Hello. How long will you give yourself tome in the bedside before you know its not a good fit? Im working in the hospital, 3 months in and im burned out. My anxiety is over the roof. Ended taking antidepressants. My sister, who is also a nurse told me to suck it up for two years and I just can’t.

Not everyone is a fan of the hospital setting and that is okay! Nursing has different fields you can try and you are not limited. I would consider looking into a different department before you leave as applying as an external applicant is always much more competitive. If all fails you really don't want to be in the hospital, IT IS OKAY! There are other bedside nursing jobs that won't make you take antidepressants or feel like you are falling apart. You can try outpatient being a clinic, urgent care, primary or specialty care. Also there is other types such as community nursing and school nursing. You are not your sister and there is nothing wrong with that. Just because you don't like the same things and worked through nursing in different ways does not make you any less of a nurse! Focus on what you want and what makes YOU happy. All goes to hell you can always re-apply to hospitals as they are always desperate. If you want to leave with something to show on your resume try to atleast hit the 6 month mark then leave cordially. Goodluck with YOUR endeavors.

Btw, I am a nurse and this job title is old lol

It’s common to feel like that. You feel very anxious before your shifts because you don’t know much. As you gain confidence you’ll feel less anxious and burned out. 6 months in I was out on antidepressants for anxiety but now, I have over 2 years of experience and don’t hate it as much. I’m not gonna lie and tell you I love it because I don’t, it’s so much and we’re always short staffed, but overall, it got better. Hopefully you feel the same! If it’s affecting you too much, then maybe bedside isn’t for you. Try working at a clinic or something. Good luck!

I quit bedside after 3 months of anxiety attacks, taking it the stress out on my kids and husband, etc. i found a new job within 2 weeks of leaving. I can definitely say my mental health was more important than my previous job.

If you are burnt out, you are burnout. Find something else to do. There's more to nursing than being bedside

Has anyone here tried case management job without taking certifcation or class for it. Just bedside experience and being RN is it enough?

I felt huge anxiety for the first year or two; and each time that I changed positions I felt pretty nervous at first. Confidence comes with experience and if you think about it when we get our licenses, it basically says we’re OK to start learning more as nurses. It’s OK to call on colleagues for advice and call the doctors and if they’re snooty just let it roll off your back.

Assisted living involves passing meds but sometimes they have a med aid and that might be a lighter area of work. You could always ask to shadow a nurse at a place that you’re interested in and see what you think of it.

I remember my first day as an RN and I was working in a nursing home that had a vent unit, a skilled nursing unit, and a long term care unit. I started my shift and was walking down the hallway and somebody said I have chest pain and I thought oh my gosh I’m gonna get the nurse lol. I am the nurse, agghh! That’s when the learning started.

I had the same issues as a new nurse at the bedside. I stuck it out for 8 months during Covid and then called it quits. Went to outpatient care. I am currently looking to transition to case management without a certification or masters. Depending on the job, they may not require a masters degree or previous experience.

Depends on what your goal is…. I forced myself to stay 2 years so that I could apply for other jobs such as case management. But if the burnout is really really bad, your mental health is not worth it.

Hi! I’m in the same position. I’m 8 months in as a new grad in my hospital position. My anxiety is pretty bad too, especially on my days off.

I’m telling myself to suck it up for at least a year. But honeslty it does seem easier as the months progress, you might feel less burnt out once you become more confident in yourself as a nurse. I definitely look forward to going to work more now compared to when I initially started. But try to go easy on yourself because you are new and mistakes are inevitable. It will all work out.

I lasted 1 month on a unit I thought I'd like, I've been a nurse for 10 years tho.

Your mental health is not worth the stress.

I agree with the other posters, stay and apply in other areas as an internal applicant. While you wait please go talk to your nurse manager and let them know what is going on. They may be able to adjust your schedule and work with you for the time being. ❤️

If you're questioning it, I think it's time to leave

your done, find another opportunity or take a vacation

First of all at 3 months you should just be getting off orientation. I know that’s not how it is today but that’s part of the reason you have anxiety. There is a big knowledge deficit as you transition from a new nurse into hospital nursing and a good orientation does a lot to help that. It takes a good year until you start to have confidence in yourself on a daily basis. Hospital nursing is hard. Give yourself grace. Talk to your unit manager and ask if you can be mentored in areas where you still need experience. If you’re lucky you will have a good manager who will see that investing time to keep you will be worth the investment. Try to stick it out for at least a year if you can because that experience will be invaluable if you decide to pursue a different area in nursing.