Quitting after 4 months.....

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 14, 2007

I can certainly empathize with you KayceeLee. I've only been doing this for 7 months now and can literally count on my fingers the number of "good" day I have had at work. I'm experiencing a similar predicament where I can't try another area of nursing until I reach that magical one year mark. I am actually counting off the weeks until it happens, I compare it to incarceration - waiting and doing my time. I have worked so very hard trying to stay positive about my job: I'm gaining experience, learning new things, etc. I have never tried so hard at 'liking' something before this - it shouldn't be this difficult.

I become frustrated because I see hundreds of things to be done and no time to perform these tasks and have been told several times by more experienced nurses, "Are your patients alive? Are they safe?, if the answer is yes, then you have done your job. Sometimes all you can do is make sure they are comfortable."

I don't think that is good enough.

I've been advised to keep job hopping until I find something I like, my niche. I haven't a clue to what direction I want to go in. I seriously wish that I could return to my previous career, due to personal reasons I can't.

I wish I had some sound advice for you, but I don't. I wish you could find somewhere that will make you happy. I wish that for both of us. If you discover some way to keep sane throughout the process, please share it with me!

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Jul 15, 2007

Well, to clarify things...I currently work days on a medical floor. Maybe med/surg isnt for me. I dont have any intentions of leaving nursing all together. I just dont know what else I can do. I've been searching all over the place, and it seems that you CAN NOT get anywhere without that "1-2 years med/surg exp" :angryfire
I do feel betrayed. All the talk about "so many options in nursing" (from nursing school). It really appears that I dont have any other options besides med/surg. I really am feeling lost and disappointed. My expectations were coming from a very naive place, and I feel kind of stupid. I wanted to help people. Not just keep them "safe" and cover my own a$$....and thats all I do (as someone else also mentioned). Frankly, I am quite disgusted by the way the entire hospital system runs.
I think I care TOO much to stay here doing this. It hurts my heart too much to see that this is what "nursing" is. I almost wish I had gone into nursing soley for the money, at least then I woudn't be feeling so disgusted. The sad part is, I am starting to not care....because I am only one person, and I can only do so much. I think my expectations were that I was going to save the world or make some signifcant difference in healthcare. HA!
Today I went on an interview at an urgent care clinic and I could really see myself there happy. Unfortunately I dont think thye will offer me benefits or enough hours. But I will continue to search...until I can find something to replace the hell I'm currently trapped in

I am going on an interview for a surgicenter Monday...yes, it is only 3 days a week and no benefits but I'm going to take it anyway, if it is offered to me. I was impressed by how the manager came right out and told me that the pace is fast. I'd rather have that then someone who sugarcoats the situation and tries to sucker you in...No call, no holidays, no weekends also which are big plusses. I think maybe you should take the urgent care job as a foot in the door and maybe more hours will open up...I just have myself to worry about though-If you have a family, that may be a consideration.

NurseguyFL · Jul 15, 2007

I would also encourage the OP to reconsider his/her decision to quit after only 4 months. Hospital nursing is not an easy thing even for very experienced RNs, and its much more of a challenge for a new RN because there are so many things that you are still learning.

If you want to continue in nursing you have to accept the fact that its nothing like the Florence Nightingale stuff taught in nursing schools. You have to be tough, you have to be quick, you have to have good time management skills, and you have to be good at juggling priorities all day long. The stress level can get very high in this profession because everyone is demanding your time, and its up to you to learn how to manage all of this in a way that works for you.

How I do it is to divide everything into two categories: things that need to be done now, and things that can be done later. Most important thing at the beginning of your shift is to get a good report. That way you know exactly what's going on with each patient and which ones you need to do what for first. All my assessments get done within the first hour of my shift. That way, if the docs show up early asking for information I already have it. I do not ever allow patients or their visitors to waste my time with their list of demands. I tell them I will be back later to take care of their needs as soon as I finish making rounds. The only exception to my rule about this are patients who are in pain.

I make it a part of my routine to give a report to my CNA. I delegate certain things to them, and tell them to get back to me with anything they feel is important. I find that a good working relationship with the CNA is important because they tell me every little thing that they observe with the patient and most of them that I have worked with respect and help me more if I respect them, too. This alone saves tons of time.

Next thing I do is check my orders. So, I know who's having what tests done, and which docs I need to call. Once I have these basics down then I revisit each patient and I go over their list of needs after I do the first med pass. What I can do for them I do, and what the CNA can do for them I ask them to do. I always tell the patients that the floor is very busy (even if it isn't) and that it may take a while for me to get back to them. Most of the time, they don't put the call light on too often if I tell them this.

If after you've given yourself a while to acclimate and you find that floor nursing is just not for you then there's nothing wrong with moving on to something else. However, you have to give yourself enough time to find a system that works for you. Four months isn't really a lot of time to figure this out. As a new nurse, you have to understand that no day on the job is ever going to be perfect. Again, knowing how to prioritize is key. There will be many days that you simply won't be able to do everything that needs to be done, and if you try to be supernurse you're only going to burn yourself out. So, you do the most important things first and whatever doesn't get done you endorse over to the oncoming shift.

YoungRN06 · Jul 15, 2007

Hi, nursing can be extremely stressful at times, I've been a nurse for a year now and I totally empathize with you. Have you really thought this decision over? Is the stress of the floor the only reason you want to quit? Are you currently working in the specialty of nursing that you desire? All of these come into play, I started off in the ER right after school, and I felt very unfulfilled and I really thought about leaving the nursing field all together, but I decided to move to another specialty and now I'm a lot happier. What type of unit do you work on? Honestly, med-surg is one of the most stressful areas of nursing. Let me know how things go, I wish you the best.

jjjoy, LPN · Jul 15, 2007

NurseguyFL - You give great advice in regard to prioritizing! It's a realistic approach when you can't do everything.

If only they'd teach that to newbies - in school or even on the job. Too often the newbie feels like a failure for not being able to get everything done. It seems rare that colleagues will say "don't expect to get everything done" or "it's okay to let this or that thing go" when they see things left undone or the new grad struggling to figure out what to do next. Too often it's just a brusque critique "you need to learn to manage your time better" or worse "what did they teach you in school anyway?" - well it may not be said out loud but rolling eyes and an impatient huff say a lot - though I suppose such body language by also be saying "I'm so darn busy I can barely get my own work done much less help you; it's unfair for all of us and we've all just got to make do."

savannah98 · Jul 19, 2007

I know how you feel. Nursing is not an easy job. I takes everything you've got plus more when you're out there on the floor. It seems that it's acceptable that we don't get breaks and that we're literally abused by the work situation itself. I'm not sure if it really matters where you work because I've only worked at one place and it seems like you clearly defined my situation too!!! Please don't give up on nursing in general because there are a myriad of jobs waiting for you out there. Let me know what you decide.

abundantjoy07, RN · Jul 22, 2007

Some of you mentioned that "magical one year mark in nursing." That is really a frustrating thing to deal with. With the apparent shortage in nurses, you have to wonder what the big deal is with the year mark. If that standard weren't in place it would be so much easier to get the job you want where you want it. It's funny because there are a million positions open, but all of them want experience only. :banghead:

Aquamarine · Jul 23, 2007

i've been at my first rn position for 4 months now. i don't think i want to continue. i know that i can, but i don't want to anymore. the stress is just unbelievable. all i ever wanted to do is be a nurse, and now that i am all i want is out. school was really no preparation for this, and it has left me very disappointed
i just cant rationalize to myself why i should subject myself to 12-13 hour days on my feet sometimes without a break at all, along with rude phyicans, rude patients, rude families and rude management. for what reason??? i keep asking myself....the money? no. no way, it is not worth it at all. i rather make half the pay and have sanity and peace in my life. the funny thing is, the word around is that i work on one of the best floors.
i think i'm going to put in my notice this week. the problem is, i have no idea what to do with myself if i leave. nursing has put such a bad taste in my mouth. what else is available for someone with only 4 months experience? i feel so lost

i know how you feel exactly. all i can say is if your intentions are sincere you will find your nitch but not if you give up.

get a certified resume writer...get a resume...do not quit...take vacation earned...go job hunting with your new resume...

i hated ever waking moment of my first 1.5 yrs of nursing. the nurses were horrid to me, the other girl that started when i did said "adios" after 4 weeks !!! i stayed, why??? i don't know. my doctor told me to quit several times...i needed iv's my ibd was acting up.

i got along with the boss but the nurses chewed me up and spit me out. i maintained myself to the point that the patients thought i was the best...not hardened and actually cared.

according to the nurses.....i didn't do anything correct...my voice wasn't loud enough,,,you name it...the first md i asked for a rx for a patient...said "it better be important!!"...he was a jerk. another time my patient came back from pt and her restraint was now off....i couldn't find a restraint...neither could anyone else but i got humiliated from an old fat nurse that sat behind the desk and couldn't handle patients anymore...i asked for a transfer and to get off the 12 hr shifts thinking maybe the 12 hrs was too stressfull for a new nurse...before i got my transfer ....one night i asked to leave early because my adult son was here from out of town and he was very sick..i didn't know then he got bit by a recluse spider...the charge nurse who couldn't do half of what i learned to do in a short time...kept giving me more and more to do even thought the nursing supervisor said i could go an hour before......then said if i didn't do what she told me to do....she would write me up. i left after letting her toy with me for an hour and a half....my sick son was in the parking lot sick waiting for me to bring him to my doctor who he didn't know. my son survived, got mrsa in wounds that ate to the bone covering...after many iv's and a dedicated md. that was a defining moment...that kind of cruelty. it was a catholic hospital. my boss didn't make me take the referral..it pays to be nice....

i then got transferred with my bosses blessings and referral to rehab in the same place...8 hr shifts...within a week i got written up for giving a tylenol too close when the last shift didn't note it but it was my fault for not checking the time in the computer...i really didn't know the method yet that they used which was different from my other floor. another seasoned nurse took an order off wrong and it caused my patient to become violently ill for more than one day....that nurse didn't get written up...the same md, and charge rn knew of both errors...one night we were just two nurses, 20 patients,a new order on each because the md just came in from vacation...no secretary...very ill patients. i had a moral decision before me...i kept repeating the oath.."do no harm" over and over to myself...take care of the patients the best i could...or should i do do the charting, pill passing according to policy. i cathed the old man in pain, i changed dressings on weeping wounds, i took care of the worst first....i ran, sweated, and almost went to the bathroom in my pants because i couldn't take the time. no lunch and i am hypoglycemic and worked over 2 hours just getting the charting done....bitchy nurses coming to relieve me not happy and bitching because they had to do some work...another defining and unforgettable night.

a few days later i got called into the charge nurses office who wanted to know why my 9 pm meds got passed at 11pm...she didn't write me up but said next time to fill out a "protest of assignment". what kind of a world is it when they give 20 patients to 2 nurses, no support staff...they were always working on that problem...but not hiring fast enough. they say they are short staffed but never call in the per diems. no one can ever be a perdiem unless they never had a complaint while employed there...never.there isn't a shortage of nurses like everyone thinks...it is budget control not to have enough, and cruelty to the patients and also to the nurses who get stressed because they can't care for the patients.

one afternoon the boss and the nurses were taking a break, i felt sick and needed to sit down...i waited for them to get done, then the nurse that just came on duty went to break...i still didn't go...i had a minor stroke in the hallway. i opened the breakroom door and said i had to go to break. i sat down a half hour. didn't get checked out but knew i had a tia. i got another job and left that place.

i think when you are the "new" rn you won't get treated fairly.

i am now a nurse in a dialysis unit where i used to be the nutritionist...so i know the drill a little better...but there are still bitchy nurses, and some that torment the heck out of you but less than before. there is very poor management and the boss is always out smoking with the other nurses so the workers...like myself have to kill ourselves working so hard...while the others are outdoors smoking...a lot. one nurse brought her chaise lounge to work the other day and used it!!! the boss was outside smoking with her...so complaining will not work.

i am learning all i can and will take the experience to another place...i am not looking to stay anywhere in my personal or in my professional life -that isn't good for me...but i will stay until i extract all i can in experience and knowledge. that is why there is a problem keeping nurses.

i have to say i met a nurse named ellen that was sent from heaven, i too would have quit in 4 months and gone back to my old career of nutrition if it wasn't for her patience and kindness. that is a true nurse...she helped me a lot one that first job and probably because of her i can be good to my patients today...

no job is worth it...but your profession is. don't just walk...have a plan to find another job...jobs are everywhere. i make a difference.

i love my patients and go to bat for them often against other nurses.

it is a tough field but one that is rewarding if you give it a chance. i will plan for my next move...eventually i will find my nitch and so will you and then you can do more good for the patients...just learn all you can and take that somewhere else...it might take 3 or 4 moves but with nursing that isn't a bad thing...

i would hang in there. it helped me to go to the nursing conferences...you can pick up a lot of information

nursing school did not prepare me for the job, it is all hands on learning. i walked into a code at 7am after one min. into my shift...where did we get that in school??

i also work one day a week for an md, that has been good experience also but for less money...you learn a lot of meds not on a formulary...

keep looking...but don't quit nursing....hang in there..aquamarine

pieinsky · Jul 23, 2007

Dear KayceeLee:

I have never posted on this website, but your posting left me so empathatic. I too am a new RN, almost a year now on the job. I work on an orthopedic/neuro floor which also added telemetry PLUS if there is an empty bed, we'll take WHATEVER! The RN who oriented me (for 2 weeks and then I was on my own) was leaving this floor because she hated the pace). I'm thinking, "Wow, thanks, you're orienting me but you hate the place."

I have to admit now that it was the most awful 6 months of my life. The pace killed me as a new nurse. I felt a terrible anxiety each day as I drove to work. I almost quit. Then at 6 months something happened: I discovered a new confidence that just came about from being there on the job. I prayed for confidence each and every day and vowed I would just stop, deep breathe, and accept each new experience that would come about.

I can't say I'm totally the confident RN I want to be, but I don't think we ever stop learning and growing. But I can say that I truly can relate. Try to give it a little more time and get confident in the most awful circumstances. I've been told the floor I work on is the hardest and heaviest in the hospital (aside from ICU and ER). So I'm proud of myself for having endured it. Yes, you can believe I'm looking at other options. But you really need to have a few good years before you can start being too picky.

Bless you, child! If this "old lady" at almost 50 who got nursing degree a year ago can get through it, you can too. Hang in there, persevere, believe in yourself, find your allies, and you will find success and confidence. Yes, in the meantime, ALWAYS be looking.

pie in sky RN in Denver area

Pamilina · Jul 23, 2007

Nursing in general is a very demanding job, and I think because it carries so much stress...and there are so many personalities that we are forced to work with, we are challenged daily. However, I have gone through so many areas of nursing myself. I found my niche, for now. "Acute Dialysis Nursing"! Work in the hospitals. Go to Davita or Fresenius. They will train you on the job! Even for Hospital Dialysis. There you have autonomy, and one on one patient care. It's very rewarding. Although, being a new nurse, you could check around.

I have seen in my career, those that I have run into from different areas of nursing, seems to be "Psych" nursing that is the favorite! Those nurses are always happy! LOL...Acute Dialysis is next, and then home health nurses, they have a lot of autonomy too.

Being a nurse is a great thing! Don't let a bad situation destroy your joy of nursing. Just jump into something else. Take a vacation first before starting up with a training program. Take care of yourself first! It's emotionally draining when you work against such resistance, and never being validated or appreciated. It's a "Dog eat Dog world", and nothing says it better than nursing, when the nurses eat their young. Go ahead and give your two week notice, after you score the next position. If there is truly a shortage then programs are offerred up like crazy.

Davita and Fresenius train you on the job, with in classroom, and then on the floor. If you train for the hospital even with 4 months of experience they will train you.

Best of Luck!

MrsMommaRN · Jul 24, 2007

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i am so sorry you are feeling this way. if your heart is truly into nursing there are so many other options out there. i have always heard that it takes at least a year for a new nurse to feel confident as a nurse.

i am a new nurse as well only my third week on the job. i am still with a preceptor and feel like a train wreck. i pray for grace and confidence. i know that it will come with time. i have wanted this for so long and worked to hard for it to not be.

maps4care · Jul 26, 2007

Don't quit, just change unit! I am sure you can find something less stressful and more suitable for you. Probably working in Peds will be better. There is so many jobs out there. You could be a school nurse and only worry about have enough band-aids in your cabinet. I know that you don't really want to quit. If you made it so far it must be that you care, it's not the money. Try to find something that would relaxe you just half hour/day. One of my instructors likes to ride the bike, another likes to eat, I walk my dogs or take a bubble bath. Don't quit! :madface: