Leaving nursing job after 2 months

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Hi everyone, I am a new graduate nurse on the telemetry unit at a large academic medical center. This is my first nursing job after school and I'm on orientation. Nursing is a second career for me, my first job was in clinical research. I have a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and in nursing.

My goal after nursing school was to go back to clinical research. I was unable to find any jobs in the research field and I ended up accepting a position on the telemetry floor. The hospital I work for just posted a job opening for a clinical research nurse in orthopaedics unit and I want to apply for the position. But I'm afraid it may backfire on me if my manager finds out. I'm on the second month of a three month orientation period.

I enjoy interacting with patients, but I do

not feel intellectually challenged and I dread going to work each day. I feel like a glorified waiter at my current position and I think I would be much happier working in research. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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Most hospitals have a minimum period of time that you must work before requesting a transfer. You are correct in thinking that this may backfire on you as you are in your probationary period. If you apply for this job your current manager may decide they do not want to invest anymore time in you if you are planning to jump ship. If she/he lets you go then you will likely not be eligible for the research position. Or it might work out the other way. There is really no way to tell.

I have to tell you though, your description of your experience as a telemetry nurse is bordering on insulting. Any nursing job is what you make of it and all of them require intellect to be successful. At 2 months in you don't really know what you don't know and it seems as if you aren't even trying. The vast majority of true nursing education takes place when you are working as a nurse and the onus is on you to seek out further knowledge to better yourself as a nurse. If you truly feel like a glorified waiter then perhaps some self-examination is in order. I suspect the fact that you took a job outside of your area of interest is impacting your view of your current position and trust me people are going to notice it which will not reflect well on you. Probably not what you wanted to hear but you did say "any advice" would be appreciated.

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You should try staying with the job for at least a year. Not even making it through orientation is not good, trust me. Also not only would your manager not see you favorably for leaving so soon, but the manager of the position you want would also feel the same way. After all, what happens if, after 2 months, you find research boring or you start to miss patient interaction, and see something more appealing? 2 months is not long enough at any job. More research jobs will be available in a year if you do decide that's what you want.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

"Glorified waiter"? Wow- what exactly did you learn about patient care in nursing school?

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Specializes in Stepdown . Telemetry.

I do agree that there are many aspects to bedside nursing that make me feel like a glorified waitress and i think its about the service oriented nature of healthcare today, with HCAPS scores. It does bug me at times but the rest of it requires skill and intellect and to me its a priveledge to care for people.

Also, telemetry is a job that requires ALOT of knowledge and skill. You havent had enough experience to really know your rhythms well and the ability to read rhythms and care for a crashing patient is anything but "unstimulating".

You have to start where you are and saturate your knowledge before you can deem it not stimulating. IMHO.

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Life is tooooo short, follow your dreams and do what makes you happy and feel good. Listen to that voice you hear and it will guide you the right direction. Ignoring the inner voice will bring you misery. Good luck!!!

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Life is tooooo short, follow your dreams and do what makes you happy and feel good. Listen to that voice you hear and it will guide you the right direction. Ignoring the inner voice will bring you misery. Good luck!!!

Wow, that is spectacularly bad advice for the OP in her/his current situation. Are you so unhappy and bitter about your own situation in nursing, whatever it may be, that you want to see other people screw up their careers, too?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

If you do go after the research job, you must find a better, more diplomatic way to express why you are interested in jumping ship so quickly from your current position (orientation). Your current explanation (not stimulating enough) reminds me of my kids when they were little and complained of boredom. I always told them that complaining of boredom only indicated a lack of imagination.

Keep in mind that your potential new manager will note that you are willing to leave your position after 2 months. That will give him/her reason to doubt your commitment to any potential new position.

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Wow, that is spectacularly bad advice for the OP in her/his current situation. Are you so unhappy and bitter about your own situation in nursing, whatever it may be, that you want to see other people screw up their careers, too?

All the people who just like your post are affiliated with nursing schools or have been lousy nurse in the past. Don't listen to their advice. Total nonsense.

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All the people who just like your post are affiliated with nursing schools or have been lousy nurse in the past. Don't listen to their advice. Total nonsense.

Really -- you know them all personally, and their professional circumstances? That seems unlikely.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
All the people who just like your post are affiliated with nursing schools or have been lousy nurse in the past. Don't listen to their advice. Total nonsense.

I'm sorry - you know this how?

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Really -- you know them all personally, and their professional circumstances? That seems unlikely.

The way they comment it's very obvious.

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