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Discussion

Feeling alone

I recently started working in the ER and the local hospital. I actually been on the floor for about 4 weeks. I was recently pulled in the managers office and told that the charge nurses came forward with some concerns. 1) that hand hygiene was a concern, 2) that I was lazy and lacked enthusiasm about the job, 3) that I was negative, 4) that I was fired by a patient, all which are untrue about me or the kind of person I am. 1) I wash my hands when I enter the room and when I exit, if I am transporting blood or urine samples I do not wash as I leave the room because I will wash when I send the samples to the lab. 2) I have never been lazy on the job,I am that nurse that is always busy, I never sit down. 3) I am new so I have really watched what I say and the tone of my voice and body language. And lastly in my entire nursing career I have never been fired by a patient. Now the second part of the story I asked my preceptor how I was doing that I felt I was starting to put things together. Only to be crushed, I was told that I couldn't "critically think", that I would never make it as an ER nurse, that I was "too nice", That I needed to go back to Med Surg and work another 3-4 years then maybe I would be ready. I had only worked with this nurse for 6 days and had been on the floor for a total of 10 days. This Nurse would rather socialize and disappear when I had questions. She constantly would bombard me with questions while I was trying to put my in assessment. She would say "hurry up you are too slow". She never showed me anything on the computer. Anything she would show me would be with her doing it so fast it would not register. I asked for her to let me do it myself so I would learn it. she told me that she was and elite nurse and I just a basic nurse with no skills at all. That she did not even want an orientee. She found out the day before I came to the floor. I was crushed. All I thought I knew or learned was void. I went to school to help people, I have been a nurse for 3 years. I am left feeling unsure about myself, and my ability to be a nurse. Subsequently I was given another preceptor who has been really helpful. She does not know what happened with the other nurse. I am human I will make mistakes, I am sure that all ER nurses have never made a mistake. I also made the mistake of bringing blood out of a room to label. I know it was wrong I had 15 things going on and didn't even think about it. I had tunnel vision for the task that I was trying to get done. Another said "I saw what you did and I have to tell the charge about what you did". My reply was go ahead do what you have to. Only after I did that she made a med error, hanging the wrong IV fluid on a patient, when I questioned she said it was no big deal it really wasn't a med error. I am sorry but a med error is a med error. I am not a tattletale. I don't look for things people do wrong, but I feel as though I am backed into a corner. I feel like leaving because I have no confidence in myself. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

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    • Expert

    When the group as a whole, or the power employee(s), decide they don't want you around, this is what happens. You should consider this to be a warning of what is to come, justified or not. Best to look for a transfer and/or a new job in a new facility. At least you know now so you have time to take action. Many people get blindsided when they get called in to be told they are being terminated.

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    • Author

    It's sad to say that Nurses eat their own. I have worked so hard to get to the ER. I am looking for another position within the company. Like I have said I was crushed. I am a Christian. I will stand up to the bullies. But I am looking for somewhere else to work. The last place I worked I had a supervisor who was disrespectful to me and cursed me out, I hated working for her. So I left, I recently went back to that floor and saw all my friends and they embraced me with love and friendship. I am a good nurse and am not willing to compromise who I am to please the witches on the night shift. My patients love me. My friends support me. I am not a baby and I feel empowered. You are right about being blindsided. Part of me wants to dig in and fight even harder, but then the other part of me says find somewhere else it not worth my health and wellbeing. I have worked jobs and fit in no matter where I go. I have found the human nature is not so nice, People will train you the wrong way of doing things to make themselves look better. I have waivered back and forth. I have applied for some other jobs. But on the other hand I am not a quitter. Thanks for the advice.

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    Please do some serious self introspection. Are you really suited to working in this area of nursing?

    If you feel you can handle it, then I think you should stand up for yourself and ask for a different preceptor. I would say that it is impossible for me to work with a person who is lying in order to get rid of me.

    If they agree, then you need to go in there rested with 100% focus on your patients and your work.

    Do not speak poorly of the first preceptor. If she is as obnoxious and dishonest as you said she is, they already know. ER staff are a tough crowd. They are not going to hold your hand. You need to prove yourself and stand up to anyone who is rude to you.

    Study the protocols and procedures. Ask for weekly written progress evaluations and weekly goals.

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    • Author

    Thanks I appreciate that. I have over 24 years in the medical field I know this is where I want to be, But I am not going to change who I am to make a few nurses that want to eat their own happy. I will stick it out. I have been studying the protocols. and have even went as far as buying an emergency and critical care book. I am going to give it everything I have to give and not give up. If it does not work out then I know I am not a failure. I will stand up to them! I am not a quitter. I have never quit at anything. These nurses are lifers, the have been there for 10+ years. I just want a fair shake. Thanks for listening.

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    This is your first month after orientation.

    Your orientation continues "unofficially". You deserve continued mentoring, not criticism.

    Go to management with your second preceptor.

    Document , document, document. You simply need one more month of orientation with a preceptor that will put it together for you.

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    Criticism is only constructive if you are informed WHY, WHAT, WHEN, WHO, HOW, and WHERE.

    HOW were you lazy?

    WHEN were you lazy?

    WHAT is the definition of enthusiasm, so that you know how to demonstrate you are enthusiastic.

    WHEN did you not wash your hands?

    WHERE did you not wash your hands?

    WHEN were you fired by a patient?

    WHO was the patient?

    HOW did you demonstrate that you were unable to critically think?

    WHEN did you demonstrate that you were unable to critically think?

    HOW are you demonstrating that you are "too nice"?

    If someone is going to go tell me that I am lazy, lacking enthusiasm, unable to critically think, and am being too nice they're not going to get away with giving me ambiguous, off-the-cuff, broad and sweeping statements.

    I will not make it easy for them. I'm going to make them work for it.

    When did you see me do that? What was I doing? What did you hear me say? Did you hear this first hand, or did you hear it from a third person? What did the patient tell you? What did you observe me doing?

    TAKE NOTES!!

    Notes are your best friend. They will keep you safe on rainy days. They will remind you of the good times, and of the bad. They will be there for you when you are having your worst day. Maintain a relationship with your notes, and they will rarely if ever let you down.

    Start a journal - a diary. Write down your most memorable patient care experience that you learned from that day, and you WILL develop an unerring sense of when you should record something for future reference.

    If you get a cardiac patient in, write down what the main components of the patient's status, and what your interventions were. Try and list the rationale if you can. This really helps the learning process.

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