I need help

allnurses Guide · Nov 7, 2017

Is this for real? Of course you aren't getting hired. You keep quitting. There is nothing in what you have said here that would tell me it would be worth it to invest any time into you.

It sounds like nursing in general is a very poor fit?

CoolKidsRN · Nov 8, 2017

I agree with the previous post. You will not get hired into your "dream" unit without conquering the fundamentals first. As stated above, you should re-evaluate your goals and consider moving on if nursinng is not a good fit.

Nursing is and will always remain a physically and emotionally taxing job. Please keep in mind that hiring and training a new nurse is expensive for the organization. Not returning back to work or no showing after a few days reflects poorly on your image of work ethic. Lastly, the nursing world is very small and healthcare facilities have the ability to communicate with one another. It is of your best interest not to burn through any bridges. Good luck.

KCMnurse, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 9, 2017

I don't think nursing is for you.

Seems like you would benefit from doing some self-reflection and deciding what you can tolerate for more than a week until you get your 'dream job.'

caliotter3 · Nov 9, 2017

You say you are 40 years old. That is old enough to know that if you want to be successful at anything you can't be quitting every week. See your PCP to find out if you have medical problems, and then make up your mind whether or not you want a job. Forty is too young to be throwing in the towel unless you have won the lottery.

MinneNurse, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2017

I think that all new nurses struggle with a lack of confidence and feeling like they don't know enough. Even experienced nurses who transfer units can feel this way because there is so much to know and different units/hospital systems/etc. operate differently. In 10 months you had 5 different positions, you haven't given any of these positions enough time, even if you had the experience it takes a few months to get comfortable and much longer for new nurses. The orientation for my first nursing job alone was 8 weeks (2 months) and I still didn't feel comfortable for months after that. In nursing you will always be faced with new situations.. each patient is unique and there are always different diagnoses, doctors, procedures, new technology, etc. Even in your "dream job" you will feel uncomfortable at first. And I think it is important to note that each job has some degree of negativity - staff won't always get along, patients won't always be nice, hours/scheduling won't always be perfect, pay won't always be ideal, staffing won't always be adequate, etc. This is true in any job, healthcare or not.

I don't think there is any advice any of us could give you to help you find a job. You have found several jobs in a relatively short period of time, with some in specialty/acute care areas that have taken other nurses years in LTC/clinics first to get to. You have decided to leave all of these jobs, I think this is a matter that you need to re-evaluate yourself and decide if nursing is right for you? I'm not here to suggest you leave nursing - just want you to understand the reality of nursing and encourage you to give a nursing job enough time if you do decide nursing is the right fit for you. Best of luck to you.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2017

My advice is that you should not type in all caps. It reads as yelling and, if this is how you communicate in writing, I can see why you're having trouble finding a job.

In 13 months, you have had 5 nursing jobs. I've been a nurse for 10 years and have only had 4 nursing jobs. If I were looking at your resume, I'd consider you a flight risk and immediately file it in the circular bin.

NursePatty24 · Nov 12, 2017

You have already had the opportunity to experience nursing in a variety of settings (hospital, HHC, outpatient and telephonically) which has given you insight. You need to examine what you liked and didn't like about each of these roles with a professional or loved one. You should also allow yourself time to reflect on why you left so abruptly and what you can do to prevent that from happening again.

If you left on good terms at the previous hospital system where you worked med/surg and psych consider calling HR and speaking with a nurse recruiter- perhaps they can help find you a different position if you let them know that you are serious about contributing to their hospital and would be honored if they gave you another chance.

If that is not an option I suggest getting your resume up on indeed.com and speaking with staffing agencies to find out if they have any permanent placement opportunities.

If you enjoy working with kids you can send your resume to school districts in your area and get on the substitute school nurse lists.

I also suggest applying to any type of outpatient OB-GYN position you can find, that would look good on your resume and hopefully help you get that postpartum job down the road.

EVERY nursing role has drama, confrontation and difficulty. Every new nurse and seasoned nurse at a new job has to learn a whole set of new skills and it is not easy. Whenever I start a new job my dad tells me "it takes 3 weeks just to find the bathroom, keep your chin up." I suggest you remember that and keep fighting; keep applying and remember you got through nursing school so you can do this if it's what you truly want. Be kind to yourself and take one day at a time but be sure to choose your next job carefully with the intentions of making a long term contribution.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2017

Hello,
I need help. I am struggling with my nursing career. I finished school in December 2015. I took my NCLEX in March 2016 but I didn't start working right away. I finally was hired in October 2016 because a friend helped me get a job in Med/Surg.
I HATED IT... I AM 40 AND THE WORK WAS SO PHYSICAL. I ALSO STRUGGLE WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND I WAS ALWAYS FEELING SO STUPID AS A NEW NURSE THAT I FELT LIKE I WOULD NEVER LEARN SO I TOLD MY DIRECTOR THAT I FELT VERY UNHAPPY AND I WISHED TO TRANSFER TO PSYCH. SHE WAS AN AWESOME PERSON AND I GOT THE TRANSFER.
I LIKED PSYCH MUCH BETTER BUT THE POSITION WAS NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS ONLY AND THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET CHILD CARE. I ALSO HAD A BULLY NURSE ON MY BACK AND THE STAFF ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS. THE UNIT WAS POORLY RAN AND MY DIRECTOR WAS FIRED. I FELT VERY STRESSED SO I PUT IN MY 2 WKS NOTICE AND QUIT.
THAT WAS IN JULY OF 2017. I HAVE STRUGGLED TO KEEP A JOB SINCE THEN. I TOOK A COUPLE HOME HEALTH JOBS AND I GET AS FAR AS ORIENTATION AND NEVER GO BACK. I TOOK AN O.R. POSITION AT AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC AND QUIT AFTER THE FIRST WEEK. I TOOK A TELEPHONE NURSING POSITION AND QUIT AFTER THE FIRST WEEK.
IT NOW SEEMS LIKE I CAN'T GET HIRED AND I'M SCARED TO APPLY FOR CERTAIN JOBS AND NOT LIKE THEM. I ONLY PUT MY FIRST TWO JOBS IN MY RESUME BUT IT STILL LOOKS LIKE I DON'T STAY AT JOBS LONG BECAUSE OF THE TRANSFER TO PSYCH.
MY DREAM JOB IS POSTPARTUM AND I NEVER GET CALL BACKS BECAUSE MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE.
I MUST ADD THAT I AM A HARD WORKER AND I ALWAYS GOT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM PATIENTS AND STAFF. I JUST FEEL LOST AS A NURSE AND I'M AFRAID TO PUT MY BODY THROUGH HECK IN MED/SURG ETC AT AN OLDER AGE.
PLEASE GIVE ME ADVICE. I HAVE NEED A JOB.

You are NOT a hard worker. You are a quitter.

You didn't have so much trouble finding a job as keeping one.

At 40 you should have a much better sense of yourself than you appear to show in your post. Perhaps there is a mental health issue.

A bunch of strangers on a public forum cannot give you the kind of help you need.

RoyalTeaRN · Nov 13, 2017

You have already had the opportunity to experience nursing in a variety of settings (hospital, HHC, outpatient and telephonically) which has given you insight. You need to examine what you liked and didn't like about each of these roles with a professional or loved one. You should also allow yourself time to reflect on why you left so abruptly and what you can do to prevent that from happening again.
If you left on good terms at the previous hospital system where you worked med/surg and psych consider calling HR and speaking with a nurse recruiter- perhaps they can help find you a different position if you let them know that you are serious about contributing to their hospital and would be honored if they gave you another chance.
If that is not an option I suggest getting your resume up on indeed.com and speaking with staffing agencies to find out if they have any permanent placement opportunities.
If you enjoy working with kids you can send your resume to school districts in your area and get on the substitute school nurse lists.
I also suggest applying to any type of outpatient OB-GYN position you can find, that would look good on your resume and hopefully help you get that postpartum job down the road.
EVERY nursing role has drama, confrontation and difficulty. Every new nurse and seasoned nurse at a new job has to learn a whole set of new skills and it is not easy. Whenever I start a new job my dad tells me "it takes 3 weeks just to find the bathroom, keep your chin up." I suggest you remember that and keep fighting; keep applying and remember you got through nursing school so you can do this if it's what you truly want. Be kind to yourself and take one day at a time but be sure to choose your next job carefully with the intentions of making a long term contribution.

Very compassionate and insightful response.

jodispamodi · Nov 13, 2017

OP, reading your post is concerning. First off if you transerred to another unit within the same hospital, most places consider that as consecutive time at the same place. I read in your post that it seems when things get tough, or are stressful, or you feel overwhelmed you leave your job. I doubt very much you would get a job in L&D without a strong med/surg background. And what are you going to do when the going there gets tough? L&D is very rewarding, but also very stressful (I remember being literally shoved out of the way by a L&D nurse, in clinicals when holding a leg during a birth when the baby had a shoulder dystocia) The Obstetrics orientation would be tough, much tougher, than a med/surg floor. So you asked for help, here are my suggestions:

1. sit down and ask yourself why you went into nursing. For the science?, the money?, the esteem?, etc.

2. then sit down and write down EVERY nursing job you've had since graduation, how long you were at them, and the true reason you took the job, and the true reason you left for every job.

3. see if there is a common denominator for why you took the job and why you left. money?, desperation?, fear?.

Once you have an answer you can begin to figure out where your problem lies, I would also suggest going back to your nursing school and talking to a career counselor there, and it may be worth speaking to your PCP to see if there is an underlying anxiety or depression issue that could be affecting your ability to be long term anywhere.

Good luck to you. I hope you can find a position that fits you.

Destin293 · Nov 16, 2017

What did you do for work before you became an RN? Did you have the same work ethic (quitting jobs quickly)? Med/surg nursing is tough...it's downright brutal at times...which is why there is such a high turnover rate. As a float nurse told me once, "Med/surg is a soul sucking experience." I stayed for about 2 years before moving to the ER.

Here is the other thing with nursing: You have to pay your dues. If you stuck with the med/surg position for at least a year, other doors would have opened. If you stuck with the psych position, a day shift may have opened. You can't keep quitting just because it doesn't meet all your needs in the moment.

To be blunt, that post partum is going to get further and further from your reach if you can't stick with 1 job long enough. Anything L&D is difficult to crack into. And even if you do, who's to say you will like it? You may find the same politics on that unit that you did in psych, and then what? You quit again?

Maybe something like school nursing would be a good fit, or part time, or per diem. I really don't know what the answer would be, but if you want to look serious in the eyes of hiring managers, you have to stop quitting every job you start.

And for what's it's worth, you're only 5 years older than me and I worked med/surg. I also worked with nurses much older than me and aides that were much older than me. 40 is not really all that old.