Ever accepted a position knowing it was a mistake?

crb613, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

What!?!?

Wheeeew! I thought it was just me! :yeah:

I just took a job for better hours, no weekends/holidays.....its at the same facility different dept. I am so home sick for my ER that I could cry! I have to stay in my current position for six months before I can go back......I have only been gone for ~ four weeks, and I am miserable,and bored to death. The only saving grace is that the people are really nice..I have learned my lesson! I will never do anything but ER nursing again!

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Dec 4, 2011

I was offered a position before graduating. Because the economy had taken a turn for the worst, I decided to accept the offer. I drove one way for an hour and a half and made $2.00 less an hour as a base pay (compared to now). About three months into working for the facility, I landed a teaching job. Loved it, but I still wanted to work bedside to build upon my experience. I interviewed with another facility about 11 minutes from my home. I accepted a week-end options position and can’t be happier, especially since I can teach and work on wee-ends.

It always seems to work out though.

VICEDRN, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

I live in the north. What makes it suck in the south?

First of all, the wages here suck. big time. You can make more money working in a factory, tending bar and doing just about anything.

Second, there are no unions and nursing has no true strength here so we work like day laborers. Ratios of 7-10 patients to 1 nurse on med/surg floors is not unheard. It is also not unheard of to have LPNs working in ERs and other critical care areas since as far the MDs are concerned all nurses are the same and we are all dumb.

Third, the MDs rule the roost. On our unit, nursing assignment grids are created by the MDs. I might come in one day and find out that instead of 5 patients in a certain area of the ER, I have 6 or maybe 4. Or instead of 3 nurses in triage, there are 4 and it all comes down to whatever the MDs say. Everything is your fault and this is an at will state so go ahead and complain but there's an army of people they can replace you with.

They have also managed to whittle NP practice down to the laughable. What ER NPs do in my state, an RN can do in NY. They can't prescribe even an aspirin by themselves and no IV meds at all. EVER.

If anything happens, its always the RNs fault and never the MDs. There is no organized structure for which to report your concerns regarding patient care and if you complain, oh forget that! Southerners HATE HATE HATE people who speak the truth.

Finally, there is certainly an uncomfortable division between us. I have a friend in NY who is an RN. I am always shocked to see her socializing with MDs on her facebook page. You would be lucky here if an MD lets you call him or her by first name.

Speaking of bad jobs that have upsides, my last unit was ran by a nurse from MA. I thank god that woman trained me every day I work in my new job. Unit based education is a new concept to the South (as is magnet and core measures as far as I can tell) and I received an excellent education from her. It saddens me because most nurses here are just task oriented. Cocktail waitresses really. No idea what's going on. None.

Every single nurse that moves here regrets leaving the North to work down here. One girl on my unit is considering leaving her boyfriend to go back to her home state and work like a real nurse again.

maelstrom143 · Dec 4, 2011

:) I took a position in a clinic associated w/the hospital I wanted because there were no openings in the hospital at the time. I HATED the clinic setting, but the people were lovely and the patients sweet. Three months into the clinic setting, a position opened up in the unit I wanted and I transferred w/everyone's blessing. Totally awesome :)

SuperStarRN · Dec 4, 2011

I worked at my first job out of nursing school for 2 years and the experience was so awful that I won't even attempt to fill this forum with the details because it would take me all day, but I had to stick it out for two years because the pay was VERY good and I have a family to support. I had all the symptoms that you guys had to the point where I became physically sick every morning when I pulled into the parking lot. At first I could leave the drama at the door when I left in the evenings but after a while I started to take it home with me until I became this miserable, angry person who couldn't even enjoy time with my friends and family. When I started to notice this I knew it was time to go.

But what I learned from my two years in hell was to be grateful for the little things. When my new co-workers complain to me I always tell them "If you really want to see hell I will tell you where to apply and I guarantee you when you come back you will never complain again."

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

vicedrn, i agree with everything you wrote about the nursing in the south, which is why i picked up my family and moved away. fortunately for me, i am not originally from the south and so i was not tied deeply to that mess. you are also correct that gaining the experience you are getting will give you the opportunity to later give the middle finger to the south and move away someday. :twocents:

op: i made a mistake twice. the first time i made a mistake i knew it on the first day of my orientation within the department. unlike other more experienced nurses at the time, i refused to quit asap. the experienced nurses pulled disappearing acts as described by others in this thread. the turnover rate of that department for new hires was 4 weeks to 4 months on average, although many others left within days of starting orientation. on the other hand, i endured the torturous beat-downs by the staff and the politics of that department for almost 2 years. the next ed i worked was just as bad as the last (even has a bad reputation within it's surrounding community), but this time i was one of the experienced nurses who resigned within weeks of starting! :up:

i will no longer accept dangerous and/or dysfunctional nursing work enviroments for any reason. this personal rule has helped me to land my current position, which i absolutely love!

Old.Timer · Dec 4, 2011

I had a newbie on day one volunteer to go get the staff donuts - that was the last of her! haha

That's a good one. Someone should start a thread with stories of new hires leaving the unit or job for a task or errand.....never to return. Those always crack me up. LOL

netglow, ASN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

Those sure are funny... "Let me run to Starbucks and get everybody in the hospital Frapuccinos, I'll be back as soon as I can." Darn, I wish I HAD actually done something like that, though. Places that are soooooooo bad, you should at least punk them, you know! It's only fair.

VICEDRN, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

vicedrn, i agree with everything you wrote about the nursing in the south, which is why i picked up my family and moved away. fortunately for me, i am not originally from the south and so i was not tied deeply to that mess. you are also correct that gaining the experience you are getting will give you the opportunity to later give the middle finger to the south and move away someday.

i am not originally from the south either but i do own a house and i have less than 3 years experience as a nurse. my hope is that the housing market will improve here and i can sell my house in 18-24 months. i plan to take the cen in the meantime and keep my fingers crossed that the healthcare job market doesn't shrink. i have hated this place from the minute i got here and i can't wait to leave.

thanks for the words of encouragement. they are much appreciated and definitely needed. :)

Nurse Keke · Feb 25, 2012

So glad to see the post on this. It really sucks working as an RN in the south!!!! I'm in NC and everyday I work I feel like I'm getting robbed blind. I'm also originally from NY and they dont pay for anything down here. I travel locally to get the money I deserve but as soon as I'm done getting my Bachelors I'm outta here!!! They dont even pay the nurses who have their BSN and MSN extra. They go strictly by experience!! which is so weird to me. They dont pay time n half for your holidays, they only get 30 minute lunch breaks and the list goes on and on an on. These nurses down here really dont have a clue as to whats going on. Nursing unions are needed down here like yesterday!!! If there were unions none of this would fly.

MJB2010 · Feb 25, 2012

First of all, the wages here suck. big time. You can make more money working in a factory, tending bar and doing just about anything.
Second, there are no unions and nursing has no true strength here so we work like day laborers. Ratios of 7-10 patients to 1 nurse on med/surg floors is not unheard. It is also not unheard of to have LPNs working in ERs and other critical care areas since as far the MDs are concerned all nurses are the same and we are all dumb.
Third, the MDs rule the roost. On our unit, nursing assignment grids are created by the MDs. I might come in one day and find out that instead of 5 patients in a certain area of the ER, I have 6 or maybe 4. Or instead of 3 nurses in triage, there are 4 and it all comes down to whatever the MDs say. Everything is your fault and this is an at will state so go ahead and complain but there's an army of people they can replace you with.
They have also managed to whittle NP practice down to the laughable. What ER NPs do in my state, an RN can do in NY. They can't prescribe even an aspirin by themselves and no IV meds at all. EVER.
If anything happens, its always the RNs fault and never the MDs. There is no organized structure for which to report your concerns regarding patient care and if you complain, oh forget that! Southerners HATE HATE HATE people who speak the truth.
Finally, there is certainly an uncomfortable division between us. I have a friend in NY who is an RN. I am always shocked to see her socializing with MDs on her facebook page. You would be lucky here if an MD lets you call him or her by first name.
Speaking of bad jobs that have upsides, my last unit was ran by a nurse from MA. I thank god that woman trained me every day I work in my new job. Unit based education is a new concept to the South (as is magnet and core measures as far as I can tell) and I received an excellent education from her. It saddens me because most nurses here are just task oriented. Cocktail waitresses really. No idea what's going on. None.
Every single nurse that moves here regrets leaving the North to work down here. One girl on my unit is considering leaving her boyfriend to go back to her home state and work like a real nurse again.

As a New Englander moved South, this post made me laugh because it is so spot on! It is like a different world here! The Docs usually realize right away that I am "not from around here" like the one that put his hand in my face ( you know like talk to the hand) when I asked him a question regarding orders. Put that hand in my face again pal and you won't be getting it back! He won't do that again!

The staffing is way worse, the pay is awful, and nurses are definately not treated with the same respect. The staff ratios are horrendous and it is all about counting pennies not patient care. My first nursing job in my new state it was not unusualy to have 8-10 patients. You can't take decent care of that many people. It just is not humanly possible.

VanessaRn89 · Feb 25, 2012

This thread is really good-thank you all for sharing! Currently looking for a job and I am thankful I read these posts since they grounded me. I only started looking for a RN position a month ago and I am becoming desperate since I REALLY need a job. I am even considering the Wendys across the street lol. Reading these posts made me realize that I have to be more careful where I apply since I know what I don't want and yet find myself applying anyways. At least the experiences you guys gain helped you determine what you would and wouldn't accept for a job. I need to start some where, but it is scary not knowing if the job you do receive as the right fit and of course lack of experience makes it even harder to pass up an opportunity.

Crossing my fingers and hoping at least my first job is not awful- I hope to have a very good preceptor, but I can only wait and see what happens.