Compassion Fatigue - Staying Positive | Knowledge is Power

[Daisy4RN]

 While I think that there is limited value in these techniques I agree with others that the problem is the overall environment that nurses find themselves in with little to no control. The responsibilities of nurses has dramatically increased over the years while society has simultaneously devolved. I worked 10 years in Onc and then various other jobs in and out of the hospital. I was again ready to try something different so went back to the hospital and thought med-surg would be less intense than Oncology. Boy, I could not have been more mistaken. Med-surg was extremely more difficult than Onc was 20 yrs earlier. The hospital environment had changed even more since I had left. This was just so wrong and the majority of the problem was admin and all the new ridiculous requirements as well as the behavior and expectations of patients and families, it was totally out of control! I also had pretty much constant anxiety bc of the work environment and this was with many years experience, it was just ridiculous. Every nurse I worked with was constantly trying to figure how to get out, even the student nurses who came for clinical were plotting how to avoid the hospital. My "self care" technique while working was to tell myself that I can only do what admin allows me to do (meaning with the resources they gave me). Unfortunately this was all pre covid so I just cant even imagine now!! Until corporate greed seizes the situation will probably not get any better, sad to say.

1 hour ago, LovingLife123 said:

Daughter in law that I spoke never told me she was an RN, never let on, so I did lots of basic education and when patient told me later, I kind of felt like she was playing me for a fool. 

Are you sure she was an RN? Even if she was I wouldn't take it like she was playing you for a fool. Having been on the other side (pt/family) I don't always tell the RN that I am also an RN depending on the situation. Sometimes I feel like it might sound like I am a know-it-all and don't want to step on toes, or sometimes becuase it is a different specialty and I want to make sure I don't miss anything. 

Good luck with the interviews, hope your situation gets better! 

On 9/12/2021 at 4:33 PM, Daisy4RN said:

 While I think that there is limited value in these techniques I agree with others that the problem is the overall environment that nurses find themselves in with little to no control. The responsibilities of nurses has dramatically increased over the years while society has simultaneously devolved. I worked 10 years in Onc and then various other jobs in and out of the hospital. I was again ready to try something different so went back to the hospital and thought med-surg would be less intense than Oncology. Boy, I could not have been more mistaken. Med-surg was extremely more difficult than Onc was 20 yrs earlier. The hospital environment had changed even more since I had left. This was just so wrong and the majority of the problem was admin and all the new ridiculous requirements as well as the behavior and expectations of patients and families, it was totally out of control! I also had pretty much constant anxiety bc of the work environment and this was with many years experience, it was just ridiculous. Every nurse I worked with was constantly trying to figure how to get out, even the student nurses who came for clinical were plotting how to avoid the hospital. My "self care" technique while working was to tell myself that I can only do what admin allows me to do (meaning with the resources they gave me). Unfortunately this was all pre covid so I just cant even imagine now!! Until corporate greed seizes the situation will probably not get any better, sad to say.

Are you sure she was an RN? Even if she was I wouldn't take it like she was playing you for a fool. Having been on the other side (pt/family) I don't always tell the RN that I am also an RN depending on the situation. Sometimes I feel like it might sound like I am a know-it-all and don't want to step on toes, or sometimes becuase it is a different specialty and I want to make sure I don't miss anything. 

Good luck with the interviews, hope your situation gets better! 

You are right, maybe she wasn’t.  Patient told me after she left she was an RN and doesn’t tell people.  There was a lot of education happening when if I had known she was an RN it could have been cut by 3/4 and we could have had an actual conversation about the situation.  
 

My unit and hospital are very stressful right now.  I’m more than ready to jump ship.  Without delving into much more let’s just for staff, this past month especially has been very stressful.

"It just terrifies me to start over"

Be brave. I've never regretted starting a new position. At the very least, you can collect some knowledge to take with you if the job doesn't work out.