New RN one month at job, already want to quit

mallerina87 · Nov 15, 2015

I graduated this year from an ADN program, and I was licensed in August. This is my first nursing job, LTC facility - on a sub acute floor. I accepted this job because it was full time and because of the pay, but I also have a second job (part time) at an OB/GYN office.

I was given 3 weeks of orientation at the LTC facility on the sub acute floor. My orientation was OK. I was NOT trained on the computer system. This floor gets the most family visits too, and the most admissions and discharges, which the nurses have full responsibility for (these take hours to do). I work 12 hour days, and I have about 20 patients a day who receive about 10-15 medications, not including PRNs, as well as treatments. I also have 3-4 scheduled med passes during my 12 hour shift.

I always feel that I am behind on my med pass, and that I am always forgetting something. I'm in my first month, and I feel like every day is worse than the one before it. I have not yet had time to use the washroom in the 12 hours or take a break during my shift. I haven't left on time once, not even during orientation. Needless to say, I am worried about patient safety. From what I hear, many people are leaving this facility in the first few weeks of working there, and many people who have been working there a long time are leaving now.

Just some of the problems we have:

-Understaffing - both CNAs and RNs

-Nurses and nurse managers quitting or leaving early or refusing to pick up the slack of their peers

-Nurses not completing 12 hour shifts, passing off their patients in the middle of the day to the rest of the nurses on the floor

-Faulty equipment, lack of equipment

-Lack of support - nurses too busy to help each other and nurse managers not available on the floor

I wonder if this facility is too busy to have the normal 20:1 ratio that a lot of LTC facilities have. Would it be terribly unwise to quit this job for one in which I feel I am giving safe care? I am very worried that I will mess up and put a patient in danger. I am learning some skills, but not too much more than what I have done in my clinicals. I also have my other job to support me. If anything, this job will teach me to prioritize well and to move quickly, but I don't see much value in it aside from that.

Help!