New grad needs advice. PDN??

Nurses General Nursing

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So, Ive been reading this site for months now but just recently decided to become a member. Im a new grad (graduated in May with my BSN) and started working at a local hospital (med-surge). I quit after about 3 months working. It was a very tough decision but just couldn't take it anymore. I was crying a lot of the time and couldn't enjoy time off because I was constantly worring about work. I get that its expected for new grads but I couldn't take it. I simply wasn't happy working med-surge and knew day 1 that I never wanted to work med-surge but accepted the job thinking I could handle a year of it to get experience. Ever since I can remember I have always wanted to work in the nursery and later going into NICU. Unfortunately there has not been an opening in Nursery since I began the job hunt in March.

Its has now been 3 months since I have left my med-surge position and I am getting worried that I will never find a job or that someone wont hire me because I have been without work for so long. I recently got a job offer but declined due to unsafe work practices. I have an interview next week for shift care in the home (pediatrics). After reading through different posts for PDN I thought it might be a good fit for me since one of the reasons I hated med-surge was lack of time spent with patients. But I also read posts saying that people don't recommend going into PDN without experience in med-surge. I have some experience but is it enough? Before interviews I tend to do research about different positions and scare myself into thinking I cant do it. So I just don't know what to do anymore. All my life I have wanted to become a nurse and I'm scared to think that maybe this is just not for me. I often get obsessed with all the "what ifs" and all the things that could go wrong in a situation which make me feel like I cant do nursing ☹. I would hate to give up on nursing but if I cant do med-surge and its not recommended to go into home health/PDN with such little experience, and there is no Nursery positions open, I don't know what to do? What do you all think, could a new grad with 3 months experience be successful in PDN? Sorry for the rant I just kind of needed to vent and hear another nurses opinion on my situation. I appreciate you all taking the time to read this and hope you can give me your opinions on my situation.

3 months on a med/surg floor is not experience. Any new grad, whether or not you hate it needs med/surg exp. as a foundation. I did med/surg when I graduated and was tortured and hated it. But you know what? After all the upset and stress I'm a different person. The knowledge you gain from that unit will carry over into everything you do, for the rest of your career. And the Per Diem thing your talking about is ridiculous, you can't do that unless your a experienced nurse. Meaning 2 years or more, to think anything other is a danger to your patients safety. And doing home care is crazy any company hiring a new grad with 3 months is either desperate or crazy. You have no idea what your doing. I'm not trying to be rude to you, but someone needs to be brutally honest with you. If you can't handle med/surg you do not have the knowledge to care for a little kid on a trach or feeding tube, and how do you think you can work in a nursery? Do you think the nurses spend the day feeding babies and that's it? Come on now. Go back to med/surg do your time then branch out. Your going to get fired from evry job if you don't know what your doing.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

"I just didnt enjoy the med-surge environment. I felt like I was constantly running around just passing meds, doing assessments, and charting that I didnt get to spend quality time with my patients. It wasnt a matter of not being able to handle the patient load or anything like that I just, at the end of the day, wasnt happy. I've always told my self that I wanted a job that was going to make me happy whether it be a job that pays millions or whether it be flipping burgers."

I'd like to give you some constructive criticism and I hope that you will take it in the spirit in which it is intended, which is truly constructive, not flaming.

There are not many careers in this world that will gratify and fulfill a person in the first 3 months. Anything that is worth having (rewarding job, successful marriage, etc.) is worth working for and takes time and hard work. And yes, sometimes it means doing things that just don't appeal to you. If I've learned anything in my life, it is that I am not always the best judge (in advance) of what will end up being rewarding to me. The worst day at work can end up being the most satisfying at the end of the day. Sometimes, the nursing activity that I most dreaded turned out to be the most rewarding. Happiness, fulfilment and job satisfaction do not always come with the job - they must be earned.

You were very fortunate, in this economy, to have landed that Med-Surg position. I wish that you had not left it prematurely. Three months is truly not long enough to either claim experience or to master the position enough to even hope for job satisfaction. I say this not to discourage, but to encourage you to take a nursing position as soon as you can, even if it is not exactly what you are looking for. Holding out for your dream job in this economy is dangerous.

Good luck to you.

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Specializes in FNP.

I say this gently, and with respect, but I think you need to see someone to address the psych issues at play here. You seem inordinately stressed about work related issues and until you get tot he bottom of that, you probably won't be happy in any environment. Good luck.

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3 months on a med/surg floor is not experience. Any new grad, whether or not you hate it needs med/surg exp. as a foundation. I did med/surg when I graduated and was tortured and hated it. But you know what? After all the upset and stress I'm a different person. The knowledge you gain from that unit will carry over into everything you do, for the rest of your career. And the Per Diem thing your talking about is ridiculous, you can't do that unless your a experienced nurse. Meaning 2 years or more, to think anything other is a danger to your patients safety. And doing home care is crazy any company hiring a new grad with 3 months is either desperate or crazy. You have no idea what your doing. I'm not trying to be rude to you, but someone needs to be brutally honest with you. If you can't handle med/surg you do not have the knowledge to care for a little kid on a trach or feeding tube, and how do you think you can work in a nursery? Do you think the nurses spend the day feeding babies and that's it? Come on now. Go back to med/surg do your time then branch out. Your going to get fired from evry job if you don't know what your doing.

Wow. Thanks for your response, I really do appreciate it but some one your comments seem out of line. I never intended on taking a prn position I was simply stating that it was the only position I had seen open for nursery. I completely understand the reasons for not hiring a new grad into that type of position, like you said it IS for an experienced nurse. "If you can't handle med/surg you do not have the knowledge to care for a little kid on a trach or feeding tube, and how do you think you can work in a nursery? Do you think the nurses spend the day feeding babies and that's it?" That was a very tough decision for me and I don't think it was a matter of not being able to handle it. During orientation I thought there was no way I could handle 4 patients on my own but I did and at the end of it I was successfully managing 6 patients. My preceptors constantly praised me and said I was doing a great job and some after 5 weeks of our 9 week orientation thought I would be fine completely on my own. So once again it wasn't so much that I couldn't do the work or couldn't keep up it was simply that I didn't like that environment. You know some people love med-surge and some people don't. Some people love Labor & Delivery and some people just hate it. As far as your comment "Do you think the nurses spend the day feeding babies and that's it?", seriously?? I graduated with a BSN and you think I don't know what they do? I did several rotations through the nursery so I am well aware that is NOT all they do!! Neonates & Pediatrics are two quite different ballgames from adults and thats probably one of the reasons (labor&delivery, NICU, nursery) don't require med-surge experience. I do agree with you though..med-surge experience is very valuable and I am not trying to say I think otherwise. I give kudos to all those who hated it and still stuck it through, like yourself.

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"I just didnt enjoy the med-surge environment. I felt like I was constantly running around just passing meds, doing assessments, and charting that I didnt get to spend quality time with my patients. It wasnt a matter of not being able to handle the patient load or anything like that I just, at the end of the day, wasnt happy. I've always told my self that I wanted a job that was going to make me happy whether it be a job that pays millions or whether it be flipping burgers."

I'd like to give you some constructive criticism and I hope that you will take it in the spirit in which it is intended, which is truly constructive, not flaming.

There are not many careers in this world that will gratify and fulfill a person in the first 3 months. Anything that is worth having (rewarding job, successful marriage, etc.) is worth working for and takes time and hard work. And yes, sometimes it means doing things that just don't appeal to you. If I've learned anything in my life, it is that I am not always the best judge (in advance) of what will end up being rewarding to me. The worst day at work can end up being the most satisfying at the end of the day. Sometimes, the nursing activity that I most dreaded turned out to be the most rewarding. Happiness, fulfilment and job satisfaction do not always come with the job - they must be earned.

You were very fortunate, in this economy, to have landed that Med-Surg position. I wish that you had not left it prematurely. Three months is truly not long enough to either claim experience or to master the position enough to even hope for job satisfaction. I say this not to discourage, but to encourage you to take a nursing position as soon as you can, even if it is not exactly what you are looking for. Holding out for your dream job in this economy is dangerous.

Good luck to you.

Thank you!! I really appreciate your response.

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I say this gently, and with respect, but I think you need to see someone to address the psych issues at play here. You seem inordinately stressed about work related issues and until you get tot he bottom of that, you probably won't be happy in any environment. Good luck.

Thanks for your response, what kind of psych issues do you believe are at play? I just want you to know that I am not asking in a mean/rude/defensive way, I would honestly like to know.

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So sorry the job did not work out for you. I also apologize for some of the responses that seem to be scolding you for your decision to quit. No one knows your reason for quitting except you. In the end, you never know if quitting was the best thing to do versus losing your license. We will never know. It's not a death sentence that you quit med surg after 3 months, I am sure it was a tough decision for you. I wish you all the best in your job search. I am sure something will materialize that will give you what you are looking for. Good luck.

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So sorry the job did not work out for you. I also apologize for some of the responses that seem to be scolding you for your decision to quit. No one knows your reason for quitting except you. In the end, you never know if quitting was the best thing to do versus losing your license. We will never know. It's not a death sentence that you quit med surg after 3 months, I am sure it was a tough decision for you. I wish you all the best in your job search. I am sure something will materialize that will give you what you are looking for. Good luck.

No need to apologize for other responses. And yes it was a very tough decision. For me, quitting was the best thing to do and I do not regret it. Thank you for your input. I wish you the best too!!

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So sorry the job did not work out for you. I also apologize for some of the responses that seem to be scolding you for your decision to quit. No one knows your reason for quitting except you. In the end, you never know if quitting was the best thing to do versus losing your license. We will never know. It's not a death sentence that you quit med surg after 3 months, I am sure it was a tough decision for you. I wish you all the best in your job search. I am sure something will materialize that will give you what you are looking for. Good luck.

I second this. I read horror stories of new jobs on here and usually think to myself that those nurses lasted a lot longer than I would have before quitting! Jobs are hard to come by right now but at the same time, life is too short to be so miserable at a job despite the reason. My unit has had new grads quit before orientation was over. It happens. Pick yourself up and try again.

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I second this. I read horror stories of new jobs on here and usually think to myself that those nurses lasted a lot longer than I would have before quitting! Jobs are hard to come by right now but at the same time, life is too short to be so miserable at a job despite the reason. My unit has had new grads quit before orientation was over. It happens. Pick yourself up and try again.

Thank you for the encouragement! And like you said "life is too short to be so miserable". That is one of the things I thought about when making my decision. Its always something I try to go by :)

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Perhaps by now you have found a new job. If not, I would really suggest trying to get at least a year of med/surg experience prior to any specialty. It's an old story, but without the basics, there is no foundation to build on. You need some confidence. I would try to find a hospital that has a good mentor program and get paired with a nurse preceptor who is patient and will work with you to help build that confidence. We were all new grads once with fears and unknown expectations. If you have wanted this your whole life, you have one more step to take and that is to learn everything you can before you make a decision. You shouldn't base your decision on three months. Trust me, I was there. 25 years ago I wanted to RUN off a med/surg unit when my first patient was a Dr.!!!!! Just believe in yourself. You got thru school and passed the NCLEX so that says something about your determination and intelligence. You can do it. I know you can.

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