leaving job after 5 months

weetziebat · Mar 19, 2006

I feel for you. Nursing is a tough profession, and not getting any easier, that's for sure. With over 20 years hospital experience, I'm sure you know what is 'normal chaos' and when it is just tooooo much.

Not being scheduled by now for classes you need to be competent on the floor, and feeling that you are putting your license on the line seems to me to be excellent reasons for thinking about changing jobs.

I don't consider myself a 'quitter' but I'm now on my 3rd job in five months - and looking for a new one! Not something to brag about, for sure, but I'm not about to spend my short time in this world working at a job that makes me miserable.

Everyone has there own breaking point - and if you've reached yours, you don't need validation from anyone - find something else that you can live with. JMHO

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2006

Don't blame you at all. Experienced nurses know that most work situations are horrible anymore, and a good situation is very hard to find.

KAW1962 · Mar 19, 2006

The second job I had was on an ortho/rehab unit. The first couple of weeks were great as I was taking care of the post-op patients. But then I was moved to the rehab side and well, let's just say that I wasn't utilizing the skills I had and saw little opportunity for professional growth. So I resigned after only 6 weeks. I went on to obtain a position on a dialysis unit in a different hospital. To this day, 8 years later, I still say that was the best career move I ever made.

Midwest4me · Mar 19, 2006

I don't blame you either! My guess is that the unit is short-staffed and that's why you've not been scheduled for the classes....seems odd that they want you "competent", which will be ensured by the taking of "required classes" but 5 mos. have now apparently passed and still they're dragging their feet---I'd leave too!

yadda_yadda_yadda, LPN, LVN · Mar 19, 2006

I totally agree with every previous post---you don't have to justify following your gut instincts.

Life is too short for 8-12 hours a day of non-sense....whereever/whatever the cause may be!

mtnmom · Mar 19, 2006

I, too, have had a tumultuous last year careerwise. It is somewhat a relief to know that I am not alone, although I really hate to hear that anyone else is in such career turmoil. I agree with Weetziebat...life is too short and we have gone through too much to get where we are to be miserable. While no job is perfect, can't a job be bearable?

Good luck to all of you!

introspectiveRN · Mar 19, 2006

. Really sorry that you are in this position...I am only a student right now but I can tell you; I have worked too hard to allow someone else to make decisions that could jeopardize my (future) license. So have you.

...good luck and I hope that things go well for you. Please keep us posted.

And; you probably are going to move on to bigger and better things. It's just that in the meantime...it's a mean-time.

Take care.

onconurseRT · Mar 19, 2006

You have the experience behind you.. you have survived nursing this long..you know "yourself" and your boundaries... listen to your gut and run like heck!

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Mar 19, 2006

I would like to hear from anyone else who has been in this situation. I am on a specialized floor in a teaching hospital. Over 20 plus years I have worked at others, better and larger, so the pace is nothing new to me. The chaos, however, is out of control. I have decided to resign. It is not in my nature to fold when meeting a challenge, but the stress here is overwhelming. I don't want to die wearing scrubs. I expect to be met with the argument from management that I haven't been there long enough, things will get better, etc, etc. Situations occur on a daily basis that put my license at risk. The required education classes that I was told of at interview and again by the nurse educator, essential to competent functioning on the unit, have yet to be scheduledfor me. What did it take for you to say enough? Has anyone left after so short a time? I have never left after so early into a job and wonder if stress is clouding my judgment. If so, I guess I have no choice but to leave. Thanks...

i've been a nurse for as many years as you and once i was at a place and it was awful! after 3 months i told the nm i was resigning... she was like but..blah blah blah....

i said save it for another fool and left.

TazziRN, RN · Mar 19, 2006

That happened to me when I was a CNA years ago. My first job was in a SNF. I loved my pts, liked my fellow CNAs, but there was one RN who seemed to dog me. I lived for weekends because I knew she wouldn't be there. After four months I'd had enough of her. The recruiter who hired me knew I was a new CNA and that there were still things I had to learn, but this RN harassed and humiliated me because of my lack of skills. I finally told her, when she was lecturing me yet once again, that I couldn't take it anymore and would be finding a new job as soon as I could. You could hear the screeching of her brakes and she tried to backpedal, but I refused to give in. I left a month later, found a job doing home care and did that for several wonderful years while I went to nursing school. You do what you need to do for you, and don't look back.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Mar 20, 2006

As a "Healthcare Survivor", I think you know best what you can or cannot deal with. Sounds as though you have made the right decision for you. Don't look back, don't feel guilty doing what is right for you. If you don't look out for yourself no one else will. After 30 years I left my hospital job and changed to HH.

We all know that God does not close a door without opening a window but if we stand there too long looking at the closed door we'll miss seeing the window open.