Advice, please.

[jojo489]

This is probably gonna turn out very long, so I apologize in advance.

I've been a nurse for 3 years, but in the medical field for a total of 8 years. I'm 25 years old. My first nursing job allowed my to gain a little experience in a little bit of everything and I must say, I was really good at it. But the stress from that place had me mentally and physically exhausted constantly, I lost weight due to stress and anxiety, and it really was just toxic for me - it all but disintegrated my home life because all I could think about was how bad my day always was and how I dreaded going back. So I looked for a new job.

I've been with my new place for about a year now and overall, it really is a nice place to work. But there's just this one thing that nags me. I feel like everyone I work with thinks that I'm an idiot.

Now...I chose to work 11-7. I've worked days and 3-11 and I was hoping to take the pace down a notch and go to nights, just to try to get myself straight again. I was planning on probably switching shifts again eventually but wasn't sure when. Well it turns out that I love working nights, I sleep better, I get more time with my residents and nothing feels super rushed. The downside....that "night shift nurses are lazy" stigma.

On top of that, I'm half the age of most of the people I work with, and I feel like I'm looked down upon for that fact. I feel like it perpetuates the stereotype that I'm lazy because I work nights.

I often get talked to like a child. And the other thing that really bothers me is that anything and everything I do is always wrong. Like, if I do it one way, it's wrong....then I do the same thing the way I was told and it's wrong for another reason now. When I was first hired, my manager seemed really impressed with the experience I had and she had said if there was anything that I thought would maybe work better a different way to offer input....I quickly learned that was a no-no. My ideas were instantly torn apart. And now I'll notice things with residents and make suggestions and when I make them it's no....that won't work we can't do that....but then more often than not those ideas are implemented within the week.

Im big on doing well and excelling at things. I like to master my craft. I don't feel like I'm doing that here and I don't feel like it's anything I can control. I feel like no matter how hard I try or even if I don't try, the outcome will always be the same.

So, my question is....how can I deal with this? I don't want to express these things because I don't want to make waves. But at the same time, I hate feeling like everyone I work with looks at me like some young twit who doesn't really know what she's talking about. Do I just keep doing my job the best that I can and say I tried? Or just kind of brush it off and say oh well? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[HTmommy]

I feel for you and your situation. I have worked at places where age seemed to matter where you had to prove yourself on your ability. IMHO, its changing. Its all about ability.

My big question for you is why do you think "they think your an idiot? The answer to that may be the thing to clear up. If your unable to, seems that many places would love your talent on a night shift. (or at least my geographic area). Unless your aware on how your got your label, than there is no easy fix. If management has no interest in bettering the facility, wouldn't you feel better if you were somewhere else where your voice and talents mattered? Perhaps, it could be more of a "click" thing? I see this far to often.

Sadly, to answer your question, "how can I deal with this?" you have 2 choices, sit and take it or move on to another hidden gem of a job that is waiting for you. Good luck in your decision, sounds like you know which direction it will take you. Let us know what happens.

[jojo489]

I think that part of the problem was that at my last job, I was so good and excelled so much that management just loved me because they could put a pile of work on me and I'd get it done. When I was there, I also works 3-11 then days. So I was in all the action and got experience with every situation and knew just what to do.

Here on nights, there's not a whole lot that goes on. So if something new pops up, I do what I know to do then ask in the morning if there is something additional or if it should be done a certain way. I get asked a lot of I'm actually doing my assigned treatments, which of course I am.

We have a resident who tends to be in a chair all the time and they have a pressure area on their bottom. I've used mepilex boarders a lot and they do wonders for wounds and I've suggested it many times and get told no. I often know excellent wound treatments (I love wounds) and get looked at sideways when I suggest them. I was told the other day that before I call an on call at night (which I don't do unless absolutely necessary) I need to call my supervisor at home and get permission. (But my question there is if she tells me no and I know I should, it's my license not hers. I'll call if I know it's necessary) just little things like that. I feel like they look at me like I have no idea what I'm talking about. And I don't even get disciplined directly, it's always passed on in report, which I absolutely don't like. There's just as lot that bothers me.

But all together it makes me feel like they think I don't know what I'm talking about. Whether they actually hold that opinion or not I don't know.