I believe my co-workers have it in for me

Specialties Rehabilitation

Published

This morning when I left work they were filling out an incident report and they were very quiet when I was around. I give insulin in the back of the arm after inspecting the abdomen and I seen that the abdomen was tough more than likely from the long term use of insulin therapy. I have looked at all my resources and I have also review my nursing school notes and got opinions from my friends who currently have DM and they use the back of there arms all of the time. I heard one of them talking about inappropriate patient contact would they think that this is? I am a new grad and I have found out in just one night of working in an LTC facility that I hate it ! nurse and 3 CNA's to 61 patients this is pitiful and a disgrace to the nursing world that I envisioned I think that I am not cut out for nursing if this is how heartless this world has become. All of these people need more attention than this I am doing orientation and I noticed a pressure sore on one of the patients and the nurse that is orienting me didn't make a big deal about it. I have a gut feeling that the workers that I was working with are going to stab me in the back and pull out the knife and lick of the blood and stab again just to get another go at me. HELP I hate my choice to become a nurse in just one night What should I do????????????????

Specializes in VA-BC, CRNI.
remember, this is on the night shift......depending on the accuity, it is doable

Lets hope that EVERYONE sleeps and there are no medical emergencies...god forsake 2 emergencies at once. Lets say only 40 of those 60 pts receives medications...that means you have 3 minutes per patient to give meds without going over the "1 hour before, 1 hour after rule" Now if everyone only took Prilosec and Synthroid you would be fine but there are those who need Accuchecks, treatments, dressing changes etc. Going by the book you cannot pre pour your meds either...how in the hell are you going complete a med pass safely for that many people? You cannot tell me that a ratio of 60 to 1 is safe....unless you have never done it.

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Lets hope that EVERYONE sleeps and there are no medical emergencies...god forsake 2 emergencies at once. Lets say only 40 of those 60 pts receives medications...that means you have 3 minutes per patient to give meds without going over the "1 hour before, 1 hour after rule" Now if everyone only took Prilosec and Synthroid you would be fine but there are those who need Accuchecks, treatments, dressing changes etc. Going by the book you cannot pre pour your meds either...how in the hell are you going complete a med pass safely for that many people? You cannot tell me that a ratio of 60 to 1 is safe....unless you have never done it.

have done it, more than once......reread my statement "depending on acuity".....this was a Loooong term, basically custodial "one step above a rest home" floor.....perhaps twenty meds in the am, and not to twenty different patients......so, yes, doable.....with 4 aides and many self care residents.

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Specializes in Orthopedics.

The back of the arm is not the best place for insulin because it is more easily absorbed when injected in the abdomen, but it is still a safe site. Your judgement told you it was better in the back of the arm and that sounds totally reasonable. If that is truly the issue I wouldn't think they have anything on you. However, as a new grad I would stay the heck out of nursing homes, simply to protect your license. Document everything and start looking for a med surg job in a hospital where you can learn more safely on the job.

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I hope you are gone by the time I post this. Go with your instincts. You are a new grad, find something else.

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Find another job, ASAP. Beware LTC even if you love that population. So many are run so poorly that you put your license on the line everyday. Try to get into a hospital environment, even part-time. If you can't afford just part-time get a second part-time job in or out of nursing. But get out of where you are now.

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Specializes in Emergency Department, Rehabilitation.
The back of the arm is not the best place for insulin because it is more easily absorbed when injected in the abdomen, but it is still a safe site. Your judgement told you it was better in the back of the arm and that sounds totally reasonable. If that is truly the issue I wouldn't think they have anything on you. However, as a new grad I would stay the heck out of nursing homes, simply to protect your license. Document everything and start looking for a med surg job in a hospital where you can learn more safely on the job.

Hey Sewbusy, hope you had a great holiday season. I ran into the same question on injection site absorption for insulin the other night at work and my understanding was that so long as there's subQ fat to inject into that other sites besides the abdomen are acceptable. I looked in the drug guide in my med room but wouldn't you know it, the page was missing!! Luckily I had a smartphone and looked online. At http://diabetes.about.com/od/insulinrotationsitefaq/f/injectinginsuln.htm it says that, in fact, the back of the arm IS a good site to inject insulin into but that it's not used when giving self-administered SQ injections d/t it's not easily accessible. I use the back of the arm when using a FlexPen delivery device or when the patient is also getting a SQ heparin shot in the abdomen too.

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Specializes in Skilled Nursing/Rehab.

I worked in a facility that had 62 beds, one NOC nurse with 3-4 CNAs. The NOCs were the most experienced nurses, not the least...I worked PMs, had 30 pts which was no picnic but I got very fast at assessment and med pass. Try another shift?

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