Quitting first job?

[cole9]

So I am a recent BSN graduate. I have started working on a critical care/ICU floor at a small community hospital. The floor is 12 critical care beds and 6 ICU beds. The acuity is moderate, with most severe patients being shipped out from the ED before ever getting to the floor. I am very thankful to have a job right now, and got this position very quickly. However, the hospital is far from perfect, and there are things I really don't care for. To put it simply, I am not in any way going to be leaving my dream job.

I chose this position because I was unsure if I wanted to go on to CRNA or NP. The ICU experience would have been needed for CRNA. Now, having done some more shadowing of each, and getting a little more patient interaction, I definitely want to go the NP route and then try for a job in an emergency department. So in my mind, leaving for an ER position makes sense.

There is a chance that I can get a spot in a larger, more reputable ER in another state. I have only had my job for 2 months; I'm still completing the 12 week orientation. The other position would begin in February - at my 4 month mark.

If anyone has any advice on leaving early into a position, that would be great. How do you deal with the new job calling the current manager? Has anyone done this before and had an issue getting a third job later on? I'm hoping to just do a year or two in the ER and then do travel nursing. I am a rolling stone to say the least.

Thanks for your advice -- cheers.

[RNperdiem, RN]

ICU experience is a valuable and marketable commodity for a new nurse. An experienced ICU nurse is competitive for many positions, especially ER in larger hospitals.

If you leave after only a couple of months, you will neither be new nor considered experienced, so don't quit until you have something better lined up.

Unless you are really miserable at your job, being mistreated or forced into unsafe practice, stay in your job for now and learn all you can. There is a big overlap in the skills you will need in ER and the skills you will learn in ICU.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

I think the ICU experience will make you more marketable to an NP program. That is your goal in the end. Are you going to continue working while in NP school? If so, you can get an ED job in a year or so. Even so, with ICU experience, you will be able to get into the ED as an NP. I wouldn't worry.

[cole9]

Thank you for the advice. I definitely would not quit this one before having a solid yes from another hospital. The hospital I'm looking at has a well structured ER internship (it does have a 2 year commitment/contract). Right now, there is a very informal orientation system on the critical care floor. As for feeling unsafe, there are some things that concern me, and patient loads are a little high (4-5) in my opinion (especially as a new RN), and I feel like there is limited exposure to patients with higher acuity compared to what I may see in a larger, metropolitan city's ER. I know patient loads are probably not perfect anywhere.

I personally just want as much exposure as I can get. Right now I'm dealing with a lot of patients who are sitting around on observational status, waiting for stress tests, waiting to transfer to rehab/care facilities. There's nothing that terrible about it, I just feel in ways I took a step back from even where I did clinicals for school and maybe missing out on a year of better experience by leaving.

I'll keep kicking the idea around, but thank you for your input!

[SoniaReb]

ICU experience is a valuable and marketable commodity for a new nurse. An experienced ICU nurse is competitive for many positions, especially ER in larger hospitals.If you leave after only a couple of months, you will neither be new nor considered experienced, so don't quit until you have something better lined up. Unless you are really miserable at your job, being mistreated or forced into unsafe practice, stay in your job for now and learn all you can. There is a big overlap in the skills you will need in ER and the skills you will learn in ICU.

Excellent answer! The only thing I would add is the OP might just change her mind and decide to go the CRNA route in the future and the ICU experience will be needed. I say stick it out for at least a year and see what happens.

[cole9]

Thanks everyone. I'll try to stick it out, maybe look at a PRN position in an ER nearby. Thank you again for a place to vent and get advice. It's really appreciated.