Graduating and depressed

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2014

Are you planning to work on this unit as an RN? If not, then I'd put it behind you. Yes, there are short staffed units and hospitals and there are also units where staff morale is very low. It sounds like that was the case on the unit where you precepted. When you begin your first job as an RN, your work environment may be very different. If this type of attitude concerns you, ask to shadow and speak to some nurses before you accept a job offer, to see if the culture of the floor or location seems like a good fit for you.

Best of luck in your job hunt.

Sparrow91 · Jul 14, 2014

Don't let one group of nurses or facility get you down. There are some jobs were the work loads are intense and there is a high burn out rate. But here is whats great about nursing, you can do something else!!! If you don't like what you are doing look into another type of nursing and try that. Go to pinning and look forward to the future possibilities! :woot:

Balto · Jul 14, 2014

Your options in regards to being a new grad nurse is not limited to whatever burnt out unit you precepted on.

Don't let someone else's misery on the job keep you from going to your hard earned pinning ceremony.

MidLifeRN2012 · Jul 14, 2014

Shadowing to test the waters of a new possible job sounds like a good idea, however new grads are lucky to get any job now days.

It took me 2 years to land a job and I was not being choosy. You best take anything at first regardless of

the culture or attitude of the unit. Beggars can't be choosers in the current market

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 14, 2014

I had a bad experience my first semester in a terrible unit. There were recent layoffs, so the morale on the floor was very low. The nurses were rude and made it a point to let us know we weren't welcome. One even said to me "why should I help you? You'll just get hired after you graduate and take all of our hours away for lower pay!"

I felt very discouraged. The following semester, I was at the same hospital but on a completely different unit. What a difference! The nurses were friendly, helpful & encouraging. It was a pleasure going to clinicals. I would actually love to work with that unit if I had the chance.

This upcoming semester, I'm at a completely different hospital. I'm looking forward to seeing the differences between the two. My point is, don't let one group of people sour you on the whole thing. If it was honestly THAT bad all the time, no one would do this job :)

CardiacKittyRN · Jul 14, 2014

Each unit is different!! Being short staffed sucks, but some nights it does happen. Nursing is a high stress job; hopefully you knew that going in. I'm a new grad & that's even more stressful... But I love my job and I love being a nurse. So preceptorship sucked, how were your other clinicals? As for no techs, yeah, we don't have em.. You'll learn to deal!

annie.rn · Jul 14, 2014

One even said to me "why should I help you? You'll just get hired after you graduate and take all of our hours away for lower pay!"

Shame on him/her! That's awful.

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Jul 15, 2014

It's terrible that this was your last experience before graduation but, like everyone else said, unit to unit, it's different everywhere. There is usually a management-led culture issue allowing the unit to be like that. That is just not a place you're going to want to be. This was how it was for my last clinical, too. I was like *** is this and do I even want to do this anymore? One day we happened to go down to the floor below us for some supplies and it was tremendously different -- they were wondering why they weren't getting students (aside from it being a transplant/chemo/med-surg floor) and they were more than ready to have us. Darn, why couldn't we be there?!?! Oh well, that's the breaks. However, it made me hopeful that, even though it seems like burn out and low morale is more around than you would like to think, there are some great places to work with great people who make a wonderful team. They're out there. Just don't let the curmudgeons get you down to where your outlook/attitude is negatively changed and no one wants to welcome you on their team. Stay positive! :) You're going to be okay. Just embrace it.

frustrated in AL · Jul 16, 2014

Thank you all for the encouragement. It made me feel a lot better :)

ThatBigGuy · Jul 17, 2014

Hey, cheer up. There are 213,891* other units out there, which gives you a really good chance of finding one that's filled with friendly, helpful, positive nurses.

*All numbers approximate.