Can I just share some of my frustrations?

[lisamc1RN, LPN]

If you look at my siggy line, you'll notice that I am about to graduate from nursing school. I decided a couple of months ago to go ahead and get a job as an STNA and bring in a little income since my study time was letting up and I could turn my attention toward nursing.

Nurses, there are days that I walk away from my job at the end of the shift near tears. I see short staffing, a STNA who threatens a patient by saying "I will keep you up in your chair until 4 in the morning if you don't stop ringing that call light." I had a nurse come and get me to tell me that a resident was halfway out of her bed and could I please go put her back in bed. Sure enough, this nonambulating Alzheimer's patient had one foot on the floor and her butt between the bed and the floor. I picked her up and put her back in bed, making sure that her alarm was correctly put on her this time.

I've seen good nurses and STNA's who look like they've just given up. They've got so much to do that they just can't take the time to do things correctly. Some of them seem to have forgotten some basics. I've seen nurses delay giving pain meds by an hour or more because it would "mess up the med pass."

I know they were taught the same things I was taught. I know they are good, caring people. This facility has an excellent reputation and recently passed a state inspection with flying colors. I know that the DON and administrator want and give all that they've got to the residents and staff. I've seen them at it.

I know that I'm brand new and have this idealistic view of things (that is quickly being adjusted). I just wish that what we were taught in school was a little closer to what it's like in the real world. Don't get me wrong, though. There are many awesome people who work in this place. Those that I've had issue with are nice people who I believe really do care. I'm just a bit saddened and frustrated. Before anyone says anything about reporting people, can you imagine someone who has barely been at a facility for 2 months reporting all the things I listed just in this post? Can you imagine how hard it would be to get someone to work with me? I feel pretty powerless right now to do anything other than to observe and promise myself to always remember these things and strive to be a better STNA and eventually LPN and RN and hopefully impact wherever I work for the better.

[htrn]

I am so sorry you are going through this right now Lisa. It is always frustrating to see things go on that you know are just plain WRONG! I also know how powerless it feels when you don't think it is 'safe' to report someone.

We have various ways of making our concerns known on my unit, everything from actually writing up a QI report to the manager, leaving a little note on the bathroom wall to make a subtle point, or putting a note in a 'suggestion box' that is gone through at the monthly staff meetings, etc. I am very, very lucky to work with a group of nurses that I gladly trust my family with when they need hospitalization. But, occasionally, there are things that happen that really need to be addressed and using one of these methods usually gets the message out.

Please, find a mentor, either where you work or through school - an instructor maybe? You really need to talk about these things with someone who can guide you a little better than a stranger on a bulliten board.

Good luck, take a deep breath and keep smiling. Congratulations, by the way!

[Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN]

Can you switch to a different facility? I know there may not be much of a difference. I kind of went throught the same thing as an aide.