Too much, too soon. Please help!

[kara89]

Hey guys, I need opinions from you all on my situation because I am beyond clueless as to what to do.

I got my first RN job at an nonsubacute and subacute rehab center (technically classified as a SNF) the first of July. Luckily, because I was an RN and not an LVN they had me work on the subacute side where I only had 10 patients, instead of the 24 the LVNs had on the non subacute. It was overwhelming at first, but I know that every new grad is stressed out to begin with, so I just dealt with it. 2 months in, they switched me to being IV nurse, which meant I gave all IV meds to the 100+ patients in our facility. That was definitely stressful as well, but once again just something that I dealt with. Two weeks into doing IV, my DON called me and told me that they were promoting me to nurse supervisor for the NOC shift. I've been doing that for a few weeks now and it's been going okay, I guess. There's still SO much I don't know, and talking to doctors on the phone, writing orders for all the patients, doing admissions, being the one who decides if patients get "sent out" and calling the shots if someone starts to crash requires a lot of knowledge. It's doable and I'm learning slowly, just a little overwhelming for someone who has no experience, you know?

Anyway, on top of that, I'm doing my BSN full time which is stressful, and I think the most challenging part is that I'm a very structured person and thrive on a consistent schedule and switching back and forth between sleeping days and nights has wrecked havoc on my body. It's put me into some kind of situational depression. I can focus and fake happy at work, but I literally have cried myself to sleep so many times in the past month. It's so unlike me to be chronically unhappy that it's kind of scary.

So, that's my story.

Here are my questions:

1. Do you think that this position is asking too much out of a new grad? I'm a hard worker and I've never quit anything before in my life and I'm not about to start here, but goodness, I wish I knew more about what I was doing before I was put in a supervisor position. Are my frustrations justified, or is this typical for a SNF?

2. When is the soonest I can start applying for new jobs without looking like a bad worker? And when I do, do I put my current job down as work experience? Do I just request that they not call for a recommendation if the application requests it? I live in California where there are NO jobs available for new grads, so I NEED the experience desperately. Would working in a clinic or home health be okay? I just don't want to jump from job to job because I know that looks bad.

I don't know... I just really feel like I need some guidance here. Please help me!

[SubSippi]

I'm a new grad, and that seems like a lot to me. I'm curious...do you just feel overworked/overwhelmed, or do you feel like you might be putting patients at risk due to your lack of experience? Also, are you getting raises with these "promotions" or are they just tacking on more responsibility and trying to make it sound nice?

In my opinion, if you hate your job, it's never too early to start looking. But, you might want to try talking to some of your superiors. If you're doing a good job and not saying a word, then they don't realize there's a problem.

If you get an interview and they ask you why you're switching after such a short period of time, just say that job is more in line with your career goals, which are xyz.

Unless you feel like your license is on the line, I wouldn't quit until I found another job. To me, the stress of unemployment far outweighs the stress of a crappy job. But don't feel bad about quitting if you get another offer, if they want to keep people around longer they should think about improving the work conditions.

[SubSippi]

Sorry, I forgot about some of your questions. I think you should put your current job on your resume, you've worked there long enough to where you could sound dishonest if they find out. And three months experience looks better than none. It's best to let your current managers know that you're looking around. I've always wondered what the hiring managers think when people check the box for them to not call a place of employment...if it counts against the person applying for the job.

Don't let your current situation get you down too much. You've already done the hard part, finding your first job, and you're already 3+ months in. After a year more doors will open, and this time in your life will be a distant memory!

[llg, PhD, RN]

I suggest another route. Trying to go to school while trying to work full time is too much for most people to handle -- even nurses with years of experience. For a new grad who still doesn't have "her feet under her" professionally, it can be career suicide.

The title of your post sayis it all -- "Too much, too soon." You have taken on too much work, responsibility, and stress -- and you need to reduce your load.

Perhaps you should cut back on school a little bit (or take a brief break from school altogether for a semester) to get comfortable with your. School will be available next semester, too ... but a job might not be. Focus on the job for a while and successfully making that transition from student to professional. Get adequest rest and recreation, exercise and nutrition, etc. to manage your stress. Once you feel comfortable with your job, then you can increase your school load a bit.

Your feelings are common for new grads who try to take on too much, too soon. That's why I always recommend that new grads either postpone school until after they have worked for a few months or at least, just go to school part time. You need both mental and physical energy to successfully transition to the professional role -- and you won't have it to give to ANY job if you are spending a lot of it on school. You CAN have it all ... but you just might have to get it at a slightly slower pace.

[elkpark]

I agree with llg (as usual :)) -- making the transition from nursing student to practicing nurse is notoriously stressful and takes a lot of time and energy. Trying to go to school at the same time is setting yourself up to fail, IMO. You can always go to school later, down the road, but if you end up screwing up your career at this point, that might not be fix-able. I strongly suggest that you focus on your job for the time being, stay at that employer (if not that same position) at least long enough to "get over the hump" of adjusting to being a nurse, and put school "on hold" for the time being. Best wishes!

[kara89]

Thanks for the advice. I haven't even considered pausing my BSN program for awhile just because I want to get into a hospital asap and most hospitals here only hire BSNs. But maybe that is a good idea. I'm just afraid I'm going to reach a breaking point and won't be able to function well enough to do school OR work. I'll think about it and maybe put it on hold for at least a few months.

Thank you all so much! :)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Yet another reason why I always tell people that the "get an associate's degree and work on your BSN while you're earning a salary" is not a very good plan. The first year of nursing practice is hard, hard work; adding a strong academic program to it is nuts.

Ilg is right. School will be there later; your job won't be. Besides, when you have your BSN eventually, you'll have even more clinical experience behind it, which will make you a much more attractive candidate for work elsewhere. Hang in. And if you're that valuable to the SNF, negotiate for more regular hours. You are actually in a position of strength on that. Could be a win-win if you work it right. From Babitsky:

"In many instances, you are better off negotiating awin–win solution rather than forcing the party you are negotiating with into

a marginal deal. You win in win–win deals because they allow you to build

long-term, stable, and mutually beneficial relationships. You lose in win–lose

deals because they cause you to leave a sour taste in the other party’s mouth

and potentially poison the well, thus preventing you from engaging in future

business deals with them."