Biggest Pain or Problem

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ED.

I am curious to see the various individual problems facing the profession. What has been everyone's biggest pains or problems recently or over the past year? Feel free to post aside from Covid or including Covid. This is a great place to vent, I will listen!

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Maltreatment from patients and employers.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.

seeing my "repeat customers" coming in for alcohol, meth, cocaine withdrawal. Stabilizing them and discharging them knowing they will come back next month with the same symptoms =( Many of them wonderful people when they are not in acute withdrawal. Wishing I knew how to cure mental illness, trauma and addiction but trying to meet them where they're at for however long they're here... ❤️

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
14 hours ago, tronix304 said:

What has been everyone's biggest pains or problems recently or over the past year?

I quote from correspondence to the HR director, where I stated I wanted certain "concerns... validated and addressed and I am reasonably sure that I will be respectfully treated while working a safe, non hostile environment where established laws, codes, guidelines, policies and procedures are enforced."

I was subsequently terminated, I believe, as a result of a retaliation.

That was my biggest professional problem recently over this past year, tronix304.

How about you?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ED.
7 hours ago, StillSearchingRN said:

Maltreatment from patients and employers.

Could you elaborate more on the maltreatment? I think I know where you are coming from but just want to hear your experience.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ED.
3 hours ago, LibraNurse27 said:

seeing my "repeat customers" coming in for alcohol, meth, cocaine withdrawal. Stabilizing them and discharging them knowing they will come back next month with the same symptoms =( Many of them wonderful people when they are not in acute withdrawal. Wishing I knew how to cure mental illness, trauma and addiction but trying to meet them where they're at for however long they're here... ❤️

That is definitely difficult to do, especially knowing that there isn't much you can do about it. Do you ever have time to discuss their addiction with them?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ED.
2 hours ago, Davey Do said:

I quote from correspondence to the HR director, where I stated I wanted certain "concerns... validated and addressed and I am reasonably sure that I will be respectfully treated while working a safe, non hostile environment where established laws, codes, guidelines, policies and procedures are enforced."

I was subsequently terminated, I believe, as a result of a retaliation.

That was my biggest professional problem recently over this past year, tronix304.

How about you?

WOW!, that is a doozy. You may have a lawsuit but it would be a battle.

Has this abuse been an issue throughout your career?

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2 hours ago, tronix304 said:

Could you elaborate more on the maltreatment? I think I know where you are coming from but just want to hear your experience.

I have been open-handed palm-forward smacked, open-handed back-handed, punched with a closed fist, pinched (on my breasts, buttocks, as well as just general areas), kicked (once across the room, and then blamed that I "escalated the situation" so it was my fault), slammed against a door and into a corner, and bitten by patients.

Management has forced me to come into work following a car accident on my way to work in an ice storm, rebuffed me for rushing to my ill family member's bedside and then attending his funeral, gave me the choice of continuing to work with SOB/chest pain/fever of 102/severe cough/dizziness/no voice or being fired if I went home, and eventually firing me due to mental health issues that had been in LONG remission before working for this particular place.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
13 hours ago, tronix304 said:

You may have a lawsuit but it would be a battle.

Thanks for that information, tronix. I did just fall off the turnip truck.

13 hours ago, tronix304 said:

Has this abuse been an issue throughout your career?

Yeah- numerous times. I chronically set up these situations so I can feel like a victim and blame others for my lot in life and not have to face my pain in order to work out unresolved issues stemming from my childhood.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
On 5/22/2020 at 7:37 PM, tronix304 said:

That is definitely difficult to do, especially knowing that there isn't much you can do about it. Do you ever have time to discuss their addiction with them?

Sometimes, if we have built a rapport ? We do have substance abuse counselors though who talk to every patient who comes in for substance related issues to discuss if they have a desire to quit and if so how we can help. The doctors usually address it too

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Specializes in retired LTC.

to LibraNurse - I remember the frequent flyers' back from my early days. Only then, they were the chronic ETOH abusers. Fast forwarding ...

to OP - your post sounds like the basis for a school project. Might this be so?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ED.

StillSearchingRN I know of nurses that mental health issues turn out to be a basis for managers firing just beacause they don't like the person, even in remission. It's sad how some places treat nurses (and even people). Maybe it was a blessing you left that circus of a hospital.

Davey Do 1970 called, they want their idiom back (Yes, I had to Google it, so what).

LibraNurse27 That's good that someone actually addresses it. From what I seen, a lot of places just treat the acute process and send them out.

amoLucia I guess you could say that, more of a personal project, however.

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