New Grad... 7 months later and I hate my job in the PICU. What next?

thenightnurse456 · Jan 6, 2016

It sounds like it's nightshift you hate, not necessarily PICU. Have you talked to your manager about a possibility of changing to a day shift schedule?

OR nursing is a COMPLETELY different type of nursing. It depends on which role you take: circulator, scrub etc.

I would wait till you've hit 12 months before thinking of changing jobs, it would look better on your resume.

All the best.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 6, 2016

This sounds more like an issue with night shift and not the PICU itself. Have you thought about asking to switch to days?

OR nursing is its own little world. Very little applies there from what I have heard.

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Jan 6, 2016

What is that you hate? Besides nights? I'd stick it out for a year, and if the OR job is at your hospital you may need to check with HR to see if you are eligible to transfer before one year. Also keep in mind many ORs require on call time which not be appealing to you if you don't like working nights.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2016

Also, the thought of enduring another orientation makes me cringe. HELP! I don't know what to do here... Love my coworkers, hate my job.

Let me just warn you, then, that OR orientation can be really brutal. Rather than mainly dealing with nurse preceptors, you are also enduring the wrath of surgeons when you don't display perfection from the get go. I'm not saying it wouldn't be worth it in the end, but since you mentioned dreading another orientation, you should know going in that it would likely be far more rigorous in terms of how you are treated and expectations of quick mastery. That's my experience anyway, and I've done both.

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 6, 2016

You don't think it means something that all the new nurses who were hired with you feel the same way? Have you talked to the experience staff to see what their experiences were like when they started in PICU?

AlhendyRN · Jan 6, 2016

Thanks everyone for the input! I'm thinking maybe I'm just not cut out for kids.... Also, our management is pretty awful. Im also considering switching over to the adult world. I have a friend that was also a new grad who works in a cardiac TCU and loves it. I just want to love my job!!

ED Nurse, RN · Jan 7, 2016

I think before you jump ship you need to identify the exact things you don't enjoy about the PICU, besides it being nights. As a new nurse, sometimes nights are not avoidable.

Bezoars · Jan 7, 2016

I agree that I would definitely give it a year before you jump ship. After that... have at it! OR would be a completely different kind of nursing but you're young and just starting out, so now is the time to explore things. At this point, I have ended up in a place I never thought I would. You never know what you'll like.

CMR1993 · Jan 7, 2016

I'm a new grad as well who works in an ICU setting and I'm not sure I like it either. I thought that it was everything that I wanted after graduation: something new everyday, interesting situations, etc. After five months, I don't think it's what I want to do with my life and I agree that at 22/23 we shouldn't dislike what we're doing! I want to love what I do! I'm sticking with my job for at least a year until I start looking for something different because it'll look better and a lot of jobs require you to have one year of experience before they'll even look at you.

Hope everything works out for you!

OscarTheOwl · Jan 8, 2016

How long have you been off orientation? Are you contracted with this facility for a certain length of time? If you went through a nurse residency of considerable length, I would highly doubt they would be willing to train you to another department so soon.

You mention that you feel working with kids might not me a great fit for you. What makes you feel this way? Is it the parents? The emotional aspect? The complexity of your unit?

I honestly don't know of any nurse who LOVES their job 7 months in. The first year is the hardest. Most dread going to work, are unhappy with their shift/weekend/holiday requirements/specific unit.

You are very young, (not saying this is the case with you personally) but for some it's not the job they hate, its actually getting used to having to work.

Being held accountable, being given tons of responsibility, having to learn an entire new set of skills specific to your unit are all huge stressors.

Things you can do:

1. Speak with a resource nurse or mentor about how you are feeling. Ask for advice and really listen to what they have to say.

2. See about putting your name in for day shift, this can completely change your outlook.

3. If you are comfortable with your nurse manager, express the concerns you have with the specific population. Maybe something like "I am having difficulty dealing with some aspects regarding this issue, how would you handle this?" Or "I am having a difficult time knowing what to say to nervous parents, what would you say in this situation to ease their fears?"

4. Put in a call to HR and ask how long you need to wait to transfer and inquire about the open OR position.

You chose a very difficult specialty to start out in. I can't imagine working ICU with itty bitties. Hope you find a happy place :)