I'm thinking of quitting my job. I've only worked three months on a med/surg unit. My workplace isn't terrible, but I hate working nights (I feel like I'm sleeping my life away), and I hate the stress. Our ratios are too high and it seems like everyday there is something else we now have to do, nothing is ever good enough.
I have recently seen jobs for endoscopy RN and Interventional Rad RN, and no experience requirments are listed (ie, "requires 1 year m/s exp")
I didn't sign a contract, and I'm still in the 90 day probationary period.
I just don't know. I feel bad for wanting to quit so soon, but in the past I have done what is best for my employers, but not what is best for me. Good loyalty, only for to myself!!
I feel like I should jump on applying for these positions while they are around. I guess there is no harm in applying, right? If I am not selected, then at least I tried?????
I can still remember 16 years ago when I was a new nurse. I thought that I had experienced most of the stress by getting through nursing school and passing boards. My first job was on a med surg floor. When i was hired, I was told that I would be with a preceptor for my first 4 months. However, after a couple months, the census went up and they were short of nurses. So the management said I was doing fine and put me out on a unit by myself with 8 very ill patients. I should of said no but I didn't. I ended up experiencing the most stress I have ever felt in my life. I made a couple big mistakes that I had trouble coping with and I was way over my head. Alot of the other nurses were not very kind towards me. I had never quit a job unless I had another job waiting. I had a wife and a new baby and was the sole financial support for my family. Regardless, I quit this job with only one days notice. I learned something from this experience. 1. nursing school does not really prepare you for being a real nurse. 2. Don't ever allow yourself to be over your head because both you and your patients will suffer. 3. Don't beat yourself up if you fail at first.
jhamrn, that is so true. School does not prepare you and really I dont know if it is possible to prepare you. Places are so understaffed that they scare the crud out of new RN's. I know one of the places I worked gave us a lot of the hard patients...heck both hospitals did that. It was so stressful. I told my preceptor one day...you know ...this isnt a fast food place..these are lives here and I need some help. I got looked down at and treated bad too. One nurse even exclaimed in the middle of the hallway to EVERYONE that I was NOT ready to be a nurse. Talk about horrible. I quit after that shift. It was the final piece for me. I just couldnt do it without support. I even tried talking to my manager, but they just want someone in that spot and quit being such a baby about it..you know? I was so scared I would do something that would harm a patient. BTW. I am still struggling, but I am determined to NOT quit next time. I have kids to raise by myself but that doesnt seem to do anything to the fear. This website has been the best therapy for me so far!
i was always told, you need to do for you. and i have. not in nursing- but with another huge thing in my life. you need to enjoy life, enjoying nursing. we dont go into this to kill ourselves. i went into it to enjoy my life- to love what i do and be able to have a life outside of it. remember when you were in school & all you did was work you butt off, you did all that to get to RNhood- so you CAN love wahat you do. NOT to go thru what it seemsm like waht you are going thru.
BUT i totally agree with other ppl- dont jump into anything to get out of where you are currently. be careful, do good
I know I may get some flack for this but I gonna anyways....We ALL know this is a tough job. Not just your first year, or second..every year is tough. We have too many patients, we have too much paperwork, we have co-oworkers who won't help, etc. We all have nights from hell, where we question whether or not nursing was the right choice. I had 23 pts last night, 2 new admits, a demented pt running down the hallway, a woman screaming she had to get out to fly her plane, a doc who was paged 4 times to verify meds and just won't call back. But you know what else I had? A pt who wont let anyone else put critic aid on her butt except me because I'm her favorite nurse, a lady who kissed me on the cheek last night because I put arthritic cream on her back and she could sleep without discomfort. Have I cried? Youbetcha. Have I felt overwhelmed? Absolutely. This isn't my dream job. I'm a new grad too (07). I want Stats and codes and trauma. It'll happen someday, but everyday I'm LEARNING. That's the point. Take each thing as it comes instead of the whole. Don't stay at a position that you are miserable at, you suffer and your pts suffer. Realize that one patient taking your hand and saying, "Thank you" is worth it all.
More often than not, I'm just a nurse. Last night was different, though. I had a patient ask me to stop by her room before I left. She knew I wasn't coming back today (I work 2 days, off 1, then back on 1, then off 3) but would be back Wednesday. She's dealing with fears of her CA returning. I spent a lot of time talking to her about it, calling her GI dr to get procedures scheduled, requesting a PICC, TPN, IV fluids -- tons of stuff that her attending should have done but essentially gave up on her. Intractable vomiting should not be ignored!
In any case, as I stopped by her room last night, she asked me how she was going to make it tomorrow6 (today) without me being there. I told her she'd have another good nurse caring for her. She said she wasn't sure why, but she had so much faith in me, that she "knew" I would be there to "care" for her. I was honored, to say the least. (These moments are rare and need to be cherished!)
I told her I would be back Weds, but I wasn't sure where they'd stick me. She said, NO, you have to come back here! I told her I have no control over that, but I'd come back to see how she's doing. She said she just wouldn't have that and asked who she could talk to about it. I told her the charge nurses make the assignments, so she can talk to any one of them. She said she'd do just that!
This was so amazing for me, especially because of an encounter I had with a NASTY, OLD, BITTER nurse last week. Long story short, she spent the whole shift accusing me (in the most disgusting passive-aggressive way) of coming to work early, so I can take the "easy" patients. (This after my REPEATED days from HECK!)
So...this nice lady really made my day -- especially when I stop to think about it now. It helps me remember that, despite the yucky days, being a nurse is totally worth it!
Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
Hi everyone.
I'm thinking of quitting my job. I've only worked three months on a med/surg unit. My workplace isn't terrible, but I hate working nights (I feel like I'm sleeping my life away), and I hate the stress. Our ratios are too high and it seems like everyday there is something else we now have to do, nothing is ever good enough.
I have recently seen jobs for endoscopy RN and Interventional Rad RN, and no experience requirments are listed (ie, "requires 1 year m/s exp")
I didn't sign a contract, and I'm still in the 90 day probationary period.
I just don't know. I feel bad for wanting to quit so soon, but in the past I have done what is best for my employers, but not what is best for me. Good loyalty, only for to myself!!
I feel like I should jump on applying for these positions while they are around. I guess there is no harm in applying, right? If I am not selected, then at least I tried?????
Thanks-
CG
Good thinking. Please don't stay if you are not happy like I did. It doesn't work! Eventually something hapens. It just like checking on a pt that you feel in your mind is not doing well. What do you do? You take action. Good luck!
Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
More often than not, I'm just a nurse. Last night was different, though. I had a patient ask me to stop by her room before I left. She knew I wasn't coming back today (I work 2 days, off 1, then back on 1, then off 3) but would be back Wednesday. She's dealing with fears of her CA returning. I spent a lot of time talking to her about it, calling her GI dr to get procedures scheduled, requesting a PICC, TPN, IV fluids -- tons of stuff that her attending should have done but essentially gave up on her. Intractable vomiting should not be ignored!
In any case, as I stopped by her room last night, she asked me how she was going to make it tomorrow6 (today) without me being there. I told her she'd have another good nurse caring for her. She said she wasn't sure why, but she had so much faith in me, that she "knew" I would be there to "care" for her. I was honored, to say the least. (These moments are rare and need to be cherished!)
I told her I would be back Weds, but I wasn't sure where they'd stick me. She said, NO, you have to come back here! I told her I have no control over that, but I'd come back to see how she's doing. She said she just wouldn't have that and asked who she could talk to about it. I told her the charge nurses make the assignments, so she can talk to any one of them. She said she'd do just that!
This was so amazing for me, especially because of an encounter I had with a NASTY, OLD, BITTER nurse last week. Long story short, she spent the whole shift accusing me (in the most disgusting passive-aggressive way) of coming to work early, so I can take the "easy" patients. (This after my REPEATED days from HECK!)
So...this nice lady really made my day -- especially when I stop to think about it now. It helps me remember that, despite the yucky days, being a nurse is totally worth it!
Been there been there and there is no other feeling like it in the world. I had a lady crochet me a beautiful afghan. She was moved from my floor because she was doing better, but she wanted me.
Another lady who came in with MRSA and couldn't do anything for herself. Well later she was better and walked all the way from her floor she was moved to, back over to my floor! Smiled and gave me a hug! And said "thanks for taking such good care of me".
Aww those are great moments. I was thinking today about my fear of working as a nurse and trusting myself. I think I get so caught up in not making mistakes and OMG am I going to make the right decision and what if I dont???? I thought today...I need to just do it, go with my instinct and learn. I realized I must have SOME instincts because I remember a patient I had on the burn unit. She was not right...I knew it. My preceptor claimed that she was just being a difficult patient and that I wasnt being a strong enough nurse...she needed to take her meds and I couldnt get her to. She was delirious. Guess what? She died the next shift. I was right! (not that I am happy about her death of course).
I went in to a home to see a patient (when I worked home health for a minute..lol), I realized instantly that he was having dig tox. He was post cabg, pitting edema, n/v, not eating or urinating. I immediately tried the dr and when I couldnt get a hold of him, I told his wife, that he needed to go to the ED immediately. I thought....hmmm, maybe I do know how to be a nurse. There was a moment of panic when there wasnt anyone around to ask, but I felt so good about my decision. He ended up in the ICU. I think the key is to focus on the good. I love it when I patient tells me that I took so much better care of them than others. Those are the moments!
I had to do some soul searching recently and it was either stick with it or get out. I knew that I would feel a part of me lost if I got out. It is who I am.
I have ALWAYS wanted to be an L&D nurse, ALWAYS. My first job was at an inner city hospital... I hated it. I hated the hospital, the staff, the patients, the shift, everything about it. I quit after 6 weeks. I don't regret it, not even a little. I had a new job lined up a couple of weeks after quitting the first. I've been at this birthing center in a small community hospital since the end of November. Before I was an L&D nurse I would tell other nurses that's where I dreamed of working. I was always told that it's not what I think it is and I would get mad thinking "don't pee on my parade". They were right, it's not what I thought it would be. It is so hard and so stressful. There's not a day that goes by that I don't do something to make myself feel stupid (although in my defense, it may seem like I should have a little more confidence after 8 months, I was off for 3 months because of pregnancy complications then maternity leave, so it's not been 8 months and my orientation was choppy). Anyway... I continue to stick with it because I love the people I work with and while there are moments I hate this job and I wonder why I ever decided to become a nurse, I mostly love it. I've had a few of those patients who make it all worth while. One in particular who made it the experience I always thought it would be. I helped her through a fast, unmedicated delivery. I helped her breath through it, I held her hand, I stroked her hair... she wanted me at her side, not her husband. When it was all said and done, she said my patients are lucky to have me. She gave me a glowing review from which I received a thank you note and a "bravo" from my manager. To this day, just thinking about that patient brings a little tear to my eye.
I'm trying to be easier on myself. Beating myself up is a hinderence not a help. We've all been there. This job is hard but it's even harder if you're someplace you really don't want to be. Make a list of pros and cons. Is there anything you like about your job? Do you like the people you work with? Is it just the hours, midnights takes some getting used to. In the end if you can think of more things that make you miserable than happy, find a new job. Just make sure you have a new job lined up before you quit and you give your current employer 2 weeks notice. No one can ask for much more than that. If you don't care of you, who's going to?
Been there been there and there is no other feeling like it in the world. I had a lady crochet me a beautiful afghan. She was moved from my floor because she was doing better, but she wanted me.
Another lady who came in with MRSA and couldn't do anything for herself. Well later she was better and walked all the way from her floor she was moved to, back over to my floor! Smiled and gave me a hug! And said "thanks for taking such good care of me".
It's funny because the day following this when I worked, another patient that I was "caring" for drained my mind, body, and soul...
I believe she was recently informed she's "terminal." It seems that she's just given up altogether though.
Her favorite thing to do is to press her call light once every 20 minutes or so. When you enter her room, her legs are pulled up to her chest, and she says, "I need to be cleaned," with the straightest face imaginable.
During my first shift with her on Sunday, when she did this right at the start of the shift, I asked her why she doesn't use the BSC -- because there are orders for her to use it AND ambulate w/ assistance. She said she doesn't because no one will help her. I told her flat out that we have a deal: Instead of wetting and soiling herself, she should press the call light, and I'll come in and help her to the BSC, so we can get her moving. She agreed. Well, not more than 10 minutes later did the call light ring. At this point, I was naive to her manipulation, so I happily strolled in to her room expecting to help her to the BSC. Nope. Legs pulled to her chest, like a baby, and those words that ended up haunting me: "I need to be cleaned." I asked what happened to our "deal." She said she couldn't wait.
Sadly, this became a habit. Every 20 minutes or so, this same behavior was repeated. Later, I found out just how manipulative and what a liar she was -- telling every nurse and CNA a different story. She told me that she can't move which is also why she doesn't use the BSC. When PT worked with her on Monday, and she ambulated fine with MINIMAL assistance, I was MIFFED! Later that evening, her attending arrived, and I told her what was going on -- the "fake" lack of ability to move in addition to her refusals of copious treatments. This dr (hospitalist) is known for having a snarky temper, and she exclaimed, "What the he!! are we keeping her for?!" I told her I was wondering the same thing.
When I returned to work on Weds (after my nice e-mail above from Mondays, regarding the other patient), I had actually planned on adding myself to the schedule for the day. Things had been going ok, and I could even ask to be floated, if I'd had enough. After working with that lady all yesterday, though, I didn't have much left in me. I had a new CNA on Weds, and it was so amazing to watch her communicate with the non-compliant patient. She did everything in her power to literally HELP this patient, even getting her up into the chair. She ended up throwing a temper tantrum (LITERALLY!) about not wanting to stay in the chair. The CNA told her we need to keep her up (for various reasons), and that she was going to be there to help her get to the BSC ANY time she needed it -- and she mean it too! She also told the pt that it was good that she was trying to change her "diapers," but it's not helpful when she throws them on the floor because her infection is more likely to spread to others that way. (She's on special contact isolation for VRE in the urine. What a pleasant smell when there are DIAPERS everywhere!...)
So... while sitting in the chair, instead of pressing the call light and waiting patiently, she peed in her diaper and took it off and put it in the BSC -- then pressed the call light. With her legs up to her belly again... you know the line by now, right? The CNA was frustrated but didn't show it and remained patient with the pt -- something that was beyond me by this point.
Later in the shift, after the temper tantrum, the CNA agreed to put the pt back into bed -- if she was willing to keep their agreement to call to use the BSC. Of course, she didn't, so... back into the chair. The CNA wanted her to stay up some more, to remind her this behavior isn't appropriate, but also to clean her bed. She got some of the cleaning done but left to help some of the other patients that needed caring for also. While the pt was sitting in the chair, yet another temper tantrum ensued. She said, if we weren't going to put her back into bed, then she'd put herself there. Of course, she got up FINE WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE AT ALL!
After this baloney for 12 hours, I just couldn't handle it anymore. I wasn't able to give my other patients the care and time they deserved because of this ONE patient who was truly behaving like an unruly child. I told my CNA that this is the sort of JUNK that breaks my heart as a nurse. I decided to become a nurse instead of a dr because I wanted to HELP people. This pt drained all of that from me though.
So, after all that, instead of having a shred of willingness to work today, even if able to float to an EASIER M/S unit (ours IS THE HARDEST because of all the infectious disease patients -- which is what our unit is), I had nothing left. I need my 3 days to recuperate and re-instill my faith in humanity...
(Sorry if there are copious errors. It's time for me to go enjoy my day off, and I didn't take the time to re-read my post.)
Hi. I just want you to know that you're not alone. I hope that by itself can give you some confidence and encouragement, coz now that I am also going through the same thing, I get a lot of my "sanity" from this website where there are many new nurses who can empathize with me..
Not everyone understands and will understand. Family and friends may question that decision. People will either pat you on the back, give you a hug, or raise their eyebrows.
But just keep in mind that when one door closes, the other opens. It's never the end of the world, and nursing is such an amazing, diverse, and "stable" profession. We will have our place in this nursing world. Let's just be committed to do our best with the next right opportunity that comes our way.
Sometimes when we begin our journey, we may take the wrong route, the wrong direction. But our destination is not going anywhere, it will still be there waiting for us to arrive SAFE AND SOUND. It's never a mistake, in my opinion, to go back to where we started and choose the path that's right. It's not that we DON'T have a choice, because we DO. My mom would also tell me, "It's just a matter of time...."
Let's keep our prayers and hopes together! We CAN DO THIS!
I could have posted this myself. I also work night shift on a medical floor with a heavy patient load and we rarely have a CNA to help. To top this off I am 6 months pregnant, and night shift is just about killing me! I have that terrible feeling that nursing isn't for me and I picked the wrong career all the time. It made me feel so good to hear many of you say you've had that feeling. I especially appreciated hearing about those of you who stuck it out and it got better because that is what I am trying to do for at least a year. However in July (right before my baby's due) I will be switching to an afternoon position on oncology, which I hope will be much better for me. I never thought of being so understaffed and overwhelmed as a learning opportunity to help me adapt and handle anything... Thanks for helping me look at it that way!
jhamrn
8 Posts
I can still remember 16 years ago when I was a new nurse. I thought that I had experienced most of the stress by getting through nursing school and passing boards. My first job was on a med surg floor. When i was hired, I was told that I would be with a preceptor for my first 4 months. However, after a couple months, the census went up and they were short of nurses. So the management said I was doing fine and put me out on a unit by myself with 8 very ill patients. I should of said no but I didn't. I ended up experiencing the most stress I have ever felt in my life. I made a couple big mistakes that I had trouble coping with and I was way over my head. Alot of the other nurses were not very kind towards me. I had never quit a job unless I had another job waiting. I had a wife and a new baby and was the sole financial support for my family. Regardless, I quit this job with only one days notice. I learned something from this experience. 1. nursing school does not really prepare you for being a real nurse. 2. Don't ever allow yourself to be over your head because both you and your patients will suffer. 3. Don't beat yourself up if you fail at first.