Good Bye to Nursing for me...

Nurses General Nursing

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Well, the start of a new year and I'm kissing nursing

good bye after only 5 short months. I graduated in may and started at a hospital in august. My very first preceptor was a nightmare, on my 3rd day on the floor she said I was too slow and put me down in front of other

nurses or whoever was in distance of hearing her. At one

point she even said, "well, I have her she know's nothing I have to show her everything." So being enthusiastic I decided NOT to let it get to me and proceeded to take her C*ap for another couple of weeks. At which time I was moved to a different floor with a preceptor who was great and I learned alot from. PRoblem was at this hospital IF

I wanted to stay I'd have to take a evening position. SO I left a found a hosptial closer to home on days. Well, once again I have the preceptor from hell not only that but the managers In my opinion are nitpickers. ON my first day on the floor they wrote up a nurse who was in charge of making sure all the phones were back at the end of the day, for not having a phone returned. (someone took one home accidentally).. I found this ridiculous, it's a busy med/surg floor with an 8:1 patient ratio and they are worried about PHONES???? I could go on and on about the other horrors but it would be to long.

Long story short I've decide to quit. Luckily I don't NEED the job to support myself or I wouldn't be able to leave. my hubby makes a decent salary. I do feel bad placing all the financial burden on him but I'm planning on just picking up a admin position somewhere. I don't care if I'm making half the money I jsut want to be happy. I'm so SICK of being stressed going into work, stressed coming home, worrying about this, being stressed on the floor. To me its just not worth it. My hubby is worried that I'll change my mind and want to come back to nursing but won't be able to after leaving 2 prior positions. bUt seriously I can't imagine feeling this way.

I also just found out I'm expecting my first child and I really can't imagine the stress level as well as not eating/drinking/peeing an entire shift is good. So I'm gone. I give up, I give in, I just feel like I can't do it. I'm thinking I'm just not meant to be in nursing, or i woudn't have just kept inheriting bad circumstances and preceptors from hell.

Well, I'd love to hear if anyone else has left nursing? come back and any other thoughts you all might have.

Hope this is a good new year for all.

Specializes in acute medical.

I really can't afford to take a break, being in my new graduate position; like you said, I don't intend to give up. But thanks for the suggestion :)

I hate to hear this from someone who has been in nursing for such a short time, especially as someone who is just beginning school and has chosen this as a second career choice. I do understand though, because if you're not happy with what you're doing, you're not happy in many aspects. If I didn't understand that, I wouldn't be going back to school. I do agree with Marian202, though, someone like you who had a tough time in the beginning being the person to train someone like me, would be a huge encouragement in looking for the upside in all of the tough situations that are to come.

Enjoy you baby, but try to come back to it someday, you'd be a great teacher!

OMG! I was furious when I read your post! This reminded me of getting my BSN at a public university in Texas. There were 38 students who started the program and only 16 of us actually graduated! IT WAS PURE HELL! I saw all types of student abuse, in fact, one of the professors actually grabbed a student and left bruises on her forearms! There were 3 lawsuits filed against the school (this was the early 90's) and all three were settled out of court. Two weeks before graduation, an attorney came and talked to our class. He asked us if people had been discriminated against, I told him that we were ALL treated equally and HORRIBLY! I graduated at the top of my class, but I didn't go to graduation nor to their stupid pinning ceremony. I attended a private university to get my master's degree and I was treated EXTREMELY WELL (you get what you pay for)! I waited for years before going back to get my NP degree and that was only because I was terrified of having to experience the same type of treatment I received in my undergraduate training.

Private vs. Public is not the issue, IMHO. It just all depends on who you encounter, what their various trips are, how mentally ill they are.

The OR situation described was due to hormones, I'd bet.

Specializes in CCU.
Please Stay

It Will Get Better

WE NEED SOMEONE LIKE YOU TO TRAIN THE NEXT NEW NURSE

YOU HAVE A HEART

Hate to be the nasty realist here, but it may get better but every position and every job I have had has ultimately ended up the same....different names and faces....same situations just different wall paper and a bit of a different smell. Keep working part time to find your niche, you never know what you will find...not to mention the supplemental income is always a plus! Good luck and best wishes. Don't ever feel guilty, because I have been there before. After 3 months, I hated and regreted being a nurse, but I still have that compassion for patient care. I have found the best way is to block out your environment and those b*tches you work with and roll with it. I have been licensed now for two years and in healthcare for a total of 6 years. I have meet a lot of people including myself who have felt the same at times. Again, good luck to you, congrats on your pregancy. I agree with a majority of the room. DO NOT LET YOUR LICENSE EXPIRE! :o)

Sorry you had such a bad experience and horrible preceptors. I've been in nursing since 1976. I took my RN boards at the age of 19. I love nursing but from time to time feel really burned out and it only takes one patient coming into the ER to say I'm so glad you are here to take most of that pain away. I have restarted my journey to a bachelors degree in nursing and will graduate this year while working full time in the ER and as the department manager. Every time we get a new nurse my nurses get the speech to be patient and kind. It seems as nurses we tend to eat our young which is a horrible disgrace to the profession. Please keep your license and CEU's up to date and try again later. I wouldn't trade my life as a nurse for anything--It has really been rewarding. Like you my first year was a trying experience.

Be sure you give pregnancy as THE reason for taking a break from nursing! You will have it as a leg to stand on if you ever want to return.

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear this.I was talking to somebody yesterday regarding human nature that not everybody has the same nature/mood even for a full day.You might have good and bad times and feelings in the same day.So think twice and please don't let your license expire.We can help you out.There are so many places I know where they need nurses desperately.

Please always share your views.Give yourself some time,but probably not more than 4 years as they will ask you to take review courses if it's that long.icon11.gif

Good luck

Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

Agreed with mountainman. Careful how you go about getting your leave of absense -generally best not to burn bridges (even if you don't intend to return to the the same place). I've burned a few, and later regretted (well, except perhaps one of 'em, but who knows what the future will bring?) doing so. Of course, when I burn 'em, I make sure they are burned, ashes are scattered, etc etc. Guess I never really do anything halfway ;) but anyway my point is that there are always choices, and the future always brings more choices (not always better ones, but... )

Congrats to you and the extention to your family. Be proud of what you have accomplished, and definitely keep your license. You worked hard to get it. Sorry your first experience has been bad, but I am sure you will come across a place that appreciates you. Good luck, and keep your head up.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I feel compelled to tell this little story about myself in 1976: Newly out of school, working the midnight shift in a full, 10 bed ICU with only a nursing assistant to help me---talk about UNSAFE!!!

The first patient I assessed had been admitted with symptomatic bradycardia, and had an Isuprel drip going (back then, no IV pumps--just eyeballs). He said, "Nurse, what's that fish doing up there in that bottle?"

I told him that was not a fish bowl or a fish, that was his IV fluid bottle. After I got done with the rest of the assessments, and went back to document, sure enough his monitor alarm went off. Atrial fibrillation. I ran to his bedside and discovered that he had turned up the Isuprel wide open. I was sick. I shut it off completely, pushed it away out of his reach, went to the locker room, got my purse and coat and headed out the door. (I had 3 small children at home, who depended on me financially). The nurse assistant, a big burly fellow, grabbed my arm in a vice grip and said, "Where in the hell do you think you are going?". By this time, I was crying, and said, "I'm going home and never coming back!"

He said, still gripping my arm, "Well, if you are going home and never coming back, then what have you got to lose?" He drug me over to the phone, dialed the physician, and stuck the phone in my ear. "Talk to the doctor!!" he said.

I was still crying. The Doctor asked what had happened, and I told him, then he said, "What is his pulse rate"

"78" I said.

The doctor said, "You cured him!!" and hung up the phone.

So I stayed.

I retired from Critical Care nursing September 1, 2006. Then I went part time in Critical Care ever since. I have been a CCRN since 1985 with the exception of about 5 years or so. Now I have quit critical care again to take a weekend supervisor job in the same hospital I retired from. I have done this type of work only briefly about 15 years ago. Wish me luck.

I hope you find your spot in the nursing field somewhere. I agree that it would be a waste of your education to let it fall by the wayside.

Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

Good luck! Thats one helluva story! Actually makes me feel a bit ashamed at complaining at some of the things that happen on my own floor. Sure as hell can't follow up THAT one!

I doff my hat to your direction, and wish you luck in your new endeavor!

Well, the start of a new year and I'm kissing nursing

good bye after only 5 short months. I graduated in may and started at a hospital in august. My very first preceptor was a nightmare, on my 3rd day on the floor she said I was too slow and put me down in front of other

nurses or whoever was in distance of hearing her. At one

point she even said, "well, I have her she know's nothing I have to show her everything." So being enthusiastic I decided NOT to let it get to me and proceeded to take her C*ap for another couple of weeks. At which time I was moved to a different floor with a preceptor who was great and I learned alot from. PRoblem was at this hospital IF

I wanted to stay I'd have to take a evening position. SO I left a found a hosptial closer to home on days. Well, once again I have the preceptor from hell not only that but the managers In my opinion are nitpickers. ON my first day on the floor they wrote up a nurse who was in charge of making sure all the phones were back at the end of the day, for not having a phone returned. (someone took one home accidentally).. I found this ridiculous, it's a busy med/surg floor with an 8:1 patient ratio and they are worried about PHONES???? I could go on and on about the other horrors but it would be to long.

Long story short I've decide to quit. Luckily I don't NEED the job to support myself or I wouldn't be able to leave. my hubby makes a decent salary. I do feel bad placing all the financial burden on him but I'm planning on just picking up a admin position somewhere. I don't care if I'm making half the money I jsut want to be happy. I'm so SICK of being stressed going into work, stressed coming home, worrying about this, being stressed on the floor. To me its just not worth it. My hubby is worried that I'll change my mind and want to come back to nursing but won't be able to after leaving 2 prior positions. bUt seriously I can't imagine feeling this way.

I also just found out I'm expecting my first child and I really can't imagine the stress level as well as not eating/drinking/peeing an entire shift is good. So I'm gone. I give up, I give in, I just feel like I can't do it. I'm thinking I'm just not meant to be in nursing, or i woudn't have just kept inheriting bad circumstances and preceptors from hell.

Well, I'd love to hear if anyone else has left nursing? come back and any other thoughts you all might have.

Hope this is a good new year for all.

i did - i left for about for 4 yrs- i had a great preceptor-ship however i had miscarried twins , found out i had a tumour in my brain and my hair all fell out - and after using all my family leave act ended up fired for not being able to do my job- i got another job and went on to a nursing home which by this time i was better emotionally but the workplace had started to really suck with bad managers and preceptors and on and on - so when i got laid up with premature labor and was off for 3 months - and then had the baby - i went back for 3 months part time and decided i just did not need the stress they were putting on me. i have since come back - i was blessed with a great DON and preceptor who were excellent bringing me back in - if i hadn't i would probably have not stayed - i do know that the workplace sucks way bad - but i have stayed ( cant work part time at anyplace else and live ) and i make it a point to be one of the good preceptors and do my best to help the nurses and interns coming in - to get the best possible teaching i can - i was blessed to get it and hope i am helping others as i have been helped -

i am real sorry the way to the floor these days are so horrid - i watch nurses treat newbies and it disgusts me - i talk till I'm blue in the face but it doesnt help - it isn't that they dont want to help - there just is no time ( i can make time cause i work part time so a few extra hours a week isn't gonna make me go stir crazy- i can totally understand both side!!!! ) i have been told i am the only nurse who cares to help and teach and doesnt get frustrated with them but i also let them know i am not perfect yes i get very frustrated at times but that they should look at what the full timers are expected to do and its unrealistic goals the management puts on them. so far i thin i have kept the peace wit the full and student staff - i hope i can continue- i even stay after punching out to help when i know there are interns and only one nurse there - an impossible situation to take your wing nd have to basically do 2 or 3 other wings -

do not feel bad if you cant stay - i can tell you there have been so many long timers that have been leaving lately - its scary - i wonder at times who will be left to teach the ones coming in -

is there any place else yo could apply - and check out and talk to the staff before you take the job - see if you "click" as that will be key - not every body "clicks " at times- and if you can find a place yo can cick you will be better off.

keeping you in my prayers to do what is best for you. hugs.

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