New Nurse Burn Out...

[dmg213]

I'm a nurse with almost a year of experience. I recently went from FT to per diem & signed up with a local agency.

Worked @ the same hospital all this time but got burned out FAST! Right after I was finished with my 4 week new grad orientation my patient load was unbelievably difficult. Then I was always getting the first admit or was given pt's that should've gone to somebody else but since they refused to take them & I was standing there the charge nurse would give them to me. I was losing my mind trying to get everything done on time with no help. Permanent staff expected me to pick up all the slack they were too overburdened to carry especially since we have mostly travelers working on our floor.

I finally said something to my supervisor who was very understanding but nothing seemed to change. I eventually figured out that the charge nurse making the assignment was also a fairly new @ making assignments & didn't take into consideration my inexperience. Honestly, I thought somebody was testing me or they were setting me up for failure with the patient load I was assigned.

So after talking to this charge nurse about my assignments it became more bearable but by that point I was so fed up with the floor. It's very unorganized, lack of teamwork, no consistency, etc. Also, they aren't very flexible with their schedule at least not with me. I find that temporary staff get the schedules they want but I always have to deal with what I have & find someone to switch days with.

My question is this. Should I just give them my notice & cut the ties all together? Or should I speak to my supv. about this & give them yet another chance? I feel as though I'm ready to cut all ties but I want to get a good reference from them if I do.

At this point I'm really tired of nursing & want to do something else. Some of my friends who are also nurses say I shouldn't let this one facility influence how I see nursing because it's not a very good facility in the first place. They also tell me that I should try somewhere else but I'm afraid to start at a new facility only to find that I don't like that place either. Should I just stay working with an agency? I really don't want to do hospital nursing at all but what else is there for someone with barely a year of experience? I've looked in all the papers and online. Most places want someone with a BSN & 2years or more of exp.

Any suggestions, advice from more experienced nurses would be greatly appreciated.

[weetziebat]

I'm really sorry to hear that after only a year you are ready to leave the profession. Not surprised, but sorry.

I don't know what to say except what I would do. Not sure talking with these folks again is going to change anything. If you are working for an agency, why not tell them your experiences with this hospital and ask for new assignments?

Do you like staying in one hospital, or might you prefer working at different places. That way maybe you'll find out that this place is just not a good fit, and someplace else may be better for you. Seems a bit premature, IMHO, to be giving up after only a year, working in one place. Are you working med/surg? Could you be assigned to another area?

Good luck!

[dmg213]

The agency I'm going to start working for is in another town so I won't be assigned to the old facility. I'm thinking that you are right & that talking to the supv. won't change much. I should've just quit altogether in the first place. At least I wasn't talked into staying. I'm working med/surg & don't want to stay @ that facility at all.

I'm hoping by working with the agency I can see what other facilities are out there. I guess not having any support through my first year of nursing has really discouraged me. I'm hoping that by hearing from other RN's on this site will help boost my confidence.

Thanks for your reply.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Try somewhere else. You have many jobs you can choose from. No reason to stay somewhere that you are miserable. With only 1 year under your belt I think another hospital versus agency may be a good thing. Agency nurses are sometimes given the worst of the patients. Just do it - you will be fine.

[Guest717236]

Diplomatically depart from the current Med-Surg job, a year is

a wonderful base for you.

You can "tour" via the agency the other opportunities and get

a clearer picture of if you would like to stay at that facility.

Some agencies will release you to the facility for a fee. So read

the agency contract carefully.

Consider office/outpatient nursing. It is fun, challenging and has

mostly regular hours for many jobs. The pay at times can be less,

but not working nights/weekends was worth it.

Good luck and do not get discouraged, it sometimes takes a little while

to find what is best for you!:balloons:

[Ms.Int.]

I will have 2 years under my belt 07 in ltc and 1 year in med/surg. I'm feeling burned out, ovewhelmed, and fed up. I try to concenteate on the positve. I like being a nurse and like what I do but some of the people I work with and situations that have occured make me want to find another field. My first job was in ltc nurses there were would have parties and loud music playing at the facility. These nurse would cover up falls to keep form doing the paper work. They would taunt those of us who didn't participate in their mischief. We went though the proper channels to lodge complaints but no one in administration would listen to us. A lot of bad things happened at this place. I left and went to another ltc and the administrator would not let the DON do her job for telling her how to do it. When I started there after 8 months experience the admin. told me that one day was long enough to orient I told her I wasn't ready yet she put me on the floor anyway. The paper at this facility was all new to me and I asked for help but evryone was always to busy so she would wrote me up for some errors I made on some of the documentation. I signed the write up when I shouldn't have because the next new nurse who had hospital experience got 3 weeks of training. I should have stood up for myself. The admin. had her picks and chooses and wanted me to work Chrsitmas eve and Christmas because she promised it to someone else so I quit. I work in a hospital now I like what I am doing but when I started some of the nurses gave me the look of "who the hell are you and why are you here". I had only ltc experience when I started but I just work per diem so I am still learning but it seems like if I forget to do something or don't do it right they relief nurse wait until I leave to say anything. I have been working on organizing and being thourough so I my job efficiently but I just don't know if I want to do this anymore. I'm still learning how to start an IV. I wanted to work in ned/surg to keep my skills and I have learned a lot. I try to ignore my rude co-workers and push forward but I'm getting tired of it. Some of them willing to help but other I believe feel threatend but I'm just trying to learn all I can I wanted to got back to school to get my ASN or BSN at one time. Also, what do you do when you have a cna that flat out tells you no but will do what another nurse tells her to do just because they are best friends she does it? I wrote her up but the administrator at that facility said not to write the cna's up because they can't lose anymore help and she tell the cna not to worry about it. If you can give my any advice it would be appreciated.

[dmg213]

Thanks for the info & encouragement, jahra. I've been told by traveling nurses that agency work will give me more control of my schedule & if I don't like a facility I'm assigned to I can just request to not go back. Also, I will be able to see what other facilities are like. I'm trying to stay positive. It's been a rough first year especially since working @ that place was not what I expected nursing to be like. I just thought with the shortage of nurses & all people would be more willing to help out & do whatever they could to keep me. Now I see it's not necessarily true.

Anyway, I'm hoping to eventually find some place I can really be happy at regardless of how much they pay.

[weetziebat]

If you can give my any advice it would be appreciated.

Ms. Int., you have my deepest sympathy. Seems like so many nurses lately have been having the same problems. I know some CNA's who just do as they please cause they know the facilities have such trouble replacing them. As to why, with the nursing shortage, and everyone being so overworked, nurses would act so uppity, I can't imagine. I'd be hugging any new nurse who walked in the door and doing all I could to help her so she'd stay.

Best advice I could give you would be to search out other places (on your days off). Take your time and find a place where you will be welcomed and given a decent orientation. And someplace that employs nursing professionals, not a bunch of immature folks whose idea of working is partying.

Good luck. Let us know how it is going, O.K?