Blind Sided

When you attributed the issues to them, you are correct.

Don't mix work with establishing friendships. You can be appropriate and professional without making friends at work.

There are many ICU nurses on AN who speak about larger patient loads. And question the safety in that. But not inclusive to the ICU, as many nurses may have less critical patients, but acute and 8-10. It's called doing more with less.

And you closing the door and doing 1:1 per your unit policy, I am not sure you can get up and help someone in another room if in fact you are supposed to be 1:1 anyway--door open or closed. What would be the need to sit in the hall if you can't leave?

If you are 1:1, I would assume there's at lest 2 other nurses on the floor. Can't they team up?

Keep on doing what your policy tells you to do. And what is most effective for the patient. Because if your patient tanks because you can't see the monitor from the hall, I am oh so sure that the nurse who insisted you sit in the hall is going to back you up with that and come clean about asking you to sit in the hall when you get in hot water over it. Not.

I would ask your manager specifically. That should settle it. If your role would call it the way you state, perhaps then you could address directly with your coworkers

This is where nursing (and working with mostly females) can be really REALLY annoying. the gossip and talking about people bit drives me bonkers. I've gotten called out by a couple managers in my time for being "antisocial" when I refuse to take part in these conversations (but still chit chat about non-work things like everybody else). If that makes me antisocial, let it be.

I don't see anything wrong with you closing the door if your pt is 1:1 and have done that numerous times since, like other's have said, you can't go help anyone else out anyways while the pt is fresh post-op. Loudness on nights has always been a pet peeve of mine as well so I completely understand...

xo

It sounds to me like you have your priorities straight! Fresh open hearts should be one-to-one until stable, and if closing the door helps keep the room quiet to facilitate patient recovery and nurse concentration, then keep the door closed. There will always be snarky co-workers looking for something to find fault with. Ignore them. You sound like a nurse I would want taking care of my loved ones.

I also did CVICU and 1:1 fresh heart means your butt (& hopefully brain) remain at the bedside monitoring everything, titrating, etc. When others are with these patients, are they available to help? just a 2 second boost in the next room (with possibly a shared bathroom, where you can open both doors & still see/hear everything from your room?) or a 30 minute dressing change in the full isolation room located caddy corner from yours in the unit?

Did these colleagues ask you or did you ever say something like "just closing the door a bit for noise"? Forgive me, but if the patient is fresh, are they still tubed and/or sedated? Thus, noise reduction would be for your benefit, versus the patients'. I think that is fine though. If that noise reduction allows you to better provide care for your patient it's perfectly understandable. However, I do wonder if that might be a factor in their not liking the door being closed (it's for your concentration, not patients' need)? Are the doors solid, or glass/see-through as many ICU's are? (That you could visualize an emergency situation if you can't hear it.) Regardless, a 1:1 patient, in theory, warrants a nurse at their side 24/7 until 1:1 is changed. I won't describe what I've seen others do when they are assigned a 1:1 patient.

I also work nights & absolutely abhor noise.. not just hate, but save a code, or other emergency situation, there is no need for the noise level to be what it is on that shift (at least in my experience). I think people as a whole seem to have difficulty making the connection between them preferring less lite & noise when they go home & try to sleep. But I digress.

I would assume (from what you've said & not knowing these nurses) that they are your typical clique-y ones, possibly do not care for all the wonderful feedback you're receiving and want to find a way to take you down a peg, or something goofy. I can see this scenario very likely being the issue, especially since you are relatively new.

Who is telling you to sit outside the room? Management or the staff members causing issues?

Don't mix work with establishing friendships. You can be appropriate and professional without making friends at work...

And you closing the door and doing 1:1 per your unit policy, I am not sure you can get up and help someone in another room if in fact you are supposed to be 1:1 anyway--door open or closed. What would be the need to sit in the hall if you can't leave?

...

Keep on doing what your policy tells you to do. And what is most effective for the patient. Because if your patient tanks because you can't see the monitor from the hall, I am oh so sure that the nurse who insisted you sit in the hall is going to back you up with that and come clean about asking you to sit in the hall when you get in hot water over it. Not.

Agreed. A couple other things: when I close a pts door due to noise I tell the noisy party, whether it's the pt/visitors, other visitors in the hall or staff, "I'm just going to close this door because noise really carries in here and people are trying to sleep" or something like that. If you tell your coworkers "I'm closing the door because he's getting a little agitated and I want to keep the noise down" there will be no wondering if they misunderstood your intentions.

Also, sadly, many nursing units are like this. In my experience it's especially prevalent in ICUs. People gossip about everything about everyone, and that includes people the gossiper may actually like. Maybe it's that group mentality thing where once one person does it the others feel like it's ok. But it happens. I assume my coworkers- even the ones I like- at least occasionally talk about something I did or the way I do something. You can't take it personally because, at least anywhere I've worked , it happens to everyone.