New nurses feel like quitting?

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I'm wondering if any relatively new nurses (a year or less in the field) are on the verge of quitting or did quit with no intention of getting another nursing job. I'm not talking about the, "I had a bad day..." kind of 'wanting to quit; rather I'm talking about seriously feeling like you can't take it any more.

If this is you and you're either about to quit or did quit, what lead up to wanting to end a career that you worked so hard to enter? We know that getting into nursing school, finishing nursing school and passing the NCLEX are not easy accomplishments, so after years of hopes and dreams, something dramatic must have happened to get you to the point of giving up on what was probably your dream job? Can you share your story, here?

Specializes in ICU, PACU, OR.

Oh and be a wee bit paranoid-keeps your back free of scars and keeps you on track of your own goals and the saboteurs in life and work. Remember everyone has their own agenda and you might just be in their way. Not your fault of course, but that's the way that goes.

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Thank you so much for this post.. it really makes me feel better right now because I just started my first day in orientation and while looking at the other new hires,I feel like I am the only one who is not feeling like she got it all figured out. Thank you for your words:

"We are not born knowing how to be a nurse, and school only teaches you the book stuff. Being a real nurse requires on the job training. The only way to do it is to be in a place where people will help you learn. You will make mistakes."

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It's a philosophy question. Growth is hard, even just physically. I remember my son having growing pains while he was a teenager. He didn't even have anything to do with it. It was a natural phenomenon. If you want to stay a baby-you would have to die wouldn't you? So think about anything worthwhile takes some painful growth and scary moments. This is to grow your confidence. No one can do it for you. It's something everyone has to go through. It's a hard truth sometimes. But you have graduated, you have the skills, you just need to grow your knowledge and settle in.

Some people can adjust better than others. I think coping mechanisms, focusing on your work, studying constantly, to be well prepared (in school or out, knowledge is power) asking pertinent questions and treating others like you would want to be treated, not how you were treated leads to tremendous growth in your daily life and in any endeavor. Things that are easy, aren't necessarily the best for you. You don't learn, you don't grow. Just understand that others have been in the same boat as you and they've had to weather similar storms. You are not alone in your situation.

Some nurses will be helpful, some vindictive and some will sabotage your growth because they have self loathing issues. Don't worry about them too much. You set your own goals and persevere. You will be the better person for it. Through all things self-evaluate. Where do you want to be, what kind of nurse to you want to be, do you like where you are going, where you are working, what you are learning in this environment, Can you connect, What's holding you back???? Those are steps to self-actualization, where we all want to be. I think Donald Trump said some of these things are needed to be successful,

  1. Be focused. Put everything you’ve got into what you do every day.
  2. Believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will.
  3. Be tenacious.
  4. Trust your instincts.
  5. Maintain your momentum and keep everyone moving forward.
  6. See yourself as victorious and leading a winning team.
  7. Be passionate about what you do.
  8. Live on the edge. Do not become complacent.
  9. Leadership is not a group effort. If you’re in charge, then be in charge.
  10. Never give up!

Thanks for this. I just go my license my self and looking for a job and i will apply those rules.

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I feel like most comments hit the nail on the head regarding the gap between reality and expectations.

I'm a new grad, creeping up on my 7th month working as an RN. I have two gigs, one is at a clinic--slow paced and surprisingly enjoyable as far as pt interaction goes; my other time being spent in an ICU setting completing residency time. The crashing reality of discrepancy between school-learned concepts and real-world practice was, and continues to be, the most devastating aspect of my learning experience as a nurse. I am 26 years old and have, for the majority of my life, been confident in nearly anything I have ever done. I have worked multiple retail jobs from entry level to supervisor; I have worked trade jobs (welding, landscape, roofing, mechanic) with a healthy "learn as I go" mentality. Ultimately, I feel I have been largely autonomous in my approach to any career or occupation I have had.

With that said, this nursing career has made me feel ways I have never in my life felt: clumsy, unsure, scared, non-confident, uncoordinated, overdependent, etc (you get the picture). When starting, I constantly felt like a frantic puppy. I know what some of you are thinking-- It is normal for a new nurse to be cautious in practice and second guess actions/decisions. I agree! I agree to the extent that any individual starting a new endeavor must start somewhere and it's not always going to be pretty. What I soon began to realize as I critiqued myself is that this feeling was unshakable for me.

Anyways, I'm really sorry about this rant, but it is a hot topic for me because I have a lot of resentment towards the sheltering that was done to us students during nursing school. I have had this conversation with many classmates and they all agree on the matter. The program treated us like stupid robots without the ability to individualize care. Almost makes me wish they presented nursing as more of an ART than a SCIENCE. Sure, the physiological/pharmacological/psychoemotional concepts are all scientifically cultivated, but what makes me see someone giving awesome nursing care is not their alphabet soup name tag or their binder full of mayo-clinic articles, it's their seamless ability to operate on different levels by developing their own style.

END RANT!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Here's the way to get people to not want to quit: stop overloading them with work. No nurse should ever have 7 patients, ever. No nurse should ever get more than 1 patient back from the cath lab at a time. No nurse should have to discharge 4 patients in a day, only to get 4 new admits in the same day. No charge nurse should be assigned patients as well as take charge, they should be available to help and to resolve issues. No nurse should ever refuse to help another nurse when they are available to provide that help simply because "no one helps me".

Those are some situations that have come up in my little over 1 month on my own that have made me hate my job. I recently (3 shifts ago) swapped to night shift and I couldn't be happier. The charge nurse does not take patients so she is available to help out, the other nurses on the floor help out with anything when you ask, cath lab patients are typically on the floor by the time we come in, doctors do not round at night and change all of the orders and meds so you have to go and give another list of meds, and most people are not discharged in the middle of the night. It's amazing what a little team work can do to help alleviate a new nurse's nerves.

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after passing RN last year i feel like nursing is not for me, everytime i go to work i am very stress, nervous and overwhelmed i dont know why is because of the patient, coworkers or afraid to makes mistakes. I want to build my confidence and i dont have enough support system. Until now i keept asking myself is it for me or not why im still here trying to survive as a nurse.I am a foreign graduate. Hoping someone give me advice.

You are not alone, I graduated from the states and still feel pretty nervous going to work and I can honestly say that I hate working in a hospital setting because of all the management drama. I am hoping to find work at a day clinic so I can take better care of myself and my husband

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I almost quit my first job... if fact, I tried to...

I had a co-worker who was cool on a personal level but, on the other end, was a backstabber catty person who was always talking about me behind my back and pointing out my every flaw. Eventually, she became LCN on my floor and things got worse and worse. She pulled me aside one day and told me they were sending me back to orientation and said I was "going to kill someone one day". Finally, I pulled her and my nurse manager aside one day and just called them both out. I said I was tired of being mistreated and I wanted it to end. When they argued why I deserved to be treated in such a way I stood up and politely resiegned. Suddenly, they sprang up and emplored me not to leave, so I got them to agree to back off me and stayed.

The very next day, I made a good nursing decision that saved my patients life. After that, people really backed off me but I was already jaded about the unit so I left and moved to Peds. I was on days before but switched to nights... it is SOOOOO much better. You actually have time to really think about whats going on rather than frantically trying to keep your head above water all day. Plus the unit now is much better. Not perfect but better.

The point is, your experience on the floor will have a lot to do with the floors dynamics and how people treat each other. The key is finding the floor that is filled with people who don't want to work in a negative enviornment; they do exist.

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However, let me stress that the 1.5yr I had on days was and increadibly VALUABLE experience. Now, I actually know how to handle stressfull cituations with some amount of grace.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

I feel like every career is going to be challenging the first year, whether you're an engineer, CPA, paralegal, whatever. I'm not talking just jobs, but careers. Professions.

I'm 4 months on the job as an RN and I still ask myself these questions. Is this right for me? Will I ever feel comfortable as an independently working RN? Will I ever actually look forward to going to work? Will I ever be respected or valued in this career? You get the point, lots of dissatisfaction and disillusionment to face. It's even worse since my own family seems to "expect more from me than nursing." That isn't a direct quote, but an implication from at least 2 separate family members. They aren't nurses and clearly don't understand the work/dependability/accountability the profession entails, but there you have it. Maybe they have that anti male nurse mentality? Good morning it's 2013 not 1963! Maybe it's because they've all had some grandiose dream for me that I was destined for some vast success? (you finish 70% of the premed requirements and everyone thinks you're the next William Osler idk what the deal is there)

Anyway a year back in my BSN program some guy from the state ANA came and said something like "60% of this classroom will not be working on a hospital floor in 5 years" (don't cite me on that figure), and I remember being like "Dude how do you expect any nurse to be taken seriously in any other nursing field with

That's my advice to new nurses struggling (like me): set a goal and work for it. May it be a light for you in dark places when all other lights go out (please excuse The LOTR reference I'm a geek). It doesn't have to be further education, but something like getting an apartment or moving into a house or buying a car or getting engaged or getting freakin SCUBA certified I don't know just find some light to put at the end of the tunnel that a hard job can sometimes resemble. There's a slight possibility that by the time you reach that goal you'll love your job, but a certainty that you will have learned and grown more as a professional and as a person along the way.

TU RN

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I'm thinking quitting as well

I'm a med surg float pool RN ( new grad 4 month orientation)

Every day I go to work full of hope it's going to be better but what happen is totally the opposite.

When I go to work on specific floor, first question I get when you were hired? And when I say I'm here for 4 month, when I ask question I get this look you should know this by now.yes I do know the main things that we do every floor .

But when it comes to cardiology floor or post cardio thoracic floors, they have all these different protocols that I'm not aware of,

Meds that require special EKG done before giving it, or other special precaution on chest tubes. I feel very overwhelmed. I feel I will never be able to absorb every thing on every different unit

I come home every day thinking about what I forgot to do today, going crazy

Plus every floor have different type of RN that smile in your face and Stab you in the back.

I get worst assignment as float RN

Getting job as RN was my dream, but I'm so burned out

I'm coming from to new city all by self, no friends no family , no nothing, add to that English isn't my first language , have struggle with that as well

Sometimes

Any advise ?

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Thank you I needed this, I've worked too hard and put in too many hours to walk away from this... Im 5 weeks in and this is my first nursing job I've ever had, before I was a tech and kept telling myself it's going to get better from here once you get your license and so on...just need to give it more time to get acclimated to the new surroundings.

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I think about leaving the unit I'm on a lot. The reality of nursing is very different from what I expected. Bed alarms, call bells, patient's cursing me out because they didn't get a meal tray since breakfast and it's now 2 hrs later and they want their lunch, doctors with bad attitudes and then I've found the nurses with the worst attitude were the ones with only 1-2 years experience who had a easier time dealing with their jobs and were really ready to leave the unit. I think all of that compounds.

I got into nursing as another way of expressing myself and learning about myself as a person. I had HOPED that I'd have more time to interact with my patients but at this point in time I neither have the time nor desire to do so. I just can't connect with the patient population I work with on a very deep level and in a many ways…I don't want to. I think that's why I prefer night shift. Less patient interaction but I still get SOME interaction in all while learning about myself.

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