I have been a nurse since August 2021. I graduated in May 2021. I landed my first job on a Med Surg/COVID unit and have been there about 5 months now. However, I seriously cannot take it any longer. The whole floor is COVID (we no longer get med surg cases anymore), I do not get lunches, I barely can take a moment to pee, co-workers gossip about each other, we get 6 COVID patients each b/c of the nursing shortage (which makes me feel like I'm putting my license in jeopardy), and my manager won't help anyone. She just sits in her office all day. On top of all that I usually don't get out of work until 8 or 9 pm (I work 12s 7A to 7P), so the 12s turn into 13 or 14 hours and doing that back to back is KILLER. My work life balance is non existent at this point and I feel so overworked and drained. I feel horrible saying that I can't do this anymore, because I know my unit is SUPER SHORTSTAFFED and needs help... and I'm young and should have energy, right? But I don't have any more energy... this job is wearing me out to the point where I am starting to hate nursing all together. I can't even transfer to a different unit yet because I don't qualify until 6 months and even if I did qualify my manager has the right to hold us for a few extra months due to the staff shortage.
On the bright side of all of this, I have been applying to new jobs all month and ended up landing an outpatient family practice RN position. I am so excited because I have always had a passion for preventative care plus it is great hours in my opinion. Should I take it? I need advice. I don't want to ruin my career by working outpatient as a new grad. Is it true that it is career suicide to work outpatient? I just really need something that provides a good work life balance, allows me to take a lunch/bathroom break, and has normal hours. Any advice would be appreciated ?
My one regret was not leaving bedside sooner. My mental health has suffered. I just recently left the bedside and am never looking back. My advice is take this new job!
Take the new job and don't look back! As the hospital system continues to deteriorate, primary and preventative care will become even more important. Although there may be some jobs that would require more inpatient experience than you currently have (other inpatient jobs, especially high acuity ones like ER or ICU) it doesn't sound like you want those kind of jobs anyway. So why stay at a job you hate to get more experience to be better qualified for other jobs you'd hate?? Meanwhile this new opportunity sounds like one that doesn't come open often and probably has lots of competition when it does. If they offer it to you, take it and run! Not only will it be better hours and less stress, but it also sounds like it lines up with your passion. That will bring you a level of fulfillment and satisfaction you'll never find elsewhere, and that's the most important part of any job. Good luck and keep us posted!
Btw I worked ER for over a decade before moving to outpatient. 5 years later you couldn't pay me to go back! I'm sure you'll feel the same way. Life is too short to be miserable every day!
Since you already have an offer for a new job, give your two weeks notice (some hospital systems require 30 days, so keep this in mind if you want to possibly be rehired later on) and walk away without any guilt. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity, and you should leap on it!
My plans are to stay outpatient to be honest. I never really liked the hospital setting. Although, my feelings could change when I get older so I'm worried if I take the outpatient position will I ever be able to get hired in an inpatient setting ever again?
Congratulations! Put in your notice, go PRN so you can still get your year of experience, and take the position in something that you like if you end up not liking outpatient, you can find another hospital position in another specialty. On what ever you decide, good luck on your journey
I’ve gotten wonderful job opportunities and have had the ability to help so many wonderful older adults. Archaic thinking included the whole “bedside or die” mentality. If you want to go back to it in the future I don’t see an issue, many places will work with you on the experience side of things. After all, nurses don’t grow on trees, especially if you are BSN prepared.
"I can't even transfer to a different unit yet because I don't qualify until 6 months and even if I did qualify my manager has the right to hold us for a few extra months due to the staff shortage".
When you threaten to quit they will honor your request. If you think you'd ever want to travel, remain inpatient for a year or two. Primary Care isn't easy and you may find it boring after a while. It really depends where you work. Some facilities only use their RNs as triage nurses. Others have them room patients, take vitals, etc. along with phone triage.
I think one of the worst things in our profession is some invisible hierarchy that makes anyone feels like they are less of a nurse because of where they work.
Ironic, considering the sheer volume of problems that many nurses report on regarding inpatient.
Also fyi ignore the people telling you to finish a year. This job won't be available then and you'll be miserable in the meantime. These kind of jobs rarely open up. If you pass it up now, it may be years before you get another chance.
I dread going to work everyday! It's like wild horses have to drag me in there mentally. I have 25 patients, and am new at this facility. Yesterday, the unit manager approached me during my med pass and handed me the phone 3 times for telehealth doctor visits for patients I knew nothing about. I felt stupid trying to hurry up and navigate through the notes to try to tell the doctor something about the patients, at the same time, doing wound treatments and pill pushing, so I can go home on time. Why wouldn't they warn me that I'd have appointments? During med pass, people are constantly, constantly, constantly interrupting me telling me who wants meds...right now. As if everyone doesn't want their meds. I tell them I'll get to them. I was reprimanded for asking a CNA and PT aide to stop coming up to me telling me people want their meds. Mind you, these are patients who are only getting vitamins, I try to work on my insulin and blood pressure med people first, because a lot of those meds are due before they eat breakfast. All shift, there's no time to sit for charting so the nurses do PCC and other notes AFTER the shift. Nurses are there at least 3-4 hours after their shift ends everyday to do charting. The DON gets pissed at us nurses for not answering the phone at the nurses station during med pass. I almost gave a patient the same meds twice because I was being pulled every which way but loose. Lunch break? There's no such thing, but yet there's wage theft because they still take it out of our pay. There's no way to prove we aren't getting breaks. The problem is nurses are so compliant with the overload of work, it makes a bad look for us who want to take their unencumbered breaks. When I first asked for a break, everyone got all bent out of shape and no one wanted to relieve me because they're too busy. No matter where I go, it's always the same bs. At night, my anxiety gets so high because I know I have to be back at that dreaded facility in the morning.
CityofAngelsRN
80 Posts
My one regret was not leaving bedside sooner. My mental health has suffered. I just recently left the bedside and am never looking back. My advice is take this new job!