Think I made a mistake !! Any advice??

[JLB1215]

Hi everyone so I have been a critical care nurse for 5 years now. I was working part time days for quite a while and the hospital I worked at was about a 45 minute drive from my home. (Sometimes longner with traffic) I have 2 young kids and being so far from home has become harder and harder. I decided to start looking for a new position at a hospital closer to my house. I knew someone who is best friends with the nurse manager in the ICU at this closer hospital and was able to get a part time nights position. Nights is definitely not ideal for my family but I figured I can suck it up and deal until something else hopefully comes along. I truly wanted a PACU position but figured I would get my foot in the door here and then make the switch at some point when the position becomes available. After getting hired and starting orientation I was told by the union you can’t leave your unit for 18months!! I was thinking maybe 6 months a year but 18 months? Now I’m so upset because nights really wasn’t something I wanted to do for that long, the day shift in this unit is actually so horrible. They are very “cliquey” and barely have time to do things for themselves let alone help out as a team. The other night I came on to intubation a patient who didn’t have a pulse ox on for 4 hours!! She was intubate because no one saw her pulse ox in the toilet. The only benefits about switching hospitals so far have been the distance to my house and more pay. They require 10x more charting then my old job and the day staff is absolutely so mean. Actually almost everyone I’ve come in contact with here has an attitude and is so rude! I’m miserable and I feel like I made a mistake and am not sure what I should do now. My old job would take me back in a heartbeat but I really would want a pacu position. Also I can’t lose my benefits since I carry them for my family and already my new benefits don’t start until April 1st. Any advice???

[Wuzzie]

I’ve worked in mean ICU’S. It doesn’t get any better. RUN! Sacrificing your happiness for a unit you can’t even possibly think of movingly to for 18 months is so not worth it.

[JLB1215]

Thank you so much! As the days go on I’m seeing this more and more. I just dread going there. I was recently told by someone that other RNs take pictures in the rooms of things you do wrong and send to nurse manager. Like this job isn’t stressful enough ?