HATE my job (vent post)

[IHeartPeds87]

Hi everyone. I hate my job. I am extremely unhappy.

I got a job at a busy urban hospital on a med-surg floor at night. I was thrilled to have a hospital job as a new grad. The experience, in reality, has been terrible.

Patient load is atrocious. At night we routinely have anywhere from 6-8 patients. Sometimes I'll start with 7 and get an admission, other times i'll start with 6 and get two admissions.....it's a lot of patients with high acuities (many times we get patients and in report it will be "this patient was supposed to go to the icu but they are full so....")

First of all, the orientation. Excuse me while I barf. The "extensive" orientation was a grand total of 5.5 weeks....and I had to beg for the last week. Also, more than half my orientation wasn't an orientation as much as it was me doing everything while my preceptor did her homework for her BSN classes at the desk.

The vast majority of the aides are useless. There a few minority who are awesome at their jobs, extremely helpful and I can't thank them enough. Unfortunately they are outnumbered by the vast majority of lazy aides with very bad attitudes. Attitudes like when I say "hey i'm going to get pain meds for 22, can you take the patient in 20 to the bathroom" they tell me "no, you can take them after u pass meds." And I don't need a lecture on how maybe it's my tone or attitude toward the aides...no, it is not. I was an aide for over three years at a hospital and I did not do that and I have respect for the aides having been one myself!!!!

My nurse coworkers are...okay. The ones who are nice are awesome but they have such a heavy patient assignment themselves that they can't help anyone else. The mean ones are...well..mean.

I have been at the job for 5.5 months.

It has been terrible. They have already put me in charge with NO training. I didn't even know what responsibilities the charge nurse had and they were like "oh you are charge." This has happened three times. the first time I asked the day shift charge a few things before she left (what exactly do I have to do and where can I find certain things). It is terribly unsafe. One of the nights I was charge I had 7 patients and was charge...the other two nurses had 8 patients and we were short aides.

I have applied for an internal transfer on a peds floor at the same hospital...while I know that peds has its own set of issues and stress I love kids and am hoping that a patient population I like will help me like going to work.

I hate my job. My unit is always short of nurses. They have hired three new nurses on nights so I am quickly becoming one of the "seasoned" people.

I hate my job. I really hope I get this other job....I need something to look forward too.

Thanks for reading.

[starlight88]

Just wanted to give you some support and say hang in there. I've had a similar experience, having had a job that I've hated and I've recently found another job. You're doing the right thing trying to find another position. There is light at the end of the tunnel :)

[Nurse4592]

I'm about the same amount into an ortho/neuro floor and am also a new grad. I feel the same way as you and am looking towards my one year when I know I can transfer (right now the new unit isn't hiring). I'm sorry this is so hard... I'll keep you in my thoughts! *fingers crossed* you get that new job!!

[IHeartPeds87]

Thanks for the support! I'll keep you guys posted :)

[ManicRN911]

I am so sorry that you are having this experience. I know how disheartening it can be as a new RN. Wasn't it so exciting when you finally graduated and then passed the boards? All that hard work just to be miserable, and being treated badly while working your butt off. My first job was the same. Most of my coworkers were the stereotypical "bullies" nursing has a bad rep for. So was my nurse manager. When I think back, I can't believe I put up with it for even a minute without filing a grievance. Fear was the culture as well as back stabbing. I got out as soon as I could. I ended up leaving that hospital completely. I did not want to leave the hospital initially but that turned into me not wanting any part of that hospital.

Now my biggest question when I interview is "How do you handle mistakes an employee makes?" First job: being insulted, talked down to, or even screamed at over the simplest things. Like taking one of the phones home by mistake. (Yeah, I was back the next day and there were plenty of other phones to use, but make me feel like a piece of crap who should lose my job if I don't bring it back right now!). Current job: mistakes are a learning experience for everyone. One of my coworkers had a major Med error and everyone in our chain of command including the CNO were very supportive she says.

I pray for you. Hopefully as you move on, you will remember this experience and make sure you never contribute to making anyone else feel like you do now. That is one promise I have kept to myself and am proactive in trying to make things better by joining committees.

Good luck!