I have been an ER nurse for 10 years, mostly in large, urban, inner city emergency rooms. Basically I am fried and can't take it anymore. I go into nursing to help people but mostly I just get yelled at. By patients, their families etc. For things that have NOTHING to do with me. 99% of what folks complain about is the wait. The wait to see the doctor, the wait for lab results, the wait for imaging tests, beds, etc. Aside from making phone calls or talking to the doctor(who usually blows me off) these things are out of my control. Yet I take the abuse. I feel like I spend most of my shift placating people. It doesn't help that folks are becoming more and more entitled and expect to see a doctor within 30 seconds of their arrival in the ED, regardless of how minor the complaint. They could care less if their is a coding infant in the room next to them. Their need to see a doctor for their itchy lady parts NOW. I have tried changing specialties but no one will hire me without experience in that particular field. I have applied to other hospitals in the suburbs but nursing jobs are tight nowadays. I am confronted, verbally abused and threatened on a daily basis. While I do my best to see my its immediately and keep them informed, they still feel it is perfectly acceptable to treat me like garbage. While I am aware that their anger and frustration is misdirected and not about me, (or they are just entitled jerks who want everything NOW) it doesn't mean I like it. Another thing is that when I was hired I was put on nights because the majority of the staff are brand new graduates so they wanted someone with experience. Basically that means,I do the work of 3 people because the novice nurses are overwhelmed and struggling. So basically I am indefinitely stuck on nights. I am miserable and burnt out and depressed. In a bad economy I feel like I am stuck:crying2::crying2:
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