extraordinary067

mt auburn does not hire new grads into thier ed. beth israel and bwh do.

i graduated this past dec'06 and started looking for jobs in sept. i applied having 2 yrs experience as a pca in an ed and i still did not get so much as an interview from any hospital in boston. i decided to look past mass and applied in ri and ct. got job offers like crazy, took a position, and have been on the job for about 3mths now. i have friends i grad w/ in mass that are having no luck landing a job. either keep lookinng, take the ltc job, or look out of state. it depends on what your career goals are.

I am a new grad about 3 mths into my ICU internship and feel like i want to quit. I love being a nurse and love the icu, but some of the nurses i work with are so volitile. i really feel like i am at my wits end. there are some other newbies too that i found out are having similar problems as me and have reported it to management. i was called in also and asked how my experience has been thus far. i had to be honest. it is a very poor, non collaborative work environment. there are nurses who completely ingore you when you have a question and that bad mouth you behind your back, call you stupid, etc. i am very fortunate to not have a temper, bc if i did i would be fired by now. most of the nurses are great but there are a few that make everyone elses day difficut (even some of the seasoned nurses). my preceptor who is amazing and has been an icu nurse for 23 yrs even told management something needs to be done bc they are going to continue to loose good people including herself. over the past few wks i have really thought if somewhre else would be a better fit for me. i really hate that i want to leave. i told myself i would give it at least a year but i just don't know. my thing is is that i finished the critical care cirriculum and am about 3/4 the way through my preceptorship. i feel like if i look for work elsewhere it will look bad that i am wanting to leave my current job after only 3mths. also, what would i say was my reason for leaving...that wouldn't make me look bad.

well, its been a little over 1 month since my initial post. it has felt like an eternity. i really feel like i am at my wits end with some of these people. there are some other newbies too that i found out are having similar problems as me and have reported it to management. i was called in also and asked how my experience has been thus far. i had to be honest. it is a very poor, non collaborative work environment. there are nurses who completely ingore you when you have a question and that bad mouth you behind your back, call you stupid, etc. i am very fortunate to not have a temper, bc if i did i would be fired by now. most of the nurses are great but there are a few that make everyone elses day difficut (even some of the seasoned nurses). my preceptor who is amazing and has been an icu nurse for 23 yrs even told management something needs to be done bc they are going to continue to loose good people including herself. over the past few wks i have really thought if somewhre else would be a better fit for me. i really hate that i want to leave. i told myself i would give it at least a year but i just don't know. my thing is is that i finished the critical care cirriculum and am about 3/4 the way through my preceptorship. i feel like if i look for work elsewhere it will look bad that i am wanting to leave my current job after only 3mths. also, what would i say was my reason for leaving...that wouldn't make me look bad.

med/surg adult icu...week 12

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession? I wanted to work in healthcare and nursing offers many different opportunities. 2. What do you like about being a nurse? its never boring. i find the field of medicine fascinating. 3. What do you not like about being a nurse? its extremely hard work, physically and emotionally. 4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve? absolutely not. my paychecks are big but for the work i do....not even close to enough. 5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with? some docs respect us and some don't. it all depends on thier ego and of course how good the nurse is. 6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world? where do i begin....everything. something they definitely didn't cover was "horizontal violence" and how to handle it. i am finding it very prevalant on my unit. 7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in? i've been a nurse for about 3 mths so i'll have to get back to you. 8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse? i work in icu so i would have to say being there for families and constantly teaching them and updating them about thier loved one. they are so appreciative. 9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER? sure, why not. 10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing? no, i just started. Please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (ASN or BSN)? I am a 27yo female who works in a medical/surgical ICU. I have a BSN and about 3mths nursing experience.

what is it that you like about nursing? the nursing profession is very diverse so i would suggest exploring other options w/in the field. it sounds like the picu is not the place for you for many reasons. good luck.

why not just work in the CCU you loved so much? what you are currently experiencing in your L&D rotation is something i am familiar w also. rotations in nursing school were tough bc you were treated like a burden by many staff nurses...i can see how a grp of nursing students could add to the already stress of being a nurse, not that its justifiable but it is difficult to be around and learn and not take it personally. also, as you can see nurses like this are not only in icu. my advice is not to avoid a specialty area like icu bc of the common generalization of icu nurses bc you can find difficult staff anywhere. i am sure there are icu's where staff work well together and are great (like the ccu you were in). i interviewed in a few icu's and was told by staff flat out "we will eat you alive" if you come here. and that i should get 3-5yrs tele experience before i even consider working in an icu. i turned down those job offers and took one w a unit that that said they liked new grads bc it kept them on thier toes and really added to the unit in a positive way. i have been on the unit for a few mths now and have not avoided the "mean" nurses. these types of people are in every area of nursing and every profession. they will always be there but so will the "great" ones.

i am a new grad in icu and am about 2 mths into orientation. i chose icu bc i rotated in a sicu and ccu as a nursing student and liked it better than med/surg or tele. what i liked more about icu was that you can focus your care on 1 or 2 pts rather than 6-8. the work is NO LESS by any means but i personally like the focus of having less pts. also, medically speakng the pts are more intersting to me. the sicker you are the bigger the challenge and the more you get to see and do. the technology in the icu is also something i love...just fascinating. the icu is definitly not for everyone. i am in a group w 6 other new grads and almost 1/2 have decided it is not for them. it is a very stressful environment ESPECIALLY as a new grad. if you are considering icu i would recommend shadowning a couple of shifts at the least before jumping into it.

i would give it another week and then call her directly. did she send her # in the email. persistance pays.

i am a new grad about 7wks into my orientation. i feel anxious at work and on my days off. being a new nurse is definitly a reality shock. you are not alone. i am expecting it to pass. good luck!

great post. thank you all.

I am a new grad icu rn in training and am finding the most challenging part to be interacting with the nurses on my unit. Granted some are nice, friendly, and helpful, but the majority of them are unfriendly, condescending, and outright mean to us. I have heard of nurses eating their young but this is ridiculous. It makes me dread going into work everyday. I have been nothing but friendly and professional and am getting glowing reviews at my evals. I am wondering if anybody else has gone through this and if these nurses are being so nasty bc i am new and on orientation. I hope this passes. I really do like all other aspects of ICU nursing.