I graduated in May and started my first job as an RN in July on a busy surgical floor at a local hospital minutes from my home. It was a perfect set up. The nurses I worked with were awesome, the supervisors were supportive and helpful, and as mentioned before, it was minutes from my house. The problem was I was about to be off orientation and I was terrified! I am definitely not cut out to be a floor nurse. The thought of taking care of 5-8 patients all by myself scared me to death!! I felt overwhelmed and worried that I was going to miss something when I no longer had my preceptor to catch me when I fall. The type of fear I was feeling wasn't normal new grad fear. It was clearly my personality and I can't change that. Anyone who has been a floor nurse should know what I mean. You either can do it or you can't. And it's not safe to "wing it." I recognized this was not where I belong as a nurse. I was always running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. So, needless to say, I decided to leave my job. Now I am unemployed and truly worried I have wasted the past 4 years of my life going to school for a career that I am not going to be able to do. My husband and parents think I'm a failure. I'm beginning to believe it also.
I love patient care and would work a lot better in an environment where I could spend more one-on-one time with my patient, but where are jobs like that when you don't have experience? And now I'm worried it will look bad that I quit a job after 3 months, but I truly felt like something bad was going to happen if I didn't get out now. I have applied at 2 dialysis centers, ECT, and considering correctional nursing. But again, all of those positions state experience required. I applied anyway, but not feeling too confident.
If anyone has any sound advice for me, I would greatly appreciate it.
Hi Jack1971! There certainly are non-floor nursing jobs for inexperienced nurses. My first job was in an outpatient allergy and asthma clinic, and I loved it (the only reason I left was to go back to get my MSN full time). I feel that my quality of life there was much better than it would have been in the hospital - I never (or rarely) felt overwhelmed, had a lot of one-on-one time with each patient, and did not experience the high-pressure life-or-death scenarios you see on the floors. It also didn't hurt that there were no weekends, evenings, nights or holidays! You also get to see many of the same patients again and again, fostering more rewarding (in my opinion) long-term relationships.
My advice to you is to check out sites like craigslist. A lot of the smaller private practices don't want to pay for the 'bigger' ad spaces on sites like indeed so they post on craigslist, which is free. You could also call or e-mail practices you are interested to see if they have any openings. My friend was interested in school nursing and called all of the schools in the area. A lot of them didn't have openings at the time but then called her back a couple of months later with opportunities, or sub-nursing requests.
The beauty of nursing is that it is incredibly versatile. There is something for everyone. Best of luck!
Thanks for this advice! I too am a recent grad (May 2016) & I landed my 1st job at a LTC facility. I've been there for 1 month & that's been enough time for me to realize that floor nursing is not for me. However, I took your advice & went looking on Craigslist (in the past I usually only looked on Indeed or CareerBuilder) & I actually found a job opening for a Circulating RN for an ambulatory surgery center. I took a shot in the dark & applied, went on my 2nd interview today & needless to say, I got the job! I'm so excited to start my new job in 2 weeks & not be responsible for 30 pts on a daily basis anymore! So I definitely sympathize with anyone in the same situation & my advice is to not be afraid or feel like a failure to leave a job which u feel is not ur fit. There are many different avenues out there for us which is the beauty of Nursing! BEST OF LUCK!
I have worked corrections for a decade. Minimum security all the way up to maximum security. My blood pressure goes up as soon as those gates shut behind me, every single time I come to work. I've seen a lot. These people will take a razor blade to themselves, to others, to security, to you. Yeah yeah... you are going to get the "they are just people too" but has anyone who's ever said that stood in a 3 tier segregation barracks with 54 guys masturbating at them? Chest pain, cheat pain, fight, fire, chest pain. I have seen an inmate throw feces on security more times than I can count. They will flood the barracks, and when you go to pass pills, you'll be standing in dirty toilet water. You are going to be running. You are going to be placed in highly dangerous situations. You will learn that convicts know how to slip the cuffs, that you never turn your back to them, and it will change your ENTIRE outlook on the world. So keep all this in mind before you think corrections would create less anxiety. PS- the isolation/ segregation barracks don't have AC... it's one hot muggy stinky place in July.
In my state there are no easy correctional nursing jobs. I was a PM nurse at a medium-max correctional facility. I was one RN for 700 inmates. I had to dispense from the pharmacy, do all the intakes, see to any emergency, do phlebotomy, exams and take off all the days orders. I also had to triage on site complaints from segregation to the units over a 200 acre campus on foot. As soon as the day shift left the imaginary crises poured in. Hardest I ever worked. Running the pharmacy was a fascinating experience, I learned a lot. However overall the gig was a daily stress volcano.
I feel like I could've written this!! I am the exact same way, except I'm 5 month off orientation and STILL feel overwhelmed and incompetent. I know exactly what you mean by not having the personality type that can "take it." I am a perfectionist, high anxiety, want everything to go smoothly and need advance planning for unexpected things. Having 6 patients and a new admit is enough to bring me to tears. I haven't quit yet, but my resignation letter is written....
What did you end up doing? Sounds like a lot of people on here disagree with the decision to quit, but they don't understand the mental turmoil this job causes for people of this personality type..! Did you find a job you like better?
Specializes in Emergency Room, Hospice/Palliative Care.
I feel like I could've written this!! I am the exact same way, except I'm 5 month off orientation and STILL feel overwhelmed and incompetent. I know exactly what you mean by not having the personality type that can "take it." I am a perfectionist, high anxiety, want everything to go smoothly and need advance planning for unexpected things. Having 6 patients and a new admit is enough to bring me to tears. I haven't quit yet, but my resignation letter is written....
What did you end up doing? Sounds like a lot of people on here disagree with the decision to quit, but they don't understand the mental turmoil this job causes for people of this personality type..! Did you find a job you like better?
Don't give up. I felt that way even after almost 3 years as an ER nurse. I did eventually leave the ER to go back to my comfort zone-hospice and palliative care, but my time in ER made me a better nurse all around. Remember, if you are a high anxiety perfectionist, those traits will follow you no matter what field you pursue. New admits still bring me to tears, even in hospice. Feeling that way should say that you are a good nurse and want to do the best job possible for your patients.
If you quit what will you do? The first year is always the hardest. Don't give up, this is not an easy path to take. Being an RN is an unappreciated endeavor. Being a constant target for patients, families, docs and management to fuss and complain all day. I know it's hard, but you can't give up.
I think it would do you some good to take a personality test specifically geared toward nursing. And don't just take one take several. There is one very similar to Myers Briggs but more for nurses unfortunately I dont have a link but it is easily googled (nurse specialty personality test). Based on what you say though I think you would be great in more of a doctors office/ clinic setting. I have a good friend who was in a similar situation and her personality just didn't fit floor nursing. She recognized it early and switched to a small clinic and loves it. Don't give up just yet. Just try and find your niche:)
I was on the floor only 7 months when I left for a county health department position that I loved for 4 years. Looking back, maybe if I had kept pushing through the anxiety, it would have gotten better for me, but I am so happy with my life as a nurse now (I am a school nurse--love it!). As a person with perfectionist tendencies and also anxiety, the hospital setting just wasn't for me. I would encourage you to stay just as long as you are able, but go ahead and explore other options. That is the most wonderful thing about nursing---we have so many options. Not every nurse needs to be a hospital floor nurse!
Specializes in L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.
i fall easily into this category and suffered greatly when I began my new grad position on the Labor & Delivery floor of my hospital. My inability to be perfect messed with my head really badly, and also made time management nearly impossible. I didn't realize my personality type was sabotaging my job but in hindsight it most certainly was. I am very grateful to say that God has provided for me many times over since then. I worked PRN in a family practice office, while working recovery for a free-standing Endo clinic, which was great. My next job was as a field staff supervisor for a home health agency - learning policy, writing plans of care, doing supervisory visits to clients' homes, teaching CNA level orientation, etc. Great job for me. That segued into the job I have currently - RN Case Manager for disabled children on a Medicaid waiver program. I work from home the majority of the time and see clients in their homes every 90 days. It's a lot of computer work and my assessment skills have become stronger (it's a whole different kind of assessment from the ones you would do in a hospital though). There are many options for nurses who may not be suited to hospital floor nursing. Case Management has turned out to be my thing, and I urge you to look into it. I wish you the best!
Best of luck and let us know how it goes at your new job!
Kim_RN_
3 Posts
Thanks for this advice! I too am a recent grad (May 2016) & I landed my 1st job at a LTC facility. I've been there for 1 month & that's been enough time for me to realize that floor nursing is not for me. However, I took your advice & went looking on Craigslist (in the past I usually only looked on Indeed or CareerBuilder) & I actually found a job opening for a Circulating RN for an ambulatory surgery center. I took a shot in the dark & applied, went on my 2nd interview today & needless to say, I got the job! I'm so excited to start my new job in 2 weeks & not be responsible for 30 pts on a daily basis anymore! So I definitely sympathize with anyone in the same situation & my advice is to not be afraid or feel like a failure to leave a job which u feel is not ur fit. There are many different avenues out there for us which is the beauty of Nursing! BEST OF LUCK!