Should I even bother with hospitals?

[~Shrek~]

I had to quit my first hospital nursing job a few months in for a variety of reasons that I do not want to explain here. The hospital I was at had 8 hour shifts, so part of the problem was that I was continuously exhausted and burned out because I was at work nearly every day of the week (sometimes I would go 3 weeks without having a full day off).

I am out and about searching for a new job, and I don't know if I should apply to hospitals again. I am in a very competitive area and I am scared I won't even be considered. I don't want to work in a hospital out of state or in a rural location. I will work at things like public health in a rural location, but if I work in a hospital I need to be close to home so I can have family support.

Secondly, I left a job and I am scared this will ruin my chances.

Thirdly, I had a bad experience at my first hospital and I am scared I will have to relive the experience again.

Lastly, before I left this job, I had several interviews at several good hospitals. I don't know if I can get so many interviews again due to my history of leaving a job.

I don't know if I would be wasting my time and energy applying to hospitals. I fear rejection, and I fear having yet another bad experience and yet another "red mark" on my resume.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

All you can do is try...face those fears, dust yourself off and get back out there and apply. If you get an interview, they'll most likely ask about your reason for leaving your previous job, but you can mention the unit wasn't the right fit, but this is what you learned....try to turn a negative into a positive.

If you don't want to work at a hospital, there are other options like private duty, home health, nursing homes, rehabs, doctors offices, etc.

Sent from iPink's phone via allnurses app

[~Shrek~]

Yes, I guess I should just try. The worst that can happen is a "no" and that's that.

[canigraduate]

It sounds like you are paralyzing yourself with your fears. I would suggest to go ahead and get the ball rolling. Apply to wherever you think is interesting and will be a good fit. Assess yourself and your wants/needs/fears and decide what you are/are not comfortable with and apply that to your search.

If you are truly anxious about working in a hospital again, try the other routes you have suggested. If you find that it was just the unit you were on that was stressing you out, maybe you can try a different service or department and see if that fits you better. I have found that different hospitals have very different cultures and that I have fit in better at some than others.

Maybe your first position just wasn't a good fit with your values. At my last staff position, the hospital had a very different set of values and I was miserable the whole time. My current assignment is a match made in heaven! I guess what I'm saying is don't let one experience define the hospital setting for you.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

As an 'oldie', I have experienced working all sorts of shifts... and found that there are benefits associated with both 8 & 12 hour shifts. Although 12 hour stints are emotionally appealing " wow, only working 3 or 4 days a week!"... the truth is much different, particularly the exhaustion from working 3 in a row; it takes a day to recover. Childcare is also a real hassle. OTOH, 8 hour shifts provided me with much more 'quality' time with family, even when I worked nights (11P-7A). It appears that scheduling was the real culprit - it's horrible to work that many days without time off.

PP is correct, hospitals are certainly not the only place to work. Best of luck to you on your job search.

[~Shrek~]

I think for the next few months, I will avoid hospital applications and see what turns up. If nothing turns up, I will reassess my situation. After some soul searching I have realized my passions are more in public health, and that is what I will pursue.