wanting to quit

[Lucky21]

I've been working on a postpartum unit for the past three months. It's my first nursing job and im beginning to wonder why i chose this profession. When I was in nursing school everyone asked me, "do you know what field of nursing you want to go into?" and without a doubt the only thing i ever wanted to do was postpartum. I never even considered anything else. NOw that im here, i really dislike it. I work in a hospital that delivers over 9,000 babies a year and has a 68 private bed postpartum unit. Just like every where else our unit is short staffed and they assign RN's 5,6,7 patients. Not only do you get the moms but also the newborns. Taking care of 10-14 patients is rediculous. I was orientating on day shift staying 1-2 hours past my 12.5 hour shift to chart. The stress is unbearable. Ive never been the one to handle stress very well. Im the first to crumble. Everyone tells me "you just need cofidence and time management which are the last two things you'll acquire." Even RN's who have been there 5+ years seem to be just as stressed out and I dont want to spend my working career stressed out like this all of the time. I just dont know what to do with myself everyone tells me not to give up on nursing yet and to give postpartum at least 6 mo before i start looking for another job. Nursing is such a big responsibility and i dont know if i can handle all that responsibility on my shoulders... Does anyone have any advice..please help:uhoh21:

[dusty50346]

I am grateful to know that there are other people out there feeling as I do : stressed out and seriously considering walking out on nursing altogether.

The thing that I struggle with is --do I stick out med-surg nursing or start looking for new jobs? What can I do as a new grad nurse to make my life not so stressful? I walk into work and feel so inadequate!

any advice??

[anonymurse]

I had a super-stressful transition from prereqs to nursing school and from elsewhere to nursing, and when I looked at it carefully, I found I'd made a whole mess of transitions at the same time--from the military to corporate life, from a male to a female culture, from salary to time clock, from being a trusted expert leader to a distrusted total newbie. So many threads I see that blame nursing for the stress are written by others like me who are making multiple stressful transitions. I can see how the transition from being a high-achieving college student to yelled-at nursing student to a bottom-rung worker might be particularly stressful for those getting their first real job. Anyway, it was worth sitting back and figuring out how many transitions I was really making. And when I got it semi-sorted out, I knew for sure there was nothing bad about nursing itself, and every reason I had for getting into nursing was still as good as before I began school. I'd merely been unaware I'd written so many checks on my stress account that they were starting to bounce.

[dusty50346]

yes, this is very true. I never really thought of it that way. I have transitioned, as you did, from a job where I was at the top of my game to low man on the totum pole, not getting the schedule I am used to getting---boy, that is a bummer...along with many other transitions that adds up to a big fat: DUH! Of course you are going to feel stressed out. In the mean time, what do I do to make these transitions smooth and not take some of them so personally...as I often take people's actions personally and carry them home with me? I really carry a lot more weight then I should.....also, it's very difficult to transition from a work place where the management was the best ever (in my opinion) to a place where management is mediocre ...it's so frustarting when you feel as though your voice is being stomped out!! advice?? (thanks for the first post...it puts things into perspective)

[lalagrace]

I think that you should look for another post partum job! 8 mother baby couplets is not the norm! 4-5 couplets sure, or maybe as much as 8 moms alone, but 8 couplets is too many. Don't discount hospital nursing, or post partum nursing all together just becuase this job is not the right fit for you. I am just fininshing my first year as a nurse, and quit my first job in less than 12 week due to poor orientation, and pt overload. I found another job in less than 2 weeks, and love it! its a diffrent hospital, they gave me a great orientation and never more than I can handle. I work on a post partum floor, and I love it.

good luck, what ever you decide