Should I quit my job?

[shortsuzy87]

Hello! I'm new to this site and really need some advice. I was hired on a neuroscience/neurosurgical floor 2 months before I graduated in July 2009. I started work in August and was off orientation October 18th, 2009.

As of right now...I hate my job. The entire staff is wonderful, supportive, and understanding. The pay and benefits are great. I work nights, 12hr shifts, 3 days a week; and I really don't mind the hours. My problem is getting out on time. I typically have 5-6 patients and I get pulled frequently (probably 10-15 times since October). I'm always behind and charting and frequently pull 13-15 hr shifts. Thus far my bosses really haven't complained, but it's starting to wear on me. I hate the stress. Some nights I'm so busy I don't even eat or pee. I feel like I'm supposed to be in 15 places at once. The only way I can see me getting out on time is by taking shortcuts on my charting or patient care, and I don't feel comfortable sacrificing my quality of care or putting my licence at risk. I know I'm not a bad nurse. My patients have written letters about how much they love me and how thorough my care is.

What I'm trying to figure out is...is it me? Can I just not keep up? Is it my job? Will it get better or do I just not like the stress that goes along with a hospital environment? I had no intention of putting my two weeks notice in until I have found another job. I'm looking into outpatient peri operative nursing. There are some openings in my area. I want something that will still challenge me (aka not BP, height, weight, why are you here?), but still has a routine and won't have me pulling my hair out from stress.

I am open to advice from anyone! Thanks so much!

[llg, PhD, RN]

Virtually all new grads have the same problem immediately after orientation. They feel overwhelmed by the workload and the responsibility. If you do some exploration of this site, you will find dozens of new grads saying the same thing.

9 times out of 10, the situation improves as you get more experience. You learn (through practice) how to be more efficient with your care without compromising the quality of your care. Most new grads feel a lot better after 6-9 months.

You say that you are working with some good colleagues. Have you talked with them about your feelings? They are probably the people in the best position to help you learn how to be more efficient so that you will be able to take a few breaks during your shift and finish in a reasonable amount of time. Don't be afraid to ask them for some tips.

[NurseThis21, BSN, RN]

Let's continue to be reminded of the fact that you just graduated in July. It's funny how us new grads expect ourselves to be all-knowing robots in our first career! Personally, I wouldn't leave the job because trust me, you'll have the same difficulty in another specialty. Like the previous poster said, until you have at least a year of experience, practically every day will seem like a struggle.

As a psych nurse, I have a to adhere to a routine that is completely set in stone. Let's just say that I have tons of overtime pay every two weeks! Even though there's a set way of doing things, I still need to overcome my perfectionist ways and come to terms with the fact that I'm still learning how to work smoothly as a nurse. However, I'm doing a heck of a lot better than I did in the beginning.

So keep on movin' and groovin' on the neuro floor and allow yourself some room for improvement and introspection. That way, you can reflect on how well you did that day, but also how you can shorten this, cluster that, or manage this better. It's all going to grow on you eventually; just give it some sweat and tears so that it can blossom! You got this, I've got this, We've all got this!!! WOot! Good Luck and I hope everything turns out well for you!

NurseThis21, RN, BSN

UIC Alumna

[shortsuzy87]

Thanks for the advice everyone! My spirits are a little higher, but I did a 14hr shift yesterday! There was a nurse who's been a nurse for 40 years and she was over an hour late though... Hopefully the bad days will become less frequent.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Thanks for the advice everyone! My spirits are a little higher, but I did a 14hr shift yesterday! There was a nurse who's been a nurse for 40 years and she was over an hour late though... Hopefully the bad days will become less frequent.

They do. I'm also fairly new (and like NurseThis21, I'm also in psych) and when I first hit the floor, the days weren't bad, but they were rough. I was leaving late a lot. But every day I learn how to do things a little bit differently, a little bit more comfortably, a little bit better...I still feel like I have a ton to learn, but I feel I'm getting there. It may be slow, but I'm getting there--I can see a drastic difference in how I am now compared to when I started a few months ago.

So don't give up yet! Hang in there! :)

And yeah, sometimes I still have to stay late while I tie up all my ends because it's been a hectic day. But that's improving too

[Music in My Heart]

What I've noticed in nursing school and now on the job is that one of the biggest time suckers is chatting with patients. I'm a very sociable guy and I love to talk to people as I'm working with them. The problem is that (a) I tend to go more slowly because my attention is split and (b) I'll often spend a couple of minutes before and after my task just interacting with them. While there's some benefit to it, it can cause time problems on busy days.

Another time sucker is charting. When I sit down to chart, I make sure that I already know what I want to say. Otherwise I can spend a few minutes just trying to get my thoughts in order before I start writing. I also find it more efficient to chart throughout the day. If I put it off to do in big blocks then I find that I spend time trying to remember what happened or reviewing my notes.

Just a couple of thoughts with which you might identify and through which you might find a few minutes you can squeeze out.

Your job sounds fabulous. I think you'd be a nutter to quit.