Quit after 4 weeks, now what...

[nursecarebear]

I am a new RN and had just 4 weeks of orientation in the Med/Surg dept. at a very busy level one trauma hospital. I was driving to work after another sleepless night for my third day 12 hour shift (really 14 hours). On the drive I started crying and just felt so overwhelmed with my mind on a negative spiral and the thought of the day ahead, the amount of work, the stress of "getting it", charting both paper and computer, unreadible orders from doctors, not having enough time to get something done, always many things to do at one time, so much to learn, the exposure I had to an active coughing TB patient (and hoping that the paper mask was secure enough), fears of being sued and stories from nurses that worked there and had been through a court hearing, stories of nurses with chronic back injuries, difficult patients and wanting to help people but feeling so out of my league. I turned the car around towards home and called the director and quit.

I am 44 years old, in my second marriage with two grown children and have just not felt this overwhelmed before. There are many things that I like about nursing but the constant stress is just too much. It has been a week since I quit and now I am wondering what I should do now... Do I try hospital nursing again or are there other choices that are a little less on the stress scale. I can handle some stress but a constant "10" for the 12 hours is just too much for me.There are many things that I do like about nursing and really do want to "make a difference" . I do not know if another hospital would be better or if it is me. If anybody has any ideas I would sure appreciate it. Thanks for letting me vent and listening.

(Running away to Tahiti and selling little drink umbrellas is sounding good but probably will not help my student loans)

[BETSRN]

Hey Sweetie,

Don't beat yourself up! Congrats on making that stand for SELF!!! Thats one thing they do not teach in school but you were able to find it and follow thru just the same. A couple of recommendations and advice... 1st... did you at any time talk with your manager about your feelings of stress and being overwhelmed. Not feeling ready to handle all of it, requesting to go back into orientation for another round. I had been a nurse for 24 years (the last 17 in long term care... loved it but tired of it and wanted a change) I came to a new area and found a hospital that was close to home... and requested a lonnng preceptorship. My manager scoffed at first and said, "Your recommedations all said you were strong... you won't need that long" I stood up and said I want at least 6 weeks if not more or I'll go elsewhere. I do not feel comfortable coming into a brand new higher acuity environment with little or no orientation. At 5 weeks, I felt my wings spreading.. It took me a few more weeks to get a good organized routine, stealing this bit from nurse A's routine, another bit from Nurse B's and just fine tuned it to meet my needs. There are days that I still do that and I've been here almost 2 years. At 6 weeks I went to my manager and told her I wanted to try it on my own for one week with the option of going back into orientation if I didn't think I could handle it. She agreed and said I could have up to 12 weeks if needed.

It worked and I am so glad I took that stand.

2nd. Your med-surg experience is gonna be critical to many areas of nursing that you may venture to. Without it, your not even gonna get an interview. Think of it as a right of passage. Get about 18 mos (24 is ideal) and then they will no ammunition. It will also give you insight into other areas of the hospital that may offer your niche... PACU, ENDO, etc.

3rd. If you do go back to a hospital... go to a small non-trauma hospital. It still give you all the basics that you need for transfer later on... I work in a 140 bed community hospital... we have 7 peds beds, 25 medical, 35 surgical, 10 oncology, and 20+tele beds... I work on the surgical unit and we get mostly appy's chole's, resections, a few chest tubes... nothing really challenging ... anything big we fly it out and across town.

4th and final... (I know ...thank goodness...) Consider working nite shift. It will take a while( months maybe) to get used to it but think of it as only temporary. Your patient ratio will be higher than what you had on day shift but it is a different kind of busy. You will have time to follow up on pain meds, help settle them in, alleviate fears etc. AND form a bond with your co workers that you may not have had time to do working days. Yes, I know day shift staff form bonds but it takes a while for newbies to find her place in that group... so don't attack me!!! During all of this you may also want to take some courses in stress management. (I know you didn't get any in nursing school which should have been mandatory for all of us!!!)

I hope this helps... keep you chin up and just know that even though its necessary... its temporary... and you will be the better nurse for it.

Wanda

Your comment about nurses' "bonds" struck me. I work in a small community hospital and have worked with my same "family" of nurses and docs for 17 years now (I do LDRP). We are an extremely close knit group. I love each of my co-workers separately as individuals, but as a steady diet, I wouldn't work days if my life depended on it. I am a die-hard evening nurse. I would say that our bond (as a shift) and that of the night shift are far stronger than the one(s) that the day girls have. There is something different about those of us who work the off shifts. I think maybe a more relaxed group works off shifts. I'm not too sure how to explain that any better.

Oh sure, on occasion, they give me a day here and there (on ever time schedule) and it is a nice change. But you know what? If given the opportunity to go to days permanently, I think I would turn it down. There is a whole different (and better in my opinion) mindset on the off shifts. We can be as busy as days, but it is always more fun. There is more comraderie.

Give the off shifts a try. You find a different personality type there.

[Warpster]

Welcome to the wonderful world of nursing.

OK, sarcasm aside, what you were feeling was normal as you shifted from book learning and the protected environment of supervised clinical practice to the reality of too many acutely sick patients and little support. We all felt that way to one degree or another. It is survivable.

However, if it's to the point that you're ready to get out of nursing after all that expense and preparation, it's probably a good idea to get out of med surg. That's not the only place in the world that needs nurses. Working in a nursing home will make you long for roller skates, but the patients are medically stable and the environment is much less stressful. It may be a much better place for you to start. After a year or two, you may feel confident enough to tackle a busy med surg unit again. You'll certainly have a better grasp of meds and treatments after a year in a skilled nursing facility.

After you get experience like that under your belt, you might consider some of the home care fields, caring for patients who have been discharged after day surgery but who need skilled nursing for wound care, IV care, and med administration.

Hospitals aren't the only place out there, and the meat grinder they've become for new as well as experienced nurses is very discouraging. However, there are other places that will allow you to put your education, talent, and compassion to good use.

Good luck!

[Goodmare]

Don't despair, you will be okay. I got my RN two years ago at age 48. I landed my "dream" job in the OR of a magnet status children's hospital. Oh my. The ninety days I stayed was without a doubt the worst experience of my life. I expected the surgeons to be jerks but they weren't, it was the other nurses. My preceptor was one of the nastiest people I have ever met.

Most of my best friends from school went to work at this hospital on the floors and when we would talk I would always ask, "Do we work at the same hospital?" Long story short, I went to human relations and told them I'll take any other nursing job you've got as long as I get out of the OR. That's how I landed in the night float pool. Me, a devoted early bird. But after a few months I figured out that nights is a whole different world. I would heartily recommend you try out nights, less work(usually)and more money. It was hard at first as a new grad always landing someplace different and having over a dozen different preceptors but now I have the ability to show up wherever they send me, get my assignment and get the job done. The first couple of hours is usually a blur but I know that once all the meds are given and the patients tucked in for the night that things will calm down. Sure there are a few nasty charge nures, but there are nasty people in every job. You need to believe in yourself and hang in there. Take what you have learned from your hellish four weeks and use that knowledge in your next job. Don't let them run roughshod over you, speak up for yourself and demand respect. You may not have been a nurse as long as they have, but you have a wealth of life experience and are entitled to be treated as the intelligent, compassionate, conscientious person you are. There are a zillion jobs out there, don't get stuck in the mindset that you have to do med/surg for a certain amount of time or you'll never get another job. Call up your friends from school and ask about the places they work. Apply for jobs you might not particularly want to practice your interview skills and be upfront about wanting a decent orientation. Get the interviewer's card, shake their hand, look them in the eye and thank them for their time. You'll hit it off with somebody and they will know about a job someplace else etc. Spend some time thinking about what you want from a job, what kind of atmosphere you want to work in, make a list of non-negotiables and a list of things that aren't deal breakers for you. Go take a look at hospitals in your area, nothing says you can't go eat at the cafeteria and keep your eyes and ears open. See if the staff has that hangdog look or are they talking and laughing, and more importantly are there any of them with time to eat?? Check out long term care, nothing says you can't call and say you are looking for a place for mom or Aunt Sadie, ask about staffing ratios, staff retention/turnover, what was the result of their last inspection? Probably most important of all is take care of yourself. Get a haircut, a manicure, read a good book, take a walk in the park and feed the birds, volunteer, whatever makes you feel better. You used up a lot of energy getting through school and the boards and should be proud of yourself. You'll find another job and the memory of that first dreadful experience will fade. Good luck!

[Old CAT]

I see so many warm hearts here on the message board. I wish I were working with those of you. My perfect job would be to finish my NP and work in a doctors office where the staff prays for all the patients they are about to care for that day. This would have to be a miracle, because I don't see any of this happening. I would like to someday go back and work the floors because I love that patient care and touching lives of those who are so vunerable when they are in the hospital.

I can't imagine where I am going to go at this age of my life, but the journey is what keeps drawing me to go on and find out why I have even taken on this career this late in life. I hope to encourage anyone here to go on and further their education and seek degrees that one would never think possible. Everything that has happened to me in my life has been for a reason. I see how many of my life experiences have touched other lives. I really have a great life in this career because I meet so many diverse people who make me a better person everyday. Sincerely, Old CAT

[NYOKA59]

Don't give up. Take your time before going back to look for another position. You really need to decide what you want to do. Nursing is so vast that you can do practically anything; research, computer analyst, geriatrics, pediatrics, clinical nursing, home health, to name a few. It seems that as a new grad a busy trauma unit was not for you. Please take the time to decide where you want to be, but don't give up, because somewhere, someone needs you! Even someone in Tahiti may need you. :)

[ErinRNBSN]

Dont Quit Nursing. You must seek around to the job that you'll love. I gradauated 3 years ago. I am on my third job and I LOVE IT. I love nursing and am as happy as can be. My friend in nursing school also is on herr third job and she loves hers as well. You just need to shop around. You never know if you will like it unless you try it. Dont give up , this is an excellent field!

[cathy54]

I quit after 4 months in 2003. I am an LVN and found my self way over my head. I started making mistakes and just got terrified. I up and quit. I have spent the time doing CEU's and going over in my head what I did wrong. Now I am going back. In fact I am waiting for a phone call. Don't give up. Take some time. You will make it.