I apologize in advance for the long post. I am trying to process some feedback and determine what is valid and what should be let go. I am currently starting a new position as a mental health nurse in drug and alcohol rehab. I'm thankful as this has been my goal since I started nursing school. Previously, I was a pediatric neuroscience nurse for two years, and before that, I worked as a CNA on a Neuro/Trauma ICU floor for 4 years. As a bit of background about myself, my whole life I have been told by those around me and by my supervisors that I am considered to be very caring and compassionate, but also perfectionistic. I also have OCD and anxiety. However, the feedback I received from my last supervisor was quite different. First it was feedback that she heard from the other supervisor who heard from other nurses that some nurses were afraid to give me report. I asked if she could get clarification on what this meant and she didn't. I tried to see if I had offended any of the nurses I typically get report from and none of them had an issue. I relayed this info back to my supervisor who responded, "well they might not be telling the truth". Then I was talked to about a pts mom who was livid because she felt I was cold towards her, "gave her false information" ( which I definitely did not), and didn't answer the call light after three tries. (I was very busy in two other pts rooms. I do feel responsible though because this pt was a new admit in the middle of my shift, but in the craziness I forgot that our new phones require us to assign the room number to our phones so that we get the call bells). I tried to apologize, but the mom was too busy swearing on the phone. As a new grad, I was placed on an improvement plan for incidents regarding a ventricular drain that I wrote myself up for. Some were valid, others, I was told by other nurses were not worthy of being written up and that I was being overly scrupulous. I successfully passed that plan and haven't had any errors since. However, ever since the plan, my anxiety and OCD skyrocketed. I felt as if I were having a mental breakdown. I ended up taking out some time for mental health help. When I came back, everything seemed to decompensate. The week I returned, a family asked that I not be the nurse because they were uncomfortable with how much I rechecked things. (I'm still working on that OCD). Then a week after that, I was fired by another mom (historically known to be dreaded by every nurse and doctor because of how difficult she and the pt are to work with and how manipulative the mom is. For example, the pt took her meds mixed in apple juice. I mix up the meds, but she complains the juice is too cold. Then I warm it up but she complains it is too warm. I cool it off but it is still the wrong temp. This was a 20 min process. Meanwhile I have other pts I need to attend to). Despite trying to advocate for her, clarify questions and concerns, get the pt laughing when she was otherwise sad, this mom fired me for " being cold towards her daughter, leaving a side rail down (even though I fixed it when she asked and the pt was not in danger of falling out of bed), and recommending that the pt pick a less saltier dinner option due to her sodium being high. So again, I was called into the office and talked to about their concerns for "inconsistencies in my practice" due to these complaints and the fact that I get out 30 min late half the time. I guess I'm flabbergasted because never in my life until this position have I been told that I act "cold towards people". I also don't understand how these two complaints point to practice inconsistencies. I admitted that my anxiety and OCD had affected my practice and that I was getting help for this but they did not speak to this. All I received were vague responses and the above examples. I explained that putting me on a PIP would only increase the anxiety and essentially paralyze my performance. They gave me time to decide if I wanted to stay and be placed on the PIP or leave in good standing
so I began looking for other jobs. Then a very traumatic incident occurred. The physicians say I saved the child's life and that I did nothing wrong, but I still feel so shooken up by what happened. I was given time off to basically work through what occurred, during that time I received an offer for another job so I resigned. But now I am really bugged by the feedback that I am "cold, intense, and unapproachable ". This is the last thing I want to be especially because I will be working in mental health. I've also never been told this until now so I'm confused. Also, my first 2 years as a nurse in this position were hell. I feel I have lost all confidence in my nursing and people skills and I'm feeling afraid that I'll fail in this new position. I start my job in a week am getting married in 3 weeks and am battling other life stressors. I'm feeling numb, overwhelmed and a bit depressed. Any advice?
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Hello all,
I apologize in advance for the long post. I am trying to process some feedback and determine what is valid and what should be let go. I am currently starting a new position as a mental health nurse in drug and alcohol rehab. I'm thankful as this has been my goal since I started nursing school. Previously, I was a pediatric neuroscience nurse for two years, and before that, I worked as a CNA on a Neuro/Trauma ICU floor for 4 years. As a bit of background about myself, my whole life I have been told by those around me and by my supervisors that I am considered to be very caring and compassionate, but also perfectionistic. I also have OCD and anxiety. However, the feedback I received from my last supervisor was quite different. First it was feedback that she heard from the other supervisor who heard from other nurses that some nurses were afraid to give me report. I asked if she could get clarification on what this meant and she didn't. I tried to see if I had offended any of the nurses I typically get report from and none of them had an issue. I relayed this info back to my supervisor who responded, "well they might not be telling the truth". Then I was talked to about a pts mom who was livid because she felt I was cold towards her, "gave her false information" ( which I definitely did not), and didn't answer the call light after three tries. (I was very busy in two other pts rooms. I do feel responsible though because this pt was a new admit in the middle of my shift, but in the craziness I forgot that our new phones require us to assign the room number to our phones so that we get the call bells). I tried to apologize, but the mom was too busy swearing on the phone. As a new grad, I was placed on an improvement plan for incidents regarding a ventricular drain that I wrote myself up for. Some were valid, others, I was told by other nurses were not worthy of being written up and that I was being overly scrupulous. I successfully passed that plan and haven't had any errors since. However, ever since the plan, my anxiety and OCD skyrocketed. I felt as if I were having a mental breakdown. I ended up taking out some time for mental health help. When I came back, everything seemed to decompensate. The week I returned, a family asked that I not be the nurse because they were uncomfortable with how much I rechecked things. (I'm still working on that OCD). Then a week after that, I was fired by another mom (historically known to be dreaded by every nurse and doctor because of how difficult she and the pt are to work with and how manipulative the mom is. For example, the pt took her meds mixed in apple juice. I mix up the meds, but she complains the juice is too cold. Then I warm it up but she complains it is too warm. I cool it off but it is still the wrong temp. This was a 20 min process. Meanwhile I have other pts I need to attend to). Despite trying to advocate for her, clarify questions and concerns, get the pt laughing when she was otherwise sad, this mom fired me for " being cold towards her daughter, leaving a side rail down (even though I fixed it when she asked and the pt was not in danger of falling out of bed), and recommending that the pt pick a less saltier dinner option due to her sodium being high. So again, I was called into the office and talked to about their concerns for "inconsistencies in my practice" due to these complaints and the fact that I get out 30 min late half the time. I guess I'm flabbergasted because never in my life until this position have I been told that I act "cold towards people". I also don't understand how these two complaints point to practice inconsistencies. I admitted that my anxiety and OCD had affected my practice and that I was getting help for this but they did not speak to this. All I received were vague responses and the above examples. I explained that putting me on a PIP would only increase the anxiety and essentially paralyze my performance. They gave me time to decide if I wanted to stay and be placed on the PIP or leave in good standing
so I began looking for other jobs. Then a very traumatic incident occurred. The physicians say I saved the child's life and that I did nothing wrong, but I still feel so shooken up by what happened. I was given time off to basically work through what occurred, during that time I received an offer for another job so I resigned. But now I am really bugged by the feedback that I am "cold, intense, and unapproachable ". This is the last thing I want to be especially because I will be working in mental health. I've also never been told this until now so I'm confused. Also, my first 2 years as a nurse in this position were hell. I feel I have lost all confidence in my nursing and people skills and I'm feeling afraid that I'll fail in this new position. I start my job in a week am getting married in 3 weeks and am battling other life stressors. I'm feeling numb, overwhelmed and a bit depressed. Any advice?