should i just quit?

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i'm a new nurse and dread going to work... everytime i'm walking from the parking lot to the unit feels like a death sentence. i don't know when this feeling is going to go away... everyone in the unit seems nice, but everything just seems so unfamiliar and my BSN is completely worthless at this point. i've actually worked as a tech before in a different unit that was bearable and would like to beg for that job again in a heartbeat. i know i should give it time... just don't be so hard on myself...but i feel so incompetent. and the more i'm exposed to this profession... the more i hate it... charting, passing out drugs, carrying out orders, demanding families, being a maid... oh how i just hope that it will get better. but the aforementioned job description is not what i intend on being for most of my work life...i am so lost and i don't know what to do. i feel like i wasted a lot of time, money and effort just to do something that i don't think i want to do. i feel such a failure.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

First, let me ask you to hold out a little while longer. I was told that it would take 5 years to feel real confident and comfortable in my career as a nurse. It's been 3 years, I am well over the starting nerves and can handle family and unruly pt now. But, I still have days when I feel like I can't do anything right and question why I ever became a nurse. It takes time to adjust to this job. We've all been there, I understand where you are. Just give youself time and don't be so hard on yourself.

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Specializes in CVICU, Burns, Trauma, BMT, Infection control.
i think i'm quitting nursing.... for now. i think i just need a break from it. i'm such a disappointment. i just feel so bad to all the people that have invested in me... i'm so defeated right now.

Oh,I hate to hear that! Please find a counselor to help you figure things out while taking a leave of absence or something.What you tried to do(starting in ICU) is really difficult and not everyone can do it. If fact most can't. You did your best and the only person you're letting down now is yourself,I'm sure the people who love you see it as we do.

On top of everything else you might have an element of depression which makes dealing with things so much harder,I know because it happened to me. I took minimal medication(I know,I hate pills too). That and the talk therapy just turned me around completely.

You didn't fail,you didn't let anyone down and you didn't do anything wrong. What happened to you could've happened to any of us. Take some time off to catch your breath and get centered and grounded again and start thinking about what you want out of nursing;you like pt contact maybe get a job in an outpt setting or something. There are SO MANY different areas to work in and you're ahead of the game already with your BSN.:icon_hug:

[[Hugs]]

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Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.

i've been there. i hated my first year in med/surg job and so i quit after working exactly a year. but i ended up going back, working only once a week. still hate it but at least i have more of a choice of when i work.

i too dread going to work, feel just the way you describe. i hate charting, i hate the smells, i hate to hear all the other nurses griping about the job. (at least i'm not alone in hating the job.) i hate being responsible for sometimes 10 patients. chest pains, fresh surgeries-- too much going on and not enough of me. will it get better? it may. how long have you been working?

find a compassionate (experienced) coworker to talk to. there is a very good nurse i work with who has been a nurse for over 25 years. it was shocking to hear but this nurse said the nausea and dread i feel before, during and after the shift (though more relief at the end of course)-- this nurse feels the same way. and this nurse knows sooooo much. i would trust my life with this nurse more so than any other coworker. good luck to you. you are not alone. think of what kind of nursing you want to go into and pursue it. there are so many different types of units you can work in.

i'm a new nurse and dread going to work... everytime i'm walking from the parking lot to the unit feels like a death sentence. i don't know when this feeling is going to go away... everyone in the unit seems nice, but everything just seems so unfamiliar and my bsn is completely worthless at this point. i've actually worked as a tech before in a different unit that was bearable and would like to beg for that job again in a heartbeat. i know i should give it time... just don't be so hard on myself...but i feel so incompetent. and the more i'm exposed to this profession... the more i hate it... charting, passing out drugs, carrying out orders, demanding families, being a maid... oh how i just hope that it will get better. but the aforementioned job description is not what i intend on being for most of my work life...i am so lost and i don't know what to do. i feel like i wasted a lot of time, money and effort just to do something that i don't think i want to do. i feel such a failure.
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Each time I read a post like this, disillusioned, disenchanted, and/or disgruntled I have the same reaction.

What were they thinking. not the new grads. The facility! This is usually a set up for all the above. Yes, ICU and many of the specialty areas carry "glamor" and yes, many facilities look at a BSN as meaning you are ready for any challenge. But really, the challenge is to learn how to nurse in the real world, not have to have the immediate critical thinking on your feet skills required in the specialty areas.

I believe nursing education needs to be honest with all students. They need basic nursing work skills before they will be competent to do advanced work.

I agree with others. Go to the EAP. Change areas either in the hospital or look for a more appropriate fit. You haven't wasted an education. The facility may be wasting a good nurse. :nurse:

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Specializes in school/residence for disabled.

:jester:Nursing can have many options for you. Look into being a visiting nurse for special needs children, or maybe in a school. I worked in a residence for children with developmental disabilities and loved it. There are also adult residential homes all over that need nurses. You could get certified with phlebotomy or IV. Think about what you enjoyed before nursing school. Then think about how you can combine your nursing degree with something that you feel fits your life. If you truely are unhappy with your job, I say make looking for something you will enjoy your second job. If you try all facets of the nursing field and still feel it is not for you then let it support you while you go to school for what is. There are many areas of nursing that I will not work. I get depressed in nursing homes and units with gravely ill patients. Working in an OBGYN office or pediatric practice are all options. Cheer up and think about the other options. Me personally, I am looking into psychiatric nursing as I find the human mind fascinating.

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But really, the challenge is to learn how to nurse in the real world, not have to have the immediate critical thinking on your feet skills required in the specialty areas.

I'm a new nurse (graduated in May) & couldn't agree more with this statement. There are many hospital specific policies to learn and tasks that we didn't complete as students (calling docs, new orders, d/c's, new admissions, etc.). As these new tasks become more automatic for me, I find that I am able to start THINKING about the care I provide for my pts. It takes time, patience, and persistence.

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Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
it all depends on the person before you too. i got aweful reports on all my patients and had to figure it all out as i went along.

i hear you about getting awful reports... some nurses just don't do much more than pass meds. it seems. (oh but they get all their charting done/their boxes checked.) wonder what kind of assessment they do. they don't try to learn more about the patient. when i get to work they're always sitting down. always the first one "done". what kind of care are their patients getting? so these nurses usually have no useful/helpful info to pass on in report. sometimes i just get "i haven't heard much from this one. they ate. they're okay." huh???

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