disallusioned with nursing! psych new grad

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

I have just finished my 8 week new grad psych nursing orientation. I have been extremely lucky that my preceptor is an incredible nurse and human being. He is really the first mentor I have ever had.. and I've told him that he is stuck with me =P

I actually do enjoy working with psych patients and I am pretty good at it. buttttttt There has been some upheaval in the unit.. changes which are well..hostile to nurses..

Taking admissions is now the priority.. yes.. trumping care of the patients you already have!!! Admissions can come whenever they are ready.. med pass.. shift change..not done with your current admit..while your detoxers are moving towards DTs.. whenever..doesnt (&^(*) matter. And they call the (^()&% manager if you delay an admit even if you have a valid reason!!!!! Everyone is overworked.. irritable and stressed. More mistakes are being made. You can practically taste and feel the negativity!!

I recently had a shift where i worked for 13 hours with no breaks!! 10 patients..and two admits.. and i was still chewed out by the AM nurses for not doing enough!!!!! I came home and cried.

The unit was also really vulnerable.. i had 12 patients.. one patient had no admit paperwork completed from day shift (shift change admit), but slept my whole shift because she was combative and was given a ton of ativan (not on her med records btw). One patient was a regular admit.. ok.. my 12th patient rolled in the door at 6am..before shift change at 7am.. my preceptor's patient rolled in the door perfectly at 7am >_<. so day shift.. inherited my passed out patient without paperwork.. and the admit.. i stayed late to complete it was hell..and we would have all been screwed if a had acted or medical emergency. in fact.. think about it.. what sleeping woken out..when rolled in.. just be complicated when last ciwa of detoxer>

i like the theory of nursing.. this job sucks.

i feel ABUSED and EXPLOITED! and I feel like I am betraying my patients who trust me that they are safe and that their needs will be met.

is this what nursing is??? as much as I like caring for patients.. I refuse to be overworked to death.. i'm young and have a bachelor's degree. :banghead: thanks for listening!!!!!

ps.

(a joke that was in my mind)

I rate my day a 2/10. I am having active SI. I am having HI against you with a plan. I have voices in my head telling me to quit.. *$*&&( you! LOL

Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

My med-surg or OR friends don't question whether I am a "real nurse", in fact they all say that they could not do what we do.....I enjoy psych and would NEVER go back .....

RN2begin- yes, it sounds like we are in the same hospital, for sure !!!

We love it, don't we ??? Keep on keepinon.....But I do have days when I wish I was ready to retire !!!

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Med Surg, Onco.

Abso-freakin-lutely! I went into RN school knowing that I wanted to work in psych...and I have yet to regret it. There are definately days that I leave work feeling like I got hit by a truck...but I have yet to find anything more rewarding than watching someone arrive on the unit severely psychotic and be able to witness their transition back to health...what a gift.

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Wow! I feel very blessed to work where I do! The usual assignment is 3 patients plus meds on 1 or 2 others, on a day or evening shift. On night shift, it's another story, you could get 8 patients on our least acute unit, but for the most part they are sleeping all nite. I love my coworkers, and other than a new charge nurse who is a micro manager, management is fabulous and very receptive to staff concerns.

I'm sorry about the less than ideal working conditions for everyone that doesn't have it good! I hope that you are able to keep your morale up so that you can keep the patient's hopeful about their future as well.

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Med Surg, Onco.
We are so understaffed, it is pitiful.....nurses are leaving all the time....I don't know if it is the salary or working conditions....We have had 8 nurses leave since Jan....we are working extra shifts, short-staffed, I don't know what is going to happen...It seems to be getting worse....A new co. took over and I would think the first thing they would look into is the staff/pt. ratio....instead, they are improving the cosmetics of the building...go figure...I would want to know we are losing so many good nurse....oh well, I am not in management....

There are miracles in this biz everyday...well ya see, my state, for whom I work (?) is currently in a "hiring freeze" - all positions (yes, even nurses) have to be vacant for 12 weeks AND THEN a waiver is "presented" to the gov...who politely declines the need and here we are...bygones. Anyhoo...we got ourselves a brand new beautiful granite "entrance" sign, with a brand new and far more stigmatizing name for the facility. Wait! It gets better! Every unit got themselves brandy new flat screened monitors so we can watch all of our levels in style!!:smokin::smokin: I am actually convinced that Tylenol (no, not just acetaminophen) bought our new sign, because we are now tylenol central. "Hearing voices? Have a Tylenol!" "Feeling blue? Here's a Tylenol!" "Liver failure you say? I say you need more Tylenol!"

:yeah::yeah: ...but I digress....................................................:banghead:

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Hey Guys,

I have to say I'm truely amazed at the level of staff/patient ratios you guys in the States will put up with. There is no way on god's green earth that either the staff or the public would put up with that kind of care here in Australia, especially in an acute facility.

Locally in a small rural community we have a 20 bed acute unit with 8 high needs beds, the staff share the load across the areas so no one person is overloaded. Typically they have 5 staff for a morning shift and a couple of security/cleaners, 4 for an afternoon and 3 overnight.

Obviously I dont know what is the reason behind the situation over the big 'pond', but I suspect the private nature of healthcare and the need to provide profits to companies and shareholders is no small part. Whereas here of course everything is funded primarily via taxes and state run.

Anyway, as they say... horses for courses, and each to their own... but, I hope you guys working in these horrendous environments get some help soon... as working in that kind of setup would be a real danger to your own sanity imo.

StuPer

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Med Surg, Onco.
Hey Guys,

I have to say I'm truely amazed at the level of staff/patient ratios you guys in the States will put up with. There is no way on god's green earth that either the staff or the public would put up with that kind of care here in Australia, especially in an acute facility.

Locally in a small rural community we have a 20 bed acute unit with 8 high needs beds, the staff share the load across the areas so no one person is overloaded. Typically they have 5 staff for a morning shift and a couple of security/cleaners, 4 for an afternoon and 3 overnight.

Obviously I dont know what is the reason behind the situation over the big 'pond', but I suspect the private nature of healthcare and the need to provide profits to companies and shareholders is no small part. Whereas here of course everything is funded primarily via taxes and state run.

Anyway, as they say... horses for courses, and each to their own... but, I hope you guys working in these horrendous environments get some help soon... as working in that kind of setup would be a real danger to your own sanity imo.

StuPer

Are you at all familiar with our healthcare system over here in the US of A? Let me sum it up for you...WE DON't HAVE ONE :no::no:! It's not about putting up with absurd patient rations...it's about having a job...even if you literally get your orifice kicked in the process...:bugeyes:

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:( not good
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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

StuPer- we all thank you for your support and empathy but the fact of the matter is....$$$$$$$.....the bottom line is the almighty dollar, and how many of them the owners of the Corp. that run the hospitals can make.....we are so short staffed at times, it is almost to the point of being dangerous for the pts. and the nurses.....but what do we do???? We need to work in the field in which we love and have been educated for so there is no other options for us...Just curious....how is the pay down under ???????

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Good Lordy! We have only 10-12 patients. Two RNs and two MHSs minimum..usually three. Look into a Pediatric setting.

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Med Surg, Onco.
Good Lordy! We have only 10-12 patients. Two RNs and two MHSs minimum..usually three. Look into a Pediatric setting.

Thanks for the info...but peds is not my thing, psychiatric or not. 18 to 60 year olds are my range...however, the closer to sixty, the less chance for an orifice kicking...I find myself being pulled closer to that pole....

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

RN2begin-----I am with you on that...I much prefer Adult Mental Health Unit than working with adolescents....YIKES !!!!! someone elses' kids ??? no thanks...........

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Specializes in Psych, substance abuse, MR-DD.
Thanks for the info...but peds is not my thing, psychiatric or not. 18 to 60 year olds are my range...however, the closer to sixty, the less chance for an orifice kicking...I find myself being pulled closer to that pole....

Yeah but get up too much over 60 and you'll get an orifice kicking by a fiesty combative dementia patient!:trout::wink2:

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