I want to quit nursing after my second week of clinicals, bad work environment...

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This is my story, I thought going to nursing was a good way to make a change in others people lives and have work stability, that´s why i choose nursing.

I have very good marks in general in my course the first year but then I had clinicals for 2 weeks and I have felt isolated most of the time inside the hospital.

I felt invisible to everyone, I have nothing in common to talk about with all the female staff and 6 hours at the hospitals seems like 12. They were just gossiping about everyone and I felt kind of strange in that enviorment. I had a problem with a nurse and they treat me different so I felt that the whole team was against me so i finally left clinicals.

Now I am thinking about keeping with the nursing program and try another hospital for the clinicals or just leave the nursing program cause if that enviorment is common in the majority of the hospitals i can´t handdle it I think.

Any advise would be welcomed, thanks.

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Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

Try another hospital. Fact is, when you are with a number of women, the gossip will happen. I am not a guy, but I had a couple of clinicals where the clinical instructor was not a good fit for me. Another place may work for you.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Worked as a nurse for 35 years, still don't understand women. Don't let that bother you.

Yes women can be b***** - but guess what? So can guys.

Find your niche and you will be surprised about the fun conversations you can have at work.

Jings, I've been censored!!! Honest moderators, it wasn't too bad a word. :whistling:

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Grumpy said it. Guys can be a pain too. Try working in construction and you will see that is true. Try looking at it as a "people in general" problem. You need to work on your skills at getting along with difficult personalities. Don't let them get to you. You have a job to do, whether it is clinical learning, or nursing tasks on the job, and you are responsible to meet your obligations, no matter how badly others around you are behaving.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Agree with PPs.

I can understand your feeling of alienation if you're not used to functioning in a largely female environment. Since I'm not really qualified to know for sure, I can only surmise that the topics of normal female-speak are different from those in male-speak.... or do you guys perk up your ears when a someone mentions a clearance sale at HomeGoods also? There's nothing wrong with just zoning out when the conversation isn't of any interest to you - just don't treat them like inferior beings for doing so, because that could establish an adversarial tone that may haunt you for the rest of the year.

In the meantime, pretend you're a social anthropologist - LOL. It's a great opportunity to study social habits and learn more about the behavioral norms and expectations in a typical nursing unit.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Don't worry about clinicals, just do what you need to do to get the grade and move on. Nursing school doesn't teach you anything about nursing. Nursing school provides the conduit to obtain your RN license and the "paper" is what you need to enter the profession. Then you learn to become a nurse. I hated nursing school, start to finish. Keep your eye on the target and hang in there.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
This is my story, I thought going to nursing was a good way to make a change in others people lives and have work stability, that´s why i choose nursing.

I am thinking about keeping with the nursing program and try another hospital for the clinicals or just leave the nursing program cause if that enviorment is common in the majority of the hospitals i can´t handdle it I think.

Any advise would be welcomed, thanks.

This may just be my impression, but ... if your first sentence realllly reflects your reasoning to enter nursing, you may be facing the reality of an all too altruistic misinterpretation of what nsg is. There are no snowflakes, no rose-colored glasses and there was only 1 Saint Mother Theresa in nsg. I don't mean this harshly, but you're a student with ONLY 2 weeks' clinical experiences under your belt. And clinical does differ from classroom BIG TIME.

As a student, I don't think you have had the opportunity to make those type of changes in other persons' lives that you seek. Maybe after 2 years as a practicing nurse.

As a student, you're on the outside looking in. You can't force yourself into an established group. I used to say that the lowest person on a hospital's totem pole was that of a student nurse. But I amended that to differentiate between the hospital's own diploma program student nurses and those from an outside program. (Yes, diploma nurses/student nurses did have some clout in hospital hierarchy.)

You have seen some of the rough edges that sadly do exist in nsg. Some of it may be because you're a male and a male student at that. I would suggest that other males in the profession and here on AN can give you the reality check and support that you need.

I am sorry that you have been experiencing rough waters. And it's not NETY nor are they bullying you.

I don't know that another clinical site might be better. There can be worse ones. Can you really just switch around for a new clinical site? I didn't know school programs have become so accommodating. If you think that switching might help, go for it. It would be a shame that you lose previous credits if you drop out.

PPs Grumpy and OldDude recommend hanging on. Good advice. But go in looking at nsg realistically.

Just FYI, many others have felt the same as you. I did too (way back in the Stone Age).

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This may just be my impression, but ... if your first sentence realllly reflects your reasoning to enter nursing, you may be facing the reality of an all too altruistic misinterpretation of what nsg is. There are no snowflakes, no rose-colored glasses and there was only 1 Saint Mother Theresa in nsg. I don't mean this harshly, but you're a student with ONLY 2 weeks' clinical experiences under your belt. And clinical does differ from classroom BIG TIME.

As a student, I don't think you have had the opportunity to make those type of changes in other persons' lives that you seek. Maybe after 2 years as a practicing nurse.

As a student, you're on the outside looking in. You can't force yourself into an established group. I used to say that the lowest person on a hospital's totem pole was that of a student nurse. But I amended that to differentiate between the hospital's own diploma program student nurses and those from an outside program. (Yes, diploma nurses/student nurses did have some clout in hospital hierarchy.)

You have seen some of the rough edges that sadly do exist in nsg. Some of it may be because you're a male and a male student at that. I would suggest that other males in the profession and here on AN can give you the reality check and support that you need.

I am sorry that you have been experiencing rough waters. And it's not NETY nor are they bullying you.

I don't know that another clinical site might be better. There can be worse ones. Can you really just switch around for a new clinical site? I didn't know school programs have become so accommodating. If you think that switching might help, go for it. It would be a shame that you lose previous credits if you drop out.

PPs Grumpy and OldDude recommend hanging on. Good advice. But go in looking at nsg realistically.

Just FYI, many others have felt the same as you. I did too (way back in the Stone Age).

Ive already quit my clinicals to do it in another place in june. One of my friends had the same experience as i had before in that hospital.

I am keeping just with theoric classes right now

Now I am doubting my self if nursing is really my calling or not....

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Ive already quit my clinicals to do it in another place in june. One of my friends had the same experience as i had before in that hospital.

I am keeping just with theoric classes right now

Now I am doubting my self if nursing is really my calling or not....

Nursing is not my "calling." It's a profession that's relatively easy to enter, offers a diverse choice of practice, keeps one from working outside in the elements or exposed to poisonous environments, limits your chance of being blown up or burned up or shot in the line of duty or killed in a driving accident...and pays above average wages. I didn't enter nursing to "help people." I entered nursing to "help myself." Helping other people is the core of the profession - but, if you don't think that's your bag, move on to something else.

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Worked as a nurse for 35 years, still don't understand women. Don't let that bother you.

Yes women can be b***** - but guess what? So can guys.

Find your niche and you will be surprised about the fun conversations you can have at work.

Jings, I've been censored!!! Honest moderators, it wasn't too bad a word. :whistling:

Nursing is not my "calling." It's a profession that's relatively easy to enter, offers a diverse choice of practice, keeps one from working outside in the elements or exposed to poisonous environments, limits your chance of being blown up or burned up or shot in the line of duty or killed in a driving accident...and pays above average wages. I didn't enter nursing to "help people." I entered nursing to "help myself." Helping other people is the core of the profession - but, if you don't think that's your bag, move on to something else.

:inlove:

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You are fortunate that you have been accepted to a nursing program. We have ALL gone through this. Get tough, or throw it all away.

I cannot imagine any nursing program that would let you just "quit" your clinical rotation. You would be set back for the semester. Now it's up to the program's administration to decide if you will be allowed to continue.

Real world nursing is a tough gig. You will have many clinical rotations to prove you can deal. It has NOTHING to do with the hospital, it's all about YOU. You do not have to feel comfortable, you do not have to have anything in common with the staff. YOU need to learn clinical nursing.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

We need that little "LOVE" button. PPs are spot on.

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