I'm a new nurse almost 6 months into my career and it has been nothing but a nightmare that keeps on going. So let me start from the beginning, After desperately trying to get into any spring GN programs and not even getting an interview for most places. I finally got an interview after graduation and got an offer for an oncology unit with a sub-specialty in Stem Cell Transplant (Bone Marrow Transplant) which I was happy and excited about but also nervous cause I had no clue what it was about.
After our 2 week orientation it was time to go to the floor which I was ready to see what it was all about. So on my first shift with in the first hour I was questioning what did I get myself into. I was paired with an alternate preceptor because my primary on vacation. So we ended up with 3 patient one needed blood, one needing to start their chemotherapy and the other having major complications from the chemo they received. Somehow I made it through the first day even with a patient desaturation out of nowhere twice. later on in the week I met my primary preceptor and the response was cold, she was not friendly or engaging at all it was more like come on or get left. As we started to work together more I could tell that our personalities were clashing and the way she was teaching me was not very beneficial to the way I learned or needed to learning the way of the unit. It got bad that my educator and manager had to step in and help mediate on how to work together. Things seemed to improved after that and I was just trying to keep up so I could switch to nights and work with someone else.
Well when I started nights it went from bad to worse. I had seen my night preceptor before but never talked to her and when I finally did the first thing she say, " I was nervous about getting you" and I couldn't believe what I just heard. Like did I have a bad reputation all ready? I tried to ignore it and just focus on finishing the rest of the orientation since I had a couple of weeks to go. However it got worse everynight we worked, it as a problem with me staying up and not falling asleep, taking a break, calling in orders whatever I did was wrong wit no real guidance on how to get better. Then one night were in the med room she out of nowhere says, "Have you thought about working in diagnostic because you don't have great patient interaction skill". At this point I felt completely disrespected and tried everything not to respond negatively so I just said no I have thought about working in Pedi if you must know. Well that was th beginning of the end cause she told pretty much everyone that I didn't want to be there and wanted to work somewhere else.
I had another progress meeting with my educator and it was bad I ended up telling them everything that has happened and that I wasn't happy with working with her but she gave them a list of thinks that I was "still" doing wrong. So they decided to extend my orientation on probationary causes and keep me with the same nurse when I told them I preferred working with a few others. Two weeks go by and I seen my educator and she tells me that the unit director wanted to talk to me. next thing I know I'm being fired for "not meeting expectations" and over new nurse mistakes like giving a med late, asking who gives a respiratory drug and needing prompting for a patient with a change in altered mental status.
So now I'm looking for a new job and applying everywhere I see open. I even applied to fall GN but it was so hard getting in the first time that I fell it going to be impossible to get in now. Luckily I did find another job with a pedi home health but I still want to be back in the hospital to reach my goals I set for myself but I don't want to go through the same thing again. I'm now considering giving up on nursing and going back to get a masters in health care administration or Pharm D. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
