How long did you stay at your first job?

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  1. How long did you stay at your first job?

    • 29
      One year or less
    • 19
      Three years or less
    • 6
      Five years or more
    • 8
      Six years or more
    • 5
      10+ years

67 members have participated

I just reached the magic "1 year" a few weeks ago and am wondering how long everyone stayed at their first job?

Specializes in OB.

I stayed at my first nursing job for 6 1/2 years, the next one for 8 years and my current employer for 20 years. Of course my current position is as a traveler so I have the best of both worlds - longevity and variety.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Two years. I left when my husband got his "dream job" 900 miles away.

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.

Long enough to "Let the hate flow through me". I despised my first job!

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Exactly one year

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Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

2.5 years for me.

I agree that there's nothing 'magic' about 1 year. To the contrary, I think that is far too soon to be looking to jump unless the new job is a huge step up and one at which you're prepared to stay for 3-5 years.

One year is roughly 3% of your working life... just a drop in the bucket.

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I worked 10 years at my first job in CVICU. Never found any reason to leave it. The stresses of nursing were very different back then and you just stuck with it.

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

I stayed at my first job just shy of three years. I left because we were relocating for my now-husband's job, but even if I hadn't, I was reaching the end of the road as far as satisfaction and learning in that job, and would likely have switched to another specialty around the three year mark (which I did in the course of moving) had I stayed.

I have had hiring managers since comment favorably on my remaining in that first job more than one year.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.

I stayed at my first job in subacute rehab for four years. I was starting to feel the need to try something different when I moved fifty miles away with my now fiance and the one hour versus ten minute commute wore on me enough to make me change it up. I have now been at my current med surg transplant job for four years in September with no plans for change anytime soon.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.
What's magic about one year? Usually I hear about "getting in my two years". Neither one nor two is "magic" regarding moving into a different branch of nursing, if that's what you're thinking about--just a word of warning.

Quite to the contrary in many areas of the US. For most areas, many applications for more desirable jobs require 1 year of experience with preference of that year being in acute care. But, generally 1 year of full time employments means you are no longer considered a new grad for hiring purposes and it opens up doors for more/better job opportunities for many nurses.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Recovery.

About 11 months

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3 months :D lol

But I have been at my current job 1 year and plan to stay at least another year or two. I am hoping to stay with my employer for much longer, though.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

Two weeks at an snf.

8 months in med-surg. Still there prn.

Now in NICU and have been for six months.

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