New RN, leaving after 6 months unprofessional?

Extra Pickles · Apr 6, 2017

Everything in life has pros and cons. You just have to be able to look at the situation objectively and compare the lists. Which one is more in keeping with your goals in life?

Everything in life comes with consequences. When the consequences are negative or potentially negative, such as the possibility of not finding easy/fast/good employment options after returning from travels, you need to decide whether those consequences are worth the travel.

No one can do this one for you, we can only tell you what we might do in your situation. ME in your situation, I think unless it was something that was so amazing, so Once In A Lifetime fabulous that I would be willing to risk unemployment for an extended period of time after my return--I wouldn't do it.

Choices, choices!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 6, 2017

I am a 24 year old recently graduated RN 4 months into my first role in a busy endocrinology medical ward. I haven't been happy in this role from day one, I have been unsupported and the ratio is sometimes one nurse to 10 patients. I have always wanted to travel for an extended period and an excellent opportunity has arisen to go in two months time; I'll be 6 months into my role.
I don't want to miss out on this opportunity and I feel that if I don't go soon I may never go travelling but I'm also aware that it could look unprofessional from a future employer's perspective and I know that it is recommended to stay for at least a year in your first role while you are still in the transitional period. Does anybody have any advice for me?

In my opinion, don't do it. You're currently in the New Grad Black Hole. You don't have enough experience for staff jobs yet, which typically require at least a year of experience. But you now no longer qualify for most new grad jobs and residencies. Once you return from your travels, you may find yourself having a very difficult time getting a new job...especially if the travel was for an extended period of time.

In addition, leaving a job after a few months screams "flight risk" to future employers. Even though it may be because you had an excellent opportunity to travel, the next employer will wonder if, when another excellent opportunity arises, you'll bail on them as well. And your can't rely on getting your old job back; odds are they'll fill it promptly after you depart...plus, since you've already burned them once by quitting a few months in, they're not very likely to take a second chance on you.

Suck it up if you can to get your year in; then you're a much stronger candidate for future jobs, even if you were to take a little time off after the end of that first year.

Travel will always be there...but your opportunity to establish a sound foundation for your nursing career won't. Don't blow this chance.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Apr 6, 2017

You will have a hard time getting a job if you leave your first RN job after six months. I'm sure you can get hired again somewhere but it will be difficult. Why not work full-time for a few years in nursing and then work as a travel nurse?

TraviesaRN · Apr 6, 2017

Stick it out so you can get your experience and training and then go travel while still doing nursing. You can make really good money and put it away so that you can then do "fun traveling" as well in between assignments. That's what a lot of my friends do. I loved travel nursing and would have done it a lot longer but my goal was to try it out for a year to find somewhere I wanted to settle down for a while with my kids.

Natasha A., CNA, LVN · Apr 6, 2017

What we all are trying to say is we know that you will make the right decision. :) Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Would this decision be a short gain for instant gratification? Think about your future. :)

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2017

Are you in the United States? I am asking because we typically do not have endocrinology wards at hospitals here in the States. We do not even refer to our hospital floors and units as 'wards.'
If the OP is not practicing in this country, then a nurse/patient ratio of 1:10 might be perfectly normal and customary wherever in the world (s)he is located.

It may also be perfectly normal to take a year off to travel in another part of the world. 3 years ago when I went on a 2 week trip to Africa, I was the only American in the group and the only person there for only 2 weeks. Everyone else (from Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand) were traveling for minimum 2 months. A girl from Canada had six months of PAID time off that she was using to travel the world. A South African couple living in London were traveling for 8 months. They had done all of South America before coming to Africa for a 2 month trip. Both of their jobs were being held for them. A New Zealand couple who had been living in London both quit their jobs because they were planning on moving back home and wanted to travel on the way there.

allnurses Guide · Apr 7, 2017

I apologize, my advice probably was not great. I was coming from

the point of view of "hey, do it while you're young".

It really is always better to stick that first job out for a year at least.

I know from my own experience, it does look better to future

employers. A lot better.

mcas · Apr 7, 2017

I say go for it, do it while you're young. I have a 23 year old daughter who's graduating from nursing school this May and she's going to take the Summer off to do some traveling in the US and Canada. I did advise her to do it now before she starts working. I think you'll be in a better frame of mind, it will be a time of growth for you, the experience of traveling will have a great impact on you as a young person and it will influence your nursing care delivery. Experience doesn't come only in the form of bedside nursing, in the confine of a hospital unit. It sounds like you're not happy with your current position any way, 10:1 patient ratio is unheard of these days in the US, if you're flexible when you come back from traveling, you can get a job any where, if you're open to relocating and taking a job that you may not necessarily like just to get experience. I agree with many of the previous post in that you will have to start as a new grad in a new grad residency perhaps. I don't know where you live, you may want to look into a job shadow experience, to narrow down where you want to work, you'll get an opportunity to see first hand the dynamic on the units before you commit to a position. That is something that a lot of new grads don't even know that is available to them. This year's ANA theme for nurse's week is "The year of the healthy nurse" The balance of mind, body and spirit. This couldn't more aligned with that theme, take care of your mind, body and spirit and you will be a healthier nurse. Good Luck to you

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2017

Sounds like you made your mind up. Do what is best for you.

Wuzzie · Apr 7, 2017

I say go for it, do it while you're young. I have a 23 year old daughter who's graduating from nursing school this May and she's going to take the Summer off to do some traveling in the US and Canada. I did advise her to do it now before she starts working. I think you'll be in a better frame of mind, it will be a time of growth for you, the experience of traveling will have a great impact on you as a young person and it will influence your nursing care delivery. Experience doesn't come only in the form of bedside nursing, in the confine of a hospital unit. It sounds like you're not happy with your current position any way, 10:1 patient ratio is unheard of these days in the US, if you're flexible when you come back from traveling, you can get a job any where, if you're open to relocating and taking a job that you may not necessarily like just to get experience. I agree with many of the previous post in that you will have to start as a new grad in a new grad residency perhaps. I don't know where you live, you may want to look into a job shadow experience, to narrow down where you want to work, you'll get an opportunity to see first hand the dynamic on the units before you commit to a position. That is something that a lot of new grads don't even know that is available to them. This year's ANA theme for nurse's week is "The year of the healthy nurse" The balance of mind, body and spirit. This couldn't more aligned with that theme, take care of your mind, body and spirit and you will be a healthier nurse. Good Luck to you

What your daughter is doing is entirely different. The OP is already working and is considering bailing on her first job with only 6 months in to go on a trip. She no longer qualifies for a new grad residency and she will very likely be branded as a "flight risk". Hiring managers are not going to be impressed at all with her life "experience" and instead are going to see someone, barely out of orientation, who basically thumbed her nose at her employer after they paid a goodly sum of money to train her. With this history she may not even be able to get an undesirable job. I know I wouldn't hire her. Not in a million years. If I commit to train someone I want them to commit to work for me for a reasonable amount of time and not be distracted by the next shiny thing that comes along. Working does not make it impossible to get experience beyond the bedside. I have had an amazing life while also making responsible and adult decisions.

mcas · Apr 7, 2017

He/she does qualify for a new grad residency in some cases, it's too bad you feel that he/she is a "flight risk" because the environment that this hiring manager is in charge of creating is not nurturing for a new nurse. You're not guaranteed that someone will work for you for an extended amount of time, just because you spend money to train them. The environment doesn't sound like a good fit; as a hiring manager, you are aware that new grads are at greater risk of leaving the nursing profession all together in their first year due to lack of support in their first job. The large sum of money that you speak of that is spent in training, some of that should be spent in making sure that the right support is in place for new nurses. He/she's going to leave it sounds like, whether it's to take another job or to travel. I do training for a friend who owns a home care agency, we have seen an increase in nurses in the same situation, leaving the hospital because they can't cope and administration's focus is on money that they spent on training and ignoring the support aspect of it. It creates a challenge for me as an educator to provide training when a nurse comes in with less than a year experience. But I also understand that the bottom line is that nurses are more likely to stay in a position if they are supported. Patient care is getting more complex, we need to recognize that and create residency programs to reflect that.

Marshall1 · Apr 7, 2017

Do not give up the opportunity to travel to remain in a role you are unhappy in and have been since "day one" - I have never understood the "stay for a year even if you are miserable" thought process..employers realize that not every job is a good fit for someone and that sometimes once in a position it ends up being far from what was expected or can be tolerated. You can simply tell them that if the subject should come up in the future.