I have a negative attitude - I must leave

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been in med-surg night shift for 7 months. When I started I knew that I would feel reality shock and this would improve as my skills grew. Well it has been 7 months and I hate my job. I have a sick stomach every day I work and many times the days I do not. I dread going in to work.

First they took the aides away. Next they took away the phlebotamists. Then pharmacy closed after 3 pm. We now have only 1 respiratory therapist for the whole hospital. I work mostly with agency nurses. 2 new RN orientees left before a week had passed. The telemetry techs frequently leave the monitors unmanned while they take frequent breaks. The new trend has also been to admit psych patients, alchoholic patients and IV drug users without any sitters even though they are going through withdrawl or are wandering into other patient rooms or hanging around the medication carts. Management has said that we need to do more with less.

Yesterday a DNR-CCA patient died at 7 am. The attitude of the day shift staff was - hurry up and give me report - I am getting a late start. I wanted to clean the patient up before his son got there because he was on the way. My friend on day shift told me hospital nursing is like this everywhere. I hope this is not true. I have been offered a job in LTC. The facility is nice, they are well staffed, the patients look clean. During my interview they showed me around and the residents kept telling me how nice the nurses were and how they were happy here.

I love the patients on med-surg and love learning involved in dealing with these patients. Is med-surg like this everywhere? Should I make the move to LTC? I fear that I may soon lose it and yell at the next tele-tech who leaves the desk when my patient is in SVT or tell the nursing supervisor " There are 2 new patients in rooms on my floor - I have not received, report, have not been told they were coming- you come here and take care of them because I do not have the time and will not do it". This will undoubtedly leave me unemployed.

I feel hateful. My attitude has hit rock bottom. Thanks for letting me vent and please tell me if I am just not cut out to be a nurse. The patients say nice things about me so I know I can not be a bad person. Maybe just not cut out for nursing.

It's not your fault! It is to your credit that you recognize the problems there! Have you discussed your concerns with your superiors?

The LTC facility sounds like a much better option for you.

Go to the LTC but tell the Med-Surg unit management you'll come back if they clean up their acts (tell them in a nice way, of course).

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

That place is probably going to come crashing down around management's feet. You are wise thinking about leaving. Good luck.

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

Unfortuantely I have seen much of what you speak of Rapheal. And unfortuantely many start or are feeling much as you do. But I have worked at hospitals, that don't have these problems. But they're few and far between. I have worked one shifts at certain hospitals, and couldn't wait to for the shift to end, and quickly decided to never come back!

As agency I have been able to find the hospitals that I never want to walk back into, and rarely found ones I did want to go back to. That is sad, but I also have seen many of the same problems in LTC. Have you talked with any of the staff in this LTC facility??? I would ask straight out, as to what problems they see in the facility.

Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.
Originally posted by Rapheal

I have a sick stomach every day I work and many times the days I do not. I dread going in to work..... Management has said that we need to do more with less......

I feel hateful. My attitude has hit rock bottom

You are NOT alone, Hon. :kiss

BUT, "less is more" is the hateful attitude that Management has ALSO taken...how can they honestly expect us to feel any different or to PRODUCE any more, by driving us all into the ground, by it?

I've been out on a medical LOA for six weeks now, due to this very issue. My supervisor called me last Monday and demanded to know WHY I hadn't come into work. I politely responded that even though Corporate had notified both her and me, that my LOA had expired as of that day, that they would NOT allow me to return to work, until my physician(s) had given written certification of my fitness to return to work (I was on my way out the door, to a doctor's appointment, when she called, and I told her that, too). She was not happy, and the reason that I KNOW she isn't, is because her head is being beat in, to produce more with less, too...and with one less person. But, you can't put out a blazing inferno, or squeeze blood out of a turnip with a skeleton crew either...and, somehow management is going to have to realize that...or they are not going to have ANY of us, to kick around, anymore. :(

Go for the LTC position...you've got nothing to lose, and EVERYTHING to gain, by going for it!:)

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Originally posted by Rapheal

Maybe just not cut out for nursing.

Wow I coulda written that and I've been a nurse for a long time and haven't had the cutbacks you've had.

Sigh. I don't know if it's me or the job. But I called out twice last week -- not a good sign.

But -- I am sure that it's not YOU ;)

Specializes in Everything but psych!.

Time to move on, my dear. I wouldn't worry about losing skills. What if you really really enjoy LTC? LTC will be around forever. And if you don't like it, there's always another area. Good luck! They are fortunate you stuck around for as long as you did!

Specializes in Step down, ICU, ER, PACU, Amb. Surg.

I can not and will not say that youare not cut out for nursing as I have been in the very same position that you have.....and it almost cost me my nursing career. If you truely love nursing as you say you do, I say think of your license and your health and go for the LTC position. But when youare asked on your exit interview why you are leaving, be tactful about why and tell them that if things were to look up and turn around you would consider it a privilege to return. Do not burn your bridges as you may need to recross them once or twice. Good luck in what ever you decide.

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Why do you fear this? You are the RN. It's your responsibility to speak up loud & clear when your pts are being put in danger. You could lose you license if you dont.

When you quit that facility, make sure you tell them exactly why you are leaving.

When the new hires leave within a few weeks, management should be well aware there is a BIG problem. Trouble is, I suspect they DO know and are just trying to find nurses who will tolerate this crap. This attitude abounds...its why there is a 'shortage'.

It is NOT you. Where is your manager in all this? I would ask for a manager meeting (ask the other like minded nurses to attend with you) and discuss the problems you named and troubleshoot ways to better your unit's workload. If she/he is not willing to help with immediate changes, go PRN (very PRN) and try the LTC job. Who knows, you may love it. And if you don't, you have your foot still in the door with your prn medsurg job.

I have made a career habit of trying to stay at least a year in any job, as it looks like we job hop if we move too frequently. But.. you also must look out for #1 too. Best wishes! :)

Whoa! Get out of there as soon as you can. The med/surg floors at my hospital certainly have a number of complaints from our staff, but not as bad as what you've discribed. So, no, not all med/surg floors are going to be so terrible as this one. However, the LTC facility you spoke of sounds like a much better situation right now - I'd go for it! And like some others have already said, absolutely let this hospital know why you're resigning. Also, don't accept any half-baked offers that they might come up with to get you to stay - the kind of changes that need to be made won't happen overnight (and, unfortunately, some changes just won't happen).....Best of luck to you Rapheal!

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Get out, get out, get out. Nursing instructors USED to recommend one year of med surg after graduation. Not anymore! There are some med-surg units that are absolutely unsafe and horrendous, and I WARN my students NOT to go there!!! I don't want to see them getting burned out and dropping out of nursing after only 1 year in practice. I counsel my students to start out in the cardiac step-downs--these TEND to be the best units in the hospital (depending on the hospital, of course:eek: ). There are good units out there, I promise you. You just have to be very choosy, take your time, and look. The nursing shortage has helped us much in this regard--we can be very picky. Answer with your feet and RUN out of that unit ASAP before it destroys your career and confidence.

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