Switching Jobs after Six Months?

[SpammyJ, BSN]

Hi all,

I’ve been working on a neurological ICU for six months, and this is my first job. I love my coworkers, but I’ve been struggling emotionally with this job a lot. I believe part of it is because I work nights, which has led to what I would call moderate depression. Also, most of my patients end up dead, point blank. I see their names every week in the obituaries (which I have tried to avoid). When I accepted this position, it was my #2 choice. I’ve known since I was 15 that I wanted to work in L&D but I know it’s difficult to get in. I figured ICU nursing would at least get me accustomed to critical patients, and when I interviewed for an L&D floor, the manager told me ICU experience would be very helpful down the road to get into L&D. I’m at the point now where I could do a lateral transfer to another unit, or I could just find a job at another hospital. I love my coworkers and love caring for patients, and I feel like I have handled the clinical skills well. I’ve been depressed though. I’m going to start counseling soon, but I have severe anxiety about work and often struggle to connect with my patients because as I said, most of them die and I don’t get closure. I understand that this is to be expected but it’s been rough. I’ve had nightmares about work where I don’t even go into my patient’s rooms because I know they’re going to die anyways and I can’t let myself see their faces. I still practice to the highest standard and always care for my patients with all the emotional energy I can muster, but it’s draining everything I have to give with friends and dating and my family. I have plans to attend graduate school to be a midwife, which usually require 1-2 years of L&D experience to even apply. Basically, I’m wondering if it looks bad to transfer after six months because even though I love my coworkers and my patients, I’ve been getting more and more depressed on this unit. My manager just talked about an opening for day shift here and that might help but it would still be temporary because I know this unit isn’t my future.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Neuro ICU can be a tragic place sometimes.

You can try to transfer withing the hospital, but it is unlikely to happen. The L&D manager would have to deal with the political fallout of "poaching" another department's new grad off of orientation forcing Neuro ICU to go through the expense of hiring and orienteering another nurse. Six months is still a new grad.

If I was in your position, I would ask about working day shift. Tell the manager that I would be very interested in the day shift position.

The other option would be to apply to outside hospital L&D positions. Apply to many and if you are willing to move for a job, the more places you can apply.

[Seeing Myself Out]

Six months is a little short. I have switched placed after 8 months multiple times, left on good terms but still feel a little uncomfortable when I include those short employment lengths on job applications/resume while I spent about 3 years each on other jobs I had. I have been working with a staffing agency for the past 2 and half years, feels less uncomfortable jumping ship after that long.