Depressed and beginning to hate my job

[KaroSnowQueen]

I am so sick of being a nurse at this point I am ready to quit. It seems like every single day for the past month, someone somewhere out there has gone to complain about me. Actually it has only been twice but of course due to management's anality -is that a word? - it drags on until it makes me turn blue.

First a dr. says I didn't call him about a K+ level of 6.1 on a pt. I called, no return, next shift didn't follow up, the NEXT shift didn't follow up, dr. finds where I charted it but says he didn't get the call. If he doens't answer his pages, it isn't my fault, is it? It was probably after 2100, 2200 at night when this all started, and I went home at 2300. And yes , he WAS on call.

Secondly, finally that is all done, and two nights ago I came in on 3 to 11 again, get report that abd films ordered on a pt in am, to be done today. Day nurse called xray at 1430 to remind them,, said they were swamped. Doing rounds, meds, etc. Family asks about xrays after supper. Call to xray, takes them literally six or seven minutes to get a real person on the line, they have the automated answering thing, and after so long and so many rings it hangs up or you leave a message. SEnt messages, finally got someone to answer. In the end xray came up to the floor around 2030. Family very sweet and pleasant to my face, as they leave, they find house supv and give a "very nasty complaint" per supv words. Supv comes and chews me out, says I should have called her and SHE would have gotten them up there ASAP.

Maybe there is more I could have/should have done, but I felt like I was doing the best I could do. The first night with the K+ level, it was hectic, very hectic, major winter storm, people coming and going and trying to go home early, overhead announcements SEVERAL SEVERAL times during the shift that we could not go home until supv released d/t weather conditions and people calling in, etc, trying to get things done in case no one came, or we had to stay or we did get to go home, wanted to get all things done, etc. Very nerve wracking/brain frying.

I am so sick of it. I am sick of pt families being so sweet, very nice and then complaining behind my back. If they were THAT upset, why didn't they say so???????? The reason for the xray was because no one was sure, for whatever reason, that the pt had a bm in the last week, although she had been quite ill and on cl. liq for past several days, had bowel sounds although a bit hypo.

Also on first situation, unit mgr highly p.o'd, she wants the people on the floor to suck up to the md's, posted a note in break room about what md's wanted from nurses and one of the items we were to seriously remember was "the importance of the physician". Anyway, she has banned me from the unit while she decides what to do with/to me. Both these pts were new to me, and I don't know if I am losing it or if I have suddenly become greatly inept or if I am burnt out or if I need to just go hide and forget about nursing a while or what.

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

This is a terminally ill patient and this was NOT a big change from his previous values earlier in the day. I had spoken with the MD earlier that day and he was more upset about the creatinine going up than the K. He supposedly was waiting for me to call, and more than one attempt to page per ans. svc. was made.

Mgmt that night was more upset about the snow storm and mandating staff to stay all night than anything else, as you recall, "routine" calls for help were told to wait til staffing was covered at 11.

[babyrabbit]

I just joined today. Actually, I also just quit my job, too. I have my resignation ready to present to my supervisor in the morning. I have been with the same hospital 11 1/2 years. I can float, I can take call, I can come in on my day off, I can work my share of weekends and holidays. What I cannot accept is being the only L & D RN for 12 hours regardless of the number of inductions and/or mother/baby diads on the floor. Ours is a nursery/postpartum/ L&D combination floor which is staffed with one RN and one LPN/aide now regardless of how the census changes on the shift. We have 6 LDRPs. Also, for c/s now, I am the only one going back for the baby. That leaves my LPN alone, even if I have another laboring patient. Also, babies no longer "count" on the census. Am I too paranoid about the potential for disaster? And forget lunches. I attempted to turn in my resignation 3 weeks ago when changes were enacted, but the doctors approached me and asked me to try. It doesn't feel good. I had two inductions and the third labor patient added; and there were 2 moms and babes ( one with birth defects). I am OVERWHELMED!!!

[SOONERFAN]

our job is so terribly thankless and taken for granted. it's sad that nobody even stuck up for you...hang in there. there are plenty of jobs to be found, you shouldn't be treated that way. once i had a supervisor and she would do things just to spite the staff, like make us stay until the very last second on the timeclock and stock the supplies, clean things. we had an enclosed nurses station away from patients rooms and she would turn off our radio(that would play softly) and i'd turn it on, and she'd turn it off. i'd take pictures of us at christmas and birthdays and put them up on a bulletin board in this nurses station and she'd take them down and throw them away and i'd put more up. she always reminded us of what we weren't doing, but never thanked us for what good we were doing. what a witch she was. i stayed out of loyalty for 4 years then i said peace out!!!! : so get a massage, watch "thelma and louise" and get fired up. you don't have to take that %$#@!*& from anyone especially not from.......doctor-low-life-scum suckers...take care.......

[abrenrn]

Hi guys,

I'm browsing through various threads, looking for people who feel disturbed by some of what they have found working as nurses.

I find a lot of people saying the same things - in different places. I think it might help if we started saying these things in the same place. What things? For me they are: I love nursing, I am a good nurse, I can't find an employer that wants to hire or keep a good nurse.

For those who feel similarly, I have tried to start a single thread with a poll, "Have you considered taking a sabbatical?" I invite everyone to vote. I also invite everyone to participate in a debate: is there something wrong? if so, what is it? is there a way to fix it?

I started the thread and added one "rule": a healthy debate is welcome; disagreements that lead to bickering, scolding, excusing is not. I ask that others opinions be respected - i.e. no one is wrong for having an opinion, no opinion is stupid (or if it is, don't say it). It is OK to say what your opinion is, why and how it is different from someone elses.

Of course, I can not enforce this rule. I do not have the authority. I merely ask that it be followed.

Sometimes I am so emotionally involved with something, I can't disagree without blaming. I am learning to stay quiet until I can say something without blaming. I sometimes make mistakes. When I do, I welcome corrections, I don't like being scolded though.

If you feel you cannot participate, please vote.

Thank you all.