3 months in and I hate my nursing job

[Serenyd]

working on a busy med-surg floor and I hate it. Came home crying the other day just about at the end of my rope. Monday was the first good day I've had in days ........ this job sucks but it pays the bills and that is the best thing about it ! Otherwise I don't know how long I'll last. Recruiter pretty much lied/glossed over some pts about pay and benefits and that really boils me up. My schedule has been screwed around, I had at least 8 different preceptors in my bare bones 6 wk preceptorship. I have so much frustration built up, I do not have the patience to be a good mom to my 2 year old when I get off work. My dh is working and going to school full-time, he comes home to sleep and that is it. I was planning on going back to grad school but how can I now? Depending on the kindness of relatives for babysitting, but the grandmas are getting restless, they are just as tired of the little hellion as I am. And he doesn't take naps. It's like, constant stress and aggravation from every direction. Hello, I guess this is life. What a wake-up call.

Everyone else enjoying their first job as much as I am? heh.

Party on

Seren

[Lizzie21]

I feel like I'm in the same boat. My preceptor is not helpful whatsoever. I took on one patient the other day (since it was my second day on the floor) and this patient was having all sorts of problems. When I went to ask the nurse for help or suggestions she said it was my problem and my patient so I needed to deal with it myself. Then I asked my charge nurse what to do, but she was so busy with other things. So I looked up each medication and gave some PRN meds to help solve my problem. Later that day the resident came up and basically chewed me out in front of everyone about how I was an incompetent nurse because I didn't give this one prn medication, but gave another. I cried the entire way home. I just dread going back to the floor. I cry about it every night and can't get past it. My husband tells me to stick with it, but I hate it. when i cry every night about the job, isn't that a problem?

My dream job would be working in NICU or Mom/baby. So i've been looking around for jobs in those areas in my state. Nothing really. plus it's really hard for a new grad (which is me) to find a job anyways.

I just don't know what to do

[Nurseinprocess]

I feel like I'm in the same boat. My preceptor is not helpful whatsoever. I took on one patient the other day (since it was my second day on the floor) and this patient was having all sorts of problems. When I went to ask the nurse for help or suggestions she said it was my problem and my patient so I needed to deal with it myself. Then I asked my charge nurse what to do, but she was so busy with other things. So I looked up each medication and gave some PRN meds to help solve my problem. Later that day the resident came up and basically chewed me out in front of everyone about how I was an incompetent nurse because I didn't give this one prn medication, but gave another. I cried the entire way home. I just dread going back to the floor. I cry about it every night and can't get past it. My husband tells me to stick with it, but I hate it. when i cry every night about the job, isn't that a problem?

My dream job would be working in NICU or Mom/baby. So i've been looking around for jobs in those areas in my state. Nothing really. plus it's really hard for a new grad (which is me) to find a job anyways.

I just don't know what to do

When a patient is having issues and the other nurses are clueless or unwilling to help out you should contact the resident or doctor on-call and ask what they want you to do. I have no problem telling a doctor I am new and would like some guidance, because otherwise they may think you are incompetent on a regular basis. I'd rather them know I am green and learning the ropes. Think of every shift as a new learning experience, you make a mistake, you know how to handle it better the next time. I had a resident make me cry over me reporting an abnormal lab to him (one that he deemed insignificant but the other nurses didn't clue me into that and let me call and bother him with it ). He was arrogant and I was feeling vulnerable and he ended up apologizng later to me over his attitude. It's all about teamwork but sometimes people forget that. Don't give up, it's stressful and awful being a new nurse, but sometimes it's worth it .

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Keep in mind that this discussion is five years old, although the topic still remains relevant to this very day.

[Nurseinprocess]

Keep in mind that this discussion is five years old, although the topic still remains relevant to this very day.

I replied to a current message, not one from 5 years ago. If staff doesn't want us to reply to old messages maybe they should be deleted after so many years? I always look at the dates before I reply.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I replied to a current message, not one from 5 years ago. If staff doesn't want us to reply to old messages maybe they should be deleted after so many years? I always look at the dates before I reply.

The message was not specifically intended for you. It was intended for members who might go out of their way to kindly bestow advice upon an original poster who has not visited the forums in years, who may no longer need the advice, or so forth.

Since we have posts dating from March 1998, it would be time-consuming and pointless to delete tens of thousands of older discussions.

[DalmatiaRN]

I have found all of this very helpful, old and new. Thanks to all of you that have responded.

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

The message was not specifically intended for you. It was intended for members who might go out of their way to kindly bestow advice upon an original poster who has not visited the forums in years, who may no longer need the advice, or so forth.

Since we have posts dating from March 1998, it would be time-consuming and pointless to delete tens of thousands of older discussions.