So, as the title says... I am a new grad and just quit my first nursing job with less than 2 weeks on orientation. Just a little background, my first nursing job was as an ICU float RN at a level 1 trauma center rotating days/nights every 2 weeks (full time). While I was excited for this opportunity, I was not thrilled about working downtown which was an hour away from my house. I have a close hospital near me (about 25 min) that offered me a position in their Medical/Surgical ICU. I have had clinical there before and was comfortable with it, knew some of the nurses and doctors as well. Well, I decided to quit my job to accept the one closer to me. I talked with my manager and said that the commute was just more than I realized and was not having a great experience thus far. However, I feel as though I am going to be a "blacklisted" candidate or on a "do not hire" list with this hospital even though I was an "at-will" employee. Which, I never wanted to happen because they have a children's hospital that I eventually would love to go work at.
My plan was to work adult ICU for a 1-1.5 years and then work in the NICU/PICU whichever one I felt more drawn to. I now feel like that is not going to be possible as I feel they will never want to rehire me for their children's hospital (its attached to the one I was working at). Does anyone have advice for an anxious new grad who just wants to get into the specialty they want? How do I know I have been blacklisted with this company? I feel very dumb at the moment because I think I ruined my chances of ever working there again.
Please be nice in the comments. No reason to be rude! & thank you to those in advance!
I get what you’re saying but it doesn’t mean one nurse should be rude to another ??♀️ It’s a post not the ICU.
When you post to random strangers on the internet, you open yourself up for whatever answers may come your way. Just because it's not what you want to hear, or isn't packaged pretty with a bow, doesn't mean it not what you NEED to hear.
If you've given proper notice you may be on the do not rehire list. If you didn't, I'd say that most likely you are. You can ask HR, they will usually tell you
1) Stay put for awhile now. Even if it is difficult and not ideal.
2) Concentrate on learning as much as you possibly can.
3) Worry about the rest later.
There is nothing wrong with making choices that we believe are in our own interests for our own personal reasons. We just have to accept that there may be trade-offs.
I would have said no to q2week shift rotations from the outset. That's crazy. So...I think you made a great choice in more ways than one, and you might as well have done it before they spent even more time and money training you. But now that it's a done deal....relax and focus on the job you have. Don't spend your time daydreaming and fretting about something that is down the road. (And I personally wouldn't lose sleep pining away for an organization that "needs" nurses to rotate shifts q2 weeks.)
Good luck!
I did rotating shifts like this - actually every other week nights and days. I lasted a total of 6 months ???
14 hours ago, Katie82 said:
Why in the world do new grads think they are ready for the ICU, ER or L&D right out of nursing school? I blame the hospitals for this.
Actually a lot of new grads do very well on these units. I started as a new grad in the ER and did very well.
Tell me more about the not great orientation experience. Why wasn't it great, and how brutally honest were you with the manager about it? Sometimes you genuinely don't have a great picture of how a commute will feel until you're making it, but if you completely bad-mouthed their orientation...well, even if you're not officially ineligible for rehire, word gets around. When you reapply to the same hospital system, they will probably be able to see your two weeks of employment in your record, and may or may not be curious about it.
What I'm reading in your post is that the first hospital and the children's hospital you want to work at are basically in the same location, right? How realistic will it be for you to live close enough to the children's hospital once you apply? Definitely consider that before you accept another position. Just because it's a specialty you're interested in doesn't mean an hour on the road each way isn't going to wear on you.
Finally, nothing wrong with gaining peds experience in your current hospital after earning your stripes on your current unit. Give it a couple years and see if you can transfer to their peds, NICU, etc. internally if possible. I can understand the impulse to work for a specific hospital, but you may find you like this hospital, want to keep your benefits, etc. If they have those units, might be worth considering.
Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
19 hours ago, Katie82 said:
Why in the world do new grads think they are ready for the ICU, ER or L&D right out of nursing school? I blame the hospitals for this.
In my experience:
I was told that my Medical ICU was "just a step above med-surg" and that they would "train me until I felt comfortable" with Pt load. Which was four actual weeks of training (add in all the testing and assessments for an additional two weeks) and then to a preceptor who was exceptionally condescending about the ability of new nurses. "Not everyone is cut out to be an ICU nurse." She was like Gandalf in the river. Oh, and the ICU was three patients, sometimes four per shift AND they were rarely "a step above" Med-surg. I left when I had a pt who was on her way to being intubated (they were trying to hold it off) but she had eight lines/drips and we couldn't keep her sats up - that is quintissential ICU, folks! And they wanted me out there by myself managing that with less than six weeks' training as a new grad!
So...I did not think I could, but was told: Sure you can! But I did not know enough to know that six weeks was just not enough training. It's probably worse now with COVID-19 and certain states (including mine) allowing grad nurses to proceed without the last few months of clinical.
5 hours ago, speedynurse said:
I did rotating shifts like this - actually every other week nights and days. I lasted a total of 6 months ???
Actually a lot of new grads do very well on these units. I started as a new grad in the ER and did very well.
All depends on preceptor, training, and basic skills....I am glad you did well.
Thanks everyone for the input! I do feel like I made the right choice and am just going to focus on getting as much experience as I can. Learn as much as possible from the ICU and go from there. It's nice hearing from experienced individuals and their sides to their story.
5 hours ago, speedynurse said:
I did rotating shifts like this - actually every other week nights and days. I lasted a total of 6 months ???
This was one of the reasons why I did not think the position was going to be good for me. Rotating every 2 weeks was a huge downfall. The new position I was offered is straight nights with a chance of going to days after 6 months. I feel like I would be able to better handle that than the rotating shifts on top of driving an hour to and from work (if I am lucky with traffic).
I was told that my Medical ICU was "just a step above med-surg" and that they would "train me until I felt comfortable" with Pt load. Which was four actual weeks of training (add in all the testing and assessments for an additional two weeks) and then to a preceptor who was exceptionally condescending about the ability of new nurses. "Not everyone is cut out to be an ICU nurse." She was like Gandalf in the river. Oh, and the ICU was three patients, sometimes four per shift AND they were rarely "a step above" Med-surg. I left when I had a pt who was on her way to being intubated (they were trying to hold it off) but she had eight lines/drips and we couldn't keep her sats up - that is quintissential ICU, folks! And they wanted me out there by myself managing that with less than six weeks' training as a new grad!
So...I did not think I could, but was told: Sure you can! But I did not know enough to know that six weeks was just not enough training. It's probably worse now with COVID-19 and certain states (including mine) allowing grad nurses to proceed without the last few months of clinical.
All depends on preceptor, training, and basic skills....I am glad you did well.
It also depends on the team and management. I had a really wonderful team that never made me feel down on myself when I struggled early on.
Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
15 hours ago, speedynurse said:
It also depends on the team and management. I had a really wonderful team that never made me feel down on myself when I struggled early on.
It looks like you also came to the job with quite the skill set (I am assuming the EMT came before the RN)! You knew what you knew - at least, you knew when something went south fast.
So let me start with life is tough and not nice. So if Internet comments bother you I don’t know what to say. With that, I was made a no rehire for something similar. I worked in a public safety gig while I went to nursing school. I applied to the local hospital knowing the pay was sub par. I got hired FT, I had the years to take a reduced retirement from my job as a medic then. During orientation I then learned how crappy the benefits really were. So long story short, I meet with the ED manager and asked if I could trade jobs with a PT hire that wanted FT. No way I was going to give up a job with a State pension now. The manager told me I had to quit or keep the job I was hired for. I mentioned we were 3 days into orientation. She said, no stay or quit. So I quit. It obviously pissed her off as I was placed on the no rehire list. Fast forward, this same place ran out of candidates to hire as we are in a rural that the started to “evaluate” the no rehires. I took a job a few years later in the same ED after I retired from my FD gig. so there is a good chance you be black listed. Call HR and ask them, they will tell you.
I am now training in an ED that touts itself as a LEVEL 3 TRAUMA center!?! along with regional cardiac center. The orientation program is a total *** show. I’m already looking for something else.
Opinion here, if you only have a few days or weeks there, I’d leave the place off an application
So let me start with life is tough and not nice. So if Internet comments bother you I don’t know what to say. With that, I was made a no rehire for something similar. I worked in a public safety gig while I went to nursing school. I applied to the local hospital knowing the pay was sub par. I got hired FT, I had the years to take a reduced retirement from my job as a medic then. During orientation I then learned how crappy the benefits really were. So long story short, I meet with the ED manager and asked if I could trade jobs with a PT hire that wanted FT. No way I was going to give up a job with a State pension now. The manager told me I had to quit or keep the job I was hired for. I mentioned we were 3 days into orientation. She said, no stay or quit. So I quit. It obviously pissed her off as I was placed on the no rehire list. Fast forward, this same place ran out of candidates to hire as we are in a rural that the started to “evaluate” the no rehires. I took a job a few years later in the same ED after I retired from my FD gig. so there is a good chance you be black listed. Call HR and ask them, they will tell you.
I am now training in an ED that touts itself as a LEVEL 3 TRAUMA center!?! along with regional cardiac center. The orientation program is a total *** show. I’m already looking for something else.
Opinion here, if you only have a few days or weeks there, I’d leave the place off an application
The comments don't bother me, everyone has their opinion. It's a matter of respecting the other person that's all.
In regards to your post, my manager handled it well I thought. I spoke with HR and my recruiter, they told me I am free to search and apply for positions within the hospital system and would go through the same process as any other candidate. They did not tell me if there was a blacklist or do not rehire list (I asked and got no answer from that). Not sure if I am on it, I was kind with the manager about it and there was no point of continuing to stay if I was going to leave. He even said he wouldn't want to keep training me if I decided on something else (makes sense). I was an "at will" employee as many employees are and I was in the very beginning stages of my orientation (no actual floor experience had happened at that point).
and you might as well have done it before they spent even more time and money training you.
I agree with this. Huge amounts of time and money (preceptors/educators/nurse residency classes) are spent by hospitals especially in the ICUs training people who decide they don’t want to be there or who aren’t ready to be there. These days we have revolving door employment...people don’t stay anywhere long... I really advocate for new grads to start on a med surg or tele floor. Most nurses new to ICU need a year to feel like they know how to manage a team by themselves even with floor experience. New grads in the ICU take longer to get their feet under them.
I think too that if you presented the long drive issue (should have left out the “bad orientation”...2 weeks likely isn’t time enough for that...and if it was a personality thing, there are other preceptors) the mgr may have felt some compassion. Where I live 30-60 minute commute to work is not unusual if you don’t want to work at critical access hospitals. My first job was 45 min drive and 1/2 days 1/2 pm so I flipped back and forth too but not day/ night-that is harder.
however they did take a risk with you and “lost”. Money was spent just to get you in the door.
Also I’m interested in why you chose adult ICU first if you plan to do PICU/NICU. Peds or mom/baby would have been a more direct route to your goal. That is the route that new nurses take where I work.
I agree with this. Huge amounts of time and money (preceptors/educators/nurse residency classes) are spent by hospitals especially in the ICUs training people who decide they don’t want to be there or who aren’t ready to be there. These days we have revolving door employment...people don’t stay anywhere long... I really advocate for new grads to start on a med surg or tele floor. Most nurses new to ICU need a year to feel like they know how to manage a team by themselves even with floor experience. New grads in the ICU take longer to get their feet under them.
I think too that if you presented the long drive issue (should have left out the “bad orientation”...2 weeks likely isn’t time enough for that...and if it was a personality thing, there are other preceptors) the mgr may have felt some compassion. Where I live 30-60 minute commute to work is not unusual if you don’t want to work at critical access hospitals. My first job was 45 min drive and 1/2 days 1/2 pm so I flipped back and forth too but not day/ night-that is harder.
however they did take a risk with you and “lost”. Money was spent just to get you in the door.
Also I’m interested in why you chose adult ICU first if you plan to do PICU/NICU. Peds or mom/baby would have been a more direct route to your goal. That is the route that new nurses take where I work.
Where I live they would not hire a new grad who did not have a BSN or some kind of experience in peds/NICU. Adult ICU was the way to go if I even want to try to go in that area. I tried L&D and with covid there is nothing. Again these areas are super competitive. It’s hard for a new grad ADN to even step foot into peds in my state.
Why in the world do new grads think they are ready for the ICU, ER or L&D right out of nursing school? I blame the hospitals for this.
I hate when nurses say this. There is absolutely no reason to be doing med surg for 2-3 years when your goal is to be in an area like L&D or NICU. I’d argue that training a new grad, who isn’t set in any specific ways, may be beneficial to certain specialties.
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,968 Posts
When you post to random strangers on the internet, you open yourself up for whatever answers may come your way. Just because it's not what you want to hear, or isn't packaged pretty with a bow, doesn't mean it not what you NEED to hear.
If you've given proper notice you may be on the do not rehire list. If you didn't, I'd say that most likely you are. You can ask HR, they will usually tell you