How soon is too soon?

[nursey777, BSN, RN]

Hey there (long post ahead),

So this is my first post on here and I am hoping for some sound advice. I am a new grad nurse and have been at my first nursing job now for 2 months. I work in an outpatient setting at a pediatric clinic and am getting kind of discouraged. Throughout all of nursing school I was interested in hospital-based care and got most all of my experience as inpatient. I loved it and did not necessarily have a favorite specialty. Towards the end of school i had an interest in pediatrics and found a job in the field that i was very excited about, despite it not being inpatient. I was excited, but apprehensive taking the job at first because i knew it wasn't going to be very skilled based, but I took the job anyways. Fast forward to now, I am feeling very discouraged because I do not get to utilize as much of my nursing knowledge and skills as I would like and am in an office doing computer/phone work most of the time. I know it is early, but I am also very sure-footed mpst of the time and don't think I am giving myself an opportunity to utilize my bedside skills and care. I love the company and my coworkers, but find myself getting very "bored." In conjunction, my husband is having an IMPOSSIBLE time finding a job in the area as well as a home for us that we need within the next couple months, and would really like to move to another state. It was pur original plan to move to another state after graduation, but we did not have enough money originally to do so. I have always wanted to consider travel nursing and my husband is fully supportive of the idea. In my mind, I know that 2-3 months seems way too soon to leave a job and I am so hesitatant to disappoint my current employer that I am having difficulty justifying leaving so soon, but I know I am going to continue being unhappy with my current job responsibilities. Help, I need advice! Thank you!

[CoffeeYogaNurse]

Hey there, I voted that you should stay 1-2 more months (at least) and here's a way you can do it. Stay where you are and keep trudging along, meanwhile your hubs can be looking for a job in a different state. Hopefully he'll find one and maybe a place to rent/buy too in about 1-2 months. When looking for jobs you can also look for options in your spare time. Most travel nurse companies want at least 1-2 year experience but who knows maybe you'll get lucky? You can also apply for acute care positions in the state hub gets a job. This will all probably take 2-3 months and you'll have spent 6 mo in the office by then. Just explain to them that you want to use the skills you learned and want a more acute care setting. Most people won't blame someone for realizing a job isn't for them and leaving as long as there isn't a contract involved and you give them a decent notice to find someone new. If they do get mad they would probably be mad at you leaving regardless, try not to burn the bridge though, the medical community is smaller than it seems.

Best of luck to you!

[nursey777, BSN, RN]

Thanks for the input! We have been looking literally every day in the area for jobs for him, as well as a place to live but haven't had any luck. Unfortunately, another problem we are having is that we are going to have to move out of our current place within two months and are having such a difficult time finding somewhere in the area and that also allows pets. We live in a small town with no properties and I already have quite the commute currently. Travel nursing would be great, but I am more than happy working acute care at a hospital and wad in very good standing and grades coming out of nursing school.

[jennylee321]

The problem though is that you can't be a travel nurse with no hospital nursing experience so that's not really an option for you yet. You need to stick with your current job or yes it'll look bad to your current employer/to future employers.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Per the previous poster, most travel nurse positions ask for one to two years of experience. Also, if you do your homework on travel nursing, you will find that most facilities expect their travelers to be experienced, and will throw them in (so to write) with an extremely short orientation time frame to the floor/unit.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think it would be OK to leave now or soon IF your husband finds a job somewhere. Then you would always be able to say you had to leave the job because of your husband's employment. But understand that you'll need to stick with the 2nd job for at least a year.