NEW GRAD QUIT JOB

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Hello fellow nurses!

I am a relatively new grad. Graduated from nursing school in December then proceeded to start nursing in February as a new graduate nurse. I did my orientation shifts and after two weeks I was out on my own. Things were okay for the first little bit. It was incredibly stressful and I hated it but I kept telling myself - ok, this will get better, you can do this. I never really enjoyed the job. I should probably mention here that I worked on an acute medical floor at the busiest hospital in my area. After 3 months, it wasn't getting better. In fact, it was getting worse. I had so much anxiety I wasn't sleeping on my days off, I had to run to the bathroom to cry at least once a shift, staffing had been reduced on the ward and the workload had increased. This was not what I had signed up for.

I tend to like routine and predictability and there is none of that on that ward. It is predictably unpredictable and a very high stress work environment. I don't really know why I started working there, I suppose I just fell into it after my preceptorship. Let me tell you - preceptorship did not prepare me for real life on that floor. Since I had a casual position I chose to not pick up any further shifts after my last shift at the beginning of June. I have been having SUCH bad anxiety. I am crying all the time. And completely miserable. This is not what I thought my life would be like after finishing nursing school.

I absolutely hated nursing school. I hated the stress of it. I was so glad to be finished with it. But this is nothing better. I have been desperately looking for jobs in an area that I might like such as in postpartum or neonatal but they are not taking new hires until later this year. I think that ideally I would do well working in the community but I can't get a job in community without having at least 6 months public health / community experience or 1 year in maternity or pediatrics.

I understand that anxiety is normal as a new grad. And I also understand that feeling overwhelmed at times is part of the job - and that stress is part of any job. However, this feels like something else. I mean, I am having near panic attacks. I also believe that you have to like your job in order to get through the stressful times. And I HATE working in medicine. It is SO NOT FOR ME. And now I am planning to quit. And I have no idea what I am going to do. I have applied for both maternity and neonatal but haven't heard anything yet. Just thinking about going back to work in medicine gives me such bad anxiety that I break down and cry.

Now I need to find a job for the mean time. I'm worried that I won't be able to pay rent! And not working is giving me too much time to sit and think about how stressed I am about finding a job.

Anyone out there have any similar experiences? Any suggestions on what I can do in the mean time? I am completely stressed out of my mind.

Thanks for reading :)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I tend to like routine and predictability and there is none of that on that ward.
Welcome to Allnurses.com!

If you prefer workplace routine and predictability, then most floors/units in acute care might not be attuned to your personality because patients in hospitals tend to be unstable with higher acuity than ever before, leading to unpredictable outcomes.

I have the same type of outlook when it comes to the workplace. I am the queen of routine. I like to walk into a predictable situation where I know the patients, their families, and therefore can formulate an idea of how the shift will turn out.

To cope, I work in acute physical rehab at a freestanding rehabilitation hospital. The average length of stay here is anywhere from one to three weeks, so I get to walk into the same situation for several weeks before the patient discharges. The skill mix includes blood administration, TPN, IV antibiotics, PICC and central line maintenance, dialysis, complicated wounds and other procedures in case one is worried about "losing skills."

Seek opportunities outside the hospital for now, because these workplaces will be more forgiving of the fact that you quit your most recent job without notice. Emphasize what you have to bring to the table, and sell yourself as an asset that can be added to enhance their team. Good luck to you.

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hi [COLOR=#003366]nursingmymind,

I was immediately struck by your comment in the beginning because you say you are a new grad and only had 2 weeks orientation, that is very brief, no wonder you are stressed! Would you feel comfortable talking to your nurse manager, educator, or director about this or some type of extension in order for you to benefit more from the orientation experience since this is where us nurses can learn from one another? Your managers would probably even appreciate you bringing it to their attention that they need to extend their orientation length. Yes nursing is going to be stressful regardless of where you are, but as a new grad you should be able to take every opportunity to learn and gain all the skills since you are very new to the field. I know orientation for me was where I felt I got more confidence in my nursing abilities.

As to your part about switching to another hospital and area of nursing, most hospitals usually require at least a year but if you have connections and can network it especially within the hospital you are already at possibly they will transfer you.

I am glad you reached out though since you say you are having panic attack and are that stressed out, I am sorry about that. If you truly believe it is because of the unit you are on and would be happier elsewhere then search for somewhere else but in the meantime make sure to take care of yourself and find ways to relieve stress. Us nurses tend to take work home with us which is never a good thing! Hang in there and I am sure things will get better :)

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Hi there,

Have you considered home health? The beauty of that is usually a typical schedule with the same patient over a period of time. I have a feeling you are the type of nurse that want to really connect with your patient and the situation of things, what better way to do that than w/ a standard home health case. I do want you to understand wherever you go, there would be a high level of stress. The American medical system is really silly. I do believe medicine is for you! You remember why you wanted to be a nurse? Remember how hard it was to go through school? USE the skills you learned, USE this forum to vent. I feel maybe this specific position may not be your style, but it will look ever so wonderful on your resume.

I'm sure if you ask any of coworkers, they would say your doing fantastic.

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Maybe for the summer you could get a job as a camp or summer school nurse? This could be your pediatric experience. Or you could look at an MD office, infusion clinic or day surgery?

Even seasoned nurses can get overwhelmed at large patient loads all with immediate needs. The hospital atmosphere may not be for you at present.

Good luck with your future endevours.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

New nurses get thrown to the wolves because hospitals view them as fresh meat. From what you describe, I'd say get out now. This job is taking a terrible toll on your health. At this point it doesn't matter if it's them or you, it's just a bad situation that you need to rescue yourself from. I'd rather dumpster-dive than try to deal with what you're describing.

Time for survival mode. You may need to wait tables to pay the rent for a bit, while you look for a better nursing job. I agree with the summer camp nurse idea, especially if you like peds. A lot of nurses love that gig. Home health is a growing field and might be right up your alley. Don't think there's something wrong with you; hospitals are into big time envelope pushing right now, just to see what they can get away with. Don't play.

Look out for Number One while you find your nursing niche. I have a feeling you have the makings of a great nurse. Good luck!

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Thanks for the reply. I do hope that it's not this stressful everywhere I go... though I am in Canada so I do hope that our system has some areas of lower stress work

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Thank you TriciaJ for the comment. This forum is so so great for tips, advice, and talking with others who actually GET your situation. I might look into camp nursing actually. Or just try to get a job in a coffee shop while I wait it out and figure out where I want to be. The job market where I live is so tough right now. You can't get a job in any area without having at least 2 years experience. But you can't get the two years experience if you can't get a job in that area. It's incredibly frustrating.

Thanks so much.

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I hear you I'm a new grad in LTC (sort of a new grad- graduated I'm dec 2012, it took me a long time to find a job in a drug and alcohol and detox- then I was fired 'for being too slow with admissions& poor time management').I was doing the best i could. I finally I found a job recently in LTC (and I thank my lucky stars everyday, and feel incredibly lucky to be working as an RN- cause the economy sucks). I work on a unit that is mix of LTC/Alzheimer's and sub acute patients and while it has more of predictability/ I find myself feeling the same way. I'm overwhelmed by the workload (20 patients) and by the fact that there is a lack of anyone who desires to mentor newbies. Some nurses who just act like I'm stupid because I don't know everything. I don't why there is such a mentality.... The I can't be bothered or I'm going to act like you are so dumb for asking a question .... The whole nurses eat their young thing is just BS.

I've anxiety too, I lose sleep. It is what it is... I went into nursing to help people & because I enjoy life sciences. In retrospect I regret my decisions. If I knew what I know now I'd run the other way. I hate nursing, so much, the medical field and our health care system- which is in business to make $$$ not care for people.

My advice is stick it out- get your experience then move on. You might not be so lucky to find work in nursing right away. And it could hurt your job prospects in the future. Try to practice yoga or meditation to get your anxiety under control. If all else fails try some meds (go see a dr and ggoin a low dose of SSRI for anxiety)- you will get the hang of it. You have what it takes. Remember that this is a small period in your life. These nurses that make your life miserable or act like your stupid were in your position. You can do it. Don't give up.

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Wow 2 weeks is not enough orientation! I was an LPN for 3 years and as a new grad RN I still got 8 weeks of orientation.

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