Having a mental breakdown..

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Im Recent graduate in september. I looked for a job and the first job offer is what i acceoted which was at a pediatric clinic.

I've been working in a pediatric clinic for over 1 month now and I'm already told that I'm "supposed to be on my own by now" and that "I'm too slow" and that i need "to move faster". Considering I am assigned to a doctor who has average of 20-30 pt, a day. I try my very best to do it quickly but safely and yet they expect me to do everything for them in such a short amount of time. At the clinic there is so much confusion and lots of things going on at once it's crazy! Everyday i walk in there (I get there early) and I already am behind by 3-4 patients and I'm trying to catch up while doctors are barking orders and expect them to be done. Tomorrow I have 41 patients. The MAs are the nurses in the facility. They do referalls, telephone triage, administration of vaccine and medications, start breathing treatments, do labs, basically everything and they want me to work under a MA for telephone triage. I feel like my license is at stake as well as my mentality because this is the worst experience ever. Every night I go home crying and i go to work crying and dreading the day. Don't get me wrong I love working with the kids but I feel like my license is in danger in this facility( and the pay sucks. ..16/hr) , but I'm one month in the job and i feel like if I quit now it'll look really bad in my record. I really need advice because I'm in a hard place and I'm Inexperienced so any advice can help.

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My advice to you is to find another job. If you do not feel like you are ready for the demands they are making of you, then that's Ok. You worked hard for your license and if you feel that it is in jeopardy then you have to do what you think is best for you. I have not been a nurse very long (3 years), but I have had several people in management positions tell me that it is expected that new nurses will change jobs a few times when they first start out until they find something that works for them. If you are asked about it in an interview, be honest. Tell them what overwhelmed you about the job and what you learned from the experience. Look for internships or residency programs that have more learning time built into the position while you are paid to work.

I'm not sure that I would even list it on a resume, but I'm curious as to what others think about that.

Good luck!

Susan

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Specializes in Public Health, Med/Surg.

Sending you a hug from one new grad to another. I'm so sorry you're going through this! If you strongly feel your license is in danger, I would begin looking for a new job immediately. Also, I'm not sure what area of the country you are in.. But $16/hour sounds really low to me.. and to put up with everything you are putting up with it, it is not worth the toll it's taking on your mental health. You can and will find a better job with more of an orientation period than 4 weeks. Best of luck to you.

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.

I worked 1 day as a pediatric office LVN once. The doctors were obnoxious in the office I tried, thinking I should know exactly what I was doing with their preferences and schedule, etc. (on my own) that first day. It was so unreasonable that I just had to think it would only get worse.

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Thank you for the hug i really need it. I work in the Houston, Texas area. And I've been told to also look for another job because it's not safe and they demand way too much from me (in the end I had 43 patients) and ive been in a couple of situations were the MAs confused themselves like "omg did i give the right vaccines to the right patient... did I pull the, right ones....which ones did i forget" and i havent gotten to that position nor I ever will but it is taking a toll on me because I do feel like I'm practicing unsafely. I'm really am considering quitting this job. But that, was my main fear, what will my future employer think of me and my ability if I quit to soon. :(

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Specializes in Ambulatory care.

learn what you can and find a new job. Hmm 43 pts isn't unusual for a busy clinic see if you can survive to month 3 as by then you'll know what you're doing and will be in a better position for job searching. MA's giving vaccines? out of their scope of practice but hey not your problem its on the facility. Good luck just make sure you protect your own license by not doing anything you shouldn't be aka read RN scope of practice and follow what they taught you in nursing school

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