Leaving the OR...advice please!

[RNBuggers]

Hello!

I'm looking for some advice about my career or maybe just someone to tell me I'm not a horrible person for leaving my job after a short time. I worked a med surg/progressive care unit for two years prior to moving to the OR. And after two months of being in the OR I realized I had made a mistake. I miss patient care and talking to my patients. But I told myself I'd stick it out for a year. But then in the 6 months I have been in this OR some very disappointing things have happened related to joint commission and quality issues that I don't feel at liberty to say. But I don't feel as though I can support this OR after some of the things that have happened. So anyway I have two job interviews lined up with Emergency departments which I think is my dream job. But I still have three weeks of orientation left (7 months of orientation total). Am I a huge jerk for leaving on orientation? I'm afraid that they won't let me finish out my 30 day notice. But I'm hoping that maybe I'll only have a week left of orientation when I get offered a job, if I do. I feel really terrible leaving right after I get off orientation but not getting paid for two weeks would be awful. And I feel awful that they spent time and money training me and I'm going to leave them. But besides the quality issues, I feel bullied down there and that the training isn't great and I don't think I can take it much longer.

Thanks in advance for your help. Sorry this is so long!

[cocoa_puff]

They would probably let you go rather than keep you for two weeks to train you since you won't be staying.

[Wolf at the Door, BSN]

do whats best for you because on the flipside the unit does whats best for it

[MA_RN]

I was actually in the same boat as you. Thought the OR was my dream job and realized very quickly into orientation that it was not for me. I felt horrible wanting to leave bc i was in a fantastic hospital and was lucky enough to be one of a very few nurses accepted into the periop program. But you need to follow your heart. I am now working on a floor again. Is it my dream job? No. But I enjoy the work I do. Im still trying to figure out what I love. But at least I'm not doing something that I know is not right for me.

As far as finishing your time, they might not have you finish the last few weeks. But i would definitely start applying for other positions asap. You don't want to be without a position for too long. Being in the OR is a totally different skill set, so if you are looking to go back to a floor then you want to jump back in sooner rather than later. You'll be surprised how quickly you remember the floor skills, but I know i felt like a bit of a fish out of water for a few shifts to get back into the mindset and swing of things. Hope everything works out for you!