Stick it out or bail? 1st NP job-Please help!?!

[littleredmare]

Hello everyone,

I am faced with a dilemma--I have been working at my first NP job for about 5 months. My supervising physician has just told me that he is leaving the practice (he was AWESOME to work with) and I will now be assigned to 2 new Dr.s who are fine, but I don't get along with as well, and don't really want to take the time to teach and mentor a new NP. I work in an oncology infusion center. I see patients, write chemo orders, take care of some REALLY sick people. I am asked to see about 12-14 people a day, I do at least 2-3 hospital admissions a week. I feel so overwhelmed. I have talked to management and asked them not to double book my appointments, not to put really sick people on my schedule who are inappropriate for me to see (another more seasoned NP or MD should see them), and yet it KEEPS happening. Remember I am a new NP. I want to do a good job. But I am getting burned out. I feel like I get asked to do things out of my scope of practice, have asked for a practice agreement for months without any action, and feel over my head. I want to do a good job, and I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't know if what I am feeling is "learning curve jitters," or it's just a BAD situation. My supervising MD is leaving because he is sick of how things are going there (would have been nice for him to tell me when I got hired!) I am becoming more and more miserable, have lost like, 15 lbs because I never have time for lunch, let alone time to void, and it's just getting worse. What should I do? How bad does it look to leave job after a few months? I just feel that there are too many patients to be seen and somewhere along the line a mistake is going to get made. I love being an RN and I love taking care of people, but I can't give best care if I am over my head. I don't want to be a part of that !! Please help.

Littlered

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Personally, if you feel over your head, you probably are. On the other hand new NP jitters can be present too.

Given what you have posted, I would start looking.

[tencat]

If your gut is telling you to get out, listen to it.

[Sheri FNP-C]

Is it an option to go with your supervising physician?

I am brand new so I don't know that my opinion is the most valuable, however, I can tell you that I am extremely overwhelmed feeling as well. I can't even think about the fact that I am seeing about 1/2 the number of patients a day that I am ultimately expected to see as I get more experience.

It is a rude awakening to go from being a student that could take time to make sure all your i's are dotted and t's crossed to someone trying to figure out a multitude of vague complaints, examine an uncooperative child, establish a plan, thoroughly document and fill out the billing slip in just 15 to 30 minutes! In my opinion, the overwhelmed feeling and feeling like you could be responsible for causing harm to a patient because you felt rushed are normal. You are not alone, I feel this way and several other new NPs that I have talked to feel this way too.

However, so far I have supportive physicians. I had a practice agreement months before I started. I only get double booked when the doctor is double booked for every slot. I guess I am trying to say that they are super supportive so far. That is a huge difference between our situations. The mere fact that the new MDs aren't thrilled about mentoring and helping you grow as an NP would be enough to make me start looking.

[westcoastgirl]

this makes me wonder where you work as I was recruited to work at an oncology center (infusion also) and they'd take new grads.

I've had my share of trials and tribulations at my first job and I'm still here, mainly because the issues were with some administration people who've since gone away. Clinical situations are more pressing, in my opinion, and if there is really no support regarding mentoring or appropriate supervision then I would start looking.