How many jobs have you had in your career?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi all, curious about how many times most nurses have switched jobs over their careers. I know millennials are considered to be "job hoppers" who switch jobs about every 1-3 years, looking to try new things or for opportunities to move up, better pay, etc. I noticed most of my older nursing colleagues have stayed in the same job for their whole career or had few jobs. The older nurses at the county hospital set themselves up well for retirement because they earn a pension and lifetime health benefits. They deal with the stress and bureaucracy because it's worth it for them. 

I left the county before I was vested in my pension because I felt it was destroying my mental health. That is also something I frequently here my fellow millennials say, whereas some older colleagues had more "suck it up" mentality. Maybe it is a relatively new thing all the discussion about mental health and "putting yourself first." I don't feel I put myself first because I have "sold out" and work for a high paying nonprofit now rather than a community clinic or county hospital where I felt better about my contributions to the world, but I am doing it to provide for my partner and future adopted kids. We couldn't survive in the Bay Area if I kept working at more "charitable" organizations = ( How many jobs have you all had throughout your careers, and what was the rationale behind changing jobs? Thanks! 

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Studies do back up the idea that millennials hold a variety of jobs as they are entering the work force.  

But I also think Boomers did the same thing when we were millennial age and entering the job force.  Now we've had time to find our niche and are at an age when we stick with it, even when times are hard because we find some reward in what we do.  

 I didn't enter nursing until I was early 30's and already by then I had numerous jobs.  

However, since becoming a nurse I've worked two jobs.  One for a year in med-surg and then decided to move to another state,  and the one I hold now for nearly 29 years.  In this 29 year stint however, I've transferred units many times getting a wide variety of experience in trauma, neuro, cardiac, administration and ortho, etc.   I've been fortunate not to have to quit my hospital when I wanted to quit my job but worked for a large enough hospital where there were other opportunities and still I get the max pay and vacation time.

 

7 Votes
Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

5 jobs in 7 years:

1st job 1 year 8 months - applied for 3 promotions after being prompted to apply for them and shot down for all 3. Told to speak to my manager for reason why and manager refused to tell me so I left

2nd job 8 months with the DOH. Loved this job and the co-workers, but I worked with immigrants and migrants from Oct 2016 to May 2017. Political climate changed and program capacity dropped significantly with the potential of my position not being renewed in July due to budget. I left before they made a decision. They ended up keeping the position but demoting the pay scale like 10% and when working for the state you're already paid low!

3rd job - Almost 3 years in two Oncology departments. Loved the job but when I switched departments from PRN to FT I was bullied by a nurse who had worked there 25 years. I tried reporting and management was not helpful and just told me to work it out. Nurse would not work it out, she just did not like me. That stress coupled with the 2 hour drive round trip 5x/week lead me to leave.

4th job - 1 year in outpatient Oncology infusion. Loved the patients, hated the company. Towards the end of the year found out I was pregnant and had to go on bed rest due to a SCH. Already being high risk and dealing with COVID, I asked for triage and they said no so I said bye! They also reduced our PPE due to a shortage and I'm not going to stop double gloving and downing while pregnant (this included hanging and double checking in the back under the hood).

5th job - 3 months in WFH Oncology. Data abstraction 10-15 hours/week. I plan on doing this until I hit 1.5 years so I can stay home with baby to cut down on daycare costs. I may keep it PRN after that because only commitment is 10 hours/week. 

I will say, I am a Millenial. I don't intentionally job hop, but I won't stay anywhere where I am miserable. Work/life balance is super important to me after having cancer at 22 and also having a debilitating autoimmune disease. I've endured too much already to be miserable another day. 

8 Votes
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I had 13 jobs in 17 years. Some of them overlapped, but the longest I ever stayed at one job was 2.75 years. I wasn’t aware of it then, but after my career was over I realized that I often changed jobs in the Spring when I’d get bored and restless. I didn’t know that it was part of my bipolar illness and the moves were made during my manic phases. Towards the end of my career I had trouble finding a job because I’d held three different jobs in a year and it looked like I was some sort of flake. I guess I was!

5 Votes

Davey Do; your story shows that a person can be fired from a nursing job, andstill  be able to obtain another job. Even though you do seem to be a little dysfunctional, you still managed to have a career, and you're funnier than heck. 

2 Votes
Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

Before nursing, scattered restaruant jobs.

Got nursing 2nd degree when I was in my late 30s. So, in 9 years of nursing, 4 jobs:

5 years geriatric-medical surgical - a bit of bullying on the unit, left and realized how much better it could be. Got the float pool job.

3 years med-surg float pool. really loved my coworkers, but left because I got a new job and 'the company' basically gave us a pay cut and increased requirements.

While doing float pool, spent a few weeks tried ER nursing, but could not get the hang of it - terrible IV "skills" and really not sure how to deal with 4+ patients that have critical issues. Really sad I didn't "get" it.

Now ~6 months inpatient wound care. Love my coworker who stole me from my float pool position. ? May stay here forever.

3 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

I’ve been an RN for 15 years and have worked for 4 different hospitals. I was at the first one for 9 years and then had to resign in lieu of termination due to an acute medical condition that made me max out on FMLA. The job I got after that, I was in that position for a little over a year before moving out of state when my mom passed. Moved to Arizona and was at that hospital for two years before moving to Texas where I’ve been in my position for 4 years now.

My husband and I are nomadic by nature, and I’ve definitely realized that there are financial benefits to that.

2 Votes

I have been an RN for 50 years, and I have worked probably at least 25 jobs. I don't think I could even list them. I, like Davey Do, have been fired a few times, and I have quit jobs. The thing I love about nursing is the variety. I have worked hospitals, LTCs, LTACs, corrections, insurance, public health, private duty. I have met so many amazing people. I will continue working until I can't. Sitting at home is boring. 

7 Votes
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
4 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

Now ~6 months inpatient wound care. Love my coworker who stole me from my float pool position. ? May stay here forever.

I've always thought this sounded cool! Still acute care but focused on one area and without the crazy time management. Did you have to get your WOCN certification? Our wound nurse evaluated wounds and determined the treatment plan, followed up and updated the orders as needed, and helped with the big/complex dressing changes. Wound vacs are so cool! I liked doing them and watching how fast the wound healed. I was slow at them though = ( How you feel about IVs is how I feel about wound vacs LOL I really want to be good but sometimes I felt like I'd never get it 

1 Votes
Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.
8 hours ago, LibraNurse27 said:

I've always thought this sounded cool! Still acute care but focused on one area and without the crazy time management. Did you have to get your WOCN certification? Our wound nurse evaluated wounds and determined the treatment plan, followed up and updated the orders as needed, and helped with the big/complex dressing changes. Wound vacs are so cool! I liked doing them and watching how fast the wound healed. I was slow at them though = ( How you feel about IVs is how I feel about wound vacs LOL I really want to be good but sometimes I felt like I'd never get it 

Yeah, I have my WOCN. Actually, the day I passed my "OC" (Ostomy/Continence) exams, I texted my current coworker who told me to go work with her! ?  And here I am!  Vacs are cool, I am not the superexpert yet, but working on it. And many days I feel like we are just chasing our tail, so need more follow-ups.. but, it is cool and I get to learn a lot!

3 Votes

I'm a second-career RN, not a millennial. 

First job: county hospital, one year. Left because bad commute, low pay, difficult working conditions

Second job: much nicer hospital, two months so far. Much better commute, big pay increase, night shift, very boring compared to county.

I wish I loved my new job, but maybe with time I will. 

4 Votes
Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.

2 jobs so far: 

2006-2019: Floor nurse in SNF

2019-Present: Unit manager for SNF 

Note: I did have a brief stint in an acute care setting prior to working in the SNF I am at now, but it only lasted about 3 months so I don't consider it to be a job experience.  I actually leave this position off my resume, for it adds nothing of value.  

2 Votes
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I spent the first 15 years of my career working in different psych facilities:  3 years, 2 years, less than a year, 7+ years.  The job changes were usually in response to moving around a lot in my 20s.  The less-than-a-year job really sucked and was unsafe.

At some point I was just tired of psych and went to work at a county jail.  I was there almost 6 years and left because the manager was a total snake and I got tired of trying to appease and work around her.

Went to work on a surgical floor in a big hospital.  Loved that job even though it was very stressful and I rarely got all the breaks I was supposed to.  I left after almost 7 years because my partner and I were in the (long) process of moving out of the area.  I did a bit of agency work and helped care for my partner's mother while she was dying of cancer.

My last job was at a university student health clinic.  Fantastic job, fantastic people.  But after 5 years I started to realize my heart was no longer in nursing and it was time to retire.  I hung on another year and felt no regrets when I finally hung it up after 36 years total.

4 Votes
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