Different job, same feeling

Specialties MICU

Published

I spent my first year of nursing on a hectic and chronically understaffed med surg post op floor. I was miserable and spent the entire year thinking of ways to get out of nursing as a whole. I left that hellhole as soon as my year was up to go to the SICU at another hospital. I thought that maybe the change of scenery would remind me why I wanted to be a nurse in the first place. Unfortunately, I dont care for the SICU at all either. The environment is so hostile and causes me a lot of anxiety. I like working on sick patients but my coworkers are so passive aggressive and pretentious that it makes the environment unbearable. They treat those of us who are newer like trash. I try to prove myself competent but it's exhausting working in a high stress environment and also having to worry about how petty the people who are supposed to be working with you are. I don't know what to do at this point because they require a two year commitment and I am about six months in. Any non clinical job options I may have with 3 years of nursing experience? MAsters education? I really am starting to think that this field of work is not for me and all this education was a waste of time and money.

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Specializes in ER.

A two year commitment, or what? Did they give you a bonus, or make you sign a contract? If its a hostile work environment, move on. I bet you can get any ICU job you like, if you are currently employed in one. I've worked in those hostile units, and it can beat you down so you feel stupid and worthless. Don't stay.

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It's a verbal commitment but it's one of the largest hospital systems in my state and I don't want to burn any bridges. I've only been here about 7 months so I don't want to look like a job hppper after leaving my first position after a year. It's all a lot swimming around in my head.

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2 years is a long time to be unhappy. I would maybe talk to the manager or director or nurse recruiter (tread carefully if you do this) about what issues you have in a constructive way. The manager may be unaware of it and wonder why they are having a hard time retaining employees, and it sounds like that might be the case if they are trying to require a 2 year commitment. If you are uncomfortable doing that, look for a PRN job elsewhere. Many people work PRN as a second job so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary. It is easier to explain taking a PRN job that you enjoyed more and were offered full time there, than looking like you job hop by just looking for another full time job.

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