So I wrote a few months back about how I had 3 weeks of orientation and was feeling overwhelmed, not getting breaks most of the time etc...
I hate this job. I was going to say I hate nursing, but I don't. I love my patients and I love being their nurse. What I don't love is being overwhelmed with too many responsibilities, not being able to have time to double check orders or think about what I'm doing etc... It's like I'm racing around putting out fires from one patient to the next and have no time to give them quality, SAFE care. Certain skills still freak me out, I'm not great at IV starts for example and foley caths on women are a challenge for me... some of the staff are supportive when they have time, some are pretty condescending...
All of these things are probably normal for a new grad so I've hung in there telling myself that with time it would all get better. But the reality is I look around and I see experienced nurses stressed and running too. This is not the kind of job I want. I am not happy in this environment and I really don't think I will be.
How bad does it look to a future employer for me to quit hospital nursing after 4-5 months? I'm thinking of looking for a clinic position, something with a different kind of stress load to it. At some point anyway... I don't have to work right now and would like to take a "break" between jobs if that wouldn't look bad. Mainly because I live in a rural area and there are very limited options here, so I may end up not working until we move to a more populated area in about 12-18 months.
Learning to tell patients they'll have to wait for non-essential things is also an important skill a lot of new nurses haven't yet developed. It's not "mean", it's just essential. You have to prioritise your time, and noone can do everything for everyone.
That's probably right up there in my top five problems with time management. On my unit the nurses carry phones that the patients can buzz thru on. It's such a PIA to wait for the phone to connect to the room that I usually just go see what they need (and sometimes it NEVER connects). 9 out of 10 times its something they needed the tech for but I end up doing/getting/whatever.
Even worse is just trying to get a tech to answer their phone
Specializes in Birthing Center, Gerontology, LTC, Psych.
I certainly wouldn't quit "nursing"- but it might be that the particular position or specialty area is not for you. I did home care for 2 months and realized that I did not care for case managing! I don't really know anybody who can know EXACTLY what they want to specialize in right after school. When I graduated, I wanted to be a flight nurse. In all the years I have been in nursing, I can't tell you how many times I have changed my mind as to what I wanted to do!!
Certainly, the skills you are learning on a medical floor are extremely VALUABLE! If you can hack it, I would stay until you are competent in it. However, if you are going in to work feeling miserable- find something else. You only get one life to live. YOU have to be happy.
That is the beauty of our field! When you want a new challenge or a different experience, it's there. You are always a nurse!
I might sound a little harsh, but don't take it personally. Don't ever forget where you were in life before your career. You have made it through school, and now you need to start using your common sense. You have done your book work, be proud. Now you need to start blending your book skills with your common sense(survival). Don't let people, time, and everyday living stop what you have worked so hard for. Just start getting smarter. Whiether you stay or go, you will have to deal with some level of stress no matter what. Personally, I would rather have to struggle at a job that has the world to offer, than struggle at a convience store with no pay or future at all. If I were you, I would adjust myself to dealing with this cruel world ASAP, and be thankful that God saw you through as far as he has.
I remember I was happy, and had a balanced life, and co-workers who were supportive, and a job that was challenging - not debilitating - with stress that was manageable, not all consuming. I don't remember being in therapy to learn to "cope" with something I'm supposed to want to do, I don't remember spending my days off sick to my stomach and non-functioning because I know I have to go back to work soon.
I've been acquainted with this cruel world for quite a while, most people who have lived a little while have, and yet I find it interesting how much more cruel it seems when I'm at work than when I'm not. I like nursing, I don't like the environment I'm in right now. I don't think it's a good fit for my personality, and I honestly don't have the rhinocerous hide required to withstand the hate and discontent that intermittently swirls around me.
I think I need to look for a different kind of nursing position or a different facility with a longer orientation time and more new-nurse support. I'm not ready to give up on the profession at all, I'll keep looking for a more suitable niche for myself... but thankfully I do have two other non-nursing degrees and skills from my life before this new career (histotech, nationally certified pharm tech) to which I can easily return if it doesn't ultimately work out.
I do thank you for your response, it wasn't too harsh at all and you make some very valid points. It just got me thinking about what life really was like before and I suddenly found that I really, really miss it.
Thank you to all who replied, this has been a hard time for me and I appreciate all of you... I took something constructive away from every single response.
Specializes in Telemetry, post partum, critical care.
good thinkin on that pharm tech thing! like i said - follow your instincts. you have decided not to quit but to find a place where you feel at home. eliminating guilt doesn't make you a sociopath and doing what is best for yourself doesn't make you a quitter. some people in the helping professions have a masochistic/co-dependent thing going on. don't let that be you. the first step is to value yourself enough to listen to your gut. i think your question here is "do i have a right to my feelings". the answer is yes. i'm not trying to give you advice on how be more organized in dealing with the abuse and stress so that you can be more productive. you probably had that in nursing school with a whole bunch of other advice. then you get in the real world and are angry because you feel maybe there is something wrong with you. perhaps it is your coping skills or your time management. well, it's probably a little bit of everything but the med/surg floor not an efficient, well-oiled machine where plans and strategies can be carried out without fail. it is a place where everything changes minute to minute and a 12-hour shift can be like running a maze or a marathon. one of the most important qualities you need is compassion. without compassion all the brains in the world will get you no where in nursing. i'm not saying that you can be an unsafe nurse without compassion but with it you don't have to be einstein. secondly you need an extreme amount of flexibility, tolerance, and patience. these things grow with time. if you decide to stick it out go easy on yourself and do not expect perfection. the three essential things you need are desire, focus, and the willingness to treat obstacles as opportunities. i think you have those three things so trust yourself. slapping a doctor aside, you really can't make a mistake because your life is a work in progress. do not be manipulated by those who judge you and expect perfection. they are just projecting their own inadequacies on you because they may be envious - or truly miserable. learn to be an excellent judge of character. you can learn a lot from listening to people. especially in interviews. do they say things like "we don't want to invest a lot of time in training because then you might leave and go elsewhere". that says several things to me. one is they have high turnover. secondly it tells me about their character. and last, if the place is so wonderful then why is everyone leaving? i'll bet you can think back on several red flags during your interview and you will probably not make the same mistake again! you must learn the most important part of communication - that is listening with your ears open and your mouth closed. then reflect back on your past mistakes. do not beat yourself over the head with them. they are learning opportunities. i think you have a brilliant future in store for you - and i hope you do too! :trout:
It's been about 2 years since I wrote this thread. Here's the update:
I ended up quitting med-surg. We moved a few months later back to the area where we grew up and most all of our family still remains. I took almost a year off work total and then I submitted a few apps to clinics. I found an awesome facility with great hours, mobility, pay, benefits and a wonderful non-toxic environment with supportive co-workers. The job fits my personality & strengths... I work as an advice and treatment nurse. I've been here a year now and can easily see myself spending the rest of my career with this employer.
In short, I'm now much happier being an RN. And I appreciate all the advice, words of wisdom, support, and kicks in the butt y'all gave me as I made my way from student to new grad. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.
I agree with many of the posters and especially Wooh. I make myself take the few extra minutes at the start of the shift to go in and do the intro thing and ask if they need anything. Once that's done I try to do the most I can with every trip to the rooms. And I may run hard the first hour or two, but generally things slow to a better pace. My patients seem to be less needy if I take those few minutes at the start. As a new nurse I struggled to be perfect and give perfect care...now that I'm older I know that isn't always possible but I leave knowing I have given the best care I could for my shift. And to patients that means a lot.
I was where u were at. I still havent found my niche. I quit after four months in a hospital and found a job in a clinic. stayed there for about a year.....i'm still there...but i'm looking for something better. dont ever stay at a job if ur not happy. they want u to think it will look bad but the reality is that nurses have the upper hand. there is a shortage of nurses so we can pick and choose.
I was where u were at. I still havent found my niche. I quit after four months in a hospital and found a job in a clinic. stayed there for about a year.....i'm still there...but i'm looking for something better. dont ever stay at a job if ur not happy. they want u to think it will look bad but the reality is that nurses have the upper hand. there is a shortage of nurses so we can pick and choose.
I found that out. The people I interviewed with didn't care that I'd been off the last 10 months, didn't care that I only had four months on med-surg. I had two offers the first week I interviewed... out of two interviews.
My BIL on the other hand, was laid-off from the computer industry and stayed off for six months to assist his wife with a difficult pregnancy and birth. When he started applying again he found there were huge issues with the fact he'd been out of work for "so long." Double gender standard or desperate nursing industry...?
I have to agree with the OP, 3 weeks orientaton for a new grad is WAAAYYYY too short of a time. Most places I have ever worked, the orientation is minimum 3 MONTHS, more for specialty areas.
I also agree, it takes 9 months or more to really START to feel like you have a grip in many new jobs. Routines, MD's, everything is different. You may not know who or when to call in many instances. Example: My last hospital, nurses were expected to call for some things and not others One cardiologist didn't want to hear about a troponin until it hit 2 or higher, his partner wanted to know them if they were elevated at all. A simple example, but one of many that makes your day a lot more difficult when you are struggling to develop a 'groove'.
Hang in there! A few months off can turn into too many. If you quit now with just 3-4 months experience, then don't work for 12-18 months, you will be competing for jobs with new grads who are a lot fresher in your common limited experience. It could prove to be a lot harder to get a job.
Do check out other departments in your current area. Can you come in on a day off and shadow a PACU or OR nurse to see what their day is like? If you think you would like clinic or office work more, maybe you could do the same there? Check things out before quitting entirely, if possible.
truern
2,016 Posts
That's probably right up there in my top five problems with time management. On my unit the nurses carry phones that the patients can buzz thru on. It's such a PIA to wait for the phone to connect to the room that I usually just go see what they need (and sometimes it NEVER connects). 9 out of 10 times its something they needed the tech for but I end up doing/getting/whatever.
Even worse is just trying to get a tech to answer their phone