Are There Jobs for Inexperienced RNs Besides Floor Nursing?

[jack1971]

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.

[caffeinatednurse, BSN, RN]

As a new LVN, I started out in PDN. HUGE MISTAKE! I would never recommend PDN/home health that doesn't have at least a year of hands on clinical experience. You are on your own & have to be sure of your skills. There is no one to go to for a second opinion or help.

I have worked corrections as well & the same should be said about that. You need to make major decisions if a code is called & you are the only one there.

I remember when I was a new-ish LVN & worked at a prison. I was working ad seg all by myself when an inmate came to medical in the unit. I took his blood pressure & it was really high. What did I do? Told him we would recheck it later & sent him back to his cell. That was NO a good idea, thankfully I told my charge nurse & they brought him to the main medical building (what I should've done). Again, I had zero hospital experience & only worked PDN before corrections.

If you cant handle 5-8 patients on a hospital floor after a long orientation, I would never tell you to go work LTC. You have 30+ residents under your care & none of the time. I worked LTC (hated it) & remember one time very clearly that I had to literally swallow my lunch whole then get back to the floor.

I don't think any nurse is 100% confident in themselves, which is a good thing. Also it takes awhile for new grads to get a routine down & be less nervous.

I guess my experience in LTC as a new grad has been unique, then...

It's been a great way to gain tons of experience in assessments, handling emergencies, providing treatments, communicating with doctors, etc. I haven't had over 18 residents in my care so far, which is a little scary to actually think about sometimes, but getting a pattern/routine down has helped tremendously.

I wouldn't rule anything out for the OP. I HATED med-surg/PCU unit I worked on after graduation. I used to cry on the way home from work. LTC has been a good fit for me, though. To each their own.

I usually eat lunch while I chart. Nobody on my wing has time for pizza. Lol.

[PedsRNWest]

I feel like I'm in the same situation as you. I graduated in May and had already secured my first job before graduation - in the field I wanted to boot, L&D! I was so excited to start, and I did as soon as my temp license got approved.

My orientation was 3 months and things went fairly smoothly and I felt fairly prepared to be on my own, up until the end when I was off the floor doing cross-dept orientation and classes for the last couple weeks. Once I got off of orientation things just went down the drain almost immediately. While many of my co-workers were extremely kind and helpful, I got bullied by older nurses as well. I got reprimanded by these nurses for not being "where I should be" on a knowledge base - it still makes my blood boil being a new grad in an acute department that they were comparing me to nurses that transferred into the department after a year or more experience in other departments. I even met with my manager and a union rep (an ED nurse) to go over this and the union rep was flabbergasted that I was being treated like that, and confirmed my actions were appropriate to my experience. I finally accepted the realization that I hate bedside nursing and I absolutely hate working in a hospital.

I want to work in a clinic, office, some sort of nursing support position, anything else really; but getting into a clinic as a RN is damn near impossible since they only want to hire MAs and LPNs here (due to pay and union restrictions) and none of the other positions exist in the small mountain city I live in (relocating is not an option either). To boot, things were going so badly and I was so stressed out that I resigned from my position after the 5 month mark (as did one of my former classmates that got hired into the same dept shortly after I did for similar reasons).

So now I'm struggling trying to find a position that hopefully won't make me feel like a complete witch towards my family due to the stress. I've seriously been wondering if I just wasted the last 3 yrs of my life getting a degree in a field I hate because of my experience. But I don't think that's it, I just need to find the right fit for my personality. It's just good to read that someone else feels this way and you're definitely not alone on not wanting bedside nursing.

[nocturnallife, ASN, RN]

I just want to say follow your heart. If you don't think floor nursing is for you then do what makes you happy. Life is too short to be miserable. In my clinical rotation, I shadowed an ICU nurse with 2 yrs experience that was floated to Cardiac/Tele. The entire time he was complaining about how "floor nursing" sucks because you have to many patients and you can never really know what is going on with them. Mind you the nurse was only assigned 4 pts for that day. My point is that with or without experience floor nursing is not for everyone. Don't feel bad and good luck! Don't listen to the haters!

[SoCal Nurse]

I could have written your post 6 years ago. I had to extend my orientation, twice, and was on a type of probation during that time and I saw a counselor to help with my stress.

First, you're not, I repeat not, a failure...the nursing system is. I believe we as a group have allowed our employers to exploit us all to the extent that a huge percentage of new grads quit the profession shortly after working so hard to become RNs. The schools have also failed in not adequately preparing students for what they may encounter on the floor.

Consider going back to your employer and meeting with the director of nursing. Maybe a different unit or starting at nights would help get you through

the hump we apparently all get. Nights did that for me, then I went to days, and eventually I left the floor. Time management is critical and I have a tool I created that saved my buttocks. I used it everyday and it really made me a better nurse. I'd be happy to share it, just message me.

It'll be ok, and this experience will make you stronger in the end.

[moldyoldyrn]

I think some new RNs or those who've not worked in the busy environment of a surgical floor need a longer preceptorship. I have helped many a new RN and some older ones who were not used to the fast pace of a busy floor. It in NO WAY means you are a failure. Maybe someone needs to help you organize and prioritize! Of course you can find something that might be less stressful, there is home health, Nursing homes, rehab. One factor i think is very essential to the RN however. To be fully functioning one needs to practice enough in a medical and surgical setting to get some really good experience under your belt. It will help you with any other specialty area. Medicine might be a good area too, learn about diabetes, renal disease, infectious disease, cardiac, the whole gamut. Good luck and stick with it. I am retired after over 40 years as an RN and maybe I should hire out as a mentor to some of the newer, struggling RNs to help through. It's a thought.

[dharlow]

Dialysis is VERY busy! I worked at a Davita briefly and found it was not a good fit for me. I was up at 0300, drove 30 minutes to work, and from the time I entered the building I was setting up machines and accessing fistulas for the first round then started it all over 4 hours later for round two! Barely had time to use the restroom or even take a lunch. I worked med/surg for years and managed med/surg for a 34 bed unit at a community hospital. THAT was a good fit. Busy but not usually CRAZY! I've worked a lot of areas over 20 years of being a RN and took pride in bedside nursing. That was when it was true bedside nursing. I would have upward to 13 patients on night shift and around 7-8 on day shift. Keep in mind this was before EMR. I'm old school. I still believe in your standard m/s experience because it will definitely give you a baseline for the rest of your career. I always say a great med/surg nurse can turn on a dime and shift direction in a snap when needed (but that's just my opinion, lol - not bashing other modalities). Maybe find a smaller hospital where the pace isn't so hectic. I've also done correctional nursing, (huge jail) briefly, while in grad school. Not for me! I was assaulted (physically) by an inmate with psych problems who was left untreated for her illness while incarcerated for a misdemeanor. She just snapped after being off her meds. Good luck with your endeavors and hang in there! You'll find your way...

[m0lasses]

Sorry you had this experience. And, sorry you felt you had to quit. If you find yourself in this situation in your next position, I'd encourage you to talk with you coworkers, managers, and educators. Your experience was normal. I lasted only 16 months in med-surg. I thought about quitting everyday. I gave it the golden year plus some but just didn't like it. It did, however, get easier and more comfortable. I moved to womens and children's health and liked that much better. I now am working part time employee health and feel it is a great fit for me with some in call hospital shifts to supplement my experience. You might consider clinic work or working for an insurance company as options people haven't mentioned. Also, you might try going with an agency for a while. You can try things out without the long term commitment. You might also think about trying to do some shadowing so that you really get a feel for the units/practice areas before committing. Good luck and keep us posted. You'll find your niche eventually.

[KathyMomRN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN]

While you were nervous something bad might happen, it's never a good idea to quit a job without having secured a new job. The question will always come up about why you only stayed a few months. However, I suggest you can try ER nursing, or even ICU. In ICU you have a max of 3 patients. In a good hospital you are not "thrown into the water" so to speak but your patient load is more stable patients until you develop your skills. Good Luck!

[raecudzy1, BSN]

I feel you! I don't have it in my "personality" to do floor nursing like that either. For me I take things to heart too much and I am in a constant state of anxiety just knowing that something I did could have hurt them. I think that with healthcare changing, lawsuits, people self-diagnosing and "researching" for themselves when you have this fear you almost walk on egg shells every day caring for patients. If you don't feel it was for you, it wasn't. Only you know what is right for you. I work in employee health and plan on getting my master's degree. I don't work in a hospital, no bedside. I wish I could have done med/surg (it was my former dream), but after years of not even getting an interview and digging deep and finding I probably couldn't do it I am seeing that it really wasn't for me and I am on my path to something that I do enjoy - infection control.

Sorry I couldn't give much insight as to where you can find a position without much experience, but don't give up looking and exploring. I just want you to know that your not alone.

[WoundcarePhilRN]

Hey, who is telling you "You are a failure?" Are you letting your mind play tricks on you? I have been working in nursing for 30 years. You need to get back in the pool, don't give up. You have to push yourself to drive on. Being an RN is not easy, everyone is on you all the time. If you give up you will not have the experience you need to do other jobs. You are looking for an easier path to take. Find another unit. 8 patients is ridiculous for one RN. If you have 6, each patient can have 10 min an hour of your time. 8 is pushing it for any unit and could have blowback consequences for the hospital. Don't give up, go back and dig in for a year, then change units. You will get the experience you need and also meet a lot of people who will be glad to see you every day.

[catdog5]

I feel like I could've written this. I was on a Renal/Telemetry floor. My plan was to do it then transition into the ICU. I quit by my last shift. I never got off orientation. My supervisor was willing to work with me to get better. It does suck because you have an idea where you want your life to go then it seems to go up in smoke, but it only sucks for a little bit!! I did feel like a failure but really you just found something you don't like. Plus, we can't be good at everything My plan is not God's plan. I haven't had a job in three weeks but I have many, many opportunities and paths I can take. I was scared like you because I was worried that nobody would hire me with my limited experience. Some people are excited about hiring new grads because we are moldable!! Keep your head up, dear. I'm not sure if your believer, but I have finally fully accepted that God has control of my life and I can't be in the driver seat all the time. I'm excited where He is going to lead me.

But yes everybody said after a year it will get better. What I was going through and my personality....I couldn't do it for a year to get better. I started an SSRI shortly before I quit. Sorry to get personal. Find support and people who are encouraging. Take some time to love yourself and do you things you like. I am in your shoes!!!! You are not alone. Don't let fear hold you back.

[witchynurse, LVN]

You can do home health nurse where you supervise LVN/LPNs and CNA. That has limited patient care and it's more administrative. Also look into research, I'm an LVN and that's what I do. On average I see 1-2 patients a day, sometimes more and the visits can range from 15 minutes to 12 hours. There's a lot of reading and administrative tasks involved, but I personally love it. Good luck!