Bad shift after bad shift

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Specializes in PCU.

I guess I just need to rant. 
today I had 4 (they took my 5th which was my “stable” pt to give to a float nurse at 1100) patients that made up one hell of a heavy team. I work on a PCU floor 

My pt family was complaining that his gown and bed sheet was wet and so I said I’d call the tech bc I had a doctor waiting for me to round. I left and then she blew up: I was being an awful nurse, I have no idea what I’m doing (the pump went off and I “fixed it” (he had an AC and loved to cross his arms) but obviously I didn’t bc the alarm is sounding again) and I was providing all around pt care and she wanted an advocate and my manager bc I haven’t been in. I explained my side to my manager, I had a heavy team and was trying my best to triage (I’m still relatively new, <1y experience). My manager said “pt experience is key!” And that I shouldn’t have left. And so I was walking on eggshells and balancing the mess of a shift all day. 
 

I just keep having bad days on that god awful unit. 

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They are ALL god awful units. With less than one year of experience.... you will have many more god awful experiences. Whenever a family member goes to management, management does not care about anything other than sucking up to the family. You had a choice... go on rounds, or suck up to family.. ask manager which she would have preferred.

In the future use an arm board to make sure the patient cannot bend their arm. 

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

It was your manager's job to deal with the unhappy family member and she did. Your job is to prioritize your nursing responsibilities and you did that correctly. 

The only thing that went wrong here is that your manager decided to tell you that patient experience is key, as though you did something wrong and that's why she stepped in. You didn't do anything wrong. What she should have told you is, "Family is settled, glad I could help."

 

 

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

You just can't please all the people all of the time, eh newnursemoon?

In my later years, I developed an attitude, and when a patient or staff member criticized my care without good cause, I would inform them that I knew my job and I knew how to prioritize.

I wasn't always liked, I got called on the carpet a couple of times, but hey- if they didn't like it, they could lump it.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

Along with the recent post about healthcare corporations and troubles in nursing, the shift in focus from patient outcomes to patient experience is a huge step back for nurses. Saved your life? Meh. You didn't like the meatloaf?! FIRE that nurse!

Give yourself a break. It sounds like Florence Nightingale wouldn't have made that family member happy. If you can walk out at the end of the shift knowing that you prioritized patient CARE appropriately, you have to accept that some people will always complain and there's not much you could do.

Sorry it's been rough lately. It's been a very challenging time to join the profession, it will get better! Take care of yourself and relax when you can. Good luck!

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Your biggest problem is that instead of having your back, your manager threw you under the bus.

Sure you could have waited on that family hand and foot and they would have been deliriously happy with you.  What you knew and what your manager should have known is that one of your other patients would have had a poor outcome, and she'd be dealing with that unhappy family.  Does she really think you can be in several places at once?

Sounds like you're working hard to be good at your job, but your manager isn't so great at hers.  It's the pits but there it is.

 

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Not much to say about this situation except that it isn't worth it to engage with people who don't care what your input is, like your manager.

19 hours ago, newnursemoon said:

I explained my side to my manager, I had a heavy team and was trying my best to triage (I’m still relatively new, <1y experience). My manager said “pt experience is key!” And that I shouldn’t have left.

 "explained my side to my manager" makes me bristle just reading it.

If it is absolutely necessary to do this, keep it sort and make sure it doesn't appear that you are trying to defend yourself. State plain facts in very short statements. Also things like, "Thanks for letting me know." Based on many different stories posted here, it seems like the more nurses talk/engage this kind of nonsense the worse it is. Better to say thanks, walk away and let it roll right directly off your back.

Nitpicking nurses in these situations or even interrupting our day with it is foolishness. Frankly I think it's somewhat abusive.

 

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I agree very much with the above post.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
3 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Not much to say about this situation except that it isn't worth it to engage with people who don't care what your input is, like your manager.

 "explained my side to my manager" makes me bristle just reading it.

If it is absolutely necessary to do this, keep it sort and make sure it doesn't appear that you are trying to defend yourself. State plain facts in very short statements. Also things like, "Thanks for letting me know." Based on many different stories posted here, it seems like the more nurses talk/engage this kind of nonsense the worse it is. Better to say thanks, walk away and let it roll right directly off your back.

Nitpicking nurses in these situations or even interrupting our day with it is foolishness. Frankly I think it's somewhat abusive.

 

I agree.  Managers who blow past genuine challenges and obstacles and look for something to nitpick are abusive.  Especially when they are the ones who create the challenges and obstacles.

And don't get me started on the ones who canvass the patients to try to score dirt on nurses.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Just want to say I can relate, and I'm sorry your nurse manager's attitude was like that. They don't understand that investing time to support "new nurse's experience" actually makes for better "patient experience" down the line, and better managers and preceptors in the years to come.

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Specializes in Cardiology.

And hospital administration can't understand why people don't want to work the bedside anymore. They have made it so toxic. 

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50 minutes ago, OUxPhys said:

And hospital administration can't understand why people don't want to work the bedside anymore. They have made it so toxic. 

Most sincerely, I don't think they can't understand. I think they literally do not care. They have different system in place now, which is churning through new grads and slandering the group of them as being irresponsible when they don't want to stick around for poor treatment.

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