Hello everyone! I am a longtime reader and first time poster today. I work on a neurology med/surg floor and I have been here for 1 year. When I first started our ratio was 3-4:1 which was great and fine. Recently, our hospital has been making a lot of cuts and put us to a 4-5 ratio. Also, they are getting rid of a lot of resource positions which makes us constantly understaffed. We have had a lot of patient care techs leave too. We always used to have 4 techs on our 44 bed floor and now its almost always just 2. This has made my job significantly harder and to the point where I feel sick about going into work. I hate that I feel constantly rushed and I never get to spend time with my patients. I feel like I cannot give them the proper care they deserve because I am constantly having to move on to another task. I don't want to say I am burned out but that almost what it is starting to feel like. I love the people I work with but I am starting to think a new job needs to happen. I was wondering to all you amazing nurses out their if there is any light at the end of the tunnel? Has anyone been on a floor where they don't feel burnt out and could recommend? I am not looking for an easy job but my neuro unit is HARD (physically and mentally). Not saying other units aren't but having to care for confused patients takes a real toll. I am scared almost every day that I will get a combative patient and I just don't think I can work like this anymore. I just don't know what to do or where to go from here. I want a change but I just don't know where to start.Thanks in advance for the help. More Like This Just Feeling Done With Nursing by Nurseybl06 Burnt Out: Thinking of Leaving Hospice But Feeling Guilty by Kelaaax3, ADN Stress Test (aka Burning Man) by Nigel9 Primary Nursing Care by madwife2002, BSN, RN Burnout, the Literature, and Understanding by PamtheNurse, BSN, MSN
JKL33 6,528 Posts Aug 3, 2018 Do you have any particular interests that you might be in a position to check out? Think about where you want to go with your career and start taking steps towards that. You're welcome to check out the ED - we have our many issues but the nature of the nursing work is pretty compelling in spite of everything - although it won't offer you any more time with patients or an end to feeling rushed. You probably should be a little more purposeful in seeking change; by that I mean you don't want to make a frying pan > fire decision just because you're distressed right now, KWIM? Think it through. What truly interests you? Good luck ~
