Hi everyone! 👋🏾 I’m a 22-year-old new grad RN, about four months into a 12-month nurse residency on a Neuro Progressive Care Unit. I’ve been thinking about leaving my residency for a while now, and I’m honestly struggling with the decision. The thing is, I genuinely love being a nurse. I enjoy taking care of my patients, learning new things, developing my clinical judgment, and working in the hospital. I don’t regret choosing nursing. But I’m exhausted. 😔😔 I started my orientation on night shift for a month, then switched to days for a month, and now I’m back on nights. I initially thought returning to nights would help, but I’m realizing that the schedule and lifestyle might not be sustainable for me. I’m working three 12-hour shifts a week, but they’re often scattered throughout the schedule. Sometimes I only have two consecutive days off before going back. I also have a 30-minute commute each way, so between working, driving, getting home, showering, eating, and trying to get enough sleep, I feel like I barely have time for myself. By the time I’ve recovered, caught up on sleep, and finally started enjoying my time at home, it’s time to return to work again. I’ve tried addressing my scheduling concerns with management, and while they’ve been understanding, staffing needs make it difficult to accommodate my preferences. Ideally, I’d love to cluster my three shifts together and have four consecutive days off, but that hasn’t been consistently possible. Lately, I’ve been crying before almost every shift because I genuinely don’t want to leave home. I love spending time with my family, sleeping at night, and enjoying my hobbies. Even on my days off, I sometimes find myself dreading going back. 🥺 I’ve started considering outpatient nursing, particularly women’s health, or possibly transitioning into perioperative nursing. I still want to grow professionally, but I also want a career that allows me to have a life outside of work. Part of me feels like I should push through and complete my first year for the experience and stability. Another part of me wonders whether staying somewhere that’s affecting me this much is really worth it. I haven’t made any decisions, and I don’t want to leave impulsively. For nurses who’ve experienced something similar: Did you leave your first nursing job or residency before completing a year? Did leaving early affect your ability to find another RN position? Did switching to outpatient or another specialty improve your work-life balance? Would you recommend sticking it out or exploring other opportunities? I’d appreciate any advice or personal experiences, especially from nurses who genuinely enjoyed their work but struggled with the schedule and lifestyle. Thank you! ❤️   submitted by   /u/Clever_Lexi [link]   [comments]