Bored after 3 months?

Sour Lemon · Jun 29, 2018

If your goal in to become a flight nurse, it's absolutely a step in the wrong direction. You know that, though.

saradista, BSN, RN · Jun 29, 2018

Urghhhhh dammit. I did know that. I think my question is if it's too early too look for other opportunities? I left my first job after 6 months. I don't want to leave my second job after only 3... one other thing to consider is that my current CNO has taken a new position as the CNO at a small local pediatric hospital. Pediatrics is another passion of mine as I've worked in pediatrics as a PCT during school, as well as doing my senior practicum at a peds hospital. Long story short, peds is another career path that I would love to commit to. But would it be a poor career choice to jump from one job to the next after barely completing orientation? Or do you think hiring managers would be understanding of the fact that I realized early on that my current job is not what I want to be doing with my career? It's just that I feel like there's a great opportunity here and the last thing I want to do is waste it.

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2018

IMO jumping from job to job is more likely to hurt your chances of getting into flight nursing than spending a year or two in the job you are currently in. A work history of a few months there, a few months here may give the impression you have no ability to stick at what you are doing. If I was interviewing a nurse who had two jobs in less than a year, versus a nurse that had been in one role for a year or more, chances are I'd pick the second. Among other things I'd not want to hire a nurse who my organisation puts all that time and effort into training when theres a good chance they'll quit in 6 months

Choose a job, stick with it, if you look for another job, ensure that you are taking it because it is something that interests you, rather than taking the first job that comes along because chances are, you'll find yourself bored and wanting to job hop again in a few more months.

DowntheRiver · Jun 30, 2018

Around these parts, to be a flight nurse you must have at least 5 years experience in critical care/ED and typically some kind of certification (i.e. CCRN). The majority of flight nurses that I know are former medics and have military experience, but it isn't a must.

JudyB88 · Jun 30, 2018

I am a formed DON of 20 years in skilled rehab centers. Prior to that I did 18 years (I worked part time the last 4 years overlapping in critical care). I really don't understand how you could become "bored" in skilled care unless you are in a low acuity building. In my skilled care bldgs., we had trachs, vents, dialysis, IV's of all sorts and very complex medical patients. I know most centers do not have all that but even those that did not had at least the medically complex. In skilled care, there are no resident's or NP's or doctors at your immediate disposal to critically think for you so you MUST build extremely good assessment and critical thinking skills. At 9 months there is no way you have developed those skills, especially without a great mentor.

That said, as a hiring manager i also would be concerned over your lack of ability to stick with a field, at least to develop these basic skills. There is no way you should be moving up to supervision, that says volumes to me about your current mgt. Don't be sucked into that. There is good reason that flight nurses need 5 yrs critical care and CCRN certs. Find a hospital that will train you in ICU or CICU or even tele. Then STICK WITH IT. It will be hard, it will be frightening (if not your not learning), it will be exciting. But most of all, it will give you the skills you need to be a great nurse!

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jun 30, 2018

I am glad you are excelling, but any facility that puts a new nurse on track to be supervisor within 6 months raises a red flag to me. It either means you really are a rock star nurse, which may indeed be the case but more likely it means there is a distinct lack of more experienced nurses that want the job. Another option of course is that the hospital intends to pass over more experienced nurses to put you in that position which will also put you in a difficult position. If those more experienced and well qualified nurses that are passed over in favor of the shiny new toy are rightfully resentful it won't make that job easy for you. I may be way off base here, but it is something to think about.

As far as switching jobs already, unless you know the new position is something you intend to stick with don't jump ship just for the first opportunity that comes along. As a new nurse there really isn't any reason to be bored in any job, if you are failing to find learning experiences you aren't looking very hard.

TinaMWrtr · Jul 1, 2018

I'm not a nurse but.... Maybe a PRN job in a more challenging specialty? That way you could learn new things and get to know management and if jobs FT jobs become available you could talk with management about going FT?

amzyRN · Jul 1, 2018

If you want to be a flight nurse you need to get out your rehab job. You need critical care experience. I'd start applying to other places and see what you get. Maybe you could get into an ICU training program somewhere. I get where you're coming from, being bored and not using critical thinking skills. That's how I felt when I've worked on med/surg and tele floors. I loved my co workers but the work was boring and mind numbing.

Just make sure the next move you make is a place you want to stay for a while that will put you on the path towards your long-term goals.

NurseBlaq · Jul 1, 2018

I think you should have spent a year to 15 months on the med-surg unit then moved on to something more critical like telemetry or some other cardiac unit, ICU, etc. You went the opposite way of where you're trying to go. However, since you've been there for only 3 months you should stay there for 1 year at minimum.

Many nurses work different units, pathways but the key is to put a significant amount of time in them to see if you really like them or learn all you can about that area of nursing. You don't appear to stay in one position long enough to know if you like it or not.

When you worked the med-surg unit, you should have picked up extra shifts in the float pool to give you the chance to experience other units while still satisfying your med-surg commitment. Hopefully, you'll figure it out soon and not get burned or burn your name by jumping ship on a whlm.

You also seem to be all over the place, you went from flight nursing to peds. Sit down and create a flow chart of where you want to be and what will truly make you happy, not what you think cause it's not all bells and whistles. There are pros and cons in every aspect of nursing so the key is to choose a niche you're really drawn to so you can deal with the cons and still be satisfied.

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Jul 1, 2018

I agree with previous posters that rehab is not really a step towards flight nursing. However, you are there now and in order to not look like you are job hopping I would advise you to stay for at least a year unless the facility is unsafe. If you're bored in the job, it's probably not. Finish your year and make sure you are doing everything that needs to be done every shift. Beds are all changed? Everyone has had a bath and new gown? Rooms tidied and everyone walked? Supply room is organized and charting station is neat and clean? Better yet, help out someone else in the weeds. I think you will learn more than you expect. Once your year is done, reward yourself with applications to ICUs. You could always take a chance and just apply now, but it might not look good.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Jul 1, 2018

I am glad you are excelling, but any facility that puts a new nurse on track to be supervisor within 6 months raises a red flag to me.

This exactly. The way I read this (and I may be wrong), OP has been a nurse less than 1 year. Recipe for disaster