Unhappy with CCU job after one week

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Dear Nurse Beth,

I have been a nurse almost 20 years and have mostly done med/surg and step down ICU. Have floated to CCU during Covid. So I moved recently and took a CCU position at this new job. However, already a week into the job I am unhappy with it.

I have not gotten any orientation, no training to computer system, just thrown in with a "preceptor" and left to figure it out on my own pretty much. CCU is new to me and uncomfortable. I have plenty to learn and was OK with that at my last hospital because I had the support there. But don't feel the support now.

There's no techs to help with turns and baths, the computer system is so outdated I can't figure it out. And the nurses are routinely tripled in CCU which means they don't have time to really explain or teach. They just jump in and do cause in CCU you don't have the time to say "wait don't code while I explain things".

I already want to start looking for a new job at a different facility with an updated charting system and better orientation. Who knows if that's even out there. And hopefully out of bedside patient care. I only accepted this position because there wasn't anything available at the time not at the bedside.

But now I'm regretting this and so many red flags. Don't feel like I am giving the best care I can when I feel so much like a fish out of water and without the help I need. I mean what kind of CCU doesn't use techs to help with daily care? What do I do? I have no clue what I would be interested in or happy doing outside bedside nursing.

Never worked in an office to know if I'd like it or what to do. But I am over bedside. And do I job search and put a 2 week notice in and risk being put on a do not hire list with this Health system? Or tough it out longer since it's only been a week? I need advice of what to do. I've always stayed at jobs for years! Never even thought to leave after only a few shifts. But don't like what I already see.

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2 Answers

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Uncomfortable,

You need to make a plan. So while making your plan, stay put. You don't want to jump from the frying pan into the fire, because, as you say, you have no clue what you'd be interested in outside of patient care.

Are you sure you are done with bedside nursing? Hopefully you have your BSN because it is required for many non-bedside positions, such as case management, infection prevention, nursing management, public health nursing.

Routinely having 3 patients in CCU and no techs is not a good working environment. There are ICUs without techs or nursing assistants, but the combination of no help and 3 patients could easily turn into an unsafe situation. It stands to reason the nurses are too stressed to give you a proper orientation. 

  • You could plan to leave as soon as possible and start looking for another position. If there are a lot of options in your area, then being placed on their Do Not Hire list is just the price you pay for getting out of a bad situation, and may not affect you all that much, especially if you plan to never work for that system again.
  • Alternatively, you could give yourself a little more time. You would definitely adjust to the computer system, and even to having no techs, but routinely having 3 ICU level patients is something you may decide is untenable.

Whichever you decide, start exploring non-bedside jobs. If you aren't completely sure you are done with bedside patient care at this time, you probabaly will be soon. It's good to plan for that time. Register on indeed.com, using non-bedside as a filter, and you will quickly get an idea of the many different types of jobs out there.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Many ICUs do not have techs.  The nurses are responsible for total care.  My unit has only recently started hiring techs, but it's one tech for 30 patients so it's not much help.  

Bring tripled absolutely sucks and is unsafe.  And you should be getting an orientation seeing as how you haven't worked critical care before.  Maybe you need to bring up to your manager that you need an actual orientation.

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