First of all, I am not sure if I am posting in the right section, please feel free to redirect this.
I am a new grad and have been working at my hospital for over 3 months on night shift (would have not been able to handle day shift, too much stuff/stress going on). My orientation consisted of 2 weeks of class (going over policies, etc) and around 7 weeks (3 shifts/week) of being on the floor with a preceptor. After that, I have been on my own.
I hate my job. I know this is common for a new grad, feeling of doom, anxiety, depression, and what not but I truly do not like my job. I can not handle the stress of a hospital job. I am currently working in a telemetry unit. I always feel anxious at work and even at home. i think about work on my days off even when I try not to. i feel like i am going to hurt a patient or forget an important sign. I can not handle the stress of working at the hospital. My blood pressure has been high due to work, sometimes in the SBP in the 150s and DBP in the 100s and I am only 27 years old.
I used to be money driven, but ever since working at the hospital, I have been realizing the importance of being happy. I would rather have a simple job with a meager income if it means I am happier and healthier.
I know for a fact that I do not want to work as a floor nurse. I am not even sure if I want to be a nurse anymore. The idea of being a public health nurse or school nurse seems nice due to the less stress and more convenient hours (m-f, days, and having holidays off) but I am not sure if I should stick it out for the first year of experience at a hospital. Some say that the first year of experience is necessary and some say that it is not. I am even considering getting teaching credentials to teach elementary/middle/high school (my original plan before I chose nursing).
My boyfriend of 8 years has noticed how unhappy and stressed I am and even suggested to quit for my happiness and health. He is willing to financially support me in whatever decision I make, even if it means I will be unemployed for +six months. I also still live at home with my parents.
My question is, should I quit?
As of right now, my goal is to get that one year of experience, but that just seems so far away and I am so unhappy and stressed right now. Also, if that one year of experience is not necessary than why should I continue? My managers are supportive and helpful (not sure if it is because they truly care or if they don't want me to quit) and gave me good feedback on my 3 month evaluation, saying that I am exactly where I need to be and doing fine. I just saw a public health nurse I position that required no experience (just a PHN certification, which I have yet to submit but am working on it), while many others say that having one year of experience is crucial. I am so confused.
I am also working as a waitress 1 day/2 weeks and have been working at this restaurant for almost 8 years. I would usually work 5-6 days/week before becoming a nurse(and I get preferential scheduling because I am a trainer). I am holding on to this job because it feels like cake walk/stress relief and just in case I do quit my hospital job.
I am in California and the nursing ratio on the telemetry floor is 4:1. So far, I had a bit of nurse bullying but I don't mind it and the atmosphere of the floor seems ok overall, it's just that I hate working there.
At this point, I don't care about all the years of studying I did to become a nurse. If I could replay my life, I wished I didn't go into nursing. I am just miserable.
What would you do in my situation? Quit? Try to work for one year?
I feel like I wrote this myself! I was in a similar position as you last year. I worked on a surgical trauma unit in a level 1 trauma center from Sept 2015-Nov 2015. This was my first job as a new grad and I was completely in over my head. I had a great support system from the staff but mentally I couldn't handle the stress. It got to the point where I could hardly sleep and my hair started falling out. I had so much anxiety and could not focus on my work. I didn't write this to make it about me, but to let you know that you are not alone. I ended up quitting and now work in psych. I know I don't want to work in psych forever but the stress level is highly reduced now. I am also looking for an outpatient job. I know you will make the right decision in whatever you choose. Follow your heart and you will succeed. Good luck and please keep us posted! :)
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
First of all, I am not sure if I am posting in the right section, please feel free to redirect this.
I am a new grad and have been working at my hospital for over 3 months on night shift (would have not been able to handle day shift, too much stuff/stress going on). My orientation consisted of 2 weeks of class (going over policies, etc) and around 7 weeks (3 shifts/week) of being on the floor with a preceptor. After that, I have been on my own.
I hate my job. I know this is common for a new grad, feeling of doom, anxiety, depression, and what not but I truly do not like my job. I can not handle the stress of a hospital job. I am currently working in a telemetry unit. I always feel anxious at work and even at home. i think about work on my days off even when I try not to. i feel like i am going to hurt a patient or forget an important sign. I can not handle the stress of working at the hospital. My blood pressure has been high due to work, sometimes in the SBP in the 150s and DBP in the 100s and I am only 27 years old.
I used to be money driven, but ever since working at the hospital, I have been realizing the importance of being happy. I would rather have a simple job with a meager income if it means I am happier and healthier.
I know for a fact that I do not want to work as a floor nurse. I am not even sure if I want to be a nurse anymore. The idea of being a public health nurse or school nurse seems nice due to the less stress and more convenient hours (m-f, days, and having holidays off) but I am not sure if I should stick it out for the first year of experience at a hospital. Some say that the first year of experience is necessary and some say that it is not. I am even considering getting teaching credentials to teach elementary/middle/high school (my original plan before I chose nursing).
My boyfriend of 8 years has noticed how unhappy and stressed I am and even suggested to quit for my happiness and health. He is willing to financially support me in whatever decision I make, even if it means I will be unemployed for +six months. I also still live at home with my parents.
My question is, should I quit?
As of right now, my goal is to get that one year of experience, but that just seems so far away and I am so unhappy and stressed right now. Also, if that one year of experience is not necessary than why should I continue? My managers are supportive and helpful (not sure if it is because they truly care or if they don't want me to quit) and gave me good feedback on my 3 month evaluation, saying that I am exactly where I need to be and doing fine. I just saw a public health nurse I position that required no experience (just a PHN certification, which I have yet to submit but am working on it), while many others say that having one year of experience is crucial. I am so confused.
I am also working as a waitress 1 day/2 weeks and have been working at this restaurant for almost 8 years. I would usually work 5-6 days/week before becoming a nurse(and I get preferential scheduling because I am a trainer). I am holding on to this job because it feels like cake walk/stress relief and just in case I do quit my hospital job.
I am in California and the nursing ratio on the telemetry floor is 4:1. So far, I had a bit of nurse bullying but I don't mind it and the atmosphere of the floor seems ok overall, it's just that I hate working there.
At this point, I don't care about all the years of studying I did to become a nurse. If I could replay my life, I wished I didn't go into nursing. I am just miserable.
What would you do in my situation? Quit? Try to work for one year?
You already know you shouldn't quit; you're just hoping that you're wrong. Or that someone will tell you "Yes, it's OK to quit. You're going to get that dream job with banker's hours and no actual work any day now, and you don't need any experience to get it!"
If you're still living with your parents, you should ask them to weigh in on your decision to quit. Are THEY willing to support you? Because your boyfriend can SAY anything, but has no responsibility to support you.
I'm gonna go with an emphatic "NO" followed by a hearty "gurrrrlll are you crazy?!"
You know that the first year can be chaotic and confusing and basically stressful and terrible for new nurses; you acknowledge as much in your post. There are hundreds, if not, thousands of posts on this site assuring new nurses that the first year is usually the worst but that it gets better - and for a lot of people, myself included, this is 100% true.
Based on what you wrote I don't think that you're giving your nursing career a fair chance here. I mean yes, you are physically fulfilling the requirements of your job, but focusing your energy on hating it and flailing around for backup plans isn't going to improve anything in the nursing department, you know?
You say you're stressed out, so why on earth are you working a second job?? I know you like the place, but waitressing on top of full-time nightshift nursing? In your first few months of actually being a nurse?? Jeez no wonder you're stressed, I would've dropped dead. You said straight out that you're holding on to the job "in case" you quit your hospital job ... if you're really willing to give your nursing career a fair shake why would you do that to yourself?
You're an adult and it's obviously your life and your decision, but pleaseeeeeeeee give it a chance before you up and quit. Really. Quit your waitressing job, stop formulating contingency plans, take care of yourself on your days off, and take it one shift at a time with the knowledge that it will get easier. You might still dislike bedside nursing at the end of that year, and that's okay! Once you have that experience under your belt there are tons of nonclinical nursing positions you could go after. I just don't see the point in throwing away everything you've worked so hard for just because you're off to a rough start.
Give it a chance for a full year. I have a feeling you're a lot stronger and more capable than you're giving yourself credit for at the moment. Touch bases with other new nurses, grab coffee with an older nurse who's been there and lived to tell about it, vent here on AN, whatever you need to do to tackle the mental block you have going on. Heck, PM me if you want, I'm a fairly new nurse myself on a critical care unit. It can suck. It WILL suck. But give it a real chance, you might surprise yourself
heather713
24 Posts
I feel like I wrote this myself! I was in a similar position as you last year. I worked on a surgical trauma unit in a level 1 trauma center from Sept 2015-Nov 2015. This was my first job as a new grad and I was completely in over my head. I had a great support system from the staff but mentally I couldn't handle the stress. It got to the point where I could hardly sleep and my hair started falling out. I had so much anxiety and could not focus on my work. I didn't write this to make it about me, but to let you know that you are not alone. I ended up quitting and now work in psych. I know I don't want to work in psych forever but the stress level is highly reduced now. I am also looking for an outpatient job. I know you will make the right decision in whatever you choose. Follow your heart and you will succeed. Good luck and please keep us posted! :)