I quit during orientation.

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Hello!

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience to mine and I'm looking for advice. I quit my first nursing job while still in orientation. It just wasn't for me, I tried as hard as I could. I was just slow. I was constantly running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. The whole experience left me questioning if I could even be a nurse. My big struggle was time management. Before coming to the unit, I had no experience with some of the skills or medications used. There was definitely a learning curve and I was way behind. Before taking the position, I shadowed the unit and spoke with some of the other nurses and asked if this would be appropriate for a new grad. There was nothing that made me feel that I wouldn't be supported in my learning. I knew it would be challenging, but I was told they would teach me, and I would learn so much, I would do well etc etc. I wasn't the only new grad nurse to the unit as there were several others that started with me. The other orientees didn't seem interested in sharing their experiences with me, so I don't know if they felt the same way. All throughout my time in orientation I felt I was constantly being compared to the nurses that had been on the unit who had been there for years. I thought that was strange, wasn't it to be expected that a new grad wouldn't be up to the same level as a nurse who had been on the unit for several years, at least while still in orientation?? I felt I was left to stumble through without any real guidance as to how to balance it all. I did have meetings with the unit educator and my preceptor, didn't really help. I didn't feel supported at all. I found myself crying everyday before and after my shift, and even sometimes during them. I resigned from that position, I couldn't do it anymore. I felt like a failure and sometimes I still feel like a failure. I want to try again, but I am terrified of history repeating itself. I will say, I learned sooooo much from my short time on that unit. I probably learned more there than I did in my entire nursing school clinicals, I feel at least I got something out of it, maybe it will prepare me more for my next go around, if I can muster up the courage. I feel like I owe it to myself to try again. I spent so much time and energy in going to school and graduating, I feel it would be a waste if I were to just give up now. I spent years working at that particular hospital also, working my way up through the departments to become a nurse. I feel like that was wasted time as well. I'm the only nurse in the family and I don't have any nursing friends, so it's struggle trying to find someone to talk to about this.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks for taking the time for reading my story and commenting!

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I wasn't a new grad, but it was my first acute care hospital job, as before then I worked in an LTACH as a new RN grad. So transitioning to an acute care hospital was something I wanted to do. That being said, it was THEE absolute most terrible, horrible, no good very bad experience in my 14-year nursing career. Needless to say, I quit during orientation as well. AND DID NOT REGRET IT ONE BIT! After all the drama, bullying/horizontal violence I saw and experienced while working there did have me leaving, feeling defeated. I took 3 weeks off just to gather my thoughts and began the search for another hospital job. 2 weeks into applying to various other hospital positions, I received a call back for an ortho nurse position. I interviewed and gladly accepted! That was the second BEST decision of my career (besides furthering my education).

Take this as a learning experience, PLEASE! You are not wrong for feeling the way you feel and you are entitled to feel this way. Just don't dwell on it or let it consume you too much. YOU WILL REBOUND! You are not the first person this has happened to and you will not be the lat. Just look at it as if you dogged a bullet. Some jobs are just not for everyone, for whatever reason.

Repeat positive affirmations about yourself and being a nurse every day. Do not let this one experience hinder you from reaching your goals.

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I had a horrible experience with my preceptor as a brand new grad during orientation.

Next time before you quit, talk to management. Just because someone is an experienced nurse doesn't mean they are a good preceptor. I was paired with someone that had ZERO patience with a new grad. Didn't matter how nice you were, how respectful you were...it was like she thought you should come straight out of nursing school being able to function at 100%. That was true 30 years ago....not with the way nursing schools operate today.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Yes. I stuck it out though and quit three months in, which I wouldn't recommend. Medical ICU (in reality it was not step-down but slightly less than everything on fire and crashing all at once). Six week orientation. I know now that this is absolutely ridiculous for anyone who hasn't already been an ICU nurse. I agree with Jory's advice- maybe there is something else to be done with or for you.

Although I know there are areas where there is a real nursing shortage, what we have here in the NTX is a shortage of nurses who are willing to work hospital shifts, and a shortage of hospitals willing to train a new grad appropriately.

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23 hours ago, 819Nurse said:

I wasn't a new grad, but it was my first acute care hospital job, as before then I worked in an LTACH as a new RN grad. So transitioning to an acute care hospital was something I wanted to do. That being said, it was THEE absolute most terrible, horrible, no good very bad experience in my 14-year nursing career. Needless to say, I quit during orientation as well. AND DID NOT REGRET IT ONE BIT! After all the drama, bullying/horizontal violence I saw and experienced while working there did have me leaving, feeling defeated. I took 3 weeks off just to gather my thoughts and began the search for another hospital job. 2 weeks into applying to various other hospital positions, I received a call back for an ortho nurse position. I interviewed and gladly accepted! That was the second BEST decision of my career (besides furthering my education).

Take this as a learning experience, PLEASE! You are not wrong for feeling the way you feel and you are entitled to feel this way. Just don't dwell on it or let it consume you too much. YOU WILL REBOUND! You are not the first person this has happened to and you will not be the lat. Just look at it as if you dogged a bullet. Some jobs are just not for everyone, for whatever reason.

Repeat positive affirmations about yourself and being a nurse every day. Do not let this one experience hinder you from reaching your goals.

Thank you! I do want to grow from that experience and I think I dodged a bullet on that one, the unit culture was not the greatest either. I want to take what I learned and hopefully be able to grow from that experience. Thank you for the encouraging words and sharing your experience with me!?

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12 hours ago, Jory said:

I had a horrible experience with my preceptor as a brand new grad during orientation.

Next time before you quit, talk to management. Just because someone is an experienced nurse doesn't mean they are a good preceptor. I was paired with someone that had ZERO patience with a new grad. Didn't matter how nice you were, how respectful you were...it was like she thought you should come straight out of nursing school being able to function at 100%. That was true 30 years ago....not with the way nursing schools operate today.

I did speak with management and the educators, but It didn’t really help.I think they had already had their minds made up that I wasn’t going to do well, I had another preceptor but that was just as bad, they were all friends so I was the odd man out, I definitely don’t feel like nursing school prepared me at all.

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I had the same experience as you and every detail you mentioned! I feel like you were explaining what happened to me lol

I quit after my orientation and at first I felt really bad about it. I didn't have a job and I was about to move out the next month. I felt stuck! However, it was the best decision that I made. I went back to my old job and now work through a contract company for the military. I make 12 dollars extra per hour than my previous job and I'm much happier. I realize now that my happiness is EVERYTHING!! Another thing I realized, nursing jobs are everywhere! If a job doesn't work out, just apply for one that's for you. I never returned back to the hospital and I work at a clinic.

I cried too before my shift, during, and after my shift. When I look back at it I realize how crazy that was. You shouldn't ever feel that way. Life is too short and you don't have to live like that. I hope you find the job that's best for you.

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I just recently finished my new grad orientation, so I feel as though I can relate to a lot of what you are talking about.

That being said, It seems like most of the issues you pointed out were your own perceptions, not necessarily problems brought to you by your preceptor or manager. Every new grad feels like they can't keep up in the beginning. Between the time I finished my role transition, graduated, took the boards, and actually started on the unit, I felt like I had forgotten everything I learned in clinical and was starting over from scratch. It's actually comical to think back to my first month or so on the unit and how little I knew. How little I STILL know. And trust me, nobody is comparing you to the 8 year vet of the unit and expecting you to be on their level- except maybe you. We are our own harshest critics.

It may be easy for me to sit here and say this because I was lucky enough to find a unit very supportive of new grads, with some great preceptors. I think if you do decide to give it another go, you really need to set some realistic expectations moving forward, and try not to compare yourself to other nurses on the unit- especially the experienced ones.

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Specializes in Med/surg nurse, 9 years experience, 5 as travel.
On 8/5/2019 at 11:18 AM, Bettyloublu14 said:

Hello!

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience to mine and I'm looking for advice. I quit my first nursing job while still in orientation. It just wasn't for me, I tried as hard as I could. I was just slow. I was constantly running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. The whole experience left me questioning if I could even be a nurse. My big struggle was time management. Before coming to the unit, I had no experience with some of the skills or medications used. There was definitely a learning curve and I was way behind. Before taking the position, I shadowed the unit and spoke with some of the other nurses and asked if this would be appropriate for a new grad. There was nothing that made me feel that I wouldn't be supported in my learning. I knew it would be challenging, but I was told they would teach me, and I would learn so much, I would do well etc etc. I wasn't the only new grad nurse to the unit as there were several others that started with me. The other orientees didn't seem interested in sharing their experiences with me, so I don't know if they felt the same way. All throughout my time in orientation I felt I was constantly being compared to the nurses that had been on the unit who had been there for years. I thought that was strange, wasn't it to be expected that a new grad wouldn't be up to the same level as a nurse who had been on the unit for several years, at least while still in orientation?? I felt I was left to stumble through without any real guidance as to how to balance it all. I did have meetings with the unit educator and my preceptor, didn't really help. I didn't feel supported at all. I found myself crying everyday before and after my shift, and even sometimes during them. I resigned from that position, I couldn't do it anymore. I felt like a failure and sometimes I still feel like a failure. I want to try again, but I am terrified of history repeating itself. I will say, I learned sooooo much from my short time on that unit. I probably learned more there than I did in my entire nursing school clinicals, I feel at least I got something out of it, maybe it will prepare me more for my next go around, if I can muster up the courage. I feel like I owe it to myself to try again. I spent so much time and energy in going to school and graduating, I feel it would be a waste if I were to just give up now. I spent years working at that particular hospital also, working my way up through the departments to become a nurse. I feel like that was wasted time as well. I'm the only nurse in the family and I don't have any nursing friends, so it's struggle trying to find someone to talk to about this.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks for taking the time for reading my story and commenting!

So I had similar experience and was in a nurse residency program. It is hard to be a nurse let alone a new nurse. And for me it hasn't gotten any easier (5 years now). But with that said you learn to have your own way of managing time and tasks. Some days are harder then others. What is your other alternative? If your young enough then do something else...nursing has its many many drawbacks and really isn't that fun or great for the most part. The best days are when you truly made a difference in someones life, worst days are when you are feeling so overwhelmed and just no end in site and just wish to be done with the day.

I personally would say give it a year or 2 and then make a dicision, your not wasting time or effort...it's a job, you get paid, you ARE making a difference in peoples lives. Maybe try working at a clinic, prison nurse, school nurse....there are lots of other options. Just don't give up.

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On 8/4/2019 at 9:18 PM, Bettyloublu14 said:

Hello!

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience to mine and I'm looking for advice. I quit my first nursing job while still in orientation. It just wasn't for me, I tried as hard as I could. I was just slow. I was constantly running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. The whole experience left me questioning if I could even be a nurse. My big struggle was time management. Before coming to the unit, I had no experience with some of the skills or medications used. There was definitely a learning curve and I was way behind. Before taking the position, I shadowed the unit and spoke with some of the other nurses and asked if this would be appropriate for a new grad. There was nothing that made me feel that I wouldn't be supported in my learning. I knew it would be challenging, but I was told they would teach me, and I would learn so much, I would do well etc etc. I wasn't the only new grad nurse to the unit as there were several others that started with me. The other orientees didn't seem interested in sharing their experiences with me, so I don't know if they felt the same way. All throughout my time in orientation I felt I was constantly being compared to the nurses that had been on the unit who had been there for years. I thought that was strange, wasn't it to be expected that a new grad wouldn't be up to the same level as a nurse who had been on the unit for several years, at least while still in orientation?? I felt I was left to stumble through without any real guidance as to how to balance it all. I did have meetings with the unit educator and my preceptor, didn't really help. I didn't feel supported at all. I found myself crying everyday before and after my shift, and even sometimes during them. I resigned from that position, I couldn't do it anymore. I felt like a failure and sometimes I still feel like a failure. I want to try again, but I am terrified of history repeating itself. I will say, I learned sooooo much from my short time on that unit. I probably learned more there than I did in my entire nursing school clinicals, I feel at least I got something out of it, maybe it will prepare me more for my next go around, if I can muster up the courage. I feel like I owe it to myself to try again. I spent so much time and energy in going to school and graduating, I feel it would be a waste if I were to just give up now. I spent years working at that particular hospital also, working my way up through the departments to become a nurse. I feel like that was wasted time as well. I'm the only nurse in the family and I don't have any nursing friends, so it's struggle trying to find someone to talk to about this.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks for taking the time for reading my story and commenting!

Some times certain things that happen to us are meant to show us something we need to see. I don't think it is an issue of nursing not being for you because the pace of certain positions depends on the position and shift you work. If you get into the right area of nursing your pace of work could already be were it needs to be or because things click for you, your pace would increase. You can only go so fast when you don't understand what you are doing. I don't mean that to say that you can't learn, but it will be a challenge and it looks like you decided you weren't up for it. That is perfectly fine. I felt this way when I worked as an ICU step down nurse. I learned that I don't like doing much medsurgy type stuff. It is sometimes hard to overcome something you simply aren't into.

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Yes i did it too. but luckily for me right before I went to the other job I went to PRN at my current job so I never ended up quitting my original job. No one was the wiser and I never told anyone about it

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I really appreciate those who took time to reply to my post and share their experiences and advice! Thank you so much! I am not ready to give up just yet. I learned from my previous experience, I learned what questions I need to ask and what questions I need to ask myself. I look forward to my next go around and I'm hoping to take my negative experience and turn it into a positive! Thank you again everyone! I

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