New grad just quit first job...So lost and confused

JennypennyBsn · Feb 21, 2013

I feel ya. I just went today for a job at a LTC facility. The pay was pretty decent, but the facility had low ratings and some of the things I heard the nursing staff say were disturbing. I quit my first day. My family could use the money, but I feel like I practice under my own license and I don't want to jeopardize it. I used to say some experience is better than no experience, now I say no experience is better than bad experience. Life is short be happy!

julz68 · Feb 21, 2013

Hello everyone. So I graduated from nursing school with a BSN in May of last year. After extensive job search i was offered a position in a telemetry unit. I had been having doubts about nursing as a career since nursing school and i definitely knew i didn't want to work a tele or medsurge floor, however i felt obligated to take the position do to the current state of the economy. The hospital i accepted a job at is an urban facility known for not being a good place to work. Pt ratio is 6-7 per nurse. The charge nurses were clueless on basic nursing skills and assessments and i felt i had no resources in possible emergency situations.
Anyway, after three months i resigned. Management was upset, understandably so. I feel awful considering how many people are still looking for jobs and i understand that, but this position was negatively affecting every area of my personal life and mental health. I know many nurses are probably angry reading this. My question is has anyone been in this situation before? I would like to become an RN in women' services ( i loved that area during clinicals) however i feel i will never be offered a nursing position again. After this short stint i know i do not want to do floor nursing, no matter what. There is NOT enough time to do everything properly and safely. I am open to md clinics and other outpatient clinics. I do love talking to patients, teaching them and am very interested in outpatient women's health.
Have i ruined my chance in nursing? Anyone have past experience in these situations?

I'm a new RN just starting orientation on a medical floor, however, I have worked on a cardiac step down unit for 10 years as a CNA. 6-7 patient ratio sounds very unsafe to me. The RNs on that unit in my hospital only had 3 patients on days and 5 on nights. If I were in your shoes, I would have quit too. Not worth risking your license or your sanity. Good luck on your search for a new job!

Nurseadam · Feb 21, 2013

a lot of people will hire you, don't lose hope, even as a new grad. 3 month experience is better than no experience.

So, keep applying and something will come up

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Feb 21, 2013

Please take some time to reflect and engage in some self-analysis to gain a better understanding of what prompted you to leave this job. What were the specific triggers? What were your most difficult challenges? Have you established a plan for self-development to improve your ability to cope with these challenges in your next job? This is very important, particularly since you said that your health was affected.

The reality is - you are going to face some of the very same issues on your next (& future) jobs. You're never going to find a job that meets all of your idealized requirements. (gently) I am troubled about your characterization of the charge nurses as "clueless". Was this because their behavior did not match what you had been taught? As time goes on, you will undoubtedly realize that there is rarely any circumstance in which there is only one "right" choice. Did they not provide you with the support and assistance you needed? If they failed to understand your position, could you have changed the outcome with better communication skills?

Hopefully, you have a long and successful nursing career ahead of you but this may not be the worst thing that ever happens. I just want you to be better prepared when you hit the next big obstacle. Take care of yourself.

LoveShihtzu · Feb 23, 2013

Please take some time to reflect and engage in some self-analysis to gain a better understanding of what prompted you to leave this job. What were the specific triggers? What were your most difficult challenges? Have you established a plan for self-development to improve your ability to cope with these challenges in your next job? This is very important, particularly since you said that your health was affected.
The reality is - you are going to face some of the very same issues on your next (& future) jobs. You're never going to find a job that meets all of your idealized requirements. (gently) I am troubled about your characterization of the charge nurses as "clueless". Was this because their behavior did not match what you had been taught? As time goes on, you will undoubtedly realize that there is rarely any circumstance in which there is only one "right" choice. Did they not provide you with the support and assistance you needed? If they failed to understand your position, could you have changed the outcome with better communication skills?
Hopefully, you have a long and successful nursing career ahead of you but this may not be the worst thing that ever happens. I just want you to be better prepared when you hit the next big obstacle. Take care of yourself.

Hi HouTx, I have been trying to reflect on some of the reasons why i did this. Mainly i believe its that my heart is not in telemetry and so with the extreme amount of stress on that floor i just decided it wasnt worth it. As far as the charge nurse being clueless let me put it another way. The charge nurse has been working there for over 30 years. I have to say she is a smart woman however, she has a lot of anxiety r/t working and she is not confident at all with her clinical skills. She refuses to start IV's saying she doesn't know how, she cant help you with hanging blood, or with assessing a patient that may be deteriorating because she is scared. Anything which requires her to put her license or skills on the line she will not do. She even refuses to co sign insulin because of the possible repercussions should something go wrong. Everyone on the floor knows this about her and warns you not to say anything to much to her or she will get "flustered". (their words not mine) She will gladly help you with fetching something you need, but as a new nurse I need more resources than that. I need someone confident in their clinical skills and clinical judgement to be of help if need be.

I know that was not my place and i would never have been happy there but I have to be honest i am regretting the decision of resigning without having another job lined up. I am so scared i have ruined my chances at another job. From now on though i will focus on specialties where i know i want to be for the long term.

Thank you for your input.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2013

Overall, this departure won't affect your nursing career at all. However, 3 months experience will not set you apart from other new grads. Employers consider you to be a new grad until the one year mark. As you search for new opportunities, take the time to consider your strengths, weaknesses, and the things you value in a job in order to make the next position a success. On most units these days, 5-7 patients is the standard, unfortunately.

SmileRNDashy · Apr 11, 2013

Loveshihtzu,

I too was in the same boat just last month (March) when I decided to leave my first job. I graduated last April 2012 and took my first job offer at a nursing & rehab facility. I had thought everything was going to work out well and the DON was extremely enthusiastic about hiring me. They only had a Part Time/PerDiem position open, but I was willing to take ANYTHING. Once I started, I was already feeling overwhelmed at the large patient assignment (15-30). Granted you had CNAs to help and all you had to do was pass meds. Long story short, I became really stressed and overwhelmed to the point where I would get panic attacks at home. The worst part of this whole experience was the training...following different nurses or LVNs every day got me confused. Then I was told that by the end of my training (which lasted LESS than a month) I would be working on my own. The DON told me that it would be stressful everywhere I go, but I just think I wasn't prepared to face this kind of work, nor did I have the adequate training to carry me through.