Quitting during probation/orientation

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Hey guys, I just wanted to get some advice. I wanted to change departments and always wanted to try the ER. I wanted to sharpen my critical thinking skills and wanted to work in a busier environment. I eventually got hired as staff with experience, and not part of any fellowship program. Fast forward a couple of months, I have a week left of orientation and I absolutely hate the ER. I get super stressed going into work, almost to the point where I can mini panic attacks. I don't like how crazy busy things get and how I cannot give each patient the time they deserve. I also think that my personality doesn't fit the "ER culture." I thought as time went on, I would get used to the pace of things, but it's becoming more of the opposite for me. It's becoming obvious that the ER is not for me and I really want to quit but I don't want to burn bridges. What should I do?

37 minutes ago, nsue said:

I think as nurses we need to try different things until we find our niche. I thought I would like a fast paced job, but only lasted 2 months. I quit without notice. I didn't like feeling like I never gave my patients the attention they deserved, and wasn't good enough due to snarky nurses making comments. The stress just wasn't worth it.

It is worth going elsewhere if you are not happy. I wouldn't worry about burning bridges, I've burned a few. There are plenty of nursing jobs out there. Life is short, find your niche/comfort zone where you know you excel, and have some peace.

I am an old school second career nurse, who was groomed the old fashioned way, that giving 2 weeks notice was standard and required. In other professions, where employees are valued and treated like professionals, this was the norm. Not so in nursing. I was miserable in a job I had, mainly because my boss kept changing the game pieces as she went along, lying, cutting staff, cutting hours, etc...I was sold a wholesale lie upon taking the job, but nonetheless , I gave 2 weeks notice to be a professional. When I got home that day, there was a phone message waiting for me. "Don't bother coming back, we don't need you"

I have to laugh at the outrageous lack of professionalism in this field. Another post said it well, ...the minute you give notice, you've burned the bridge. So true. They assume correctly that you are so fed up, you are leaving, and might take a few existing nurses with you, to your new endeavor. Therefore, they want you out of sight as quickly as possible. In my entire 20 years in this field, I never completed the 2 weeks notice, wether I gave it or not.

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Specializes in Pschiatry.
6 hours ago, Workitinurfava said:

I felt this way about medsurg

.positions.

I

tried clinics etc. I am back to mental health. When people tell me they work medsurg, ED or I C U, I'm like great for you. The older I get the less I feel like trying something totally different if what I am doing works.

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This! I've worked psych since becoming a nurse 3 years ago. Enter a manager that made Cruella DeVille look like an angel and I left a job I loved. I decided to try med/surg because I got tired of hearing "psych nurses aren't really nurses," we literally had a nurse from the ED ask, when giving report on a patient, "This person is a diabetic and needs blood sugars, there's someone there that knows how to do that, right?" But I digress, med/surg is a nightmare, at least where I worked. 1 day on the floor, 1 day of computer system/charting training and the next day it was "here's your 7 patients, you're on your own today." What????? I have handled a whole floor of psych pts with no other nurse on the floor for a whole 12 hour shift and had no issues, however, I knew the computer charting system. I lasted 3 weeks on that med/surg floor and walked. I've now obtained another job in psych and I intend to stay in psych!

It's all included in this little rant, horrible, lazy untrained preceptors, bullying, unrealistic orientation, horrible nurse managers. The reasons nurses leave are many and varied, and I've experienced most of them

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Specializes in Frontline stuff.
On 5/23/2019 at 5:43 AM, musiklover7000 said:

Hey guys, I just wanted to get some advice. I wanted to change departments and always wanted to try the ER. I wanted to sharpen my critical thinking skills and wanted to work in a busier environment. I eventually got hired as staff with experience, and not part of any fellowship program. Fast forward a couple of months, I have a week left of orientation and I absolutely hate the ER. I get super stressed going into work, almost to the point where I can mini panic attacks. I don't like how crazy busy things get and how I cannot give each patient the time they deserve. I also think that my personality doesn't fit the "ER culture." I thought as time went on, I would get used to the pace of things, but it's becoming more of the opposite for me. It's becoming obvious that the ER is not for me and I really want to quit but I don't want to burn bridges. What should I do?

Whenever I take a new job, I tell myself I will give it a full year - that is enough time to decide if I really like it or not, and enough time to count is as experience on my resume. I have been off of ED orientation for 2 months. It's really hard to keep up sometimes, but I keep reminding myself I am NEW and I am getting better as I go along. I went into it with a strong skill & critical thinking background - 10 years of ICU, peds & peds ICU. While I was on orientation (for 5 weeks), I kept wondering if I made the right choice. I still wonder that sometimes now, but I'll be sticking it out until at least Feb of next year. Hopefully I will love it by then.

You CAN do this. Don't give up and make judgements about your ability before you've even actually done it.

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On 5/25/2019 at 10:51 AM, tachyallday said:

Whenever I take a new job, I tell myself I will give it a full year - that is enough time to decide if I really like it or not, and enough time to count is as experience on my resume. I have been off of ED orientation for 2 months. It's really hard to keep up sometimes, but I keep reminding myself I am NEW and I am getting better as I go along. I went into it with a strong skill & critical thinking background - 10 years of ICU, peds & peds ICU. While I was on orientation (for 5 weeks), I kept wondering if I made the right choice. I still wonder that sometimes now, but I'll be sticking it out until at least Feb of next year. Hopefully I will love it by then.

You CAN do this. Don't give up and make judgements about your ability before you've even actually done it.

All of this! I completely agree on giving yourself time. None of us were super nurses just starting out or when getting acclimated to new units. There's always time to learn and improve. OP you have to allow yourself time. If after a certain amount of time you truly don't like it, transfer to another unit. With ED experience it shouldn't be too hard. Good luck.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

I think it depends why you don't like it. It sounds like the unit isn't a good fit, but you're the only one who can truly evaluate it. I thought I would like a job that was much slower paced - except I hated it. They found busywork to fill their time, and I hate busywork. I would rather have a shitton to do that is worthwhile.

If you truly don't enjoy it, talk to the manager: "I fear I don't have the right personality fit for this unit. Instead of being energized by the pace, I am stressed. I don't see myself as being a positive contribution to the unit, so I think it would likely be best to transfer to a unit where I can contribute positively."

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Thank you all for the words of wisdom. I just feel that there is not enough constructive criticism from the upper level of management. My preceptor recently told me that I do not have the personality for the ER. In other words, I am far too timid for the ER. He then brought it to my attention that my other preceptors thought the same, and it was "such a problem" that the educators were notified. Now of course, this is the first time that I am getting wind of this....when my orientation is almost ending. I am not disagreeing with this statement, but I also think that my being quiet does not mean that I would not advocate for my patient. I just think at this point, I am better suited for a less, for lack of better words, "in your face" environment and I honestly feel very defeated.

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On 5/23/2019 at 11:07 AM, Davey Do said:

I can identify, musiklover. After working 7 years as an LPN in psych, surgery, and CD treatment, I got my RN and wanted to return to the OR at another hospital. What I thought would be a return to an area that I truly enjoyed working in became a real den of vipers.

I quit during my orientation and took a position working in a state hospital.

That was over 28 years ago and I've not had to cross that burned bridge. When asked why I quit, I merely said "It didn't work out". That position was just a stepping stone in crossing the creek of life.

Good luck, musiklover.

After 28 years did you become bored? I find it hard to maintain my enthusiasm after 2 years in a specialty.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
5 hours ago, 2BS Nurse said:

After 28 years did you become bored? I find it hard to maintain my enthusiasm after 2 years in a specialty.

The 28 years was how long ago it occurred, 2BS Nurse. The longest I spent working in one specialty was 17 years in psych at Wrongway Regional Medical Center (WRMC).

I too jumped from specialty to specialty, working OR, CD, HH, Med Surg, LTC, and administration in a span of about 10 years, from 1986 to 1996.

By 2003 when I began working at WRMC, I was 46 years old and ready to stay in one place.

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