If You Can't Handle the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi all,

I am a new grad-ish, I have been working the hospital for 6 months on a med floor. I am run ragged on a daily basis and hardly get my breaks. I know this is normal. If I get one break I consider that a success just as the other nurses do on my floor.

I got a written warning a couple months ago because of a documentation error, no patient harm. Just a bad day, so stressed I forgot to document.

I love caring for patients, hey I even had a couple cool moments with patients that made me think "Hey I have something to hold onto that makes this job worth while.'

But sometimes I feel my days are numbered at my job. At weak moments I desperately search and apply for non-hospital jobs looking for a way out. But when potential employers call, I don't respond...because by the time they do i have pepped talked myself back in staying at my job...."Just hold on for one more day..." Wilson Philips

Even though I keep my patients safe, I am just not going fast enough for management, I am expected to put up with poor staffing conditions, and abusive patients with a smile...welcome to nursing.

That's cool, I get it...the term "If you can handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!" slaps me in the face every time when I want to complain to myself about my job. Millions of nurses see the BS and they still do it. When I reflect upon my career path...lol...Scrubs some how deceptively guided me, foolish me.Too much day dreaming. Hospital nursing is like scrubs but with out the cool docs like Elliot or Turk. Just Dr.Cox with no charm and humor. Truth be told that is nursing, if you can't handle it you better get out because things are not going to change any time soon. Big fish eat little fish and keep it moving. Things move so fast, no one has time to mourn your untimely termination if it happens...on to the next one. The well of mercy in this world is desolate and barren.

I knew when i went into nursing it was not going to be easy...but I did not think it was going to be this hard and though squeezing a tear out of me is like squeezing blood out of a rock...I have a had moments on the floor in which the lump in my throat threatened to push the tears gates open. But with many deep breaths I have pulled my self together.

I want to be an ICU nurse, I know I am still very new to this game. I was elated when getting this job on the medical floor....my first step towards ICU then CRNA... I wanted to put in my years in med and serve my time but now I just want to get mine and ditch this place now that I have 6 months experience. I was willing to give them 1-2 years....but

The heat in the kitchen is hot and it is not my patients that concern me, it is management. I feel like I am a dime a dozen. If they fire me, there are a 1000 other willing applicants eager and ready to take my place. The world will un-remorsfully keep turning. Just another nurse who could not hack it. Sure they lose a little cash with the money they invested training me but they will be fine...but what about me? Start from the bottom again..?

I don't know if i will be fired but darn...I rather not wait to find out. A written warning...I have a feeling my supervisor has it out for me. She exaggerated everything in our meeting. That's fine, they got me. I take responsibility. But I don't think it needed to goto this extent. I am over medical. Documentation trumps patient care any day.

Sorry for the ramble but I need some answers...should i just start applying for ICU jobs and try and get out ASAP or try and tough it out some more and gamble not to be fired. Jumping to another medical job would be like starting at the bottom. I am okay at medical but i think with the right training I would be great in ICU. Many new grads do residency in ICU and succeed...Can't I as well with my med experience with a good icu training program?

I figure let me use this job as my leaping ground to get to ICU fast. I am not normally this cold. But I don't see why I should give my best years and energy to a place where the rewards are so few. They don't care if they suck me dry...."just work faster...harder...but go home on low census so we don't have to pay you' It does not seem like a good deal. This job is sucking me dry with no mercy. I might as well get what I can and get out with no remorse.

It is a doggy dog world in the hospital I work in.

Your thoughts....

Specializes in I/DD.

Here's what I think. I learned early (at 15) that EVERY job comes with 6months to a year of misery. My first job was at an ice cream store, and as menial of a job as that was, I hated the first 6 months. I was the new girl, the older girl training me was mean, and I never felt good enough. But within the year I enjoyed it, and I look back on that as one of my favorite jobs. Silly I know but seriously, free ice cream ALL the time!! This cycle repeated itself as I worked in a group home, as a PCT, in my first nursing job, and when I transferred to the ICU. Starting a new job is never fun, you never jump in and find yourself living the dream. You are uncomfortable, out of your element, and constantly having to ask others for help because (surprise!) you don't know everything.

However I will say that after I put in my two years on the floor, I am SO much happier in the ICU. I have more control, autonomy, and respect. My ICU is full of resources and I always have someone to turn to with questions. I think I could have transferred earlier, around a year/year and a half, but my experience was invaluable to my current practice. I have better communication skills, better judgement, and absolutely more confidence than I would have if I had gone straight into ICU.

So in summary, you know yourself better than anyone. If you think your personality will thrive in ICU than go for it, the worst that can happen is you don't get the job. But whatever you do give it your all and people will notice.

Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

GrnTea, You say it like it is!!! I appreciate that!

Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

I also think need you need to stop focusing on THE WRITE UP ..let it go and move on. You have the power not to get fired. Only you can make any changes that you need to make and commit to learning and doing the job. Quit being a passenger on a ride and take control of the #### bus. You can do it by changing how you see the situation and by what you do going forward.

Specializes in ICU.

I spent one year in general med 6-7 patients and then moved to ICU. I left late almost every shift after having to chart. Sometimes not even getting my assessments in until after pm shift change. I just felt run down everyday. After the move to ICU I am much happier. I leave close to on time and just over all was much better off and a much better nurse. If ICU is what you want to do go for it. I think some people just don't thrive well on the floor. Now with that being said ICU is not a lighter work load. Much more monitoring and assessing is required. You have some of your doctors on speed dial. Many times you are almost providing more care to families than the patients and sometimes even the emotional aspect can be very difficult. Earlier this week I had to come home and have a cry fest. Myself, the chaplain, social worker and other staff members were present as a mom bright her 4 kids in ages 5-12 to basically say their good byes to their dad that was brain dead from and MVA. Good luck to you whatever you choose and hang in there it does get better.

Ruby Vee,

If things were different...maybe I would have had the drive to stay....but I wager what I am getting out of the deal. The deal is never fair for floor nurses. You put is sweat, blood, and tears...and they still want more...and when they want to get rid of you...you are out. For this I must use Med-surg, ICU etc as my stepping stone.

Floor Nursing?...Yeah...it's a sad situation... if nursing had more backbone as a group and fought for our rights and respect more...maybe new nurses would be inclined to stay and nurture their career.

I give it to American women we have come so far...in fact American nurses are the most advanced when it comes to our scope of practice. But nursing being an old profession held mainly by women it still reflects the old tenants of society where men still take the lead...when I say men, I mean the Doctor profession that was mainly a male run profession in the past. Women in all aspects of society in the past have always let men take the lead. Though more and more women are doctors there is still strong hierarchical nature of health care. Where nursing is a female dominated profession falls back and bows to Medicine a traditionally male dominated profession.

The sad thing is....even in nursing, though men only account for 9-10% of nurses; but when you look at the stats...men are being paid more that female nurses, 50% of CRNA's out there are men....Does that make sense? It should only be 10%. You would think that the percentages of highest paid nurses based on gender would be the same 9:1....but no, it almost 1:1. When I was in nursing school, 10% of our class was male....but they were treated better than the female students and given awards which they did not deserve because they were men. Treated like they were smarter than the women. LOL. Women in our field are happy to sit back and let men take the lead. Insane. Nope...can't waste my talent and youth to be beat into the ground. Staying a floor nurse is a dead end...unless you become a charge nurse and try and climb your way up to management....a place for the seemingly power hungry.

The nurses I love who are awesome at their jobs, intelligent, humble, caring, giving,etc... don't want to be charge nurses. I wonder why...

Thing are not going to change in the nursing profession. All you can do is complain but complaining is useless if you are not going to do anything about it. So I am going to use every job in this profession to climb my way to CRNA or NP. And get out before i break my back.

But nurses have come a long way...but women...this profession is still too lax in demanding what were are do. We are the ones who keep healthcare afloat...we are the ones who keep things together in the craziness of the hospital...and we are the ones who get things done. But everyone is okay (not in their thoughts...but rather their actions) with the status quo. What-evs

That is why I say nothing is going to change. Most nurses see the BS but they are okay with it. I see the BS loud and clear...I get it. I will use this system just as much as they are using me. I can hardly enjoy caring for patients and making a difference. I am so busy all the time...I don't even have time to console be sympathetic to a patient that needs it or to enjoy the precious moments in my job. Keep it moving people. I love caring for patients...but at the end of the day..I love myself more. I wont stay and break my back...then be tossed aside. Nope.

I will not be a martyr for money hungry corporations.

Granted there are those that do...but their hearts soon fade in this field. It seems inevitable. The Florence Nightingales are fast fading.

The idea of nursing is truly romantic...but the reality is cruel. I wont stay in this profession to be ground into the dirt. I just want to survive long enough to get what I want and get out.

Some hospitals require two years of med-surg experience before you can work in ICU.

How badly do you need to be working?

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Thank you..I will. When I move to ICU....I pray I will enjoy the ride. I remember my clinical spent on the NICU it was exhilarating and fun. I like the adrenaline. I can see myself staying in ICU for a long time.

I will work my butt off on this unit for another 6 months...then I am gone. I wont even look back. I will search for a good unit with a good training program.

Yeah...I will suck it up and play coy and be humble. But once I get what I need I will run as fast as I can out of there. The hospital i am on is not worth it. There are better ones out there.

Specializes in Intermediate Care.

I give it to American women we have come so far...in fact American nurses are the most advanced when it comes to our scope of practice. But nursing being an old profession held mainly by women it still reflects the old tenants of society where men still take the lead...when I say men, I mean the Doctor profession that was mainly a male run profession in the past. Women in all aspects of society in the past have always let men take the lead. Though more and more women are doctors there is still strong hierarchical nature of health care. Where nursing is a female dominated profession falls back and bows to Medicine a traditionally male dominated profession.

The sad thing is....even in nursing, though men only account for 9-10% of nurses; but when you look at the stats...men are being paid more that female nurses, 50% of CRNA's out there are men....Does that make sense? It should only be 10%. You would think that the percentages of highest paid nurses based on gender would be the same 9:1....but no, it almost 1:1. When I was in nursing school, 10% of our class was male....but they were treated better than the female students and given awards which they did not deserve because they were men. Treated like they were smarter than the women. LOL. Women in our field are happy to sit back and let men take the lead. Insane. Nope...can't waste my talent and youth to be beat into the ground. Staying a floor nurse is a dead end...unless you become a charge nurse and try and climb your way up to management....a place for the seemingly power hungry.

So what if 50% of CRNA's are men. When someone is going to put me under for a procedure, all I care is that they are competent, and not whether they are male or female.

You know, I really don't care that 50% of men are CRNAs. I am just making a point as to why the nursing profession...which is female dominated is so far behind when it comes to demanding what we are due. It is female dominated, there is a culture to fall back and let men take the lead, even though we are fully capable. If Nursing took the bull by it's horns like the medical profession things would be so much better for all of us. But they wont.

I honestly would not care if 90% of CRNAs are men, as long as I am one of them, let me work with all men, as long as I am a CRNA, I could careless. Nursing is what it is.

Nurses like other customer service driven professions live in fear. We hold a lot of power if we want to, to make demands, but we wont. So I am not going to wait around for something that is supposed to happen which likely never will.

The truth is a bitter pill to swallow.

You can't be of the opinion that you can make it to the ICU and then as a CRNA on a wing and a prayer and nothing else. To rage against the machine is not a good thing when you have goals, to stand up for nurses and condtions can be done appropriately.

You need to have experience in order to be successful. Not many ICU's are willing to train from the bottom up. Not that there is not that option, but to find them are difficult.

Documentation is HUGE. Being written up for not documenting is equally as huge. But I think you perhaps won't make that mistake again. Lesson learned. But one that will take you into the next step of your journey and serve you well.

Nurses stand up to their profession daily. Getting involved in your union, your shared governence teams, something were you voice can be heard and listened to.

You get what you give. Use every means you can to be politically active, and to get the clinical skill set you need to grow on.

And the ICU is your answer. Wait, just wait until they give you three SICK patients and you are running around like crazy doing your I's O's, titrating gtts, weaning, handling a patient with ICU psychosis, cracking ribs on 99 year old patients, and the endless documentation. It was hot in the ICU for me and I got out. Much happier now where I am. Hope you love it !

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