Latest Comments by SJE RN

I know this post is old but did you end up getting the job at Winthrop? How long did you wait to hear back after your interview?

I don't believe there was an order to hold the Plavix but on our floor it is protocol to hold lovenox and aspirin before a surgical procedure unless told otherwise. It wasn't just the nurses fault. It was a number of people.

You're right! At our facility nurses write each other up for things that are not even worth it (such as not restocking the medication cart with syringes and alcohol pads...the supply room is 2 feet from the nurses station) that I forgot the main reason why we have incident/occurrence reports. Thank you for reminding me.

I work on a Cardiac Stepdown unit. I work nights. My pt went for a PPM insertion. The day nurse had given the pt lovenox, asa, plavix prior to the procedure. After the procedure on my shift the pt bled out. It was a mess. The nurse manager came in the morning, I was not in charge that day but the charge nurse had told my manager what had happened. I had to fill out an incident report. I really did not want to because the patient was stable. Had to give a unit of blood. I felt so bad for the pt. She was such a sweet lady. She just kept saying I'm so grateful to be alive and you're doing such a good job taking care of me (it takes a lot for me to cry and I just started tearing in the room). I don't know why I feel so bad for filling out the incident report. The day nurse was probably busy and just made a mistake (we all make mistakes at one point or another). A lot people complain that she's lazy and is always on her phone but I'm usually the last one to report a person (it has to be life or death with me). I didn't report her just stated facts in the incident report. Any advice, thoughts? Just grateful my pt is ok.

I need to vent once again. So my hospital has come up with this stupid rule. The tech's are not allowed to do vital signs, fingersticks or EKGs. I work on a step down telemetry unit (get all the thoracic, CABG that are stable). We are always short staffed that I get 8 patients where I should only be getting 5-6. We have a good for nothing union. The tech's walk around making $18/hr for doing nothing but cleaning pts. I'm so frustrated. With the economy it's difficult for even experienced nurses to land a job elsewhere. I'm so grateful for a job but I don't want to lose my license. I'm not even kidding...the other day one of my co-workers wet herself cause she couldn't get to the bathroom in time...her patient's vent machine alarm kept going off (pt needed to be suctioned immediately, pt was in really bad shape coded 2x on her). The other day the ICU was packed so I ended up getting an ICU patient with 3 admissions. I threw a fit had all of administration come down and still nothing was done. I wrote to the CEO of the hospital and the union (my response "you did an amazing job, thank you"). Is all this worth it? I'm just hoping its not like this at every hospital. I'm starting to apply to other places. Hopefully something will work out.

Most of the nurses I work with are seasoned and not welcoming at all. I'm not a new graduate. I'm not an expert either. I'm young, I started working as a nurse with my BSN at 22. It's hard to work in an environment where there is no teamwork. I'm not there to make friends but it would be nice to have a person to fall back on. My manager is amazing but strict. She expects you know every little detail about the pt. Why the patient is here, when they will be discharged, what is the plan of care. It really gets you thinking cause she comes to take report from each nurse at 4am even though her shift starts at 6am. She really cares but she's not there when I need here unfortunately. There's more negative than positive though. I'm losing my mind and I've only been here for 4 months. I'm trying to stick it out for the year because tuition reimbursement is $6000/yr and I could really use the money for my masters. I have 60,000 in loans from a bio degree and nursing degree combined.

Makes me feel a little better that I'm not the only one feeling this way. I used to go into work with my mom back in the 80's early 90's for bring your child to work day. I remember loving what she did and told myself this is exactly what I wanted. Healthcare has changed so much. My patient expired the other night (I work 12-13 hour night shifts) administration was on top of me to get the pt to the morgue so they can book the bed. The son of the pt was hysterical at the bedside. What was I to tell him? Get the hell out we need this room? Where is the compassion? I swear I told all my family...I want to die and home. Don't ever keep me in the hospital.

I just started this job in July (kind of stuck because I can't move anymore until a year). The hospital I worked for closed (my co-workers were so supportive). This new place is horrible. We are always short staffed. Most of the nurses are horrible. My manager views me as someone with so much potential and is hoping to promote me into the Cardio-Thoracic ICU (I don't know how I feel about that and I don't know if I can do it...I feel like my manager keeps telling me all these things so I will stay). I will only have 1 patient but the patients are so sick and extremely heavy.

I guess I should move around and see what works. I got into PA school and Nursing school and chose to do nursing. I think that's one of my biggest regrets. Hopefully, working as an NP might be a little better than bedside nursing.

I've been a nurse for a few years now < than 5. At first I loved it. I was so eager to learn still am. I told myself I will never become the task oriented nurse and here I am just trying to get the job done. I hate nursing more and more each day. I feel like everyone hates nurses. We are not appreciated at all for all that we do. It is a back breaking job and of course the nurse is to be blamed for everything. I cry on my way to work. I feel stuck in place. I'm actually starting a masters program in January. My friend is now a FNP and loves her job. She hated her job as a bedside nurse. I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should give up on nursing altogether. I mean I've worked so hard to get to where I am. Any advice???