Research Nursing is NOT for me...

[NYRN241]

So. I currently find myself in a rather perplexing situation.

Before I begin, let me just give a brief overview of my nursing career up to this point. After graduating, I got my first job as an RN on a busy Cardiac / Med Surg Progressive Care Unit. It was an amazing first job. I learned SO much on that unit, loved my fellow nurses and doctors I worked with, and in general had it pretty good. I am still very close with many of those nurses and most of them still live in my hometown, even work at the same hospital still.

However, after a year there, I was really itching to go to the big city (ugh). I landed a job in NYC at a prestigious hospital on an ICU step down unit, and took it. After working on that unit for about 9 months, I couldn't take it anymore. My coworkers, again, were incredible nurses and I still keep in touch with many of them. However, the unit itself was fairly new, and things were not functional to say the least. I was on night shift with no medical team specifically assigned to our floor (an ICU step down should probably have a team, no?), so the nurses did almost everything - ran codes, rapids, drew our own labs, and had about 5-6 patients on nights (vents, trachs, mix of med surg overflow from other units, etc). It was a disaster, but I tried to stick it out as long as possible. After getting ill a few times and generally being very depressed on nights, I decided to quit the hospital and I got an easier outpatient job for a few months.

After regaining my health and motivation, I decided I would try something new. A research position opportunity presented itself to me through a connection, and it is something I always thought I would enjoy, so I accepted it. I have been working there since October (4 months now), and it is not at all what I thought it would be. I work closely with two other research nurses, and about 6 physicians who run the clinical trials. These two nurses barely pay me any attention unless it is to ask for help with their studies, like doing an EKG or blood draw. They are extremely bossy towards me almost in an aggressive way, and I truly get the feeling they do not like me. They are good friends and I am sure they talk about me outside of work. They most certainly have not tried to form a friendly relationship with me in any way. Regardless, though, that alone isn't the problem. As this is an area I have never worked in, I have a lot of questions and want to learn how to do my job correctly, but the doctors are completely unapproachable. I have tried asking them questions and they brush me off. I try asking my nurse coworkers questions and they might hastily answer me, but it is rare. I feel as though I have hit a serious wall with any type of learning, and I am pretty disappointed that this is how this job turned out.

I am trying my hardest to get through each day, and I almost feel like a brat complaining about it because the schedule and salary are unbeatable. I just never expected it to be this difficult to get along with coworkers, because I've always been so close with my coworkers in the past. It is insane how miserable it can make a job when your colleagues are this cold and unapproachable. April will be my 6 month mark, and I am desperately trying to make it until then so that A - I can get a good tax return and B - that's when my vacation time kicks in so I could cash out when I quit. Is that wrong? Should i just quit now, or push through 2 more months of this stagnant job? I really don't think after this that I can see myself doing research in the future, and I actually now am craving bedside or some kind of hospital job again where I can utilize my nursing clinical skills.

I guess I just need some moral support and opinions. ???

[TheRuralNurse]

Sounds more like the ​environment isn't for you. Maybe not so much research nursing. I know how badly just one person can ruin an experience, let alone an entire team of people. At my first job, all of my coworkers were incredible, except for this ONE charge nurse who was an absolute, raging b!%#* to me... But she was buddy-buddy with seemingly everyone else. I dreaded working with her. It made it so much harder to do my job and I felt like I was constantly walking on egg shells. I can't imagine how you must be feeling with no one in the workplace to turn to.

Have you tried killing these people with kindness yet? I have found it easy to stop nasty people in their cold, mean tracks by making time to ask them about their lives and remembering specifics like kid's names, vacation locations, etc. Many people will stop being rude when blinded with kindness- and from there respect is earned.

Is there anyone else you can go to to receive feedback? What about the person who hired you? Have you tried contacting this person to let them know what is going on?

[NYRN241]

Unfortunately, I've tried both those paths already. It's like these people are impervious to any kind behavior. Or they are nice back for all of about 5 minutes, but then forget any warm fuzzy feelings they may have had toward me once I try to ask work-related questions.

And with the supervisor, I tried expressing how I was feeling (and I don't think she did this maliciously) but she went and told my coworker nurse that I was "bored" although I never used those words. Now I feel very reluctant to talk to her further except to give her my notice...

[llg, PhD, RN]

Only you can determine whether or not you are miserable enough to justify leaving your job now rather wait it out a few more months. If it were me, I would be starting to look for a really good job that I would like. Take you time, investigate possibilities thoroughly before you commit. By the time you find a really good job and arrange a start date, it might be April already.

If you wait until you have reached your 6-month goal to start looking, you may feel rushed to get a new job and jump quickly into something that won't be right for you, either.

From this experience, you have learned a valuable lesson. When investigating possible jobs, be sure to meet with the people you will be working with and assess what it will be like to work with them on a daily basis. The interpersonal aspect of a job can be just as important as the pay, schedule, etc. -- even more important!