does anyone else feel like a glorified maid?

Published

I've been in orientation about a month on a med surg/tele floor. I have worked up to five patients. I'm working days on weekends which I like.....but many days I come home from work too tired to even move and crying from stress. Demanding patients who don't appreicate anything u do. bitchy critical threatening family members, smart ass doctors, catty annoying lazy coworkers, and I think "THIS is not what I thought nursing was". I am really frustrated.......my preceptor is great but I am beginning to think I have made a career mistake. I cant believe the amount of stress! And 90% of my coworkers on on meds for depression and anxiety and tell me how in a while, I will be too.......they arent trying to be mean, but they say the job has taken a toll on them. I am so frustrated. I feel like I was decieved in school, I knew nursing was tough but this is hell......I like caring for patients and I am faster, more efficient, more confident and have learned so much but I am just.......let down. Plus I take NCLEX tomorrow. So I am stressed about that. I just feel like throwing up. Nursing isnt what I thought it was.....half the time I feel like a glorified maid......

Specializes in OR.

Many of us that chose specialties did so because we realized that many M/S nurses are overworked and therefore their patients don't get the care they deserve. I chose the OR because I have 1 patient who gets my total attention. I have to gain this patient's trust in a short period of time and I am their advocate while they are asleep. And yes, I happen to hate med/surg-I am not a martyr or a saint-why should I do something that makes me miserable and that I have no interest in? I think if you are doing something that makes you happy and fufilled, the patients will benefit in the long run. Just my 2 cents...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just started working on a med surg floor. As a new nurse There is a transition period from nursing student to nurse. I had a preceptor who really did not help or mentor me. She was a nice person but she was also a charge nurse and was very busy doing "charge nurse duties" I don't need to be coddled but a little mentoring would be great. I will precept with 2-3 other nurses in the next couple of weeks so I hope things will get better for me. Have been really disappointed and really want to make a difference in the health care setting. Some nurses seem to forget what they went through as new nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I truly believe good med/surg nurses are a special breed created by God and are without a doubt the most overworked and under appreciated people in health care today. And this is coming from an 11 year cv/surgical ICU

RN. How these nurses show up every day to take care of ever sicker patients and their families is beyond me. I've floated enough to telemetry and med surg floors to believe that a 3-1 pt to nurse ratio is the highest it should ever be on the floors. Wound care, admissions, discharges, pt teaching-it's impossible meet the high standards nurses set for ourselves and more and more nursing students are learning this in clinicals and opting for specialty areas where the professional liabilty is a little less and the opportunity to interact with pts is greater. I'll close by saying a good medsurg/tele nurse is worth his/her weight in gold and if anyone deserves a pay differential its them. My hat is off to you guys for doing a job I can't and won't do. God bless every one of you and if you decide to transfer to ICU I'd be happy to mentor you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med-surg.

Fakebee, God Bless you pea-pickin little heart, comin from a med-surg RN who, last night, started with 5 and picked up 2 more pts midway thru the shift on the cardiac floor(?????????). I work the float pool and get not one extra red cent for doing so. I realize that a lot of med-surg RN's would kill for this ratio, and I grieve for them. And now we are informed that there is a new plan in the works to cut everything to bottom dollar. I just want to get thru my (night) shift taking care of my patients and leave with my license intact. I am in awe of you good ICU nurses also; I couldn't do it. Thanks, Fakebee, I bow to you.:thankya: (And i hope I don't wake up one day wondering "what WAS I thinking???????" in regards to my career choice.....)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I Nursing isnt what I thought it was.....half the time I feel like a glorified maid......

There's an old joke among wildland firefighters: They could train monkeys to do this job.......................they just can't get them to come back summer after summer.

I'll be starting clinicals in October, and I know there will be times in school and later in practice when it seems like you get to use nothing you worked so hard to learn and master. I'm old enough to have experienced the same thing happen in my first career.

Give it some time, if it isn't ruining your health, and I think it will get better.

Best of luck to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just completed my 6th week of orientation and I will have 6 patients next week. This week started off very rocky and ended up ok. It is rough........many people keep telling me that after orientation, it will get better. I am praying it does. I am also trying not to be such a perfectionist and stop being so hard on myself. I decided that I will decide how I feel after orientation is up if I want to stay here.........I am having major growing pains! I need to learn better coping skills and let some stuff not get to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
I totally feel like a waitress at IHOP.

...

But patients have no clue what goes on behind the scenes - all they care about is you didn't immediately bring them their apple juice cocktail (half apple juice, half water, with the cup being 2/3 full of ice, please. ---Am I a bartender?)

...

I've had several family members sit in the corner of the room and take notes on my performance, timing how long it takes me to bring them stuff. I'm really fed up and hopefully moving to a unit with a lower patient ratio. I much rather use my brain than run around crazy making apple juice drinks.

For this kind of stuff that is about what the patient wants, not what they need ... a couple of suggestions.

The apple juice concotion: bring a cup of ice & carton of juice. Same for tea - cup of hot water with tea bag on top. Pt. fixes it to their liking.

When you answer a call bell for a want, not a need, my standard response is "When I can get down to the (kitchen/linen cart/whatever) I'll be glad to get that for you." Said sincerely, but it puts out notice that this request is "on the list" and will be prioritized accordingly.

Bottom line: you're not a waitress at IHOP, so don't allow yourself to be made to feel bad about not performing like one.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks MLOS -

I'm in the process of learning little tricks to keep the less important requests at bay. Showing family members where the linen closet and ice water machine is, and telling them to "help themselves" works. Many times they like being able to do something for their loved ones.

Also, many times we'll have a pt who goes bad and turns into an ICU pt, and I'll get stuck in their room for a long time - having to neglect my other 3 patients. When the other pts get bent out of shape, I simply explain - sorry, I had a pt who had chest pain, trouble breathing or had a seizure, so I had to help them. Then they usually lighten up and realize what the priorities are there. I know, I know - HIPPA - but I never say a pt's name or give any more info.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was a CNA,then LPN,then I got my RN. I got to see many new grads hit the floor and all of us felt the same way. We actually joked about making aprons that said hi, I am your nurse,how may I serve you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion