I think I need help, or maybe a place to vent. I graduated nursing school in December and started my first nursing job in April at a rural hospital. I don't like it. Somewhere between don't like and hate is how I feel. I always thought I would like hospital nursing, but I am discovering I really really don't. (And to the many wonderful hospital nurses out there, please don't take offense! It is just not for me!)
I hate working nights, I hate working weekends, but mostly, I just don't like hospital work. I don't like dealing with IV's, round the clock medication schedules, etc. I initially thought I was going through an adjustment phase, but I'm now reasonably certain that it's not adjustment, I just don't like it. Plus, I started in ER for six weeks, but moved because I thought medical would be better for me. It was. Then they decided to put me in ICU. I had one month in ICU as an orientee and then was a primary this past Friday night. I just don't think I should be a primary yet anyway, but on my second night after orientation? That is another problem with the hospital, at least in my case... You get all these great promises of orientation and nurse to patient ratios, but in a bind, they don't hesitate to stick it to you. I feel so overwhelmed, but I am trying very hard to hold on for a year, because I know the experience will be important. My goal is an office job.
Any help/suggestions to help me make it to a year? Seems so far off right now. Any new nurses who can commiserate?
Working with administration is a two way street. Sounds great, but often administrations dictatorial style leaves no room for negotiation. Some comments in this thread sound like the type of rhetoric and political doublespeak we hear from administrators all the time.[/quote\
Totally agree. I've had to file a complaint with my Union, because of upper management's head up butt blundering. They have directed us to follow a new policy that clearly violates the Nursing Practice Act. I tried to follow the usual chain of command to point out the violation and even had documentation. Upper management has blown me off and now I have no choice but to file a complaint with my Union, since my license is at great risk.
I would have loved to resolve "in house", but its tough, when there is no cooperation.
This is an example of arrogance, a poor attitude and great disrespect for an employer. Trying to hold on to a job you detest for a year is abnormal and self-deprocating in the face of a profession that has a shortage. What makes you think that you will like any other kind of nursing? I think your impressions are correct. . .you made a mistake and got into the wrong profession. However, education is never wasted. If you really desire to be in a health profession, go back and look over the various choices again. You already have the pre-requisites. But, unless you change your overall attitude I fear you will never be truely happy in any profession.
Arrogance and a poor attitude? What in the world are you talking about. There is absolutely nothing that even remotely indicates arrogance in 4EverHIs post, and as far as attitude goes, he/she simply is not happy with the job they are in, why does that mean they have a bad attittude? I am sorry but this person came here for some advice and support and your posts are very insulting and unnecessary. If you want to talk about attitude lets talk about the fact that you for some reason feel it's necessary to verbally degrade a group of new grads who are upset over the awful reality of this difficult profession. Do you treat your patients who need help in the same manner? We are struggling and the last thing we need is negativity and insults.
I don't see how that shows arrogance or a poor attitude or great disrespect. Maybe I missed something, but I think being annoyed that a hospital pulls a bait and switch is normal. Since a lot of non-hospital jobs require one year of acute care experience, there are plenty of nurses in the hospital for a year and planning on leaving. They may be great assets to offices, public health, LTC, etc.
I totally agree, I guess I missed something too. Either that, or Daytonite missed something because it looks like she is the only one that saw the OP coming off as arrogant and disrespectful.
4EverHis, it sounds to me like you've given this a lot of thought. I hope you will be able to find an area of nursing you like. It sounds like you know what you like ..... teaching, assessments, careplans, etc. Once you find your niche you'll be so much happier. Don't settle for something you truly don't like, there's so many options for you. Good luck to you! :)
If you want to talk about attitude lets talk about the fact that you for some reason feel it's necessary to verbally degrade a group of new grads who are upset over the awful reality of this difficult profession.
I was thinking the same thing. A bit ironic that the person posting about bad attitude and negativity has the most negative post in this whole thread
4Everhis I don't consider your post arrogant nor disrespectful I find it to be filled with emotions that I can totally relate to as new grad nurse of 3 mos on an extremely busy rural med-surge floor. There are certainly days when I hate my job and those are the days when I have 7 pts with tons of meds, a hospitalist that changes orders constantly and is unsafe in HIS practice to where I am constantly having to call him for clarification or it's my butt on the line as well as license!! Not to mention the hosp going back 20 yrs on technology to where everything is handwritten and now instead of the 12 hour shift being 14.5. I have also gotten the bait and switch with this hospital w/nurse pt ratio. I am extremely sick of this employer b/c everything that comes out of their mouths are lies!! And yes, if the company doesn't sell and things improve I will also be job "hopping" for my sanity. Maybe these companies should as well as the Doctors show some respect to the nurses too!! Maybe the Doctors should look at how many pts we have when they right that now order when you have 2 d/cs (pts chewing your butt to get out) and a new admit from home not to mention all the other pts we have to care for that are riding the light for bullsh** things!! This post is definately shows anger on my part and yes it is very disrespectful to the employer but when they learn to respect me then I will in turn show that respect to them. I am also trying to stick it out for 9 more mos so I will have experience to where I can go where I want. Just b/c I am posting my feelings in no way tells me that I won't find a hospital or another position that I like better that has more respect for me as a human being!! Nor does it tell me that I should not have gotten in to nursing and no one on these boards are going to degrade me either. If this sounds arrogant and disrespectful then so be it!!! I know what I need to do to acheive the goals that I have and this board was created exactly for the purpose of NEW nurses to ask questions, vent, give uplifting moments, and to offer support when we new nurses need it. Please don't give up on Nursing 4everhis b/c most of us on this board have alot of the same feelings and frustrations.
Good luck in making it through that 1st year!!
I couldn't agree with you more Grinnurse. I feel the same way, my thoughts parallel yours completely!!
Reading these posts about unhappy new grads is exactly why I am going straight to the office. I have a BSN and just took boards last week. I start on Monday at an office where I work m-f, 8-5, no weekends or holidays (paid holidays). I too, love patient education which is what I get to do! Many experienced nurses and my instructors criticized me for not working at a hospital. But I live in Iowa, where there is not a shortage and new grads get the unappealing floors and shifts. Reading your posts makes me feel better that I won't be missing out on anything! All I can say to the OP is stick with it and definately seek out an office!
Reading these posts about unhappy new grads is exactly why I am going straight to the office. I have a BSN and just took boards last week. I start on Monday at an office where I work m-f, 8-5, no weekends or holidays (paid holidays). I too, love patient education which is what I get to do! Many experienced nurses and my instructors criticized me for not working at a hospital. But I live in Iowa, where there is not a shortage and new grads get the unappealing floors and shifts. Reading your posts makes me feel better that I won't be missing out on anything! All I can say to the OP is stick with it and definately seek out an office!
Hmmmm......sounds very appealing at this point. Do you know how much of a pay difference it is to work in an office? Psych nursing is also a pretty cush job--at least at this adolescent psych hospital we have in town. I am just afraid of going too far in the other direction and being bored out of mind. There has to be a happy medium somewhere!
Hmmmm......sounds very appealing at this point. Do you know how much of a pay difference it is to work in an office? Psych nursing is also a pretty cush job--at least at this adolescent psych hospital we have in town. I am just afraid of going too far in the other direction and being bored out of mind. There has to be a happy medium somewhere!
Hi to you...I want to comment to both you and mama BSN-I too live in Iowa, waterloo, in fact, and I don't want to be in the hospital either. I would love to work in the office. But like you, Happy, I want to go into mental health nursing and I know the hospital here has an excellent psych unit. However, boredom there is highly likely. I don't know where to go yet, and, I really don't have to worry about it this second as I am still in school. I wish clinicals could take us out of the hospital once in a while and let us experience different types of nursing environments.
Hi to you...I want to comment to both you and mama BSN-I too live in Iowa, waterloo, in fact, and I don't want to be in the hospital either. I would love to work in the office. But like you, Happy, I want to go into mental health nursing and I know the hospital here has an excellent psych unit. However, boredom there is highly likely. I don't know where to go yet, and, I really don't have to worry about it this second as I am still in school. I wish clinicals could take us out of the hospital once in a while and let us experience different types of nursing environments.
The school that I attended did just that and it was great though I lost out on some invaluable floor experiences. We went to a longterm rehab unit, LTC facilities, pedi office, doc office, nurse practicioner office, school nursing, dialysis units, home health, psych unit, and cardiac rehab. These were great experiences for me b/c it showed me other areas for nursing that I really liked. It also gave me the opportunity to figure out what I needed to do to get to those positions and the nurses that I met at these locations all reccommended starting out on a MedSurge unit for the experience.
Hi to you...I want to comment to both you and mama BSN-I too live in Iowa, waterloo, in fact, and I don't want to be in the hospital either. I would love to work in the office. But like you, Happy, I want to go into mental health nursing and I know the hospital here has an excellent psych unit. However, boredom there is highly likely. I don't know where to go yet, and, I really don't have to worry about it this second as I am still in school. I wish clinicals could take us out of the hospital once in a while and let us experience different types of nursing environments.
Well, I am going to make 1.50 less than both of our local hospitals pay. This is so worth it to me! I have a four month old, and knowing that I will be able to be there on Christmas, Easter, etc was definately worth it to me for the pay cut! I went to Saint Ambrose University and they gave us the opportunity to get outside of the hospital for clinicals. We had a whole clinical portion called 'Alternate Community Health Experiences' where we got to go to offices, health departments, etc. start tomorrow at the office, I'll let you know how it goes!
Grinurse: I think that would have been awesome to experience, thanks for the input! We have a few outside experiences but the hospital here is so top notch we really don't have to go anywhere else to experience things...(according to the powers that be, of course :) )
i hope everything works out for you i toatlly dont think you were disprespectful or arrogant and i dont think you were whining eithier and if some people think you were you know what that is what these boards are all about its for us nurses to vent and talk and get advice not get bashed and told to find another profession!!??? KEEP POSTING WHATEVER YOU WISH ......let us know how its goes
I graduated nursing school in December and started my first nursing job in April at a rural hospital. I don't like it. Somewhere between don't like and hate is how I feel. I always thought I would like hospital nursing, but I am discovering I really really don't. (And to the many wonderful hospital nurses out there, please don't take offense! It is just not for me!) 
hipab4hands
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