I think I'm going to quit during orientation

[withorwithoutyou]

Hey guys,

This is actually my second year as a nurse. I was working at a LTC/SNF for a year. The whole time I dreamed and pray of a job at the hospital figuring I need that 1 year of med-surgical experience. I finally got called for a job in a big hospital here. I felt really excited at first. However, I finally know now why they say nurses eat their young.

I got a really awesome preceptor during day shift. However, I was schedule for night shift so I had to get a preceptor at night. this preceptor is fairly young around my age and has been a nurse the same amount of years as I. However, she has been working in the hospital the whole time.

I really feel stress out and overwhelmed. My old job was a lot of physical work but less mental stress. This job is a little less physical work but 2x the mental stress.

My preceptor told me that my charting is falling behind. She told me that I should be done charting around 10pm and that each assessment should only take around 5 to 10 minutes. Last night I had 6 patients. I literally was on my feet from 7pm (beginning shift) to 2 am passing meds. Then I got a small break ( I didn't want to because I wanted to get everything done but she insisted I have one. She told me that orientees should get 30 minute break so the hospital wouldn't have to pay). Anyways she said I should only focus assessing on the reason why the patient came to the hospital. In my head I figure how can you assess a person in 5 minutes without taking your stethoscope out and listening to their heart, breath sounds, and bowel sounds. You should check them from head to toe. There is no way she could assess those patients in 5 minutes. I never see here pulling her stethoscope out or even checking the patient feet. She told me I miss two medications for a male patient so she pulled the medication out. I was so tired that I didn't even check the name on the box. Luckily the computer caught it and pop up a warning sign saying this medications wasn't in the patient MAR. I went back and told my preceptor. She made me look like a total fool. She said well first of all its the wrong name. Well she should of looked at it before pulling it out and at least tell me it was for the right patient.

Most of the nurses at night pulls their computer to the nursing station to talk to each other and chart. I mean how could you possibly chart on the patient if you are not using the bed side computer. Then they drink their coffee and sleep. I literally saw one nurse slept throughout the whole shift. I was basically on my feet from 7pm to 2 am. Then got a 30 minute break and walked around till 9 am (Stayed over almost 2 hours to get things done). I had to hold my pee in until I got most of the medication and charting done at 2 am. I also heard my preceptor telling other nurses at the nursing station that I'm not up to par. I walk really fast and quiet so they don't know I'm coming up and I could hear them. Then they get quiet. I also talked to other 2 orientees and they also heard their preceptor talking about them. One of the orientees told me he overheard a preceptor for another orientee stating, "Oh gee, I have this person today (not mentioning any names), I'm going to be here till 9 at least." My friend heard his preceptor telling other nurses (Man this guy is too slow). Luckily the charge nurse is very cool and nice. I just don't know how they find that much time to sit down and chatter while I'm on my feet giving meds. I do my assessment while giving medications and at the patient bedside.

I don't think I'm meant to work in this environment. The turnover rate is extremely high. The longest one orientee work there was for 2 years. I'm just really stress out basically walking from beginning to end of shift and still hearing from my preceptor how I miss this and that. She basically sits and text on her phone then call me on the hospital phone to come check on a patient pump or that she need me to do something.

The sitters and CNA gather in one room and use the patient bedside computer. I had to chart and scan a patient. However, I was new and I didn't want to bother them so I just pull my computer in and even have to navigate through them to scan the patient and medication and do my charting while they look up houses and see if they could look up their background online.

I'm ready to quit. Its almost 2 months, and I don't think if I will be happy in the long run. I was happy at my old job and love my patients and want to go work. However, this new job almost made me cry and I'm a guy. I'm just afraid that I will lose my license at this job. I don't know if it would affect me finding another job. i was able to go to school fulltime and worked at my old job. I got my BSN this December. My old manager is also at a new LTC facility and told me to come work for her so I will probably do that. Any advice guys? Sorry for the grammar and mispelling. I have been up for 15 hours.

[caliotter3]

You are suffering from the stress and strain of your first hospital job. You need to give yourself the "golden year" to get used to what you are doing. Yes, there are probably many shortfalls here, but those can be found at other places of employment too. Unfortunately, with today's job market, you will be shooting yourself in the foot if you leave this job now. The next employer will not be so willing to hire someone who did not even stick it out for their probationary period to end. They will see that as your shortcoming, not that you were at an employer with shortcomings.

[withorwithoutyou]

The probationary period ends after orientation right? I have a week left of orientation but my preceptor said she might need to talk to the nurse manager to extend it another 2 weeks. My gut feeling is that I probably wouldn't be happy here. I mean your own preceptor talks about you. Its not only me either it happens to the other orientee as well. I was just so mad when she told me you haven't finish your charting at a certain time when she knows that I was on my feet the whole time. Even the other nurses felt sorry for me at the end of the shift and keep telling me go home to get some sleep. The other day one nurse told my preceptor he has a class you should let him go to his class. I just don't know .

You are suffering from the stress and strain of your first hospital job. You need to give yourself the "golden year" to get used to what you are doing. Yes, there are probably many shortfalls here, but those can be found at other places of employment too. Unfortunately, with today's job market, you will be shooting yourself in the foot if you leave this job now. The next employer will not be so willing to hire someone who did not even stick it out for their probationary period to end. They will see that as your shortcoming, not that you were at an employer with shortcomings.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

In my head I figure how can you assess a person in 5 minutes without taking your stethoscope out and listening to their heart, breath sounds, and bowel sounds. You should check them from head to toe. There is no way she could assess those patients in 5 minutes.

A full head-to-toe assessment is not always necessary nor warranted every single night. There are times when a quick focused assessment will suffice. Focus your assessment on the reason why the patient is in the hospital.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: the acute care hospital is not the exalted palace that many nurses make it out to be. Give it some time. Eventually you will find your stride and things will progressively become easier. Good luck to you!

[caliotter3]

Probationary periods are usually 90 days, or as long as six months. You need to check with your HR department to find out how long you are on probationary status. It has nothing to do with orientation. Employers stop looking at leaving employment as a negative situation once the employee has maintained their job for one to two years. Anything short of that will give cause for concern.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

The probationary period ends after orientation right?

Not necessarily, this is specific to the facility. One place I worked it was 90 days…another was 6 months(!).

[withorwithoutyou]

I have job line up at a new LTAC/SNF with my old ADON. She said there is a spot and she is willing to hire me. However, I probably know if I quit this hospital job than I would probably not get another job in the hospital setting ever again.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

A full head-to-toe assessment is not always necessary nor warranted every single night. There are times when a quick focused assessment will suffice. Focus your assessment on the reason why the patient is in the hospital.

I worked on a step-down unit, where each nurse had 4 to 5 patients, and we had the "luxury" of being able to do a head to toe assessment. When the step-down nurses were pulled to med-surg, all of the sudden they drowned because there was not time to do a head to toe on all 8 patients. Stick to why they are in the hospital. For example, you don't need to assess ROM in a pt's knees if they are in the hospital for tx. of PNA. You don't need to a full neuro assessment on someone who it POD 2 from a TKA.

[caliotter3]

I have job line up at a new LTAC/SNF with my old ADON. She said there is a spot and she is willing to hire me. However, I probably know if I quit this hospital job than I would probably not get another job in the hospital setting ever again.

This is the second reason why you are not advised to leave this job. Work at the SNF for your old ADON on the weekend, on call, or one shift a week, to maintain your standing there. But do not give up the hospital job until you have your solid year to two years.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I have job line up at a new LTAC/SNF with my old ADON. She said there is a spot and she is willing to hire me. However, I probably know if I quit this hospital job than I would probably not get another job in the hospital setting ever again.

I cannot give you an answer to whether or not you should stick it out. I would recommend to stay through probation, but that LTAC job may not be there at that time. OTOH, if you quit the hospital job now, I don't know how the will affect your chances of getting a hospital job in the future.

I will say that almost every RN has similar stories from when they got their first hospital jobs. Talking about you in the nurse's station may be inappropriate (tough to know without the exact context of the conversation), but, in the hospital, the stakes are high--this is not about nurses eating young. It is about preparing you for the difficult med-surg environment.

[withorwithoutyou]

I understand that. for example, a patient coming in for acute exacerbation asthma. I check their breath sounds, respiratory pattern. If I leave dorsalis pedis pulse out she ask me why I left it out. I tried my best to do the radial pulse, but if you want me to do dorsalis pedis pulse I would have to check the patients feet. A patient coming in for acute alter mental status focus assessments should be on neuro checks and such. However, if the patient has an IV line then I must check to see if dressing is clean, dry and intact or any signs of phlebitis. In order to do that I must take a closer look at the patient IV. There were a nurse just last week that didn't check the patient fully. Turns out the next day the morning nurse found out the patient has a pressure ulcer. I just don't want to falsify any charting or leave something out and then someone else finds it. I heard the hospital must eat up the treatment if the pressure ulcer occurs while the patient is at the hospital.

[withorwithoutyou]

Thank guys I will give it another try. I mean I went through BSN program to get a job at the hospital. It would be a waste if I quit so early.