss out on it.
Thank you for your post and perspective... it's easy to forget that all the experienced nurses around were once young and inexperienced like us. Last weekend I made the mistake of admitting a patient on a KCL infusion and not having them on telemetry- when I got report they said pt needed to be on a "cardiac monitor" and I automatically thought C/A monitor since that is what is always used on my floor... duh, forgot ALL my hypo/hyperkalemia education from NS. My charge nurse, bless her heart, saw the patient and asked what was going on w/ the C/A monitor since it was a GI kid, was like WHAT??? but was nice to me about it- and we had to move the pt to a different room etc. for telemetry... I felt like such an idiot!!! Anyway after being an idiot like that it is good to hear someone saying nursing is a great profession and help remember the first year WILL eventually end; all the things in your post somehow are fresh and reassuring. thanks.
Curious1alwys, BSN, RN
1,310 Posts
jjjoy...........can I ask what is your current job. Sounds fun. :)????