Bad experiences after another,how to overcome and find my niche?

happygolucky2014 · May 10, 2015

Consider taking PRN positions with different organizations if you don't need the benefits. That way, you can get a taste of different nursing jobs without being totally vested.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 10, 2015

Find nursing agencies where you live and take either PRN or short local travel assignment. Make sure to specify what areas/populations you would like to work with. If you won'the like some particular place, nothing will helderly you there.

Alternatively, find the patients you would like to work with in your office (GI should serve plenty of older folks with onco/suspicion of it) and go through charts to find out where they receive care, then inquire about openings.

TheSpectator · May 10, 2015

Ok...real talk.

One of the best things you can do for your future career is take responsibility for the jobs you accept. I know as a newer nurse it can be hard to find jobs at all, but from here on out research every job you apply for, a lot. Ask around about the culture of the unit. Speak to nurses that work there. Ask hard questions about retention and interpersonal relationships during the interview.

Trust your gut after an interview. If you feel uncomfortable with the unit, nurses, or managers don't take the job. Take initiative on educating yourself about which companies in your area retain nurses/employees. Do a lot of networking in the areas you're interested in. Learn to market yourself.

It's hard work to get the good ones! There will always be bad units/managers/jobs. It's up to us to research and not take these jobs. If you want a job you're going to stay at long term, it's a must to realize this. I feel your pain though! I'm working really hard to get into my preferred specialty right now. Not there yet, but opprotunities are coming my way through networking.

Good luck to you! I hope you find something you love where you can put down some professional roots.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 10, 2015

Here are some truths...

1. A sizable number of nurses go through their entire nursing careers never truly finding their niches along the way.

2. Most people do not love their jobs. Anecdotally, I'd say only a small percentage of people truly love their jobs. Perhaps 20 percent really love their jobs, another 20 percent of workers hate their jobs, and the remaining 60 percent majority can tolerate what they do in neutrality, but would jump at the chance for something more alluring.

3. It is unwise to depend on a job for fulfillment or happiness. Cultivation of a full, rewarding life outside the workplace will minimize the impact of a subpar job.

4. No job is perfect. I've been in nursing for nine years. Almost every job I've had has been understaffed, high turnover with high employee attrition rates, and permeated with unappealing aspects. My current job fits the aforementioned descriptors, yet I've hung on for five years, earned specialty certification, and managed to create lemonade out of a lemon.

5. Unless your current job is utterly intolerable, try to hang on for a year or two to avoid looking like a job-hopper. By now you know the grass is not always greener on the other side, and the next job might be worse than what you already have.

Good luck to you!

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 11, 2015

TheSpectator,

While I am absolutely agree with what TheCommuter said, I still wondering how exactly to do what you propose.

I was burned badly on my first nursing job, so I did pretty much everything you wrote about. I even found some nurses working in the hospital, although not in the unit, and spoke with them. After I accepted the job, the results were as follows:

- attrition rate was much lower than stated.

- there were, indeed, nurses who worked there for quarter a century and were happy... clique which took upon itself to decide to let any newcomer live or die tortured death.

- the unit was welcoming and warm.... except as decided by the nurses mentioned above. Lies, sabotage and worse things were norm of the day for them.

- the hospital had "diversity welcoming statement" proudly presented whilst the internal politics was openly rasist and xenophobic.

- the unit had new optimistic and active leader, except the boss of her was also the head of the clique mentioned above.

Needless to say, it ended quick and badly for me.

What I want to say, it is hardly possible to figure out what exactly going on in this particular unit unless one works there PRN or has a close relative or a very trusted friend working there. There are some subtle clues like facility displaying "diversity statement" means that this facility had problems with EEOC in the past or has reasonble expecration to get them at any moment, but overall the real picture can be only known from inside.

TheSpectator · May 11, 2015

KatieMI

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I hope you've found your way to a better situation.

It's true, sometimes there are going to be things that go on internally that we will not know about until we start the job. However, I feel it's much more likely we will end up going in with our eyes (mostly) open if we ask hard questions, shadow on the unit, and spend a good amount of time speaking/being mentored by people that have spent years in our preferred specialties in the city we want to work in.

Sometimes these things don't protect us, but if we take all these steps it is a lot less likely we'll end up in a bad situation. I'm not speaking in absolutes, as nothing is absolute. These are just suggestions for irishlynn5 to try so she does not end up in a third high turnover job with an unhappy work environment. I suggested these things for Irish because she didn't mention having tried these steps yet.

I agree that doing PRN work is a good idea as well and gives really good insight into the unit culture.

I also love TheCommuter's #3. It is unwise to depend on a job for fulfillment or happiness. Cultivation of a full, rewarding life outside the workplace will minimize the impact of a subpar job. I've just recently learned this. Now I understanding that I just have a preferred specialty and it's ok to save most of my "passion" and "love" for life outside of work.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 11, 2015

An older male MD friend once revealed he had spent some time in the Coast Guard.

Wow, I told him, what did you think of your experience there?

He made a slight grimace and replied, It helped me realize that was NOT what I wanted to do for a living.

He went on to get degreed in Physics and then on to Med School.

I hope you find what is "your" area, after finding another or two that aren't. :)

allnurses Guide · May 11, 2015

Before you quit and take another job you need to sit back and really look at your unhappiness with these past positions and what part of that unhappiness you own. Make a list of what your expectations are and if they are realistic or not. See if there is something about your own attitude you need to change and change it. Quit looking for a position tha makes you happy. Be happy first and you will grow into a position. The PRN idea is a good one though without a strong base of clinical skills you may have trouble getting hired over more experienced candidates. There is a saying that if you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life so really look at what you love. Is it surgery? If so consider taking a surgical tech class and scrub in on procedures while training. If your clinic has a slow day consider asking to scrub in and observe. If you want to do peds or Cancer or any specialty look into large teaching hospital's that provide preceptorships.

Instead or going from one position to another looking for the perpect fit - really take time to explore your areas of interest then apply in those areas and talk passionately about wht you want that position.

Hppy

Iknowwha2du · May 11, 2015

Sometimes you just have to make the most out of the job you have...It is hard to get proper training these days no matter where you work, due to staffing issues and time management constraints.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · May 12, 2015

Sometimes it takes awhile to find your niche. Here is a good thread to read through about others' search.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/how-many-jobs-987937.html

I think happiness has a lot to do with one's expectations rather than finding the perfect job to make me happy.

oldandintheway · May 12, 2015

I have yet to find my niche, but I have found a great position to maintain at work; supine with occasionally prone. Works till you're caught.