Unhappy RN at LTC Avoid Extra Shifts

[JPRN11]

Hello Fellow Nurses,

I have been on this site for some time reading various topics attempting to understand how to cope with being a relatively new nurse. I have avoided putting any information about my self on my profile, and I have never posted on the site before til today. I know some of you might not like this post so I expect to catch some not so nice responses, but I probably won't reply because everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Nursing is a second career for me. Prior to nursing, I was in the insurance claims industry for over a decade and hated it. Salary and benefits were excellent, but I was miserable because I dealt with liability issues. I never really new what I wanted to do with my life, but I researched nursing and thought it would be a great field to give me a since of purpose. I never did it for money because money was not the issue. I already had a bachelors in a non-nursing field, so I went for my associates in nursing. It was a struggle, but I earned my license in 2012.

Unfortunately, my career is not what I thought it would be. I'm ashamed to say that I have a history of job hopping. My school didn't offer clinical experiences at LTC facilities when I was doing my program, so I kept running from them and their nurse-patient ratios. I did a 3 month stint at a hospital. I left after 3 months because I worked on a telemetry floor that the veteran nurses said was more like a step down unit. We had no aides. There would sometimes be 1-2 LPNs who worked the night shift on the whole unit who were being treated like aides. I basically provided total care to 5-7 patients. In a nut shell, I couldn't hang so I gave my notice.

Present day, I am now back in a LTC facility and close to making 9 months with them. I started on 3-11 shift, but I switched with a another RN and took her night shift. I'm a floater and have up to 40 patients. I have one hall and take a 1/3 of another hall. Three weeks after my hire date, I knew I didn't want to be there. In the time I have been there, I only called in one time for a replacement because I was sick, and my ADON had 12 hour notice. I come to work on time, and I try to do the best job I can every time I work, but I avoid extra shifts at all cost. I live for my days off. I usually stay busy when I get off at 7:00 a.m. and stay up taking care of things I need to do. For example, when I have been up almost 17 hours and get a text asking me to work the night shift, my response is "no" or "sorry, I can't do it". I have even declined to work extra shifts when the ADON sends text three hours before the evening shift asking if I can come in. She usually does not call. She will send out a group text or send one directly to you asking if you can work.

I no by now that I'm not viewed as a team player. I am friendly person, the residents seem to be happy with me, and I have good rapport with my co-workers. I like and respect the residents. I just don't want to be there, but I won't quit until I find something else. The facility I work is nice, computerized charting, the management team is pleasant, and for the most part the aides work with you. It's not the facility, it's me. More and more, I'm beginning to think I should have never gone down the path of nursing. I don't even want to apply for nursing jobs anymore because I don't know if it is the field I chose that is wrong or is it the niche I'm in right now.

Prior to nursing, I had a solid job history in regards to not being a job hopper. When I earned my license, I was determined not stick myself in a miserable situation for years at a time and that is why I moved so much. My first LTC-lasted few days, 2nd LTC/hospice-3 months (poor management), 3rd job-lasted 3 months at the hospital, 4th LTC- last few days, and finally my 5th job- I have been there going on 9 months. As you can see my job history sucks, it's pathetic, and that is why I feel I don't belong in this field. If I'm wrong about that, LTC is definitely not my niche. No offense to others who love it. I care for the people but not the specialty. I definitely don't like seeing a hospice patient near death, and I can't comfort them because I'm running to get my tasks completed for all my other residents.

In conclusion, I avoid extra shifts for all the reasons listed above. I feel very lost and not worthy of this field. I'm thankful to be alive and have work, but I just don't know how to deal with this. Thanks Allnurses and other members who may read this for letting me vent. Some of you may be ****** after reading this, I don't know what to tell you. Peace.

[amoLucia]

This is to Op and all you other nurses out there who are second-career nurses. I don't know HOW you do it".

How you manage to move along in today's nsg profession that has changed so dramatically (and not for the better) since I first began so many years ago, I just don't get it.

I shake my head (and then bite my tongue to prevent me from posting) when I read of another previous white collar professional, blue collar respected trades-person or individual private business owner who posts here and wants to become a nurse. They all pre-research the switch, but afterwards, I suspect that deep-down (way deep-down) they may feel that they were somehow lied to. Something in the real everyday nursing world environment just doesn't seem like their research told them it would be. The expected professionalism, autonomy, good work environment with collegial coworkers and respectful pts, well-paid, benefitted and abundant jobs are just NOT there. That altruistic desire to "help others" just isn't enough.

What a disconnect!

As I said, I don't know how you do it. We all have our own ways of coping, be it on or off the job. But how hard it must be for you second-career folk, who have seen otherwise.

So to OP, I really do feel for you. I don't fault you for the job-hopping. Nor do I blame you for not doing 'extra time'. Like the other posters here, we go to work, do our jobs the best we can and then we go home to our lives. We can only hope to find a niche where we can function as well as poss. And for you second career-ers , you're looking too.

I rarely do extra time. And I have changed jobs when the fit wasn't right. LTC is esp tough. You may have just been unlucky with your choices. And I do really believe that luck does play a role (altho some may disagree with my belief). It usually takes time to find that manageable niche (I said manageable, not good).

Take care.

[Blackcat99]

I live for my days off. I made the mistake twice for agreeing to come in early for someone and each time some kind of disaster occurred so I never come in early now. My days off belong to me. I never come in on my days off. They call and leave a message and I never return their phone calls.

[pinkiepieRN]

They can't make you come in on your days off unless you already signed up for extra shifts and it's their problem, not yours. I'm all for being a "team player", but you need to take care of you too. Live to work not work to live, right?

[IowaKaren]

Yes, I do understand your plight since it is the same for me (in a way). I specifically work a certain shift that I can handle part time but am called constantly for more shifts or to work, mostly as a CNA due to not having enough help for the acuity and if an open hole on the schedule that day, you will stay (mandated). I've always thought, if we don't have the staffing, quit taking the admissions. We never get the staffing to were it should be and staff is being burnt out and quit so the problem snowballs (even after being offered double time for picked up hours, no one cares anymore). You can have a perfect record of never calling in, no problems with the residents or supervisors, go above and beyond in certain cases but by golly, don't pick up extra shifts willingly per their requests and you won't get a raise which even if you did get the raise does not keep up with inflation at all (coorporate, in this case). To top it all off, I hate the CYA charting we have to do also. I am always telling the shift before and after that they had better chart on this or that to be safe. I went into this profession b/c I do like people and helping them but not so far as to be co-dependent which is very prevalent in this profession. I live for my days off and hate to be bothered constantly so call screening is part of my life anymore, just like most folk's where I work. So sad.

[pinkiepieRN]

I specifically work a certain shift that I can handle part time but am called constantly for more shifts or to work, mostly as a CNA due to not having enough help for the acuity and if an open hole on the schedule that day, you will stay (mandated). I've always thought, if we don't have the staffing, quit taking the admissions. We never get the staffing to were it should be and staff is being burnt out and quit so the problem snowballs (even after being offered double time for picked up hours, no one cares anymore).

I am SO GLAD my facility does not mandate. As much as it sucks not having staffing, there is nothing more miserable than someone who always ends up getting mandated and being told at the last minute that you can't go home, you have another 8 hours to go. Every time I go into the admissions office, there's at least 10 potential new admits lined up on the desk. I swear she must get excited every time we send someone out to the hospital, thinking they might not come back and we can refill that bed. We have 2 potential discharges within the next week and I'm sure we'll get another admission or two before then anyway. Our census is never 100% but still - I don't look forward to the day when all 126 beds are filled. Staffing will suck the most that way because the staff:resident ratios will go up!

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

I think that as long as you are professional when you are there (sounds like you go in and do your job competently), I can't imagine you would ever be let go for not taking on extra shifts. I'm also a second career nurse, graduated in 2012 after 13 years in the science field. I'm fortunate to still have my full-time science job, (I went back to school for nursing when layoffs were everywhere). I didn't plan on it, but now I have two jobs. I rarely pick up extra shifts at my nursing job since I work about 50 hours a week as it is. I used to feel guilty not picking up, but then I realized I'm not responsible for the well-being of the entire facility. They're always working short on my shifts, and everyone survives. I've picked up a few when they're desperate, but for the most part, I do my job and leave. Good luck finding whatever it is that will make you happy in the field.

[middleagednurse]

The fact is that nursing is a lot harder than people think. People have unrealistic views of what nursing is. It can be hell. Working in LTC can be really hard. My suggestions are, have you considered working days? The work is just as hard but at least you be working in daylight and sleeping at night and you will have more people contact. Also, what do you do on your days off? You need to do things that make you feel good, such as exercise, go outside, see friends, engage in interesting activities. You don't wan to feel that your whole life is nothing but work. Also, give some hard thought to what your strengths and weaknesses are, and ask yourself what area of nursing would best utilize my strengths?

Also, are you depressed? Depression can make everything hard. Sometimes an anti depressant can make a huge difference in how one interprets life. Basically, I've ben in your clunky shoes, I empathize with your situation.