burnout

I am leaving after a few months. I blew a gasket the other day in my brain because the phone wouldn’t stop and about 10 patients in a row were rude and / or lying about their symptoms. And I hardly ever get mad. Have never gotten mad at work before even in ED. I’m waiting for my boss to call me and fire me because I was super snotty to a few family members. I’d rather get yelled at in person and walk away and take a deep breath or 2 in the bathroom. 

I worked in telephone advice for 7 years and I hated it more and more each day. Too much micromanagement, rude callers, high call volume and a high nurse turn over rate. I now have a new job in telehealth which is much better. Just keep in mind there are other telehealth jobs that aren't as stressful with managers who are actually supportive.

On 12/29/2022 at 1:02 PM, Nurse Nonnie RN said:

I worked in telephone advice for 7 years and I hated it more and more each day. Too much micromanagement, rude callers, high call volume and a high nurse turn over rate. I now have a new job in telehealth which is much better. Just keep in mind there are other telehealth jobs that aren't as stressful with managers who are actually supportive.

Hi, how did you get started in telehealth? My experience is being a floor nurse in a nursing home/skilled nursing facility for almost 9 years. Do I have to get a certificate to get started in telehealth? And like your post, how did you find the right telehealth job after working in telephone advice?

1 hour ago, momma0f3 said:

Hi, how did you get started in telehealth? My experience is being a floor nurse in a nursing home/skilled nursing facility for almost 9 years. Do I have to get a certificate to get started in telehealth? And like your post, how did you find the right telehealth job after working in telephone advice?

You don't need a certificate where I worked. I don't think you need one in any telehealth job. You just need 1 year of nursing experience where I worked. I applied at a hospital that has telehealth advice.

8 minutes ago, Nurse Nonnie RN said:

You don't need a certificate where I worked. I don't think you need one in any telehealth job. You just need 1 year of nursing experience where I worked. I applied at a hospital that has telehealth advice.

Oh okay. What is your job title specifically if you don't mind me asking? I also got a response from a utilization review nurse, I didn't know that was different from telehealth. 

I had 3 years in an ER which is what the job requirements wanted. Basically because for my job we are making sure patients don’t have anything life threatening going on and can wait for an appointment. 

debkj said:

I had 3 years in an ER which is what the job requirements wanted. Basically because for my job we are making sure patients don’t have anything life threatening going on and can wait for an appointment. 

The Telehealth job I do is the same thing. Deciding if the patient needs the ED or if they can wait for an appointment. Prior ED experience is not required. We had an intense 6 weeks of training. We work with protocols that help you arrive at the safest outcome and we can always talk to a Dr when necessary. 

We have no protocols. So I use my own teletriage book to make sure I cover everything. Do you ever have patients that are really resistant to answering your questions. It’s a cognitive load to manage that and not just give up. And do they get really upset and argue when you advise them to go to the ED? Those things and sitting at a desk for 8-10-12 hours are what kills me. But.. at least I don’t need to smell these patients. Haha. 

Yes. Callers can be resistant to anything we say. I always want to say "then why did you call if you don't want my advice?"