Displeased manager

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I need to vent/ get any advice.

Ive been working as a RN on a medsurge floor for 9 months (last 3 months was maternity leave). Came back to work and every day the manager is on my case.

PCA pumps used to be controlled by APMS nurses but now it's on us. And I've made 2 medication errors so far. Giving transdermal dilauded while still in pain (the side note said to give with non functioning PCA). And giving scheduled Xanax to a patient on a PCA. Both situations made my manager very unhappy with me.

shes also on my case about updating the whiteboards in the rooms, I do at the beginning of the shift but sometimes i forget to update when their next pain med is due or circle their pain level ( I always keep track in their charts tho!)

just yesterday day it was so busy all 5 of my pts were on prn pain meds and all of them wanted them on the dot. So I was 2hrs late for two pts morning meds. This made my manager in disbelief. I've never been that late with meds before... But my goodness she was not happy.

Ive also had two patients transfered to a different nurses care because I couldn't make their family happy.

Infeel like a horrible nurse and I want to know if this is somewhat normal or and I losing my mind?

thanks for reading!

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Maybe the problem isn't that your manager is 'displeased, unhappy, in disbelief and not happy", but that your manager has a different communication style than you. Is it possible that your manager has a thinker or analytical communication style and you have another communication style?

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Sounds like you're having trouble getting your footing back after being on leave. It sounds like your manager might be nitpicking some things (you have to update white boards with pain med times? Really?), but some of the other things.. she is justified in calling to your attention.

It may be more helpful for you to look at what you may have done wrong or could have done better, rather than worrying about the manager getting on your case. You did make mistakes; own them and do better next time.

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Maybe the problem isn't that your manager is 'displeased, unhappy, in disbelief and not happy", but that your manager has a different communication style than you. Is it possible that your manager has a thinker or analytical communication style and you have another communication style?

Not sure how to interpret that

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Yea she's BIG on pain, and pain education for the pts. So them seeing when the next is due is high priority for her. Even though 80% of the pts end up asking me when the next is due anyway because their mentation is empired. At what point am I allowed to say my prayers load is too much. I'm also afraid of being fired. I do own up to it but somethings just slip when your super busy.

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Seems as though you just hit a rough patch. We all get them. Your manager seems like she either likes to micro manage or is under some pressure to perform. I get that being back to work under new changes is tough, plus also being fairly new on the unit. Perhaps step back and see how you could better your performance. For example depending on the report or type of patient I get I will physically organize and allocate my meds and supplies for the shift. Pass my meds as early as possible, etcc. This has helped me put more time towards reviewing my documentation, lab work, troubleshooting and even being with the patient/family. I've had one of those managers when I was new in the ED. If it wasn't one problem it was the next, she was a stickler, very detail oriented. Didn't like her style but she made me a then new grad very detail oriented, a good thing.

Best of luck, keep your head up.

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