I am a new nurse who has not been doing well at all in my new job. I am working on a Med-Surg floor with very high volume and turn around. I started working in late april and I am currently on an action plan because I had an issue with hanging blood. Long story short I know for sure I am not fit to work in such a hostile environment but I have held on this long for the experience and also because there are no job openings.
Now I am to write a statement to my nurse manager because she is going to nursing administration about a patient complaint. One of the night nurses e-mailed her stating that a patient complained of "red and swollen IV site" and also that I left an antibiotic hanging for hours without infusion. The patient failed to mention that she wanted to get up and ambulate in the halls so I couldn't infuse the antibiotic I also assessed the site before and after infusion and saw no redness or swelling. The night nurse also complained about a dressing on a mid-line of another patient being soiled and not changed. I assessed the patents mid-line initially in the AM and dressing was CDI, there were no IV infusions that day so I didn't check again. She also complained that I failed to fill out paperwork for a patients calorie count when I delegated the responsibility to the nurses aid and she assured me she would take care of this. It was never done this is the second time I've delegated and it hasn't been done. I feel sick to my core! With 6-7 patients its so hard to keep up with everything!!!
In other words I'm F-CKED !! I feel I'm always thrown under the bus and to the wolves working here no one comes and tells me when I'm not doing something wrong. Its always brought to "the higher ups" and result in write up or punitive actions. I'm currently suspended until further notice and am for sure I'm going to be let go. Nursing school and the nursing world are totally different entitites and I am having a very difficult time with the transition and support. Any thoughts or advice? I have to prepare a statement for nursing administration ....
Several years ago in Louisiana, I met a new nurse who was walking her dog at our unofficial off leash dog park "doggie hill" in new orleans. She was so terribly upset and hurt and frightened. She was hired on the L&D floor after her student experience there. Apparently she got nervous and asked her precepting nurse to go with her and observe her first "on the job" IM injection. The nurse made sure everyone knew she "couldn't even give a shot alone." This nurse was an AD grad, had a different clinical experience and thought this BSN grad was hopelessly incompetent. The situation went down hill from there.
I listened, encouraged her to try for employment at a hospital that had a strong new graduate orientation and went home.
I didn't bump into her again for about 4 or 5 months. Here she is smiling, confident, and loving her job. She had applied for a job at the other hospital and was now working as charge from time to time. This new nurse just had had low self-confidence,with support she grew into the job. It's a shame the other job missed out on a fine nurse and person.
My moral of the story: If you get pushed out of one job, there's another one waiting for you that is the right job, with the right people, the right pay, in the right place and time. Let your angels carry you through the dark times and have faith in a positive outcome
Let them terminate you so you can collect unemployment. In the mean time, search for a position in a more appropriate setting. Maybe a hospital with a progam for newer nurses so you can get the support you need. Maybe consider working on a PCU where you have 3-4 patients. Nursing is a team effort. If you have a rotten team, just leave because it's not going to work and you don't want to risk your license.
I work in Med Surg-Tele floor and I feel your pain. I just finished my orientation not too long ago and I feel like i've been thrown in a pack of wolves on my own. I hated this floor. There is barely a room to breathe. I sometimes skip lunch to do so many things all at once. I usually clock out on time but ended up staying hours to finish my charting (company doesnt like to pay for overtime!). There are other nurses who floats to our unit and called it a "jungle." I dont even know why im sticking it out here. I just want to get my experience. Do you think i can get a job with 6 months of experience in med-surg? Is that enough? I really dont know If i can stick it out for a year. I feel that since i've worked there, i became depressed and my physical health deteriorated. Please help me with suggestions. Thanks.
I feel the exact same way. I have seen therapists and even started taking anti-depressant meds until I realized one day it wasn't me... I didn't deserve such treatment. 6 months should be enough to transfer within the hospital you work. Don't give up, I'm not giving up!
u remeind me of me. I used to punch out and chart too. I didn't want to be busted over my time mgmt or things I left undone/uncharted. I wish I had found a therapist and gotten on an antidepressent back then. U'll laugh, but I tried, and I was just too depressed to persue it after I didn't like the first one!
I did quit after 10 months. I got a job by going in the back door. I floated to local hospitals via nursing agency. Normally they won't take you before 1 yr Strange cause that was much easier than working on the original floor from hell I was on as a new grad...I promise u will get through this. PM if u need to talk.
OP, I feel your pain, been there, done that. In a situation like this, when you have already been suspended, the writing is on the wall: they are getting ready to fire you.
If I were you, the only thing I would give them in writing would be my resignation letter. Trust me, it's much easier to find another job if you can answer the almost universal application question "Have you ever been terminated?" with "No". And if you're concerned about your short stay on this unit, it's not unusual - especially for a new grad - not to have found the perfect fit yet. It won't be held against you (unless there's a pattern).
It's a difficult decision, but in a hostile environment you cannot win. Unfortunately, it's a common situation in nursing, and not just with new grads. When will "we" (I would never do it, but many do) stop eating our young?!
Best of luck to you, I hope you find a much better job!
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
Wow, I don't even know where to start! Your orientation wasn't long at all! At our facilities, new grads are in a residency for 6 months! You don't even take a full load right away and are graduated up to the max. Plus you have a preceptor watching out for you.
As for the nurses checking up behind you...what kind of care are they giving if they have all this time on their hands?
Like the others said, do your charting. CYA....
Good luck in the meeting and don't let them bully you. You deserve better.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
so...
i am a new nurse who has not been doing well at all in my new job. i am working on a med-surg floor with very high volume and turn around. i started working in late april and i am currently on an action plan because i had an issue with hanging blood. long story short i know for sure i am not fit to work in such a hostile environment but i have held on this long for the experience and also because there are no job openings.
now i am to write a statement to my nurse manager because she is going to nursing administration about a patient complaint. one of the night nurses e-mailed her stating that a patient complained of "red and swollen iv site" and also that i left an antibiotic hanging for hours without infusion. the patient failed to mention that she wanted to get up and ambulate in the halls so i couldn't infuse the antibiotic i also assessed the site before and after infusion and saw no redness or swelling. the night nurse also complained about a dressing on a mid-line of another patient being soiled and not changed. i assessed the patents mid-line initially in the am and dressing was cdi, there were no iv infusions that day so i didn't check again. she also complained that i failed to fill out paperwork for a patients calorie count when i delegated the responsibility to the nurses aid and she assured me she would take care of this. it was never done this is the second time i've delegated and it hasn't been done. i feel sick to my core! with 6-7 patients its so hard to keep up with everything!!!
in other words i'm f-cked !! i feel i'm always thrown under the bus and to the wolves working here no one comes and tells me when i'm not doing something wrong. its always brought to "the higher ups" and result in write up or punitive actions. i'm currently suspended until further notice and am for sure i'm going to be let go. nursing school and the nursing world are totally different entitites and i am having a very difficult time with the transition and support. any thoughts or advice? i have to prepare a statement for nursing administration ....
please help!!
if your hospital is unionized, you will be able to bring a union representative with you to act as your advocate during these proceedings. that person will be calm, unemotional, and will have experience with these situations. if you are a union member, contact your union representative immediately. they might be able to negotiate a better outcome for you.
that said, i notice that you open your post by saying that you're not doing well, and that you've been written up for "an issue hanging blood." you don't say much about that, but it appears as though you acknowledge that you're actually having difficulties and that there was an issue hanging blood. then you say you're not fit to work in such a hostile environment . . . and here's where i don't get it. if you're having problems, you're not doing well and you did have an issue hanging blood, the fact that you've been written up and are now having a meeting with administration seems to be a logical outcome, not evidence of a hostile work environment.
you feel like you're "always thrown under the bus and to the wolves working here" and allege than no one comes to tell you when you're doing wrong, just refer it to higher ups. in my experience, the reason that happens is usually that folks have tried to tell you in the past and they've given up on it because they're afraid to approach you, you don't listen, you don't seem to care or you don't get it. i truly hope that this meeting with your manager and her supervisors helps you understand what you're doing wrong and what you need to do to fix it. if you learn something from the experience, it's not been wasted time.
You ARE NOT alone. If you have to cry, just go ahead in the privacy of your home. NEVER let them see you cry.
This BS happens all the time and I just had an issue yesterday in which my supervisor was called instead of coming to me like a professional to professional, woman to woman. The environment I worked in yesterday was the same as your environment. Before 3 p.m., I had a total of 7 patients including two admissions, three discharges, heparin drip which nurses were not very willing to help and co-sign, three discharges, pain management, computer documentation, checking orders, answer call lights for patients whom did not really want anything (no seriously, I realized some of patients were making up stuff), patients going for procedures, and the list goes on and on. And of course I did not finish a lot of my documentation and had to leave because they WOULD NOT pay me for the time past the grace period. Trust and believe that I do not work for free.And yes, my boss was informed even though I called ahead of time and left a message for the unit director to explain my issues. And yes, after today, I may not have a job. Oh, getting thrown under the bus is becoming apart of my career. So welcome to the world of nursing. lol. Yesterday and this morning, I had tears in my eyes. But I decided to move on because life goes on and so shall we.
I realized that nursing is 98% female, and I say female because not everyone is a woman. It is a lot of "mean girl" stuff that goes on in our profession. My best advice for you is to look into another hospital or consider long-term care, clinic or management before you experience burn-out which from personal experience, is a rollercoaster ride of horror.
If is God's will, their is a job out their for you somewhere nicer. Please have faith and know that you have what it takes to get the job done. Just need an environment that is better to work in. That's it, that's all! Hang in there nurse lady!
Ruby Vee, I don't think that this is a fair evaluation of the situation. When you are a new nurse, it is hard to keep everything straight and it is a lot to handle.
I am quite sure that you have made some mistakes that were blown out of proportion.
AlmostBSN came here for support, not harshness. So let's give her what she needs. No mean girl stuff please.
this is the second time I've delegated and it hasn't been done. I feel sick to my core! With 6-7 patients its so hard to keep up with everything!!!
sissiesmama, ASN, RN
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