Registry Nurse Horror Stories !

[Haunted]

I am a registry nurse for about 3 years, first as an LVN then an RN. I have been going to the same hospitals during that time and see how crappy the administrators and nursing stupidvisors treat the staff. I am forever asked to join a facility as a staff nurse, and constantly say NO THANKS! Friday I worked an ortho floor of a very prestigious hospital. I was assigned 8 high acuity patients while working with 1 other RN for a total of 16 patients between us. The Charge Nurse should have requested another license for this floor but my feeling was she was a newbie and rather lazy to boot! Several times during the 8 hour shift I had to seek her out in the lounge to back me up on patient problems ( can you fill my water pitcher, help me to the bedside commode, bring me another packet of salt and pepper, FLUFF MY PILLOW!) to the point that my scheduled meds were falling behind and pain management was not being addressed in a timely manner. I left at the end of the day feeling harrassed, strung out, overdosed on adrenaline and like I had my registry butt kicked. I reported to the Unit Manager my concerns to no avail. Summary, any other registry nurses feel like you are the scapegoat for industry shortages, lack of qualified staff, dangerous patient ratios? What can we do legally to cover our butts? We are always suspected of missing meds, treatment errors, etc. Any recourse for us?

[oramar]

One night on a 46 bed telemetry unit we had 4 RNs, that was all. The regular staff was very nice and supportive. We all worked our butts off and no patient got neglected or injured. The nightmare started when the unit director came in at 6am. There were 3 or 4 physicians in the station. I heard a blood curdling scream. The manager had found a potty chair sitting up against the front of the desk. The scream was a scream of indignation. She thought the potty chair made a bad impression. I jumped out of my shoes and I could see the doctors were startled. She then began berating myself and the other 3 nurses about the potty chair infront of the desk. She should have been thanking us for doing a good job but our thanks was to be screamed at and harranged for the rest of the shift. She then went to the desk and began throwing books around the room and continue her tantrum. The doctors were then standing there with there mouths open. When I got to the nursing office I told them about her behavior. The secretaries told me she did stuff like that all the time. I told them I was not coming back. I went back to give report and left the building never to return. I went back there just out of curiosity for an open house. She was still nurse manager on that floor and had been for 23 years.

[mustangsheba]

I have worked in this area long enough to have weeded out the places to which I won't return. I just tried again an area that I vowed I wouldn't go to, you know, thinking the first time was a fluke. Nope! It was still sucky. Most places treat me very well and are very appreciative of having an extra pair of hands. The drawback is that when census falls, agency is the first to be cancelled. Even though I may make more per hour, I certainly don't make more per month.