I had eight jobs last year, I'm tired of job hopping. Advice for this year?

Morainey, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2012

Don't quit your PT job, stay where you are and gain some experience & seniority. Full time jobs in hospitals are very hard to come by, especially with no prior hospital experience. 8 jobs in one year is a gigantic red flag, I can see one or two not being a good fit but eight? Yeesh.

edit: PT --> PRN

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2012

If memory serves, you've posted more than one thread on your job hopping and bridge burning tendencies in the past. This leads me to ask the following question:

Is it possible that you just hate nursing, that it isn't the career for you? Now, often on these boards, you will see a post saying "If you don't like X, Y, Z, then just get out of nursing!" This isn't that kind of post. Either you have very unrealistic expectations of a job (you expect to "love" every day when the reality is that it's called "work" for a reason), you just don't like to work period (have you been like this in other jobs?), or nursing just isn't the career for you. While you can't love every minute, you shouldn't hate every minute, either, and it seems you don't have a passion for nursing, at least the kind you have been doing.

So: it seems you need to re-evaluate your life and figure out what you want out of it, and then figure out a plan to go get it. But you've got to be willing to stick it out and work hard to establish the kind of career you want. You are right to be concerned about your work history. If you don't get a handle on it, you will find it very hard to ever get the kind of job which is worth having. Perhaps you should see a counselor of some kind; a career counselor, a life coach, regular therapist, whatever, to help you articulate your goals, come up with a plan to achieve them, and figure out what's been holding you back so far.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jan 10, 2012

I would just wait until you graduate and then have a "clean slate" resume and not even list all that stuff.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Jan 10, 2012

If memory serves, you've posted more than one thread on your job hopping and bridge burning tendencies in the past. This leads me to ask the following question:
Is it possible that you just hate nursing, that it isn't the career for you? Now, often on these boards, you will see a post saying "If you don't like X, Y, Z, then just get out of nursing!" This isn't that kind of post. Either you have very unrealistic expectations of a job (you expect to "love" every day when the reality is that it's called "work" for a reason), you just don't like to work period (have you been like this in other jobs?), or nursing just isn't the career for you. While you can't love every minute, you shouldn't hate every minute, either, and it seems you don't have a passion for nursing, at least the kind you have been doing.
So: it seems you need to re-evaluate your life and figure out what you want out of it, and then figure out a plan to go get it. But you've got to be willing to stick it out and work hard to establish the kind of career you want. You are right to be concerned about your work history. If you don't get a handle on it, you will find it very hard to ever get the kind of job which is worth having. Perhaps you should see a counselor of some kind; a career counselor, a life coach, regular therapist, whatever, to help you articulate your goals, come up with a plan to achieve them, and figure out what's been holding you back so far.

Thank you for your response ! I plan on going to see my counselor to talk about this. You are correct, I have posted several threads about this topic. To answer your question, I do not hate nursing and do not have false expectations. I have been in nursing for going on 6 years now ( have been a CNA prior to becoming a nurse) and fully aware of the daily stresses and joys that nursing brings. I believe it was hard for me to find a job last year specifically due to my school schedule. I was completing my RN degree and my schedule change every 7 weeks. That was very difficult. I admit that I should not have accepted another peds HH job when I knew I would hate it. I really do love nursing. I can't see myself doing anything else which is why I'm so depressed with not being stable in my career. Thanks again for the replies.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jan 11, 2012

It's been said before, but it bears repeating: "Accepting the fact that you have a problem is half the battle won".

OP, you've admitted you have commitment issues when it comes to holding onto a job. It's not unusual; I used to be a job-hopper myself---couldn't stick with one thing any longer than a bird can stay on one telephone pole. I wanted to stay in one place, but I was always finding fault with something or other and rarely lasted more than a year, so I feel for you.

Acknowledging your weaknesses and resolving to change are two HUGE steps in reclaiming control over your life. You can't fix it if you don't know what's wrong! The next step might be to find a life coach---a professional who specializes in helping people achieve their best life possible---and beginning the self-discovery process to learn who you are and what your passion is. It could be that nursing really is not for you; I suspect, however, that you simply haven't found your niche yet, and thus haven't been able to give yourself a good reason to "gut it out" when you have a series of bad days at work. (And we ALL have those........even in jobs which otherwise are right for us.)

It will help when you get your RN too.......more career options will open to you and you'll have a wider variety of jobs to choose from.

I wish you the best of luck in your ventures. Please keep us posted. :)

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Jan 11, 2012

8 jobs in a year? What? Most people don't have half that many in a career. You're going to eventually become un-hireable if you don't get a handle on this. I hope for your sake that you figure out what your issue is, and find stable employment. Just know, though, that it's going to look to potential employers that YOU are the common (problem) denominator...not the jobs.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jan 11, 2012

Honey, I say this with affection, but you don't listen to advice. I clearly remember your thread fairly recently about calling in sick for orientation. I said flat out not to, that it would have negative repercussions. You did, and the DON fired you before you started.

You should know after your years as an aide that no one gives a rat's rear about anything personal - school, sick kids, that you're in traction after an MVI. No facility is going to juggle your schedule to suit your needs. Not a one.

You need a reality check.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 11, 2012

Keep the PRN job until you definitely land a hospital job. Also, you need to find and fix those underlying issues that are causing your employment problems.

In the meantime, I agree with the others who have said: you need to have a honest talk with yourself about what the real world of nursing is like and whether it's really is the career for you. Perhaps it is the right career for you and you're just having one hell of a reality shock and aren't coping well. Or maybe you just haven't found your nursing niche yet. Or perhaps nursing really isn't for you but you don't realize it--or you do realize it but can't bring yourself to admit it--and that's what's causing you to seemingly job hop at every opportunity.

But only you can answer these questions, not I or anyone else here. I do hope things work out for you whatever what you decide.

agldragonRN · Jan 11, 2012

has it been 8 jobs? i remember your new job posts every other week and told myself wow she keeps job hopping and hopping!

my advise is wait for your rn license and secure a full-time rn position and stick it out for a while. i would not even lists all those positions in your resume. just tell them you were in rn school.

obviously these interviewers see a potential in you because they keep offering you jobs. that's a good thing! just don't be so quick to say "i quit" every time there is a problem.

good luck!

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Jan 11, 2012

WHOA! Slow down... It is tough when you know what your ideal job is and you cannot find it. I know times are very tough, but you have to turn down jobs that you are going to turn around a quit anyway. Not only are you wasting your time, but you are wasting theirs which isn't fair. Someone else could use that job. You need to stick with what you have right now. Figure out what are deal breakers for you and don't accept anything less.

Sparrowhawk · Jan 11, 2012

That is a lot....I've had 5 in almost 4 years, one was a hellhole I stuck out for 6 months in because 4 in 3 years looks really bad....From what you've said it looks like there is something "wrong" at each place....Definately agree you should either just stop while you're ahead and wait to graduate and *stick* with an rn job no matter what for at least a year and talk to a therapist. 8 in one year just..doesnt look good at all sweetie and like someone else says...if 4 in 3.5 years makes it hard for *me* to find a job? well.

I would have kept the 1st job even if htey didnt call me...it still looks good on your record to have at least one that lasted longer then a year...*hugs* good luck hon