New RN looking to quit floor nursing?!

[NewGradStruggles]

Hi all! I'll make this short and sweet.

i graduated with my BSN in may of 2017. Got hired end of June, passed boards middle of July.

I got hired to a progressive care unit at a small hospital. This is not where I want to be AT ALL. I knew this going in, but was afraid I wouldn't get a job where I really want to be (ED). yes this is where I want to be, I precepted there, and I used to work as an AIDE in one too. I love it. Floor nursing is not for me. I dread going to work every day. I cried my first two days on nights. I love nursing but can tell if I stay in this position I will end up hating it and leave nursing.

The floor is horrible. The staff is not supportive, my manager is not helpful or cares about my concerns, and we have a lot of issues with patient safety that scares me!

I want to know now what I should do? My contact is for 1 year with my nurse residency program. Would it look horrible to potential new hires to quit this job? I'm working on getting into the ED in the same hospital or healthcare system but the nurse recruiter said it was a slim chance.

All I know is that I am on my own in less than a month, and I cannot fathom that in this position.

[Nightmaren, BSN, RN]

The job cycles have been quite treacherous in my area and many of my friends found themselves in the same boat. A lot of new nthem were bound for ICU or ER at any cost and then ended up taking floor nursing positions for fear of being left without a job. Some have taken to it, and some are miserable (for varying reasons).

First off, to answer your question, yes, it would look bad if you quit just a few months into your job. Hiring new nurses, especially new grad nurses is a tremendous investment for a hospital and no hospital wants to risk hiring someone who may not offer any returns on their investment. It already looks questionable if an established nurse leaves so quickly, but for a new grad to leave so quickly, you would have to work very very hard to convince a hospital why they should hire you. You also may no longer be eligible to apply for a new grad residency.

I sympathize too though. If your unit is as you describe, it seems that there are some culture issues there that are affecting your enjoyment in the workplace. I have a friend in the same exact situation and, well, she's stuck there until her contract runs out. Now it may be worth exploring the fact that contracts usually are binding you to the institution and not the particular unit, so it may be worth exploring other units. Yes, I know that you want ED, but that simply may not be possible right now. The trend in my area is to hire fewer GNs into ED and ICU programs and that's just the way it is. What you can try to control right now is your happiness in the workplace and, without risking career suicide, you may have to explore options on what sort of unit you can tolerate for the time being at your current job.

Best of luck

[krfish1]

I can totally empathize with your situation and I'm so sorry you feel this way.

I have been in jobs where I have felt like I wanted sooooo badly to leave. But as the prior commenter stated, it's important to stick it out. 1 year is doable and beats out the potential repercussion of leaving. Avoid burning bridges. You can still learn a lot in a job, even one you might feel like you hate.

Fake it till you make it.

YOU CAN DO THIS ❤️

[Redhead,RN, BSN]

Ya, floor nursing truly sucks. I got out and never looked back! There are so many other things you can do with your degree. Don't waste your time being miserable.

[Redhead,RN, BSN]

...and no, you don't have to make yourself miserable for a year. That's crap advice. You only get one life to live. I only worked 4 months in a hell hole and said goodbye and have not had any problems finding another job...I've done hospice, school nursing, case management. All so much better than floor nursing. But definitely give 2 weeks notice, always.

[13grad71]

If you intend to work in a hospital environment such as in the ED where you said is your ultimate goal, there you ought to suck it up until you are marketable for a different department. Quitting now will make send you to the no hire wasteland.