SOOO sick of my job already!!

SueSue3 · Jan 1, 2009

I have been a OR nurse for 25 years. There is no reason for you to take that treatment. Keep looking. Although I no longer feel the same that I did when I first started in the OR it was the ideal place for someone with small children. Sounds like this manager is not able to handle the position without being passive aggressive and that doesn't make for a good manager in my experience. Keep looking and don't be afraid to move. Check some of the hospitals also because they may have outpatient surgery incorporated into the main OR. You may be able to work out a deal. Good Luck.

Brownms46 · Jan 1, 2009

I would request a meeting with your manager, and let her know your feelings. If this didn't work, I woud quietly seek out a head hunter, and tell them what you need in a position. Many times head hunters will know of open positions that are not advertised. You need to go at this issue head on, and be ready to move on if necessary. as this kind of stuff can affect you much more than you might think.

Good Luck!

tx2007, RN · Jan 24, 2009

Thanks for the replies. I am still looking for another job, I never thought it would take this long to find something!! But I am still trying to hold my head up and think that this wont last forever, just until I can find something else!

kcoa11 · Mar 7, 2009

You deserve better! I'm sure there are other avenues for you to do. Not sure what city in Texas you are in but try looking for clinics that are apart of major hospitals.

tx2007, RN · Mar 7, 2009

Well I have accepted a job at the hospital where I first worked but this is as an infusion nurse (8hour shifts, every other weekend) it is part of the hospital but it is mostly outpatient type stuff like antibiotics, remicade, chemo. I start in two weeks and I am nervous about going back to the hospital type setting but I am also excited as this will be something new and hopefully I will like it much better. I figure anything has got to be better than where I am and if I try it and dont like it I can always look again for something else. I hope this job works out though.

GIRN · Mar 8, 2009

I hope it works out. Good luck to you. That's a shame that you have to leave such a perfect job hour wise, but the environment doesn't sound like a good one. Hope you let them know why they're losing a good nurse...maybe it'll help with the people that are still there. Good luck!

tx2007, RN · Mar 8, 2009

I know I am quite upset about leaving (the hours were pretty good!) thats the only reason I have lasted this long. But the attitude of the people I work with, plus my boss and the CEO were just too much. I am planning on telling them (in a nice way) why I am leaving, but it wont change a thing, this place has been run off and on by the same people for the past 15 years and the bottom line is $$. We do about 300 surgeries a month and only have 2 other full time nurses other than myself. On a typical day I am the only nurse in preop getting 20-30 people ready (we do mostly eye surgery like retina and cataracts.) So there is me in preop, one nurse in postop, and one nurse in each OR (2 total). We have one srub tech who goes back and forth between rooms. On days like tommorrow when we have only 5 surgeries I will be pre and post op and only 1 other nurse will be there for the OR. But yet our CEO says we are OVER staffed. @@ I plan to give my notice tommorrow and I expect the Sh*t will hit the fan, I figure they will let me work this week (only cause they need me since we have over 50 surgeries scheduled.) But the week after is spring break and we only have one day of surgeries and I am sure they will just tell me not to bother coming in that week. I would like to finish out my two weeks so I can get paid, but whatever, I just need to get away from this toxic enviornment before I decide I dont want to be a nurse anymore :crying2:

GIRN · Mar 8, 2009

I can't believe you had to preop that many eye patients yourself....there are so many drops to put in...it's pretty confusing! Too bad there are so few surgeries the second week of your notice. It would have been nice to be able to work out your two weeks but look at it as a well-deserved vacation. Rest up and be ready to take on a new challenge. There ARE wonderful Outpatient jobs out there. I work in a great outpatient facility and it all depends on the manager. If they believe that their people are their strongest resource...you've got it made. We work very hard but it's a challenging kind of work. We all work together and there's such a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. And the doctors notice what we're doing to make their job profitable...that helps us enjoy putting in the extra effort. But staff from two other facilities near us are complaining of the same problems you have been experiencing... If you find a good work environment....say a prayer of thanks and give it 100%.

We had an infusion unit in the last hospital I worked in. Some of the nurses loved it and some of them...not so much. You have to learn a lot and you'll develop your IV skills and learn all about ports and such. It's a good education. Maybe use the week you're off to research info on infusion...blood transfusions, antibiotics, flushing PICC lines and changing dressings.... It's a different world but again...the hours are good. Good luck.

loricatus · Mar 8, 2009

Thanks for the replies. I am still looking for another job, I never thought it would take this long to find something!! But I am still trying to hold my head up and think that this wont last forever, just until I can find something else!

I am in a very similar position as you are----I feel for you. Maybe we are working at the same place????

tx2007, RN · Mar 8, 2009

I know thats alot of pt's for one person and I do the 20 or so required drops per pt plus all the IV's by myself, so at least I have become super quick and effeciant at starting IV's LOL! I really hope I like infusion services, I need a decent job. You are so right GIRN that management makes all the difference, if I was treated like a person and not a machine I would probably have stayed at my job. The Dr's are even worse than the management they could care less as long as we get the pt's in and out like sheep. Like I said it's all about the $$. I could not believe that even for Christmas we got NOTHING not one thing from our surgery center or from any of the Dr's. We busted our butts at the end of the year doing approx. 100 surgeries per week!! Loricatus I hope you find a new job soon too, we all DESERVE better than that. Can you believe my DON said to me on Friday that we shouldn't be upset about how we are treated, but that we should just be grateful to have jobs. @@

loricatus · Mar 8, 2009

Can you believe my DON said to me on Friday that we shouldn't be upset about how we are treated, but that we should just be grateful to have jobs. @@

OMG, we must be working at the same place :chuckle My NM said the same thing last week, along with some other things I cannot repeat on the board.

Glad you found a new job.

Was thinking about applying for a case manager hospice position; but, I never did anything like that before. There are 30 surgeries scheduled for a day later this week and we were warned to be prepared for at least a 16 hour day (with a slim possibility of a meal break). You know, I wonder if I pass out if they will consider it unapproved break time?