Leaving my first job

You may "have a bird in your hand", are you telling us you work M-F?

Yep... M-f two 8s and two 12s

6:30a - 3 or 7pm

But I also get mandated for overtime a lot...

Don't just think of what you are getting out of, think of what you will be getting into. There is always a trade-off.

After some rough shifts, a day schedule with no call bells or family members sounds like a dream job.

OK, if you are really unhappy, and have a flexible childcare plan, why not?

I'm also worried about forgetting everything I learned in school... I eventually want to go to grad school... I'm not sure for what though... But I'm scared I'll get stuck in the OR forever.

go shadow on a regular floor and I'm sure you will never want to leave where you are now.

Hauling heavy equipment and answering pagers would be a dream to me. ( I of course know there is more involved, just saying)

Also not to mention, you have a decent schedule. You may not get that anywhere else.

The first thing you have to consider is how childcare would work if you began working a less predictable schedule or worked every other weekend. If you can work something out and this isn't an issue, consider how you'll feel about not being home every weekend and possibly missing some events (e.g. sports if you child is involved, family dinners, holidays, etc). If you still want to move on to something else, then by all means, you should! Sometimes a M-F schedule is worth it, and sometimes it's not. If you're not happy doing what you're doing and you have the flexibility to find something else, there's no reason to keep slogging along. Get out there and find something that you will like! I'm a school nurse that left the hospital and am now returning to acute care. I have a little sadness over the loss of the cushy schedule, but want to get back out there so I'm taking the leap.

What about working in a GI lab? There are other M-F nursing jobs. Ultimately it's up to you and your priorities. How would it work for you if you had 3 12's, weekends and possibly night shifts? What do you ultimately want to do with your career?

What about working in a GI lab? There are other M-F nursing jobs. Ultimately it's up to you and your priorities. How would it work for you if you had 3 12's, weekends and possibly night shifts? What do you ultimately want to do with your career?

I don't know, I just know that it's definitely not the OR. I don't even feel like a nurse. I just hate being trapped in a freezing OR with weirdo surgeons. I'm just like everyone's b****... The surgeons, anesthesia, and the scrub techs.

I only picked this job because it was the first one to give me an offer... And I needed money....

Oh hindsight...

The grass is not always greener...just keep that in mind. It depends on where you are going to do what.