Having difficulty finding a unit I enjoy working in.

[edt8888]

I have been a nurse for 9 months and started out as a pedi cardiac nurse for three months, pedi icu for two months, and NICU since February. Currently, I am in the NICU and find that I dislike it and feel like this isn't where I'm supposed to be. My orientation has been extended, but I feel like I'm not progressing and just not enjoying my job. I really enjoyed PICU, but feel like I need to refine and strengthen my nursing skills in a lower acuity unit prior to transferring back to critical care. Perhaps even a pediatric outpatient clinic would even be good for me, but am having difficulty finding RN positions in this setting. I have never really been off of orientation and practiced on my own so I feel like my growth as a nurse has been delayed. I really want out of the NICU, but I feel like I'm making myself look worse if I continue to transfer to different units. Has anyone else gone through this sort of experience or have any positive and constructive feedback? I'm afraid to tell the leadership team what I am experiencing because I feel like they might terminate me before I could find somewhere to transfer to within the system. This has happened to me before. Thanks!

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

My first thoughts when I read your post is that you haven't really been anywhere long enough to actually know what working there is like. I think you've acknowledged that "job-hopping" doesn't look good to a potential hiring manager. Since you've never worked on any of these units independently that doesn't help. Critical care has a steep learning curve and each of the three units you've been on have very different foci, although there is some general overlap. If you liked PICU but think you need more time to grow your nursing skills and be comfortable in the role of "The Nurse" before building a career there, an outpatient clinic would NOT be of much value. Sure you'd learn some time management and some tricks for working with children but the patient population is very different, the work you'd be doing is very different and the skills are more of a soft skill set. You'd get more mileage from a peds medicine or surgery floor where you'd get solid experience with acute care pediatrics to build on when you move back to PICU. Give a lot of thought to how you're going to make this move without raising any red flags about your staying power. It might be in your best interest to stay with NICU for awhile longer, even though you're not loving it, just to build some credibility.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

You need to stay somewhere long enough to figure out how to be a nurse.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

I always feel sick and regretful every time I've started a new job. I don't have the greatest social skills and I didn't feel comfortable for months (although I liked he job).

And (side note).. whaddaya mean "back" to critical care? Cause idk what you're doing over there, but what I do is very much critical care.

[edt8888]

I meant back to specifically pediatric critical care.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

I meant back to specifically pediatric critical care.

I'm just picking on you a little.

[nurseontheway]

I can relate to you and I hope that you find your niche. I recently switched from an adult dialysis unit to a pediatric unit and am not sure about the switch. I do agree that we should try to give it more time though. My advice to you is to try and show interest in the training- write out questions if it is hard for you to come up with them on the spot. It is hard to be the new nurse on the unit and to build trust with coworkers. Hang in there and I hope it will get easier for you.