How many new nurses are seriously thinking about quiting?

BeccaznRN, RN · Mar 16, 2007

If only I would have known how hard nursing is while in school!

I am about 5-6 weeks into my orientation on a busy L&D floor, and I can't begin to tell you how stressed I am. I'm not quitting by any means, but the stress that I felt when going through school and studying for NCLEX doesn't hold a candle to the stress that I feel now when I go to work. And I have an AMAZING preceptor (who stressed to me on the first day that I would not feel comfortable on the floor for at least a year) and all the support that a new grad could ever want from everyone. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I didn't have such a strong support system.

Nursing school is WAY different than actual bedside nursing, and it's hard when new grads actually get out there on the floor and see for themselves just how much school DIDN'T prepare them for it. I graduated with honors, but I'm so nervous on that floor trying to learn everything that I forget the most basic details, like making sure my poor patient gets some food after delivering! It's a hard transition. I believe that the right support for new grads makes all the difference.

nursing804 · Mar 16, 2007

I was always told that you had to have exp before you could work in L&D.

Can you really go in as a new grad w/o experience? That would be a wonderful place to start. I thought i would have to wait a few years before even applying for a job on a specialty floor.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 16, 2007

I heard that med surge is where new nurses should start. I am interested in psyche and would hate to be like many of these nurses I hear hating the med surge, I believe psyche to be a specialty, so do i have to do something like nursing home or med surge before I would be able to move onto psyche???

Some people love med-surg, some hate it. Same as every specialty (and please remember, while you "believe psych to be a specialty", so are the other areas you might consider, including med-surg).

You don't "have" to do med-surg first, if there's another area of nursing that interests you more. But in many cases, it is required before your application for hire will be of interest to them. Sometimes not, it really depends on the area of nursing, and even the facility to which you'd be applying. Some will take new grads straight into OB, for example, and others will require you to have med-surg skills first (as does my hospital). Varies greatly.

There are many long threads on this very topic; do a search (particularly on the General Discussion Board) and you'll see all the arguments for and against.

Personally, if the area of nursing you'd like to go into does not require med-surg and you don't WANT to do med-surg, then I say it's not necessary. But you should understand that once you DO med-surg you are that much better prepared for any area of nursing you choose.

Some will tell you m/s is a must. Some will say that's nonsense. Bottom line is you'll have to research the expectations for nurses on various units in your area, and find out if the point is moot or if you have decisions to make.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 16, 2007

For those unhappy with the patient load, which is EXTREMELY high on the med surge wing- maybe consider an office or something like PACU. I have had a few surgeries and I must admit, the PACU seemed pretty laid back. Of course, you have a HUGE responsibility, but your numbers are very low and the time is slow paced.

After responding to your first post, I saw this and wanted to mention something: in my hospital, which isn't unique, you can forget about PACU unless you have a good background in med-surg! While the type of work is different, there isn't a void of people to do the job: openings are extremely rare. Just a consideration.

crb613, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2007

The thing that gets me about nursing is the total lack of respect. It may not be that way in all places , but it definately is where I am. We seem to be the door mat for doctors & admin. We put up w/crazy pt loads, inadequate pay, & unhealthy schedules. We refuse to band together to move our profession foward and, those that do are labeled trouble makers.

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Mar 16, 2007

The thing that gets me about nursing is the total lack of respect. It may not be that way in all places , but it definately is where I am. We seem to be the door mat for doctors & admin. We put up w/crazy pt loads, inadequate pay, & unhealthy schedules. We refuse to band together to move our profession foward and, those that do are labeled trouble makers.

Hear, hear! I am about 2 years into nursing now, and will soon be moving to my 3rd hospital, because the last 2 have treated me and the other nurses like dirt. The pt loads go up, and yet the expectations for perfection go up at the same time. It is totally illogical. Our manager has been calling everybody in her office lately chewing them out for silly stuff, suspending a few, making new grads cry, etc. It's not leadership, it's fascism.

Part of my problem is that I worked in a different field for many years where the employees were actually given some respect, and not treated so poorly. So I am not going to put up with mistreatment. I guess this is a bad trait for a hospital nurse!

I will leave bedside nursing as soon as possible due to the culture, the pt acuity and pt loads, the mistreatment by management, and the backstabbing by other nurses. It's not worth it.

Oldiebutgoodie

TraumaRN1983 · Mar 16, 2007

I agree with VivaRN, starting out as a new grad is really rought just about anywhere you start. I am currently working on a Trauma/Emergency General Surgery Floor (Highly stressful), am on my 7th week or orientation and am due to start on my own next week. I have been told by my manager to ask tons of questions when I don't know how to do something (which is a frequent occurence), but then when I do ask questions I come out to the nurses station later on in the shift to hear the nurses laughing about what I needed help with. Sometimes I feel so alone on the floor and feel too scared to ask a question because I will get gossiped about and laughed about. It makes me sad that these experienced nurses seem to be "out to get" the new grads when they should, as VivaRN said, be more interested in retention and encouraging more nurses into the profession rather than scaring them away.

dexter99 · Mar 19, 2007

been working in a med/surg floor for the past 3mos and it sucks! We're always short staff! Patient load is 8-11 patients almost everyday there is new admissions! And since I'm a new nurse the pay sucks also! I don't know if I can last!

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Mar 19, 2007

been working in a med/surg floor for the past 3mos and it sucks! We're always short staff! Patient load is 8-11 patients almost everyday there is new admissions! And since I'm a new nurse the pay sucks also! I don't know if I can last!

8 to 11 patients is insane. I would skedaddle out of there quickly and find a hospital with safer ratios.

Oldiebutgoodie

Lorelai22RN, RN · Mar 22, 2007

Hey, my year is up in June......dont think I will totally quit the hospital then, I will PRN.......I have thought about quitting alot.....but I am trying to stick it out for a year for experience.....I wont stay full time......at m hospital we can PRN after a year which I think is a good idea so we can get experience.......so I will probably switch over to PRN starting in July. Looking forward to having more freeom and flexibility over my schedule!! I can work when I want, if I am sick or have some issues.......i can deal with them without people bitching that I called in! Its amazing how in a career where we are suppose to be so compassionate (work extra, long hours, bad working condtions, rudeness etc) so little of this compassion is actually given to us! I am so glad about PRN..........I know I will have to pay more for insurance but I dont care! I want more freedom and happiness....

dainty · Mar 27, 2007

In my clinical group of four girls, TWO of those girls left their hospital jobs within 3 months.... One got a PHN job, and the other is working in a diet clinic.

I am sticking mine out, but mostly because they have put so much time and effort into training me, I feel guity for quitting so soon.. I want to give it more of a chance, see if I become more comfortable. I feel like 6 months to a year is a fair amount of time!

I work in the ER. I like it better than ANY of my clinical placements, but I still get nervous stomach aches to go in. I am almost off orientation.

The orientation is not enough time (12 weeks, and one of those weeks was not on the floor but in a classroom)... but they are SO generous with stuff.... like PALS and ACLS which were conditions of me having within a year of hire.... they PAID for the courses for me and pay me the hours I'm taking them.... so they really want me to stay and I feel like I owe it a good shot.

TXNurseBSN · Mar 27, 2007

And why do you want to quit?
I really would like a study done on how many nurses quit nursing within the first 5 years. It seems like 80% of the student population at community colleges are pre-nursing students. I do not get why there is still so many RN jobs available on the market. When there have been thousands of graduates every year.... Something is amiss in the career of nursing and the truth needs to be told....

Keep in mind....many of those pre-nursing students never make it into a program because space is so limited!