I feel like many that have posted before, staff nursing in a hospital setting is not for me. Although most other jobs require the 1-2 years of med/surg experience if not more. Has anyone quit their floor job for another area of nursing before getting a year of experience? If so, have you found that it has hurt you or held you back from other jobs? Do you regret not getting that experience?
Thanks,
I'm trying to hang in there but will only have 4 months experience at the end of January.
First, I think you really need to find out what exactly it is about your current job you do not like. Is it the hours? The people you work with? The type of patients you care for? If it is something that can be changed such as a shift where the co-workers are more available to you for questions, try that first. If you work 7a-7p, try working nights for awhile.
I had a terrible experience on a medical-oncology floor in which I worked 3-11. The nurses were very hateful, loved to make newbies feel the size of an ant and I felt like I was left to sink or swim. Mind you....I had already been a nurse for 3 years and felt pretty confident with my skills but I could not tolerate the people I worked with. I changed shifts and worked 11p-7a and found that it was a completely different environment. Everyone was a TEAM. No one was ever alone, especially in a crisis situation.
Don't give up so soon. I have found that it takes at least 6 months before you start to even feel remotely comfortable with a medical unit, routine, each Doctors little quirks, and the people you work with. It is going to take some time to switch gears between classroom and running your tail end off. You might find that once you have devised your own time management plan, documentation style, learn the policies and procedures of the unit and start to get to know people a little better....it may not seem so bad.
No one ever said nursing was going to be easy. You gotta hang in there for at least 6 months before you can begin to see the benefits of the work you do and before some of your insecurities start to fade.
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism!!!!
I feel like many that have posted before, staff nursing in a hospital setting is not for me. Although most other jobs require the 1-2 years of med/surg experience if not more. Has anyone quit their floor job for another area of nursing before getting a year of experience? If so, have you found that it has hurt you or held you back from other jobs? Do you regret not getting that experience?
Thanks,
I'm trying to hang in there but will only have 4 months experience at the end of January.
I quit a hospital job after one month. I hated the 12 hour shifts, I was always depressed, I basically had zero orientation, I pretty much hated everything about that job (medical floor). I was about to be made to be charge nurse even though I didn't know anything I was doing and had never even had a preceptor! I quit for my own health AND for the safety of the patients...I knew I was not competent enough to be on my own. And yes, I complained many times about my lack of orientation, but never got what I was promised. I was getting crappy pay, too. So I quit without having a job lined up but it was worth it, even though I struggled with bills for a little while. I do not bother putting that job on my resume. I got another job soon after, at a facility for the developmentally disabled. You do not have to work at a hospital to get a better job. Go work at a Dr's office. Don't work where you are miserable. I will never ever work in a hospital ever again!!!!
QUOTE: I changed shifts and worked 11p-7a and found that it was a completely different environment. Everyone was a TEAM. No one was ever alone, especially in a crisis situation.
I have found the same to be true - the pm shift is hard on my body, but the nurses work together and truely make a huge difference in the shift. This is why I am still there! I was ready to find another job even before I was off orientation, but then I experienced nights. Now I just have to find the schedule that will be kinder on my body...best of luck!
I graduated in Dec. 04, started working on a med/surg floor in Feb. and lasted until late July. I hated it, used to cry on the way to work, hated the shift rotation, the lack of support, etc. I learned alot there, and loved the patients, but it was too much. I applied for a position in the Endoscopy suite at another hospital. Didn't really think I would get it, but figured it was worth a try. What a blessing. I got it, and now I work 4 10 hour shifts, no weekends, on call for four hours on Saturday qsix weeks, and I'm still learning. I also go back to that floor on occassion because I know that I can benefit from the experience. But now it's when I want to, and only for 8 hour shifts.
rockymtn
2 Posts
First, I think you really need to find out what exactly it is about your current job you do not like. Is it the hours? The people you work with? The type of patients you care for? If it is something that can be changed such as a shift where the co-workers are more available to you for questions, try that first. If you work 7a-7p, try working nights for awhile.
I had a terrible experience on a medical-oncology floor in which I worked 3-11. The nurses were very hateful, loved to make newbies feel the size of an ant and I felt like I was left to sink or swim. Mind you....I had already been a nurse for 3 years and felt pretty confident with my skills but I could not tolerate the people I worked with. I changed shifts and worked 11p-7a and found that it was a completely different environment. Everyone was a TEAM. No one was ever alone, especially in a crisis situation.
Don't give up so soon. I have found that it takes at least 6 months before you start to even feel remotely comfortable with a medical unit, routine, each Doctors little quirks, and the people you work with. It is going to take some time to switch gears between classroom and running your tail end off. You might find that once you have devised your own time management plan, documentation style, learn the policies and procedures of the unit and start to get to know people a little better....it may not seem so bad.
No one ever said nursing was going to be easy. You gotta hang in there for at least 6 months before you can begin to see the benefits of the work you do and before some of your insecurities start to fade.
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism!!!!