Bad orientation should I leave

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been on orientation since October. My preceptors have not been great. I was held back because one of them has been saying I'm not ready to move on to more sick babies. I was being yelled at a lot. I wrote a letter to my educator about the situation. The second preceptor who had teaching me appropriately is now different. After writing that letter, she is more short and picking on every little thing. I was given 2 weeks to show improvement or I have to quit. They wont help with a transfer or anything. I am constantly stressed and feedback has been so poor no matter what I do. Should I quit? Please help.

Specializes in school nurse.

A question to you for self-reflection- Were you really being "yelled at a lot" or were you being corrected in a no-nonsense fashion?

13 Votes

I was being yelled at. I even spoke with my educator and she had agreed. I have been trying my best but to take advice and improve bit based on comments it doesn't seem to be working. I feel like I have hit a breaking point.

1 hour ago, Didizain said:

Should I quit? Please help.

Usually by the time people are told "improve in the next few shifts or else...." it would be very difficult for them to change everyone's opinion even if there were no ongoing problems with their care or they could suddenly do everything perfectly.

Minds have already been made up. It might be best to spend some time mulling over this experience and learn what you can from it and look for a place where you can be successful.

14 Votes

Anyone who is ever actually yelled at in a learning environment in healthcare should immediately report this behavior. It is abusive, toxic, and unnacceptable.

While you may have been yelled at, that term is often used by people who have been reprimanded or corrected.

9 Votes
Specializes in retired LTC.

PP JKL33's post pretty much says it all.

You're unhappy and they're unhappy.

Best to let go.

3 Votes
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
9 hours ago, amoLucia said:

PP JKL33's post pretty much says it all.

You're unhappy and they're unhappy.

Best to let go.

100% agree. If you are unhappy and they are unhappy with your performance ... why stay? Transfer before they fire you.

5 Votes

If you want to try and stick it out, you need to take their criticism and ask what you can improve on. If you don’t feel like you’re in an environment you can thrive in, I would get out sooner rather than later. I would also ask HR about switching to another floor if this one isn’t a good fit. I’d personally rather leave before they had a chance to fire me.

1 Votes

OP, start looking for a new position, with a new employer.

You are a known whistleblower to them; the chances of you surviving now is slim.

Do. Not. Let. Them. Terminate. You.

If you get terminated, and a job application were to ask if you have ever been terminated, you will have to answer "yes" and explain; don't put yourself in that position. Just don't. It does not give you brownie points.

Are you worried what people on the unit will say about you? Don't be. Even if you decide to disclose this position on your next job application and the HR were to call your ex-employer, don't be. If your (likely) soon-to-be ex-employer is smart, they would disclose when you worked for them, and that's it; anymore would put them at risk of being sued for defamation.

(Though, if it has been less than a year since you graduated, you honestly should not bother mentioning this orientation, and consider yourself a born-again new grad - there is a debate on this; personally, I am in the "don't bother mentioning it and keep your mouth shut about it" camp but to each their own on this matter... not going to debate it on this thread.)

Again: Do. Not. Let. Them. Terminate. You.

6 Votes
1 hour ago, DTWriter said:

[...]

(Though, if it has been less than a year since you graduated, you honestly should not bother mentioning this orientation, and consider yourself a born-again new grad - there is a debate on this; personally, I am in the "don't bother mentioning it and keep your mouth shut about it" camp but to each their own on this matter... not going to debate it on this thread.)

[...]

OP, If you are asked to list all previous employment, it is in your best interest to do so. While you might leave this position off and get away with it you should remember that nursing is a small world. If you do leave it off, and are caught, at best you just placed a huge target on yourself and at worst this could result in immediate termination.

Best wishes.

3 Votes

I couldn't find where it said how long you have been a nurse for. Some newer nurses that worked in my department were techs in the dept before applying for a nurse position. Some made it and some did not, but that doesn't mean they will never make it back to our dept, they just need some more experience first. There is not anything wrong with that. It sounds like you are in a nursery or niccu like position. A very highly stressful position. If you don't have experience in this area, maybe start on a med-surgical unit or like to get some experience working with peds. Med-surg was by far the hardest job I ever had, telemetry the second, but I'm glad I had the experiences. You can keep studying about your desired field and go back to it with more confidence. It doesn't make you a failure for this not to work out. It will feel devastating at first, and what would be really brave is to sit down with your preceptors in a calm and dignified manner with the unit manager and get their feedback, even if it isn't what you want to hear.

On 1/6/2020 at 10:38 AM, llg said:

100% agree. If you are unhappy and they are unhappy with your performance ... why stay? Transfer before they fire you.

She said they won't help with a transfer.

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