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by RNKittyKat

My feelings are feeling a bit injured and I'm wondering if I'm out of line in my expectations. I worked for a year on a very stressful level 1 trauma ICU as a new grad with other new grads who started with me. I went out on a medical leave for surgery and never returned. I took another job in another field of nursing and am happily working in it instead. The experience is a lot like fighting in a war in my mind. You really have to trust the person who has your back. It makes for close relationships. I thought I had bonded with the rest of the staff pretty well but I didn't do the after work drinking thing.

It's bugging me that not one of these nurses bothered to pick up the phone or send me an email to ask me how I was doing after my surgery. Is this common? It's not like my phone number wasn't available. I can assure you this is not the way I treated my co-workers.

No goodbye's. No nuttin. I don't get it. We're supposed to be compassionate but we can't even be considerate of each other. Maybe I'm being too idealistic

Please chime in. This was my first nursing experience. Is this the way it is? People just move on and move out of the way for another body?.

[earle58]

Re: What are your thoughts?

is there a possibility your colleagues thought you didn't think much of them, since you never bothered returning?
just something to consider.
anyway, you're happy in your new job so i would remain focused on what is current, not the past.

leslie

[TazziRN]

Re: What are your thoughts?

If you don't have an out-of-work relationship with them, then yes I would say this is the norm.

[MedSurgeNewbie]

Re: What are your thoughts?

might just be that they feel awkward making first contact, you could try e-mailing and just saying hi I miss ya or somthing like that - We had somone leave and no one felt like it was "their business" to pick up the phone and call her - weird I know

[RNKittyKat]

Re: What are your thoughts?

Originally Posted by MedSurgeNewbie

might just be that they feel awkward making first contact, you could try e-mailing and just saying hi I miss ya or somthing like that - We had somone leave and no one felt like it was "their business" to pick up the phone and call her - weird I know

Actually I did send an email to the unit and got a couple of email replies. I don't know why this is bothering me. It's really such a nonissue.

[ertravelrn]

Re: What are your thoughts?

I have found that it is usually up to a couple of the nurses to remember birthdays, etc. Including inquiries into the recovery of a peer. I happened to be that person at the last job I held, and when I left, after giving two weeks notice, their was nothing done........didn't feel bad about it, because they were not used to doing those things, I was....lol

[vamedic4]

Re: What are your thoughts?

Originally Posted by RNKittyKat

My feelings are feeling a bit injured and I'm wondering if I'm out of line in my expectations. I worked for a year on a very stressful level 1 trauma ICU as a new grad with other new grads who started with me. I went out on a medical leave for surgery and never returned. I took another job in another field of nursing and am happily working in it instead. The experience is a lot like fighting in a war in my mind. You really have to trust the person who has your back. It makes for close relationships. I thought I had bonded with the rest of the staff pretty well but I didn't do the after work drinking thing.

It's bugging me that not one of these nurses bothered to pick up the phone or send me an email to ask me how I was doing after my surgery. Is this common? It's not like my phone number wasn't available. I can assure you this is not the way I treated my co-workers.

No goodbye's. No nuttin. I don't get it. We're supposed to be compassionate but we can't even be considerate of each other. Maybe I'm being too idealistic

Please chime in. This was my first nursing experience. Is this the way it is? People just move on and move out of the way for another body?.

RNKittyKat...In this world of "gotta go to work, gotta get things done now", it is hard to keep up with so many things, and often there are events like the one you describe. People are just so busy these days, they hardly have time to tie their shoes and wash their hands...let alone call a coworker that they haven't seen. Out of sight, out of mind I guess....

It's sad, too. I completely understand where you're coming from.

I'm glad you're happy in your new nursing role though!!!

All the best,
vamedic4