At a Crossroad

[thehurd456]

Hello All. I have a bit of internal struggle going on right now. I have been in school as an LA (Liberal arts) Major and I am struggling with the Idea of Nursing school. I want to be a Nurse ( former EMT for a decade) but I worked as a nursing assistant for an ER for two Months and hated it!! I felt like all did was change diapers and take vitals. I know its vital to Patient care, but I felt like "what am I doing here"? . The nurses (some, not all) where very stand-offish too. They made me feel like I was truly beneath them. The attitude above all made me leave. I understood my role is limited, but I felt like a "pee on" not a co-worker. Especially that we did ALL the grunt work. EMS has this to, but I felt like it was worse in the ED. I felt like this gave me a negative outlook at work and it showed which reflected on the job so I left. Its been just over a year since the ED and a year and half since I been on the Truck ( I do Telecom for a Hospital) and I have debated this issue with myself for some time now. I know that only I and I alone can decide to be a nurse, but I want to know if others have had some similar experiences with good outcomes in their careers? What is the Nurse Doctor dynamic like? Also, new nurse vs senior nurse, is that a rivalry? Should I expect a "mind" measuring contest every time I walk on to a unit? I miss treating patients and I miss the work, but if its like this in most places, I may reconsiders my options.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

I think if you want nursing go for it. The situations you described Nurse/Doctor relations, senior nurse/new nurse, etc.. These dichotomies will exist in EVERY SINGLE WORKPLACE. There is always someone who knows more than you. There is always someone who you will have to answer to. Occasionally someone may give feedback in a tone or use words that might rub you the wrong way, rightly or wrongly. You have the power to respond and you have control of your feelings. NOONE likes getting negative feedback or made to feel bad.

When I worked as a PCT/NA it was hard. I never expected to be thanked for my day nor did I need any credit for the hard work, changing, feeding, getting vital signs, accuchecks, etc. That was my job. Nurses had their roles.

From your description, it appears as though you wanted some type of recognition after only working a short period of time. I realize it is difficult to intperret tone via written word in a message board, but it sounds like you wanted some praise for doing your job. Remember you were only there 2 months, that is about 24 shifts (if you are 12 hours). That is hardly enough time to know if nurses are standoffish. Perhaps they were busy triaging patients, being told that they need to move patients through faster and get them up to the floors/units. ED is a fast paced environment and maybe the nurses are trying to survive their shift.

As for mindgames... As a new nurse for the first year, you are going to be scrutinized, you are going to be asked questions regarding why are you doing things a certain way. You are being evaluated to ensure you can provide safe patient care. If I am precepting someone, I need to ensure that a new nurse understand the reason for the patient encounter, what things should be anticipated, how to delegate appropriately, when to notify the Provider, etc. You are having someones life in your hands, preceptors need to know you can do the best possible care for them.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

You have to prove yourself in any job. This is especially true in nursing. Please see the many threads here on the patient/colleague relationship forum.

I have had many different positions. Some with good outcomes, some with bad. In some positions I received great respect, in some I was treated like dog doo-doo. Could be the luck of the draw, I don't know.

The bottom line is... do you want to be a nurse bad enough to work through the issues you have felt ?

Best wishes, whatever you decide.

[Golden_RN, MSN]

As a nursing assistant, nursing student, LVN, new RN, experienced RN...you will always be a peon to someone. There will always be jerks and people very stressed out that occasionally act like jerks. If you want it badly enough, you have to look past the jerks.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to prenursing

[Davey Do]

the important thing is the feeling I have in my own mind when I punch out in the morning that my patients are better off because I was there. Whether it's wiping their butt (which it often is), or participating in a code, I'm a nurse providing care for my patients. If someone wants to think they're better than me, fine, they can think that and it has absolutely no bearing on how I will do my job.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]28077[/ATTACH]

[It'sYaGirlK, CNA, LPN]

I work at an ALF with a Nurse who many believe is bipolar. He once told a housekeeper that she wasn't allowed to give him nursing advice because she was just "clean up" all because she told him she saw one of the residents place his med cup inside his coffee cup and pretend he took his meds. He has told his fellow CNAs that he feels like we are way up here and he is way down here.. making hand gestures during a meeting.. nonetheless he has never made me feel below him because how he feels has absolutely nothing to do with me.

[anewsns]

Well , to be honest, I think you're going to get SOMETHING similar everywhere you go in nursing. In some places all the aides do all of the grunt work. In other places the aides do nothing. In other places there is good teamwork between the nurses and aides, and still others have rivalries between old nurses and new nurses.. All thrEe places I worked at had some kind of a rivalry between shifts. I have personally had really good luck with doctors, but I'm positive other places have condescending doctors. You also always have to deal with rude patients and families at times. Sometimes all your coworkers are great, but you're super understaffed with no resources. You can find some positive and some negative team dynamics on every unit. I've learned to try to consider who I'm working with while calculating my day. It's helpful to work for a place with good reviews and reputation, but, otherwise it's the luck of the draw. At my last job all aspects of the team were amazing but our workload was heavy then a bunch of us left and dynamics sucked from what I hear! We're like little video game characters some of us are slow and lumbering But thorough, others are fast to bells and stuff but scattered, others you're not sure what they do all day. Sorry for the long ramble but the short answer is yes you'll likely be dealing with some Negative aspect of culture

[HomeBound]

《 shrugs》 you haven't asked or answered a very basic question, which will pretty much decide your future if you do go to nursing school.

Why do you want to become a nurse?

(because nursing school is going to kick your a$$ six ways to sunday if you think you are not going to wipe butts and take vs for the 2-4 years you are there, in addition to being the hardest most challenging workload you will ever experience, IMHO. Did EMS, and two other hospital technical modalities. NO COMPARISON.)

Not gonna slam you about feeling inferior and all that, because I didnt read it is that and dont personally believe that is the root problem here. I dont think you have any idea why you want to do this, and therefore, perhaps, have unrealistic ideas or expectations of the job.

Honey, i have no CNA in the ICU. I rarely had one in the ED. So who do you think wiped butts and did VS? That is my snark for the week. That said. You need to figure out why you would want this job.....IRRESPECTIVE of how one unit or the other functions. If the answer isn't somewhere around....I want to effect or direct the care of humans, despite their poopy butts and those pesky vitals.....then I would recommend perhaps looking into one of the technologies in the hospital. Xray. Ultrasound. Ct or mri. Med tech. Cyto or histo. Something with little to no patient care, decent pay and hours, and still can be around the hospital scene.

[wantobern01]

I am still working as a CNA, I have my job the RN has hers, I work with RN's that are ready to pitch in and help you with a difficult patient or even if you have many things going on at once and I have had some that wouldn't dirt their hands and just get on a speaker calling you to the next room. It is what it is and that is in any kind of job out there. Sure there are people who think CNA's are lower than them but you know what their job would be a lot more difficult if I weren't there. I like to help am I perfect no but I do the best I can. I think there are doctors too, willing to work alongside you and others that think you should not speak if they are in the room Just as a CNA I've already run into all kinds. You just have to pull up your pants and do your job that will get you where you want to be.

[Rionoir, ADN, RN]

Are there people who think they are better than others? In literally any career path you could possibly choose.