How long should one grieve after losing job?

[purplegal]

Last Friday, I made the very difficult decision to leave an awesome nursing position--my first nursing position--as a cardiac progressive care nurse, to both adult and peds patients, and return to my former role as an ECG Technician, as placement office at my current employer was not willing to recommend me to another floor/unit. I have been devastated ever since. Family and friends have encouraged me to look for new positions, but I don't feel that I'm ready. I'm feeling so negative and depressed that I do not feel I could make a new position work at this point. Yet, I don't want to give up on using my license and nursing degree that I worked so hard for, forever. How long should I give myself to grieve before I need to move on?

[NOADLS]

About a week in the shower eating cookies while your eyeliner runs should suffice for grieving the loss of a good job.

[GenSurgRNFA, BSN]

I understand slightly where u are coming from. I just got licensed in august and just left my first RN job. I worked in homecare and i hated it, i felt isolated because i was the only nurse working in the home, my assessment skills werent up to pare and the mom didnt fully trust me. And my supervisor was 2 hours away and extremely unsupportive. It was just a **** show for 5 months. I havent mourned, i was so sick of the job that i was mentally done with the job the day i walked out the door for the last time. But now im starting a new job monday and i have high hopes. Just try something different, i feel as fragile as u do being a new nurse, but i faced the fact that i couldn't thrive in homecare and moved on. Try not to get yourself down too much.

[adventure780, BSN, MSN, RN, APN]

I was in your place once but I didn't have the option to go back to being a nursing assistant in my facility. I was an aide first on the unit for a few years then I finished nursing school and got licensed. I was a child in a candy store finally getting to learn all the skills to be a decent nurse. However , it ended up being too fast paced and short staffed for me as a new nurse they trained me on 2 different shifts and floors. Both units were medsurg/telemetry. I was so depressed. But you know what kept me going was that it wasn't the only place and way I could be a nurse. I applied to numerous positions for 2 weeks and before those weeks were over I landed a job in LTC. Did I love it enough to stay? No I didn't, lasted five months but I learned so much more because the pace wasn't as hectic. I worked at two other subacute facilities over the next few years. I even tried teaching lpn school for a semester, was I really great at it? No I wasn't. But I decided I will gain more experience and go back and teach again someday. In December 2014, after three years of trying to get back in the hospital setting, I got a phone call offering me a position on a telemetry/ medsurg unit. I took it up. I decided why not see if I can do this? So bottom line refine your skills and keep trying. One day you will find your niche. Maybe you can do wound care nursing after you get some experience.

[happy_life]

Keep in mind it's just a job!

No one is going to remember your mistakes. You could probably apply to the same position in a few months or a year and get hired again. (Not that you should want to if you hated it that much). It's not that big of a deal.

Sometimes I wish I had job hopped more when I first became a nurse. Experience the cultures on different units and see what fits best. There's so much to learn out there and so many good nurses who will support you! Why stay somewhere you are miserable? Answer: you don't have to!

[ICUCDE]

As a former unit-based educator, to me your description sounds like you were not a good fit for the unit. Was it fast-paced, with high patient turnover (admissions & discharges)? Did you struggle to keep up? Did your preceptor have to step in fairly frequently? Did you get along with your preceptor? Did you meet weekly with your preceptor and educator about your progress? It's really important to get that feedback and act upon it, to help you grow and develop as a nurse.

I have had to have that conversation with several new grads. My advice is look for another position with lower acuity--perhaps in long-term care or rehab--to give yourself the gift of time and experience to build on. Then make the foray back to the area that you enjoy. Work should be enjoyable, not make you miserable!!!

Keep your chin up and get back out there. Use that feedback from this job to grow. You can do it!