Unhappy in unit

[bexspn]

Hi, I don't have much hope for responses since my last topic got none, but I just thought I'd ask anyways since I really don't know who else to talk to about this.

I'm a new grad nurse who just started in the cardiac tele unit last July, and I really don't enjoy where I work. Working in the NICU has always been my dream, but when I was applying for jobs they didn't have any open positions. I told myself I'd work where I am for a least a year, but I find myself dreading work and I don't enjoy it at all.

How long do you think it's appropriate to wait before I can talk to the NICU manager or start looking for open positions? I don't want to just abandon my unit right after getting hired, but I don't know how long I can keep going on this unit.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

I don't believe in being miserable anywhere, especially places where I spend 12 hours a day. I'd contact the NICU manager and introduce myself and express my desire to move.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

I replied on your other thread. Since you are finishing orientation and have been in the hospital since July, there is most likely a restriction on transferring for a certain amount of time. The hospital is not going to pay for back to back orientations. Look up your HR policy.

[anapap]

I think the general rule of thumb is to wait a year. However, you can go talk to the NICU manager and let him or her know that you want to transfer to their unit as soon as you have fulfilled your commitment to your current unit.

[jpeters84]

There's no easy answer here. Different managers and different units are going to have different philosophies. Some will take you right away, some will want you to get more acute care experience than a couple of months, some will have training programs in-place for experienced nurses transitioning over. The problem is that a new grad with less than a year, really is a new grad. So unless this hospital has a new grad training program I think you're going to be doing at least a year in your tele unit. The other problem is your current unit. If your current nurse manager gets wind of this you can really get yourself in a bad spot. I say do some research on your own. If your hospital has an NICU new grad program than I say talk to the NICU nurse manager right away and see if you can't get a spot in the new grad program. If they don't then I wouldn't talk to anyone, do your absolute best to make it a year on your tele floor and then after a year talk to the NICU nurse manager and see if you can't make it happen. But if I were a nurse manager no way would I take someone with less than a year acute care experience into the nicu unless it was to start in a new grad training program for the NICU. If there are any other hospitals in your area with nicu new grad programs I would look into those as well. Best of luck to you!