I wish all the washed out tired nurses would retire.

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

I started a job as a nurse in a nursing home about a month ago and there are about 3-4 nurses that I take report from that are run down, negative, desensitized and really could give a rats a** about the patients. It makes me so freaking mad to hear the patients say "Oh shes so mean because she refuses to give me my PRN MOM because she says all I will do is mess all in my diapers." Just the other day, one of my patients said "My nurse would not give me my Nitroglycerin when I was having chest pain, She said I should try to tough it out. Boy did I have a terrible night." ***. I know in my heart I will never get so worn out and complacent in my job that I will treat my patients like that. I was a CNA for 14 years and had the best attitude. The nurses in my facility have been there for 15- 25+ year and are lazy, rude and just worn out. They even look Ragged. All their clothing are faded and and dull and their hair looks dull and unkept. I wish they would all retire and stop making their patients lives H***. Just my two cents, Vent is over.

Overall I really like my new job. Its tough but very doable. So much better than being a CNA and the money is great. I love my residents. When I come on they treat me like I'm the next best thing to sliced bread. One of my patients said to me "I like you because you really seem like you care." That really made my day.

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Well, when all of the "run down, negative, desensitized" nurses retire, we will definitely have a nursing shortage on our hands....

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Try and remember that not every word out of your patients mouth is the truth. Many can be very manipulative and play the nurses off against each other.

There are reasons to withhold prns. We frequently hold stool softeners and laxatives if there are frequent, loose BMs. Electrolytes and all...

Nobody is going to withhold Nitro.

Yes, some of us are worn down, tired, and cranky. Once you've walked a few hundred miles in our shoes, you might be looking at your job differently.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

They even look Ragged. All their clothing are faded and and dull and their hair looks dull and unkept.

Ragged is in the eye of the beholder.

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

It sounds like you're being the best nurse that you can be and making a difference in people's lives despite being surrounded by negativity. Keep up the good work.

It's hard, but try not to judge a persons insides by their outsides.

(Also your vent would be better received by some of us without the **'s)

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

Hey everyone, I was not at all trying to offend any nurse that is older in age. It just so happen that some of the nurses that I was talking about were older. So please don't think that I am saying that if you are an older nurse, that you should retire. I am only commenting on what is happening in my place of employment. Not trying to rub anyone the wrong way.

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.
Well, when all of the "run down, negative, desensitized" nurses retire, we will definitely have a nursing shortage on our hands....

I understand what you saying but have you ever worked with a nurse that was so negative and acted like the residents were such an inconvenience and when giving report they just go on and on like its the resident problem and they need to just deal with it. The nurses have also been there 20+ years and alot of other nurses feel the same way about their attitudes. But its the kind of thing where they have been there so long that everyone just kinda accepts it.

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Specializes in neuro, med/surg/, cardiac care.

I sincerely hope you are not referring to an age related issue. I might often appear to be tired at the nursing station but that is usually because I come on and am overjoyed because some "new" nurses have left me half their work for the nightshift as they cannot possibly stay the extra 10minutes to sign off their orders etc because of their hectic social calenders, not to mention I have only slept 5hours and had to cook supper, do homework etc before coming in to the usual mess. Many nurses do feel washed out after 20/25 years and who blames them with the crazy hours, heavy work, cutbacks, fabulous work environment, very high level of respect etc etc. I don't let my less than happy moods pass onto my patients however. The reality also is these nurses need this job likely to pay bills as none of us are in it for the glory, so retiring is probably not an option financially. As someone else posted dont always take what the patients say at face value. Many of them have learned to play one nurse off another, and for a minute it makes you feel like the winner, but remember they are most likely badmouthing you to the next nurse as well.

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Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

We have a resident like that who will blame one nurse for something and then tell a completely different story to another!She will say that nurseX didn't come for hours but we have a computerised call system which you can check times on and usually it is 5-10 minutes at most!!I expect she gets bored and has to invent drama to brighten up her day!!Do I sound run down ,negative ,desensitised? maybe,but I am also highly experienced and very knowledgeable in the ways of our residents! Some of them remember being told ,years ago by their doctors,"you must take this every night"and that word is law!!Trying to retrain this mind-set to make their lives more comfortable can be difficult after all they are old and set in their ways;) and yes I have met nurses who seem to moan and groan all the time as if the residents are an inconvenience and they aren't all old believe me, a lot of them are younger nurses who just haven't got their heads around dementia and it's related diseases.

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Ragged is in the eye of the beholder.

Well, I had one who would come in with Hair by Weed-whacker and Shmatas from Rag Bag with Rips Couture. Hey, take a needle and thread and an iron to those rags. There's no excuse for that. My A&Ox3 old folks always commented on how I looked, and cared about it. It meant that I respected and cared about them enough to look nice. Simple, but basic civilized behavior in any environment.

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Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..
Well, I had one who would come in with Hair by Weed-whacker and Shmatas from Rag Bag with Rips Couture.

Love it!:rotfl::rotfl:

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.
I sincerely hope you are not referring to an age related issue. I might often appear to be tired at the nursing station but that is usually because I come on and am overjoyed because some "new" nurses have left me half their work for the nightshift as they cannot possibly stay the extra 10minutes to sign off their orders etc because of their hectic social calenders, not to mention I have only slept 5hours and had to cook supper, do homework etc before coming in to the usual mess. Many nurses do feel washed out after 20/25 years and who blames them with the crazy hours, heavy work, cutbacks, fabulous work environment, very high level of respect etc etc. I don't let my less than happy moods pass onto my patients however. The reality also is these nurses need this job likely to pay bills as none of us are in it for the glory, so retiring is probably not an option financially. As someone else posted dont always take what the patients say at face value. Many of them have learned to play one nurse off another, and for a minute it makes you feel like the winner, but remember they are most likely badmouthing you to the next nurse as well.

Good insight! and No I was not referring to age. Heck I'm 35 and I have been in working in nursing homes for 14 years so I know how patients can manipulate but I guess its one of those " You just gotta be there to understand kinda situations". thanks for your input.

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