Depressed about new job-hate it- quit???

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I started a new job and I hate it. I have been there over a month but I didn't like it from the start. There are many rude people (surgeons and a really crabby nurse or two). I have been spoken to rudely and this place is like a factory. It's an OR job which I have one before and I have enjoyed the OR in the past---just not this place. They do many small cases a day --like 18 and Im exhausted when I get home. I fall asleep on the sofa at 8pm.

With all that aside, I just hate this place. Even the other nurses feel this way. I never told them I felt this way. I can barely force myself out of bed in the morning. I feel this job will make me depressed. Some mornings I want to cry. I wish I never started this job.

I have witnessed surgeons yell at nurses and I know it could be me next. I dont have a thin skin per say but I dont like to be scolded like a kid either.

My old OR was wonderful, but it closed down. I am willing to try different areas of nursing. I start to worry what if I quit and hate the next job. My last job was LTC and apart from working straight nights-I liked it.

Really, I just want to quit this place before I get really depressed. BUT I feel guilty. They spent money to train me and some of the nurses and the supervisor are wonderful.

What should I do?

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Sorry to hear that you're working in such a miserable place . . . some surgeons are such asses!! Maybe you could transfer to another unit? You've got to take care of yourself . . . find a better work environment.

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Sorry to hear that you're working in such a miserable place . . . some surgeons are such asses!! Maybe you could transfer to another unit? You've got to take care of yourself . . . find a better work environment.

You cant transfer until you have finished a 6 month probationary period.

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Well, only you know how bad it is . . . and you know the job situation in your area . . . but, bottom line . . . take care of yourself . . . decide if you can stick it out for 6 months and/or start looking around for another job.

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I am sorry ! Hugs. I am not sure how the job market is for OR nurses, but could you look for something else before leaving this job? I am not a person to stick around and be miserable, but it is TOUGH out there right now

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I do have an interview somewhere else. In the back of my mind I worry I wont like that either.

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Hi ajaxgirl,

I had such experience before (I'm an ER nurse). I wish I had left the job but my personal situation required that I bite my teeth and deal with it. I don't wish it to anyone. I survived, but I have a bitter memory of that. One time accidently, I needed to do a few night shifts in the same department, ER. Gosh! It was like heaven and hell. I even got my smile back and my sense of humor. I asked my manager for transfer to permanent nights. She said yes. People are different, work is different. I am enjoying it so much more.

You should enjoy both the job you do and the people you work with or else you'll hate nursing all together. You'll be miserable, you'll get depressed, you'll hate your life, your family will suffer. OR is a specific place, enclosed area where people either get along well or don't get along at all. You liked it in the past so there is no reason you should not do what you like. However, the unhealthy team you're working with will make your life an emotional hell. You don't need that. Nursing is a tough job already. The textbook answer to your problem would be "talk to the people that disrespect you, go to your manager, blah, blah..." In real life, no nasty surgeon will listen to a nurse, especially a new one. He/she will make your life more miserable in the future unless you have big mouth and can talk back. I know I can't. It's different if it's one person giving you problems but if it's the whole group it's much more difficult.

I think you could talk to your supervisor/manager and ask for guidance, especially that, as you mention they are "wonderful". I had the same guilty feeling, they trained me and now I wanted to quit. But a wise and good manager wouldn't want their employees to hate the work place. You'll end up doing sloppy job because you won't care or you'll make a mistake out of fear.

Here are some options. Set a time limit how long you can stand it, a month, two, three. If things don't get better, sometimes as people get to know you they start treating you better, but if not - act. You can look for the same job in a different hospital. But you will need references from your last work probably and it doesn't look good on your resumee to leave a job after a few months. Or, you can ask for transfer to nights or to a different department. However, I suggest doing a share day and talking to the people on the unit before a transfer. Walk around and observe, make friends on different units and hear their opinion. Ask many questions. The hospital will save some money if you do internal transfer vs. quitting all together. You know, it's not uncommon for nurses to leave a job after they finish orientation. Hospitals are specific work environments. There is a lot of hidden hostility among staff and it doesn't always come up right away. It's strange because we all have the purpose to serve others but so often we are mean to each other.

When I was still in school doing my OR rotation, one anesthesiologist told me that there was a lot of cattiness among nurses, especially in the OR. I didn't believe him because everybody was so nice to me so far. Well, I experienced that when I got out of school (and it wasn't an OR)...

Good luck!

Vicka

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

It sounds like this place has an assembly line mentality, and anyone who slows down the line gets roundly criticized. That is a miserable work environment. I would look for a way out, but not tip my hand before I had something lined up. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I would try to transfer. Failing that, quit when you have something else lined up, even if you have to get out of OR for a while. Consider ambulatory (same day) surgery, or even working with a surgeon. They are not all AH. But the ones who are make life miserable and, in my opinion, make it unsafe for patient since staff is stressed and distracted by antics.

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You really should be thankful you found something because it is hard for some people to find work. I understand you may have bad days but everyday is not going to great either. Hope things get better hun.

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

Sounds like your working in a day surgery center. Personally I hate lists that are just a zillion small cases because it seems that you never stop moving. I much prefer a list that has one long case and two shorter cases.

It seems that your looking for somewhere else to work anyway so good luck with that.

Oh and if a surgeons yells at you yell back at them to "BACK OFF!". 9 times out of 10 this works, they'll remember you as the nurse who won't put up with their childish nonsense.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

18 cases by YOURSELF? You're the only one?

Yikes.

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