The Case For Job Hopping

[Ruby Vee]

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"The nurses here are all mean to me -- it's a hostile work environment."

Actual excuse for leaving her fourth job in 12 months -- and remarkably similar to her reasons for leaving the other three jobs.

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"They're all bullies and pick on me for no reason!"

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"Crowds of mean people are following me all around!"

While I won't deny that bullies exist, there aren't any more bullies in nursing than there are in the general population. If you're having that much trouble with bullies, it's time to do some serious self examination. Chances are REAL good that it isn't THEM, it's YOU.

If you're having problems getting along with others, and those problems follow you from job to job, it's time to take a step back and figure out what it is that you're doing to irritate every co-worker you encounter. It took me too long to figure out that the co-workers in my second job really didn't want to hear how we did things in my first job. It took one particularly straightforward LPN asking me "IF it was so wonderful there, why did you leave?" to make me stop and think about what I was doing -- after I cried for awhile and blamed my coworkers for making my life miserable. After I figured things out, my coworkers were suddenly much nicer. It wasn't them, it was me.

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"It's a horrible work environment! I never get any praise, all they do is tell me what I'm doing wrong!"

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"I don't know what they want from me! I show up every day!"

(Real complaints from real new grads, neither of whom is still employed as a nurse. One of them is asking "do you want fries with that?" and the other is trying to convince her landlords that since they gave birth to her, she shouldn't have to pay rent.)

Not all of today's new grads by a long shot, but many of them, have been raised in the land of "everyone gets a trophy for just showing up" and parents who praised every move they made. I've heard that's a generational thing. Whether it is or isn't a generational thing, and perhaps it's a sweeping generalization, part of growing up is to realize that you aren't going to get praised for every soft, formed bowel movement or perfect attendance record. In the work world, you WILL hear about it when you screw up. Of course you will -- screwing up can kill someone, and even if you squeak by without killing someone THIS time, you may not be so lucky NEXT time. You may hear about it if you have a terrific idea that saves lives or money. On the other hand, sometimes your boss takes credit for the idea. You won't hear about it if you just do your job -- that's what they hired you for, and that's what they expect you to do. Learn to take pride in doing your job well, with or without praise from outside parties.

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"I'm miserable on nights -- I'm going to find a job that's straight days."

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"Some people just can't adjust to nights, and after a week, I know I'm one of them!"

The truth of the matter is that most of us are miserable on nights until we learn how to do them successfully -- which can take months. We can't sleep when we need to, can't stay awake when we have to and are nauseated when we're not ravenously hungry. We think slower, we move slower and we hate life sometimes. That's a normal part of night shift, and feeling that way doesn't make you special. It makes you normal. I know a lot of nurses who have shot themselves in the foot by changing jobs over and over in pursuit of day shift. They wind up in a specialty they don't like or a hospital with poor benefits and then they want to change jobs again.

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"My schedule sucks! This job is killing my social life!"

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"I can't work CHRISTMAS! I have small kids/lonely parents/a solo every year in the church choir!"

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"I don't know why the OLD nurses get such a good schedule and mine sucks!"

Chances are, the old nurse has a better schedule than you because she's been there for ten years and has seniority. Or maybe she's not constantly complaining about her schedule because she's accustomed to it and has made it work for her. One of the beauties of our profession is the flexible scheduling. If you absolutely cannot stand the thought of being at work while everyone else is at the barbecue, perhaps you shouldn't be looking for work in a hospital. If you are working or looking for work in a hospital because only some acute care experience will further your career goals, suck it up and live with the schedule for the two years it will take you to become competent in your job. There's a lot to be said for a "sucky schedule." I personally love going to the movies with my nurse friends on a Tuesday afternoon when no one else is there and the price of a ticket is only $6. Having three days off during the week is prime time to take the boat to that wonderful anchorage all our dock mates are raving about -- and we're the only boat there! Even the most crowded nation and state parks have a free camp site or two, and in the winter the ski lines are minimal. If you're married and have kids you can minimize child care costs by working when your husband is home.

Here's the truth:

Most people are exactly as happy as they make up their minds to be. You cannot choose what happens to you, but you can choose how to react to it.

Happiness comes not from getting whatever you want, but from wanting whatever you have.

And a final piece of wisdom -- wherever you go, you take yourself with you.

[Army]

I job hopped for 10 years - 5 different jobs. I went from making 42k a year to 70k a year. It seems if you want a decent pay raise, you have to be willing to job hop to get what you are worth or at least what you think you are worth.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

First off, I apologize for implying that happiness was so simple for someone with mental illness. I've watched people I care for struggle with it, and it is a different case than someone who just makes up their mind to be UNhappy.

I haven't run into any employers over the past 37 years who treat their employees like crap. Maybe I've just been incredibly fortunate, but I've worked on both coasts and in the midwest (ex husband was military and we got transferred every 2-4 years) and every single employer has been fair with me. I've been low-seniority -- once for the whole two years -- but I've been treated fairly. Lately, however, I've seen a growing trend for employers to not fully invest in new grads BECAUSE of the job hopping and the prevalent attitude that "I have to look out for number one." In fact, "looking out for number one" used to be a cliche about a selfish person. Now it's a rallying cry to justify bad faith toward your employer. Employers, including my own, have abandoned recruiting in favor of retention. BECAUSE of job hopping. I'm not going to complain about that, because as a long term employee, it benefits me. The job hopping came before the reluctance to invest in new grads, however.

I haven't seen constant put downs, either, although I have seen many MANY new grads and younger employees interpret constructive criticism as nastiness and bullying. You're right -- not all preceptors should BE preceptors. But to blame preceptors for being nasty and bullying rather than taking a look at the MESSAGE in the criticism that is less constructive than you would like is to be completely unprofessional and stunts your professional growth.

There is always an excuse to job hop. Always a "reason" why one's difficulties at work can be blamed on someone else. I'm saying that perhaps one ought to look inside rather than constantly chasing that greener grass on the other side of the fence.

I will say that it is highly unusual for one to have had an extensive nursing career and not come across poor management/crappy employers since it seems as though poor management, high nurse/patient ratios and overworked nurses are the norm, not the exception. From my personal experience, management doesn't care about its workers. It only cares about the bottom line, and unfortunately, to achieve that bottom line, it is the nursing staff who has to suffer with chronic under-staffing and low wages.

You've definitely been fortunate to not have had to endure such crappy facilities. I work in one that is borderline unsafe (like dumping a third ICU patient on a nurse who has two critically ill patients unsafe. Or shipping up patients from the ER to med-surge units in a hypertensive crisis without giving the nurse report unsafe (that patient was sent to a higher acuity floor, eventually) or expecting med-surg nurses to take care of eight patients at a time unsafe. In fact, at one such facility, nurses aren't even given a report from ER. They are expected to read through the patient's chart and "figure it out" from there.)

I don't think there is anything wrong with looking out for number one. In this day and age, it is imperative for people to watch their backs and CTAs, because employers surely aren't doing it. It may come off as selfish, but being selfish is not necessarily a bad thing. Employers have become more focused on the almighty dollar and capitalistic greed. Healthcare has become a business (which is unfortunate), and nurses have had to suffer because of it. Why should workers stay loyal to employers if employers treat them like garbage and underpay them?

I have no problem with constructive criticism, but some preceptors take that as a blank check to treat their preceptees poorly or to tear them down. To the preceptors who DON'T do this, I applaud you. We need patient preceptors, ones who don't mind correcting new grads, but do so in a way that is not destructive.

I do agree that if one is continuously job hopping (and not for relocation or better wages), he or she should do some inner reflection as to WHY he or she is job-hopping in the first place. If it IS because of unhappiness, he or she SHOULD give it time. But if they are still unhappy after a year? Maybe it is time to move on.

[Penholder]

Thank you! It took me a long time to learn this lesson-though thankfully before I am going to nursing school! I've seen the same in my decade as a cna (at two facilities and one office job).

[1sttime]

One reason I can think for this behavior is people who go into nursing because of the benefits of being well paid in healthcare, and relative job stability. I see too many new grad nurses who get into nursing for the wrong reasons; Nurses are paid well (Now) because our jobs are demanding.

When my mother and aunt became nurses you could make just as much as a cashier at a grocery store; when I started nursing my other college grad friends were making more. We all entered nursing because we had compassion for others, and a desire to provide care in their time of need (that need is 24/7).

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

“I’m miserable on nights -- I’m going to find a job that’s straight days.” “Some people just can’t adjust to nights, and after a week, I know I’m one of them!”

The truth of the matter is that most of us are miserable on nights until we learn how to do them successfully -- which can take months. We can't sleep when we need to, can't stay awake when we have to and are nauseated when we're not ravenously hungry. We think slower, we move slower and we hate life sometimes. That's a normal part of night shift, and feeling that way doesn't make you special. It makes you normal. I know a lot of nurses who have shot themselves in the foot by changing jobs over and over in pursuit of day shift. They wind up in a specialty they don't like or a hospital with poor benefits and then they want to change jobs again.

If you can't handle night shift, then you just are doing it wrong? No acknowledgment for differing physiological abilities to adapt? Or psychosocial? Are you aware that there are mountains of evidence showing shortened lifespans and health consequences for people who work night and worse, rotating shifts?

And it takes months? What about those who are rotating shifts? That is impossible to adjust to.

You cannot always choose what happens to you, but you can sure as heck try your dardnest to get what you want.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

If you can't handle night shift, then you just are doing it wrong? No acknowledgment for differing physiological abilities to adapt? Or psychosocial? Are you aware that there are mountains of evidence showing shortened lifespans and health consequences for people who work night and worse, rotating shifts?

And it takes months? What about those who are rotating shifts? That is impossible to adjust to.

You cannot always choose what happens to you, but you can sure as heck try your dardnest to get what you want.

^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^. My thoughts exactly!

[OCNRN63, RN]

First off, I apologize for implying that happiness was so simple for someone with mental illness. I've watched people I care for struggle with it, and it is a different case than someone who just makes up their mind to be UNhappy.

I haven't run into any employers over the past 37 years who treat their employees like crap. Maybe I've just been incredibly fortunate, but I've worked on both coasts and in the midwest (ex husband was military and we got transferred every 2-4 years) and every single employer has been fair with me. I've been low-seniority -- once for the whole two years -- but I've been treated fairly. Lately, however, I've seen a growing trend for employers to not fully invest in new grads BECAUSE of the job hopping and the prevalent attitude that "I have to look out for number one." In fact, "looking out for number one" used to be a cliche about a selfish person. Now it's a rallying cry to justify bad faith toward your employer. Employers, including my own, have abandoned recruiting in favor of retention. BECAUSE of job hopping. I'm not going to complain about that, because as a long term employee, it benefits me. The job hopping came before the reluctance to invest in new grads, however.

I haven't seen constant put downs, either, although I have seen many MANY new grads and younger employees interpret constructive criticism as nastiness and bullying. You're right -- not all preceptors should BE preceptors. But to blame preceptors for being nasty and bullying rather than taking a look at the MESSAGE in the criticism that is less constructive than you would like is to be completely unprofessional and stunts your professional growth.

There is always an excuse to job hop. Always a "reason" why one's difficulties at work can be blamed on someone else. I'm saying that perhaps one ought to look inside rather than constantly chasing that greener grass on the other side of the fence.

^^THIS^^

There are always going to be things that could be better, but I also haven't experienced the kind of abusive working environments that seem to be rampant per the posts you see here.

There's no perfect work environment, but in my experience, when you invest in your job, it makes it easier for mgmt. to invest in you. By that I mean going above the bare minimum: volunteer for committees; get your specialty certification; ask to participate in unit-based activities, like precepting, QA/QI, etc. Do more than just show up.

The last job I had before I had to leave working due to disability was the best paying job I ever had, with the best benefits I ever had. It took me 25 years to get that job, and I worked hard for it. I was sorry to have to give it up but thankful I had the chance to work there. The people I worked with still care about me and still help me, several years after I had to resign. That wouldn't have happened had I picked up and run at the first instance of a problem. Sometimes, you have to give it time to get those good relationships, those perks, or that pay raise.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for having said this, but meh...my experiences are no less valid than those of anyone else.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

To be fair OCRN, how could you know how bad other facilities are if you stayed with one for 25 years?

[OCNRN63, RN]

​ I didn't say I was there for 25 years. I said it took me 25 years to get that good job. I've had several jobs at different facilities prior to my last job.

[Aurora77]

I also take issue, as another poster stated, with constantly blaming current new grads for the "get a trophy for showing up" mentality, when there's no acknowledgement that the generation that TAUGHT that mentality are the ones currently in upper management/positions of seniority. It didn't just appear out of the ether -- it was taught and reinforced by society.

(Gosh, I feel like the whole thesis of my response is "it's cyclical!" Reactions cause new problems, which cause reactions, which cause new problems, which cause reactions . . .)

A million times this. ^^^

I don't believe in job hopping, though I do believe in looking out for one's best interest. What drives me batty in these discussion is the attitude described above. How can we blame people for behaving as their parents raised them to behave? If sweeping generalizations can be made about a generation, it can be generalized that their parents (those in management now) wanted them to be that way.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

If a nurse or group of nurses are constantly being accused of being bullies...maybe it is time for them to look in the mirror as well. It is not always the fault of the "everyone gets a trophy for just showing up" generation- WHICH by the way is not our fault, but the fault of the generation who decided to "hand out trophies to everyone who showed up". If someone is job hopping, perhaps they should look at travel nursing if possible- a "sanctioned" way to job hop and figure out where one's niche is.

If the accusation of being a bully is coming from only one demographic, chances are it's the problem of that demographic. If new nurses for the last generation have been coming on board without having a problem with that nurse or group of nurses, but suddenly there is a group that IS having a problem -- and no one else at work has noticed a change in that nurse's behavior, possibly it's the new group's issue. But you're never going to accept that, so let me address your other misconception.

Travel nursing is a sanctioned way to find an area in which you'd like to live. But it's not a sanctioned way to find one's niche in nursing. When one travels, one must travel in the specialty in which one is already trained and has at least two years of experience. It's not a way to sample different specialties. I'm all for travel nursing if you think you might like to live in Seattle or San Francsico or (shudder) New York City but aren't yet willing to fully commit. But it's not the way to find out of NICU, MICU or L & D is your niche.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I have found my true dream job and I have no plans of leaving.

I hate nights. My biggest complaint was the hour I had to drive home and the fact that something always seemed to happen and I just don't feel safe, don't feel like I can think properly. I have made some trade-offs to be able to work days.

I have seen many leave in the short time I have been where I am, some are legitimate-when you hire 22 yo new grads and they move 600-900 miles away from home, they get homesick. Others have left for the proverbial greener grass, but I have a feeling they will not be happy anywhere.

Do I have the perfect job, no. Could it be better. Yes. But I would not want to be anywhere else.