Should I resign or wait for termination?

[OnlybyHisgraceRN, ASN, RN]

I'm a new grad RN with past LPN exp. hired to work in CVICU a few months ago. Well, I've been off my internship for 2 months now and was told today my the NM that there have been several complaints about my patient care and I have two weeks to improve or I'll be asked to go to step down, medsurg or tele.

In my heart I don't see myself as a ICU nurse and never have. My passion have always been maternity. However, I wanted the experience and needed a job. Besides what new grad would pass up such a great opportunity.

Anyway, after hearing the news I was devastated. What hurts the most is that I'm seen as incompetent. I feel like a failure.

My plan is to speak to the nurse recruiter tomorrow to see if I can transfer to another unit of my desire and if not I will be resigning.

There is so much more to this story but this is the bulk of it. What do you all think?

[Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN]

You don't like the choices of step-down, medsurg or tele? Those units seem like they might be easier for you as a new grad. I would think it would be better to try to tough it out in a less critical position for at least a year or so. I wish you all the best! Good Luck!

[OnlybyHisgraceRN, ASN, RN]

You don't like the choices of step-down, medsurg or tele? Those units seem like they might be easier for you as a new grad. I would think it would be better to try to tough it out in a less critical position for at least a year or so. I wish you all the best! Good Luck!

Thank you. I've floated to those units before at my job and it is not for me.

Once again, I'm not passionate about this. I know my choices are slim. I'm willing to look into tele or medsurg at a different hosp. though. Once again, can't go into reasons, too many details.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Deep breaths.... regroup. There is no need for resignation or termination.

What..exactly.. are the complaints regarding your care? You are entitled to this information and how you could improve, without a

mandate to a different area.

It sounds to me like you were placed in critical care without sufficient orientation. What is the plan that has been set in place by you, management and nursing education to succeed in ICU?

A move to a less critical area means. ..they want to keep you as a nurse in the facility. It was most likely their push to fill an ICU position.

YOU ARE NOT INCOMPETENT.

You may need to move to med-surg.. get experience on that level... and then think about your "dream" job.

Good luck, keep us posted.

[nursel56]

It is hard to advise if there are details that would change what you've told us already, but I agree with the others - don't resign right away. Your perspective is skewed by your emotions right now. Not a good time to make a life-altering decision. I can tell you that at least two of my most rewarding jobs were those I had absolutely no passion about going in to them.

Give the information more time to percolate, wait for the sting to soften a bit, and realize that the most competent nurses are often those who care most about how they are evaluated. Sorry you're going through this, though. Best wishes.

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

I wouldn't resign unless I had another job lined up. It's a tough market out there. You may like the units if you worked there regularly instead of floating there.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

First of all as a new grad is a really difficult place to start out. We never hire any new grads into ICU,although I know it is done all the time. The one crucial thing I can tell from your post is that you have no passion for this specialty and without that your motivation to learn will at best be tepid. You cannot let your desperation be a factor in deciding upon potential offers, you need to select a place where you have some interest,a place that is easier and a place where you can have SUCCESS. Then you build upon that success to carefully guide your career to a place where you are happy and can contribute. That is not an easy task but it can be done with good decisions on your part.

The fact that they want to keep you by offering you a position in M/S and other areas is good so do not be so down on yourself, try to take all they had to say and try to learn from it and then MOVE ON,

You may have to take a job in an area that is not your first choice and that is the way it is sometimes but with persistence you can get to your ideal job and who knows you may find something else you like!

[VANurse2010]

Don't resign - if for no other reason than you won't be able to get unemployment. You may not get it anyway, but you definitely won't if you resign.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Do not resign. Not happy with your patient care is subjective, and I get that you don't want to get into too much, but what exactly does that mean? I would make an appointment with your manager, and spell out exactly what is is they feel you are not doing well, and how you could try and change that. Do you need brush up on skills? Critical thinking? Did you have a preceptor? ICU with or without experience as an LPN is quite challenging. I would definetely look around for other hospital experience, but I would not be quick to resign. Is ER something you would want to try? Post Partum? If maternity is your goal, then I am not seeing how CVICU is going to help you to get to that goal. I would be more apt to do one day a week at an OB's office that is tied to your hospital, or Home Health post partum visits. Become a lactation consultant--there are lots of classes that certify for that. And don't discount some good Med Surg experience. At least for a year. It will sharpen your critical thinking and clinical skills without the urgency of ICU. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Oh, and I would also make an appointment to speak with the maternity NM and see what it is you need to do/accomplish to be hired into that department.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Nursing is humbling. Being told your work is not up to standard is going to hurt.

Has your nurse manager given you specific ways in which you need to improve? Do you plan to make it work? Are these problems the sort that can carry over and follow you into med-surg or post-partum?

I suspect that if you do make it work on your current unit, you will develop confidence, strong skills and useful contacts that can help you land your dream job, even if the dream job is not ICU.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

People say, instructors included, that is best to have at least one year of med-surg experience under your belt before moving onto specialties or high acuity care like ICU. I would resign before being terminating. ICU for a new grad is tough, especially when you are just trying to figure out the workings of being a nurse.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Agree with the posters above who say this facility wants to keep you as an rn. Take the move, grow & learn.

If they want you out, they're not going to offer a transfer. Look at it as a door opening.

Good luck.