ive been in my current ED for 8 months and have stepped on my charge nurses toes. she's a bully and i spoke back to her once. a couple of weeks after that i made a lab draw error (drew wrong bloods but never sent it out after catching it). they gave me a verbal warning but when I approached them about being rotated to other areas of the ED like trauma a couple of weeks after, my ed is level 1, they threaten to bring it to a written warning. i was told something like " first we need to have counseling, likely written then we'll set up a time frame for you to work in trauma". They never got back to me. it's been 2 months and I'm not going to push the issue bc it sounds like if I do, they will. I've seen plenty of new nurses go to trauma after orientation, even nurses who made worse mistakes after my incident get rotated to trauma. It's important to get exposure, and honestly depressing to see other new nurses get the proper training and exposure to other areas (trauma, fast track, observation) and me stuck in the same area-- main ed. ive been told by other nurses my work is good. no complaints from doctors and patients and frankly find it depressing that im being treated this way. ive been calling out more within the allotted allowance, and just plain not giving as much as i used too and just want to move on....actually called out today..
can i find work with less than a yrs experience, of course while still working here? if not, how do i deal with these people/management/working here..
I don't know if I would friend them on facebook or bring them food to eat, but I would come to work on time, every time. And I would do my job well every time, I would also ask if there were any seminars or in-services I could attend to further my education.
A write up is not the end of the world, managers also look at what you do after the write up to see if you are trying to change the behavior.
OMG I hate nurse bullies. They view newbie nurses in the same way your dog views his squeaky little chew toy!
My advice, go directly to the big boss, let them know you feel like you are being bullied. If you don't sense that your boss is willing to support you, then resign and go somewhere else.
(I'm not saying you should throw out the baby with the bathwater, but IMO, it's not worth staying somewhere that you don't feel like you have a reasonable boss)
If you resign, my guess is it might 3-4 weeks to find a new job.
Geez, I feel like people are being super harsh on here, unfortunately the attitudes that are being thrown at you looks like the true face of nursing. Unfortunately it seems in the "Great Profession" of ours we seem to point the finger and deal with each other harshly. Instead of coaching and supporting we tend to point fingers and criticize others actions. You got into it with your charge nurse, that happens!!!! Everyone doesn't always get along. The important part is you made a mistake it was dealt with and you are still feeling like it is being held over your head. To solve this attempt to schedule a meeting with your nurse manager, leader etc. Sit down discuss your feelings and ask for guidance on how you can put this behind you. I work in a Level 1 trauma center and I see nurses who haven't been nurses as long as I have go into trauma and they struggle and become burnt out. I think it is a disservice to allow someone without adequate experience to be in that position. You are only in control of you. So it is time to pull it together...By this I mean ask yourself, What do I really want? If this is the job you want and you see yourself there then, start by taking a vacation. I say this because you need to separate yourself from this so you can breathe. Do something fun and take your mind off work. Sit down make a list of what you hope to accomplish and take steps to make it happen. Keep leadership in the loop regarding your goals and see if they are willing to help. After some time, once you have taking the appropriate steps and you still feel as though you are not being heard, then maybe at that point this particular environment is not a good fit for you. You may have to work in a different area of Nursing or find another ED to work in. I understand calling out because you feel upset and or stressed, but it doesn't look good. So to save yourself, do everything by the book. In the end once you know that you have done all that you could do, your decision will be easy and you can hold your head high. Hang in there I understand your pain. I am in the same boat, I just haven't called out. (I'm not judging!!!) But, I have certainly utilized my vacation.
cardiacfreak, ADN
742 Posts
I don't know if I would friend them on facebook or bring them food to eat, but I would come to work on time, every time. And I would do my job well every time, I would also ask if there were any seminars or in-services I could attend to further my education.
A write up is not the end of the world, managers also look at what you do after the write up to see if you are trying to change the behavior.
Good luck to you.