Was that a dumb decision?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 16, 2011

I've moved your post to the "First Year After Nursing Licensure" forum to encourage more feedback.

Also, time management is something that improves with time and experience. I remember the frustration of feeling like I was so slow ... like I was moving underwater while everyone else was at normal speed, haha. After a while, you get a rhythm down, and things improve. There will always be those shifts that drain the life out of you, of course, but as you become more adept, you'll figure out how to get it all done, including bathroom breaks!! :)

talaxandra · Oct 16, 2011

Like Lunah says, time management is something that you only get with experience, and a lot of it is so hard to see how other people are managing so well with the same (or heavier) patient load.

Something I found helpful when I starte dout (a hundred years ago, when the patient acuity was significantly less than now) was telling my patients I'd be back in an hour and that, though I was happy to get anything they needed in the interim, is they could ask now or wait that'd be great. Often that was enough, provided I actually did go back in under an hour, to drop the call bell intensity enough for me to keep my head in the game.

Good luck :)

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 16, 2011

Is there a pharmaceutical reason why the 5:30 meds can't be given at 6? and the 8s and 10s given at 9? (some places have a 1 hour window that would cover that; others only have 30 minutes).

Before you leave a room, check water, kleenex, remote for the TV, etc. Ask if they need anything, and let them know you'll be back in an hour. (or whatever). It's ok to set some limits on the random stuff- if they need a poop scoop, that's a bit hard to put off..

As far as the meal breaks- that's pretty common; I don't remember any consistent breaks while working the floor...keep granola bars, or yogurt around that you can poke in to at least get something in (you will encounter this in other places).

I'm sad you resigned, but only you know what it was like :) The first job is hard. There is a lot to learn re: time management and just getting your own routine down :up:

I hope the next place works out better :)

elkpark · Oct 16, 2011

You said you have decided to resign but not that you've actually done it yet. If you haven't, I'd encourage you to stick with where you are and continue working on your time management and organization skills. What you describe is pretty standard for four months into nursing, and I guarantee you lots of other new nurses are feeling exactly the way you do. The transition from nursing student to practicing nurse is notoriously difficult and stressful, and typically takes around a year for people to start really feeling comfortable at all. You will face many of the same challenges at whatever job you take next, and, at some point, you just have to hunker down and live through it until you come out the other side. All of us here did, and survived. :) Things will get better as more time passes.

Best wishes for your journey!

NoviceRN10 · Oct 17, 2011

Do you have any mentors on your unit you can go to for advice on how to handle the constant demands of your patients? Do you do computer charting or paper? When I worked 7p-7a I would make it a point to chart on a pt as soon as I had gone in to do my assesssment, before I went on to the next one. We do computer charting at my hospital so it's a quick 2-3 minute form to fill in. We are supposed to ask pts every time we leave them if they need anything but I find if I do that I am constantly running back and forth to the pantry or clean utility because apparently our nurse aides don't ask the pts if they need anything before they exit the rooms. I swear the pts think only nurses can get them what they need :rolleyes: . You have only been on your own for less than a month so give yourself a break! You will figure out how to manage your time better and also the pts, because they require some managing too, you can't be at their beck and call constantly and they shouldn't need that.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 17, 2011

I think you have gotten some good advice in the responses above.

It's "normal" to feel overwhelmed and tired at this point in your role transition. I would be hesitant to resign unless you have another job already lined up. Find some mentors and stick it out a little more if you can. Most new nurses find that their time management skills improve 2 or 3 months after being on their own ... and the "reality shock" goes away as their time management skills improve.

Quitting won't improve your skills -- it will just delay their development and you'll have to start over somewhere else. If your colleagues are good, give them a chance to help you. Places with good colleagues are hard to find.

jpeters84 · Oct 18, 2011

I've so been there. I had 6 weeks straight where my assignment were so busy I wasn't able to chart until the end. I was having to stay long after. I was starting to dread coming to work and I started to feel burned out...after 8 months as a new grad. The one thing I know to be true is that there are many ups and downs your first year and that the good days are really good and the bad ones are well..really bad. I did the big "don't" when it got to be too much and called-in sick. I felt bad doing it, but I just couldn't get out of bed and face the stress and craziness one more day. I slept all day, took a bath, made an appointment for the hospitals counseling service, made a plan to find one of my preceptors and vent, and talked to my charge nurses that I have good relationships with and let them know how I was feeling. Things improved pretty greatly after all that. I started getting more manageable assignments. I started sleeping and feeling better. I found how powerful venting to a professional can be. I think you should stay with your job. It sounds incredibly challenging and really exhausting but if work hard at self-care you might be able to turn it around and find yourself feeling better about it. No matter what don't take it personal. Sometimes what these floors expect of us can be so unrealistic. Know that you are not alone in feeling this way!

MJB2010 · Oct 18, 2011

Long story short, I've been at my job for about four months. Took me six months to finally receive my first offer and without hesitation I took it. I have been on my own for three weeks now and I am completely burnt out. The last three shifts I've worked I haven't been able to take a break to eat or even chart. My charting is pushed til the end of shift because of pts constantly calling for random things such as needing a cup of water or cleaning them up after a bowel movement (I work with spinal cord pts who are unable to do these things for themselves). I have te help of amazing techs who are constantly busy and the clerks dont call me unless the techs are busy. It might be my time management, but if pts are constantly calling and managers telling us to never ignore call lights, I don't know how to fix the problem! I always have about six pts in my assignment who are usually stable, but during my shift pts receive meds at 4 530 6 8 10 o'clock, bowel programs, and on top of that admissions can come at any time during the shift. The other day it just was too much and I broke down at work and just couldn't focus on what I was doing anymore. It has come to the point where I've decided to resign because my stress level has been through the roof, but I'm scared it was the wrong decision. My family has been very supportive and have put my health as top priority but with the job market so tight, I'm scared I've made the worst decision. Maybe floor nursing just isnt for me All input is welcome please!

I quit my first RN job after 6 months. I often wonder if that was a bad decision. I have been at my current job for 9 months now and it is SO MUCH BETTER! But let's be honest here, when I was working on that med surg floor with a joke of an orientation this is how I felt: Sick to my stomach the entire day before my shift, couldn't sleep, lost 21 lbs in 2 months and looked sick, could not eat, could not think about anything other than work. I would lay awake wondering about mistakes I made or if I forgot to bring a patient the juice she asked for. I was constantly having bad dreams about making mistakes and killing people. I sat in my car dreading going in the building. I always left feeling like I did a poor job. With 10 patients there is no way you can properly care for all of them. I cried all the way home most days. My coworkers were not very supportive we had a lot of turn over on my floor and a lot of agency nurses. (the agency nurses were actually a wealth of knowledge if you found one that was approachable)

Do I regret leaving that job? Not really. Occasionally I wish I had stuck it out longer, but I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that place was not a good fit for me.

Move on, you will find something else. Now you know what you do not want to do, so on to finding out what you DO want to do. There are a lot of areas in nursing and you have only tried one so don't let it get you down. I am making more money, have a better schedule, and have much better benefits than I did at that dreadful place. Anyway my point is, only YOU know what your limit is and what is right for you.

My best advice - DO NOT QUIT UNTIL YOU FIND ANOTHER JOB. It is easier to find a job when you have one.

Lifeofanurse · Oct 24, 2011

I quit my first RN job after 6 months. I often wonder if that was a bad decision. I have been at my current job for 9 months now and it is SO MUCH BETTER! But let's be honest here, when I was working on that med surg floor with a joke of an orientation this is how I felt: Sick to my stomach the entire day before my shift, couldn't sleep, lost 21 lbs in 2 months and looked sick, could not eat, could not think about anything other than work. I would lay awake wondering about mistakes I made or if I forgot to bring a patient the juice she asked for. I was constantly having bad dreams about making mistakes and killing people. I sat in my car dreading going in the building. I always left feeling like I did a poor job. With 10 patients there is no way you can properly care for all of them. I cried all the way home most days. My coworkers were not very supportive we had a lot of turn over on my floor and a lot of agency nurses. (the agency nurses were actually a wealth of knowledge if you found one that was approachable)
Do I regret leaving that job? Not really. Occasionally I wish I had stuck it out longer, but I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that place was not a good fit for me.
Move on, you will find something else. Now you know what you do not want to do, so on to finding out what you DO want to do. There are a lot of areas in nursing and you have only tried one so don't let it get you down. I am making more money, have a better schedule, and have much better benefits than I did at that dreadful place. Anyway my point is, only YOU know what your limit is and what is right for you.
My best advice - DO NOT QUIT UNTIL YOU FIND ANOTHER JOB. It is easier to find a job when you have one.

Excellent advice.

I'm taking it and I'm not even in your situation. I'm jobless.

but I while I know I have to pay my dues...I won't take a job that I know I am not capable of. I honestly can't handle a huge ratio of patients...certainly not on days..when the chaos factor is high. Nights..sure. I am confident I can.

What to do I want? A night shift 10p-6a.

I keep hearing....new grads will HAVE to do nights etc... ok..so someone point me in the right direction because I could have had a 6a-2p with a massive patient to nurse ratio that I knew I couldnt' do safely. Not for them or me.

So I shadowed. knew I couldn't pull it off and told them so at the official interview that afternoon. I did however ask they keep me in mind for a slower pace shift...for now. As I am a brand new grad with zero experience with more than 6 pts.

I'm being patient but it's hard. I'm depressed. I put a year of my heart and soul into LVN school. My family sacrificed like you wouldn't believe...and now I can't find a job.

but the right job WILL come. I have faith. and I'll keep huntinig.

You should too. What is right for one person isn't always right for another. Do what you need to for YOU...not because of what everyone else says. Good Luck to us both!!

donnaalyssa · Oct 28, 2011

Thank you everyone for your input! I really appreciate every single one of your comments and have taken to heart alot of what you all have said. Tomorrow is my last day on the unit and I really think my new job (part time three physician pediatric office to become full time) will be a step in the right direction for my passion which is pediatrics. Over the last two weeks, the unit has been extremely slow and the census is also low which included me being cancelled twice a row. These two days gave me time to really think about my decision to resign and I really believe I can handle the moments it gets busy on the unit, but do I really want to stay in rehab? I want to be exposed to so many different things as a new nurse and use what I learned in nursing school rather than pass meds all day and clean up patients. (this is not talking about all rehab, just what i've experienced on my unit) Time management has been my biggest struggle, not particularly unstable pts. I have such a HUGE desire to learn so many different things and I'm HOPING the pediatric office will expose me to more than just a pt needing a bowel program or a pt needing a cup of water.

SweetheartRN · Oct 29, 2011

Thank you everyone for your input! I really appreciate every single one of your comments and have taken to heart alot of what you all have said. Tomorrow is my last day on the unit and I really think my new job (part time three physician pediatric office to become full time) will be a step in the right direction for my passion which is pediatrics. Over the last two weeks, the unit has been extremely slow and the census is also low which included me being cancelled twice a row. These two days gave me time to really think about my decision to resign and I really believe I can handle the moments it gets busy on the unit, but do I really want to stay in rehab? I want to be exposed to so many different things as a new nurse and use what I learned in nursing school rather than pass meds all day and clean up patients. (this is not talking about all rehab, just what i've experienced on my unit) Time management has been my biggest struggle, not particularly unstable pts. I have such a HUGE desire to learn so many different things and I'm HOPING the pediatric office will expose me to more than just a pt needing a bowel program or a pt needing a cup of water.

Do what is best for you irregardless of the reasons why. Its your health, stress level, etc...Nursing is hardwork...which I don't mind, but what makes me upset is that they make it so much harder than it has to be with the bare minimum staff to patient ratios. I don't mind cleaning backsides, giving baths, getting water, etc. but when you have one pct on the floor and I've got tons of pills to pass, fluids to hang, assessments to do, let alone chart, and I need to pee, kissed my lunch goodbye...its just surpassed what I want to deal with. I love doing nursing care, but I feel like its just an unecessary three ring circus when there is not enough time or help to realistically get it all done on the floor. It looks unprofessional as well to be running from one room to the next and I'm getting out. I have no desire to learn to make it work for me. You're seen as a failure if you don't want to handle chaos everyday. I'm not going to do a job that I don't feel like I'm able to give my best care anymore. Nurses on my floor who have been there years say it doesn't get better. Now thats a red flag if I've ever seen one. :eek: The difference between them and me is that I'm not in debt and don't need this job financially, which is why I suspect many of my coworkers are still there. Sometimes its not just about your time management, sometimes its high acuity patients plus low staff to patient ratios making it impossible to complete everything thats set before you. I know this because the experienced have those days pretty ofen along with me.

I hope the peds office works for you. Check out my post on why I love the peds office job I'm going back to:https://allnurses.com/nursing-career-advice/i-hate-being-633213-page2.html#post5790837