I am writing this totally heart broken and at my wits end.
I started my career as a nurse receiving compliments on what a good job I did. I felt that I was one of those people that had to do my job well and couldn't settle for any less. I had to chart well and provide the care that patients and families were more than satisfied with. They had to know they could count on me and that I was going to be there for them.
After 15 years and multiple hospital settings I have come to realize that it doesn't matter. Over the years, I have witnessed that many of hte units are run by managers and assistant managers that couldn't handle floor nursing and yet their demands on their employees are unrealistic. The people that they choose to be in charge and manage the floor are picked based on friendship and loyalty rather than hard work.
I have worked side by side with techs who run the unit and force nurses to do their work while they find time to sit on the internet or phone and then get out on time while we are stuck over finishing our work. I have walked into many patients rooms to pass pills only to find they had no water, haven't been turned or need urine emptied from urinals or pans that are overflowing. I can't tell you how many pans I have see stained with urine or feces because they don't get rinsed. How often patients are tied up in lines and cords.
I find myself picking up the slack and doing all of the jobs that countless others do not. Why can't people untangle lines? Why aren't pans rinsed from urine or feces? Why won't the techs do tech jobs and make sure people have water or that other needs are met?
In the end, what you get is punished. Punished because you couldn't get your work done. Punished because you couldn't meet everyone's needs and a patient or family felt you took too long to get to them and there was nothing you could say or do to make it right when you knew in your heart that it wasn't your fault. Instead, the blame is on the fact that there is too much for you to do or there is a major imbalance of productivity amongst workers.
The reason for the nursing shortage? Overworked and not appreciated and abused. You can't stick up for yourself, you can't tell them why you couldn't get things done - you can't say nothing. 15 years and nothing to show for it. I have tried nearly every hospital around and I find the negative complainers and the staff that knows how to socialize are the people that are respected and appreciated. It's not about the people that are out there busting their tails. Everyone knows there is a shortage and why but no one does anything and the biggest culprits are the administrators of the hospitals. The majority of those couldn't handle floor nursing or hardly ever experienced it at all.
I leave behind a lot of families and patients that thought I was a great nurse. But when you can't please one in a hundred or more you are a bad nurse. People don't understand the level of demands on a nurse. It is a downright abusive field with little to no appreciation surrounded by many people who are disappointed with their jobs and their choice in the career.
My final blow: After 3 years of sweating to please my last employer and taking the abuse of never hearing anything good - only bad. I went back to agency and went back to a hospital that I worked at 3 years ago. I knew that this hospital had a bad reputation for poor bedside care. Half the staff of any unit could easily be float and agency. The regular staff on the floor was made up of mostly young girls in tight spandex and inviting clothes working on socializing with doctors and hanging out at the desk all day long. Call lights were on non-stop but these girls would not answer them. The techs were busting their tails here. The agency nurses were working but the in house floats were sitting and socializing too. I ended up with a patient with a very bad attitude that was a complainer and law-suit happy. She was furious that for 4 days not one person followed through with obtaining her records from another hospital. It fell on me. I also had a patient admitted with respiratory distress which she shared a room with and could see I was busy. With her personality, she was angry at the moaning of the elderly lady who couldn't breath and was determined to get me to stop and cater to her to get on those records. When I got my respiratory patient stablized, I did just that. Turns out that the other hospital never received any fax requesting the information. This lady hated every person she had contact with at that hospital and wanted to call an agency to get them shut down. I'm sure you know the type by now. So....guess what. I was told today that I was not welcome back because of her complaint. I would literally pull a chair up and sit next to this lady and let her vent. I gave her my heart and I got booted. The nurse that she had the next day was a guy that sat around socializing and didn't care one bit about her. He was regular staff and he was NOT going to go out of his way. They all get to keep their jobs but the nurse that took the time out to take care of her is out the door.
I need a job or I wouldn't take the abuse. But, I know for a fact that this hospital is never going to get it. They were like that 3 years ago and now they have more floats and more agency staffing them. This is a big and reputable hospital.
The hospital I worked at for 3 years was dumping more and more tasks on the nurses and they were all unhappy and complaining. We lost good hard working techs and they were replaced with people who didn't want to work or nursing students who were tired when they came to work and were kicking their feet up taking it easy. Management loved those people.
I suffer from spinal degeneration and pain and I never get to sit down. My job is harder because they are not pulling their weight.
There is nothing left. I still owe for my loan and I am scared to death to take another nursing job. I know it is not going to be any different. I hurt. I lost my insurance and after all that I worked for I have nothing to show for it but bills and a destroyed ego and heart. I feel as though I am the misfit. I am the one who isn't right. I am wrong. I can't even bring myself to waste time on another application since I don't want anything to do with this career any more. I am going to lose my home, my vehicle and everything else.
I have noticed that the field is being taken over by young graduates who are more worried about looking sexy and socializing than working. Patient satisfaction has gone down the tubes and the senior skilled nurses are getting nowhere in this field. There is nothing anyone can do. We all know it is happening but we can't do anything about it.
I finally decided to send resumes today. Only LTC and homecare. I wanted to try to get a travel job to go to MS to help take care of my aunt. There wasn't anything for the area and it turns out to be one of those things that happens for a reason. She is not doing good and her hours or days are numbered for sure. Being able to face that put me back on track about the job thing.
I sent some resumes out today and decided to be honest that I just can't take floor nursing another day. I will do agency work but I can't bring myself to kid myself that I want another hospital job. Only through agency to get bills paid and to make a change.
My cousin (the one who's mother is dying) has done aid work for years. She is wanting to start up our own business. I think we are going to research this.
So, short term plan is agency while trying to find homecare or something else. Possible LTC or nursing home. Long term is to pursue own business and I am going to try to market myself for the LNC.
For now, I need money. Stuck in rut. But I hope to pick up some agency work and work my tail off to pay off some bills so I can make a big change.
Wish me luck?
luck with many many prayers going out to you and yours. manyblessings.
BIG HUGS TO YOU!!!!! I'm sorry things are rough for you right now.
I'm going out on a limb here, but just a gut feeling I get for you.
Don't leave nursing! Nursing is not just about taking care of our patients - it's their families, our families, - including each other! We in nursing are a family. And just like any other family, not everyone is going to carry their own weight. However, most families have someone who everyone else goes to get things done. That is the person who listens, praises, hugs, cries along with you. That is also the person who has your back. And that person makes sure things get done the right way. Don't quit nursing. TAKE CHARGE. We need nurses who have had their belly full of all the bolognie being shoved down and around. If you turn that hurt into something positive, you can bring about change. Dear BrokenRNheart - I think you just may become "Hears
BIG HUGS TO YOU!!!!! I'm sorry things are rough for you right now.
I'm going out on a limb here, but just a gut feeling I get for you.
Don't leave nursing! Nursing is not just about taking care of our patients - it's their families, our families, - including each other! We in nursing are a family. And just like any other family, not everyone is going to carry their own weight. However, most families have someone who everyone else goes to get things done. That is the person who listens, praises, hugs, cries along with you. That is also the person who has your back. And that person makes sure things get done the right way. Don't quit nursing. TAKE CHARGE. We need nurses who have had their belly full of all the bolognie being shoved down and around. If you turn that hurt into something positive, you can bring about change. Dear BrokenRNheart - I think you just may become "HEARTS ON FIRE :redbeathe". BLESSINGS TO YOU!:redpinkhe
Apply for and take a position of authority. We need dedicated, caring nurses in Charge teaching these new grads just what nursing is all about!
Just wanted to say that I am NOT new to nursing, as 2 responders assumed. I added a post asking how new grads and agency nurses deal with the situations in hospitals, when it is so hard for experienced nurses that work on the unit. I am trying to remain anonymous on this forum, so chose not to add personal information as to how many years I have been a nurse. Just wanted to clear up this.
I just saw that I quoted your reply in something that I'm pretty sure was a mistake. If I remember right, I was quoting to someone who actually made a comment about possibly changing her course. I will have to go back and see if I can find that.
I do remember stating that someone had not mentioned whether they were new or not. I was thinking it was something you posted. And no, you didn't mention whether you were new or not.
But if you read this: "And how do new grads manage with dealing with poorly designed computer systems at the same time as they are learning how to do patient care? I'm already thinking I made a mistake in getting my new job, as their demands/obtascles are even worse than the impossible ones I've had before. Is the situation better in other countries? Is there basically no place in bedside nursing anymore for RNs that actually want to take care of patients vs document that they did it when they didn't? I went into nursing thinking I'd be a travel nurse someday, but now I'm afraid to try that as I would have even less of a clue of what I signed up for than I do now. " - that you had posted it appears as if you are a newer nurse. There is nothing wrong with that so I hope you aren't offended. It appears as if you were. That would be why it might have been taken that way.
It doesn't matter if you are a new nurse, it just might have been taken that way. Your understanding and support is what counts. Either way you will most likely be experiencing things that you are reading here at some point if you haven't already.
If you have your heart set on travel nursing, do it. In order to survive in agency nursing you do have to be able to adapt quickly and find your way around with hardly any orientation. If you are able to travel, what better way?? Let your job pay your way. Don't stay clear because of this board. I have even thought of it but I got some pay rates today and they aren't worth it to me unless I had a family I could stay with or a reason to be somewhere. It's not much more if at all more than my pay scale so it wouldn't bring me extra income to pay up some bills. Leaving my home wouldn't be worth it unless I could get some extra money.
I'm still keeping it open as an option.
Don't give up on that. If you are feeling the urge to travel, you do it. I think it is great for anyone that wants to travel. You get paid to work and your housing is provided or you are given a supplement plus other expenses. California seems to have a lot of openings for travel nurses. Maybe because they have changed their staffing ratios! There will still be a need for agency if hospitals changed their ratios because the nurses will be needed to meet that.
actually i have to say i think most of the time it isnt due to cna neglecting thier duties-- much fo the time it is due to they are aslo extremely understaffed and i will NOT ( if they are not goofing off ) leave them to fend and notget done when i am perfectly capable of hjelpeing - even if it means i am staying late to get MY charges out on time. you are right we are the bosses ( so to speak) and to sit on our butts regardless of how late we need to stay behind woudl be unaccepytable and to say "its not our job" would be an even bigger tragedy. just myopinion.
Sometimes it is because they are overworked too. Unfortunately, some of them are lazy. The lazy techs affect the hardworking techs just as they do the nurses. One or two bad techs can make everyone's day rough.
Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
today i had 7 pts- doesnt sound like much on a med surg floor- but thats with no tech support( so own vs, ntg gtts, heparing gtts, cardizem gtts etc. and when i told the off shift directer that i was taking the assignment under protest- all she said was i know, but we cant do anything about that.
NOT acceptable. Report this. This is like having a fire in the hallway and not being able to call the fire department.
Don't give up, the world needs more nurses with a great work ethic like yours!!
AND YOURS!
... i have heard of people who have not been welcomed back ...
This is their prerogative - they don't want the "bad" nurses back - they don't want the noisy ones (those who speak up) either, as I found out - and - why would I WANT to go back to them lol
A number of you have stated that you do the aides' work. STOP. DO NOT DO IT ANY MORE. I mean it. STOP. You must get hold of the reins. YOU are the nurse. YOU are in charge.
YES, absolutely.
She is not doing good and her hours or days are numbered for sure. ...
So, short term plan is agency while trying to find homecare or something else. Possible LTC or nursing home. Long term is to pursue own business and I am going to try to market myself for the LNC...Wish me luck?
I am so so sorry to hear! ((((((( BrokenRNheart ))))))))))
And yes, goood luck, altho I can tell that w/ your determination you WILL be successful - whether in nursing or not!
...they are also extremely understaffed and i will NOT ( if they are not goofing off ) leave them to fend and not get done when i am perfectly capable of helpeing ...
Yes - don't abandon the CNA's by sitting there reading the paper while they are out straight; and don't abandon the patients, period - but from 5am to 7 am the CNA's are on their own, especially if they get out at 7 sharp every morning and I'm still left charting at 9. There is just something not right about that.
I actually got to see more topics coming to find this today.
I LOVE some of the titles. I wish I had more time. I have so much to say to so many of the titles.....even just thanking people for their titles and topics.
Any way.....sent resumes out - no calls or acknowledgments. Funny cuz a couple keep sending me fliers and invites.
I have a pretty interesting call/interview tomorrow. Sounds too good to be true. It's a sort of headhunter thing. Not going into detail.
Started the baby steps on the easy part of my "business plan."
Waiting on a logo for the other part.....realizing I can do my own graphics and what was I thinking. I was in too much of a funk to apply myself. But I made one last night for the "other" business.
My aunt had her surgery today - made it through - no heroics as far as pulmonary - will be kept sedated and needs another surgery next Monday or Tuesday.
Making it through surgery was the first little miracle.
good point- there wont be any left. we were discussing this on my unit today- cardiac stepdown, gtts, full care pts- today we had 4 nurses and 1 tech. thats it-for 26 pts mgmts answer - "sorry" we cant close ed just cause you dont have staff- today i had 7 pts- doesnt sound like much on a med surg floor- but thats with no tech support( so own vs, ntg gtts, heparing gtts, cardizem gtts etc. and when i told the off shift directer that i was taking the assignment under protest- all she said was i know, but we cant do anything about that. I of course brought up how convenient it is that if ANYTHING goes wrong- it is MY ASS on the line- my license, my livelyhood, etc.May I remind you guys, the NURSE is resposible. That is why we are licensed. Since we have no say in our assignment- the hospital will just say- gee well they shouldnt have taken that assignment( this has actually happened to another nurse i work with), but the nurse also couldnt refuse the admits. The Hospital will NOT stand up for you. They will not support you in any way. I hope like hell i am never sick enough to ever have to go to a hospital- cause i know i will not get taken care in mine!
I just hope i can get out in time before a catastrophie( sorry sp?) happens- at this rate it is bound to happen soon. Its too bad hospitals dont care about their employees, and there will be more nurses not working in these conditions where they are the SCAPEGOAT. Hopefully this comes to a head soon.
OMG, cardizem and nitro gtts on med-surg floor, you are right, this is for disaster waiting to happen.
Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
I actually got to see more topics coming to find this today.
I LOVE some of the titles. I wish I had more time. I have so much to say to so many of the titles.....even just thanking people for their titles and topics.
Any way.....sent resumes out - no calls or acknowledgments. Funny cuz a couple keep sending me fliers and invites.
I have a pretty interesting call/interview tomorrow. Sounds too good to be true. It's a sort of headhunter thing. Not going into detail.
Started the baby steps on the easy part of my "business plan."
Waiting on a logo for the other part.....realizing I can do my own graphics and what was I thinking. I was in too much of a funk to apply myself. But I made one last night for the "other" business.
My aunt had her surgery today - made it through - no heroics as far as pulmonary - will be kept sedated and needs another surgery next Monday or Tuesday.
Making it through surgery was the first little miracle.
YOU are a miracle, it is cool seeing you get strong thru this!!
Be careful of the headhunter - do your homework - k?
OMG, cardizem and nitro gtts on med-surg floor, you are right, this is for disaster waiting to happen.
It seems to me we used to allow a max of 2 drip pts to one nurse (and no "extra" patients) - and these were ICU (monitored!!) patients! So to think of an assignment like the one she described just makes me sick
YOU are a miracle, it is cool seeing you get strong thru this!!
Be careful of the headhunter - do your homework - k?
PM me....tell me why you say that. My bestfriend's sis has a "headhunter" biz. I have never asked her about hers. This is someone different. I will take whatever info you have to offer. I can't afford any BS. I have my days. I was a grumpy slug today. Didn't do anything. Kind of a tough day for me with my aunt. She is in chemically induced coma and going to stay that way through at least two more surgeries Monday and Thursday. She didn't know going in. Medical team has been good - surgeons and nurses. It's SICU. Got no complaints with the care and treatment of family.
Hi i just wanted to clarify- this is "supposed " to be a cardiac stepdown, post interventional floor- not med surg per se, altho they fill us up with med surg pts on the weekends, along with the cardiac pts , gtts etc. cause they cant hacve beds be empty. Thing is we are the only floor able to take art lines( post cath) and the gtts that go with those- so we still get those pts along with the med/surg pts. our normal load would be 4 post cath pts, including gtts. and art lines. I know someone told me to report my situation, but to who?? I told the osd that i was taking the assn under protest- who else am i going to c/o to? oh well, sigh.
anyhow, back to topic- OP- sounds like youve got a plan - good luck to you - it stinks that things sometime have to hit rock bottom, but then, i guess, its only up out of the hole from there on. Maybe someday i'll folllow in your footsteps.
twotrees2
913 Posts
luck with many many prayers going out to you and yours. manyblessings.