New job not what i was expecting

[BSN16]

So i've recently made a HUGE career change and have essentially relocated across the country for a job at a larger hospital.

** A little bit of background about me. Although i am not a SEASONED icu nurse, i do have some critical care experience. When i left my old job i was even charge at nights among that i have some certifications among them my CCRN and TNCC.

I left my old job in hopes of getting better experience among other problems (staffing/pay/etc..)

So i've started this new job and have been here almost 3 weeks and it's just not what i was expecting. I started orientation with a few new grads and other nurses from med/surg units.

At this point i am feeling a little bit frustrated and discouraged. My preceptor and I have yet to get an intubated patient or what i would really even qualify as a true icu patient even though there are many available on the unit. Ive asked about when we are going to get more difficult patients and my preceptor told me that the orientation process doesn't assign these patients until later in the orientation because they like to slowly introduce us to critical care....which would be great if i were new to it.

The most frustrating part is we use the same charting system and same IV pumps. So there's not much for me to really learn besides policies and kind of the flow of the unit.

I'm not really sure if i'm just being entitled or if this is justified...but it's just difficult for me being a nurse who responded to codes and was charge to having to be supervised with fluff patients.

Anyways sorry for the rant you guys just questioning if i made the right choice or if i should have just stayed at my old job

[kiszi, RN]

Orientation is but a short time. I guess I don't understand why you would want to quit this job based on that alone. My advice is to play along and get through the next several weeks--the train wreck patients will come soon enough. You didn't mention whether the unit itself was what you expected, only the orientation aspect. That would be important to know to understand where you're coming from.

[BSN16]

Orientation is but a short time. I guess I don't understand why you would want to quit this job based on that alone. My advice is to play along and get through the next several weeks--the train wreck patients will come soon enough. You didn't mention whether the unit itself was what you expected, only the orientation aspect. That would be important to know to understand where you're coming from.

Quitting this job isn't something i've considered. Just questioning myself if i've made the right choice. As far as the unit itself....i'm not sure...ive only have ever been on the step down portion of the unit. There have been lots of codes and serious patients that either require 1:1 or 2:1 but i haven't seen any of it.

[Emergent, RN]

Lucky you, you don't have to learn a new charting system. That's an annoying hassle, not some big achievement. And, learning a new IV pump takes a few minutes, big deal.

Just make it through orientation on your preceptor's term, learning the culture and flow of the unit. Develop relationships with the experienced nurses there, and find out who to turn to when you have questions in the future.

[pthelper777, BSN, RN]

I would love that situation. Better to have a progressive orientation than be thrown to the wolves and left to fend for yourself.

[J&B-RN, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

I am literally in this same exact boat. Except I've been at the new job for about 6 months now. And I am bored out of my mind!!

Ive only ever worked in level 1 trauma/surgical ICU's and I recently took a job in a large level 1 burn ICU. And I hate it. I leave everyday frustrated. It's so boring. The patients arent anywhere near as sick as I am use to. It's not that I don't get those sick patients it's that the unit doesn't get those sick patients. Burns are boring!! And sad. I moved to a bigger city, a bigger hospital, because I wanted more challenges, and all I've gotten is more frustrated.

The orientation process was the worst part tho, mine was short only a few weeks but I left everyday frustrated. It's really hard to learn a new way of doing things, learn a new hospital/unit/people/policies/flow. Once I got past that I was looking forward to learning a new patient population, but now 6 months later... it still sucks.

My only suggestion is to stick it out, hopefully (it sounds like your unit at least gets sick patients) you'll get to work with those patients soon. And if in a year you still hate it, try something new.

[guest606416]

You should defintiely leave that job. Burns are painful physically, psychologically and emotionally. To consider the fact that your patients aren't damaged enough to keep you interested in them is a sad statement. To this seasoned nurse, nursing, is about "caring" for your patients. You need to be elsewhere.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

As you have made a huge career change and moved across the country....

perhaps you should tailor yourself to the orientation, instead of expecting the facility to tailor the orientation to you.

It's been less than 3 weeks, appreciate the learning experience they are offering you.

[LovingLife123]

I think you should be very happy you are getting introduced this way. I'm in ICU and have been for a couple, almost 3 years, and this is also how we do it. You are 3 weeks in. 3 weeks. There is so much turnover when people are thrown in too quickly. And you should be learning the flow of the unit at first. That's the point. Expecting to be given extremely critically ill patients right off the bat is too much.

Patience.

[Jojorn16]

I recently started dialysis last August and initially I liked it...fast forward and I'm ready to do something else. Not sure if I should just try and tough it out and make it to a year. The difficulty is I only have my ADN, currently working on my BSN, which I will be done with in Dec. I just feel frustrated at work, always short staffed and over worked. I'm just stuck between a rock and a hard place. Any feedback?

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Hi,

Be understanding of your new facility, as they do not yet know your capabilities and they do not want to risk patient safety if they start you off with critically ill patients that you are not ready for. You may know or think you are ready for them, but they do not know you and do not know that you are ready just yet.

In other words, try and be patient, even when you are bored. Be proactive and in your down time, if you have some, start reading or looking up diagnosis information for the patients you frequently receive.

Annie

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I too started orientation similarly, and I had ICU experience (although it had been a few years.) I remember being not so much frustrated but nervous; how would I function when I was on my own and a pt went south? In between my two ICUs I had worked in subacute rehab, and in LTAC. As sick as LTAC pts can be, I happened to not encounter any acute emergencies.

Towards the end of my orientation, one of our pts suddenly started having high ICPs, which obviously is an emergency. As sad as I was that this young man was having such a serious problem, part of me was relieved it happened while I was with a preceptor.

You just transferred from another ICU. You will catch on to higher acuity pts -- and you're only 3 weeks in. I'm sure you will be taking true ICU pts before long. And one of the great things about ICU is you're never alone. They are there if you have questions, and you are there if it's their pt tanking.