How long did you stay at your 1st job?

I Am ReadyRN, BSN · Jan 11, 2012

I'll let you know when I finally get one. After waiting so many years for one though, I assume I'd stay at that first job as long as possible.

jhanes · Jan 11, 2012

Some of my fellow new nurse friends and I were talking the other day and were curious to hear from more experienced people...
How long did you stay at your first job? Do you feel it is unprofessional to leave after only a year?

I stayed 1-1/2 years, and have remained at jobs an average of three years since then ('79). I am the Director of a Home Health Agency and do not consider it unprofessional to leave after a year. It's YOUR career, do what you like. What makes leaving after a short time a problem is what it says on your resume when you do that time after time.

rnfostermom, BSN, RN · Jan 11, 2012

Some of my fellow new nurse friends and I were talking the other day and were curious to hear from more experienced people...
How long did you stay at your first job? Do you feel it is unprofessional to leave after only a year?

I personally think that unless you are horribly, awfully, excrutiatingly miserable, you ought to try to stick it out at least 2 years before moving on. This is for your benefit, as the first year of nursing is really just not fun and years later you will look back on it as a mixture of feeling overwhelmed, difficult situations/patients, goof-ups you made that thankfully didn't hurt anyone, etc. It's really in the 2nd year that things start to "gel" a bit and you can breathe. At that point, you will be in a better spot to evaluate the job, your skills and what plans you have for the future. Because employers put so much effort into new nurses, I suppose you could feel a bit guilty about leaving after only one year, but that need not be your main concern, unless you have some kind of advance agreement.

One thing to consider, also, is what options you have within the same employer. If you are working in a hospital, consider changing units, or shifts, or cutting your hours and getting a PT position somewhere else to build up a skill area you are interested in. I have been at my first nursing job for almost 7 years, but I only stayed on my first unit for 2 years, then worked on another for 3 1/2 and have been on my current unit for 16 months. A few years ago, I took a PT job in home-based infusion therapy that I quit after 6 months because I hated it (still I learned good stuff there that I still use). Recently I took on a casual job in LT acute care and I'm still deciding whether I like this, although it's a good job for keeping my skills well-rounded, their employee education is really excellent, and the pay is good.

Good luck in your decision.

traumarnrodney · Jan 11, 2012

Some of my fellow new nurse friends and I were talking the other day and were curious to hear from more experienced people...How long did you stay at your first job? Do you feel it is unprofessional to leave after only a year?

I stayed at my first employer 13 years in different positions. I know this is rare, but I never stopped learning so it was always interesting. Love a teaching hospital with the highest level of care for all specialties.

billyboblewis · Jan 11, 2012

I stayed at my first job where I had been employed prior to being an RN for 1 month as they had no RN positions. I went to work at the hospital where I got my RN after that and stayed about a year and got a new job with a fifty percent pay raise..Not that much in the seventies. I then left after another year fleeing urban crime in Trenton NJ. I statyed at first job in Louisiana 1 year and got an evening supervisor in moderate sized hospital where I statyed for 3 yearrs. I could go on and on but I think if you look around you will find that very few nurses stay at one place for a very long time anymore.

plumiegirl · Jan 11, 2012

I hear from other nurses about the grass not being greener so I have been in my first job for 16 years now. I am a school nurse and there are days where you run out of the office at the end of the day but there are good days too. Lessons learned: suffering is a choice (both for patients and nurses), you can only advise since no one can be told what to do (but chart like mad in case they come back because they did not do what they were suppose to do). Find something to balance out the bad days like a fun place to forget it all.

squirtcatt · Jan 11, 2012

I stayed at my first job for almost 10 years 9 months! Crazy me thought I needed to get out and see other things! I will just leave it at that!!

karrncen · Jan 11, 2012

I have to say I do believe it's unprofessional to leave after only one year. The first year of nursing for new grads is a difficult learning experience for so many. Clinical in many programs is limited and doesn't give the experience needed to deal with "the real world". It's easy to get frustrated, frightened, and disheartened as you adapt to a new role. I think 2 years would give a better gauge of where you are career-wise and what your needs are.

My first job was over three years and had it not been for a bad divorce and moving cross country, I'd likely have stayed much longer. I loved it. I had supportive colleagues and I learned a huge amount. It was a wonderful experience! Of course, I'm an older nurse and had a luxury of "graduate nurse" status until I took the boards.

Grumpy's Girl · Jan 11, 2012

I stayed at my first job 6 yrs and was downsized out b/c I was PRN by then (working FT). At this first job I had expressed a real desire and love of ICU in my interview. I struggled thru a rough year on a busy low staffed mostly med, surg floor. Learned a lot. Cried on the way to work on days I new was going to be awful. Then I was surprised to find I was assigned to the ICU class & transfer to critical care! They remembered, I felt I didn't dare ask. There I bloomed. as PRN, it overlapped 2nd job. Loved my 2nd ICU job for 3 short yrs then we moved out of state. Thought I started my dream ICU job, but lasted only 6 mos d/t crazy A/P rotation killed me and scary staffing issues in a highly critical unit (they lost a bunch of treasures over that). Now I have been in this job 24 years !! (as staff and charge) Times get tough but I look at the "Frying pan into the Fire" issue. Take a good look at that green grass, it could be fire. Try to figure a way to be on the improving end. Getting involved in projects gets you out of a rut. Or try a different unit. We have a no switching units for 6mos after a change. We have brought our hospital a long way, going for Magnet.

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Jan 11, 2012

I was at my first job for about 7 weeks. Recruited as a new grad into an ER for their new "New grad in the ER program" It was horrible. The veteran nurses there were not on board and treated the 4 of us like crap. When the manager of the ER had a MI the program fell apart.

I quit and went to another hospital where I ended up staying for about 5 years. Then started agency/travel RN. Now back staff again after having moved to another state. Loving it and not planning on leaving any time soon.

I have a few friends who went through multiple jobs their first year. It worked out okay for them, but I wouldn't like to keep job hopping.

You do need to do what is right for you and your family though. And never stay in a place that doesn't feel safe. I know from experience that that can end badly.

SamyRN · Jan 11, 2012

still here after 18 years, 9 months, and ...... however many days. same facility, different positions, "movin' on up."

as pointed out here several times, unless you have extenuating circumstances (a volcano wiped out your hospital.) hey! it could happen, right?!?

just a besides, as a department director of a specialty area, there are no points scored when considering applicants for a position if they are "job hoppers". training and the learning curve are too tedious, time consuming and expensive to put faith in a "hopper."

just sayin'.....

s

gypsyd8 · Jan 11, 2012

I stayed at my first job for five years. Toward the end it felt like I was in an abusive relationship. My job would beat me down, the apologise and tell me it would change, the beat me the next time I ****** it off. In my opinion, their is no set amount of time to stay at any job. If something better comes along, or you feel burnt out, its perfectly acceptable to leave. You work for yourself and your patients first, if you are in a situation that is bad for you it negatively impacts patient care. You have a responsibility to take care of yourself first.

Some of my fellow new nurse friends and I were talking the other day and were curious to hear from more experienced people...How long did you stay at your first job? Do you feel it is unprofessional to leave after only a year?