What are other hospitals like?

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I'm still a bit of a new grad. I've been working in a hospital setting for a little bit over 6 months now.

I moved out of state for this job and I plan to one day move back (maybe in a couple of years) because I miss my family, but I love the atmosphere of my hospital and I worry that other hospitals will not be the same.

I don't know how independent hospitals expect their nurses to be. Right now, if I have a question or am unsure about anything, I can go to my charge nurse and ask. And where I am right now, I always have one or two questions to ask during a shift.

Our charge nurses even do a lot of IV starts for us.

Is this the norm in other hospitals?

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I would try to stay for 1 year, at least. It looks better on your resume. It sounds like you have a good working environment and supportive CN. Dont take that for granted.

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I do plan to stay for at least a year, probably two. But I have no family out here, and I miss everyone.

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Specializes in PCU.

It all depends honestly, where I work there is a big change from our day shift crew and night shift crew. I work nights and I feel we all help each other out no matter what and people aren't afraid to ask questions or for help because of this. I had to be charge on days while on light duty and I noticed on days people are afraid to ask some for help, many get left to drown unless you are friendly with the right people, and just overall they are a lot more snarky with each other. So again I would say its kind of just luck and if you really enjoy the atmosphere you are in hopefully you can find the same one closer to family.

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It is not really different by hospital, but each shift and department has its own "personality".

You could move home to a hospital and find yourself in a department were new nurses are given lots of help and the atmosphere is calm. You could also find yourself in a unit patched together by float nurses, agency nurses, lots of inexperienced nurses and a few overwhelmed senior nurses trying to keep the place running.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Charge starting IVs? That made me giggle. That doesn't happen where I work. However, we DO start IVs for one another if someone is having trouble and our floor is one of camaraderie. We run things by each other all the time. So yes, there are other happy hospital positions to be had. When you start interviewing be sure you keep the atmosphere in mind as you also interview ​them.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I've worked in two hospitals, and the difference was night and day. I've come to the conclusion that if I had stayed at my old job, I would have thought I hated nursing, when in fact it was the hospital.

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RNperdiem and notdoneyet right on the dot.

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Really? If I try and can't get an IV start, then the charge nurse does it. Or once in awhile, if we're very busy and we need the IV right away, the charge will go ahead and do it.

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There is an IV team for those difficult sticks in my hospital. I have also had the charge nurse or another nurse help with my IV starts too. Nursing is run on a lot of reciprocity. You help your fellow nurses check blood, turn the patient or cover lunch, and you will usually get the help you need if teamwork is part of your unit culture.

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I've worked in two hospitals, and the difference was night and day. I've come to the conclusion that if I had stayed at my old job, I would have thought I hated nursing, when in fact it was the hospital.

Same here. Nursing is a tough career but it's not horrible. If you ever find yourself hating nursing, try a change in scenery.

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