I have a negative attitude - I must leave

[Rapheal]

I have been in med-surg night shift for 7 months. When I started I knew that I would feel reality shock and this would improve as my skills grew. Well it has been 7 months and I hate my job. I have a sick stomach every day I work and many times the days I do not. I dread going in to work.

First they took the aides away. Next they took away the phlebotamists. Then pharmacy closed after 3 pm. We now have only 1 respiratory therapist for the whole hospital. I work mostly with agency nurses. 2 new RN orientees left before a week had passed. The telemetry techs frequently leave the monitors unmanned while they take frequent breaks. The new trend has also been to admit psych patients, alchoholic patients and IV drug users without any sitters even though they are going through withdrawl or are wandering into other patient rooms or hanging around the medication carts. Management has said that we need to do more with less.

Yesterday a DNR-CCA patient died at 7 am. The attitude of the day shift staff was - hurry up and give me report - I am getting a late start. I wanted to clean the patient up before his son got there because he was on the way. My friend on day shift told me hospital nursing is like this everywhere. I hope this is not true. I have been offered a job in LTC. The facility is nice, they are well staffed, the patients look clean. During my interview they showed me around and the residents kept telling me how nice the nurses were and how they were happy here.

I love the patients on med-surg and love learning involved in dealing with these patients. Is med-surg like this everywhere? Should I make the move to LTC? I fear that I may soon lose it and yell at the next tele-tech who leaves the desk when my patient is in SVT or tell the nursing supervisor " There are 2 new patients in rooms on my floor - I have not received, report, have not been told they were coming- you come here and take care of them because I do not have the time and will not do it". This will undoubtedly leave me unemployed.

I feel hateful. My attitude has hit rock bottom. Thanks for letting me vent and please tell me if I am just not cut out to be a nurse. The patients say nice things about me so I know I can not be a bad person. Maybe just not cut out for nursing.

[hbscott]

Any "health promotion" practitioner will tell you that exposure to chronic persistent stress leads to a wide variety of problems that if left unchecked can lead to serious consequences to one's health.

In nursing we learn about the concept of ineffective coping and the negative outcomes this has on our patients.

Nursing practice today can be described as an environment filled with chronic persistent stress so it is no wonder nursing practitioners everywhere are fed up.

But...

The reality is that we as a society tend to be reactive and not proactive and thus things have to get really, really bad before the "powers that be" are motivated to change things.

-HBS

[Rapheal]

Thank you for all your replies. I have read each one at least twice so that I would not miss a word of advice and experience.

After my interview at the LTC facility the DON dropped me off at the desk and told me to stay as long as I liked to "get a feel of what we are like". I stayed for 4 hours and followed an RN who was quite happy and proud to show me the routine. The staff asked me alot of questions and I felt they were interviewing me as well. They seemed to care about what type of nurse they were going to be working with. They seemed very proud of their facility and the care they gave the residents. The residents were all cleaned, dressed and most out of their rooms for activities and socialization. One patient in for rehab told me " I'm leaving tomorrow-but let me tell you this is a nice place".

This morning at work one of the doctors stopped to talk to me. Out of the blue she asked me "Do you think you will stay here?" We are friendly so I confided in her about leaving. She told me that she would be sorry to see me go but this hospital is the worst. She said she feels bad for the nurses who work here and doesn't blame me for wanting to leave.

So I will take the advice to drop in at the LTC (have to think of a good excuse) to see if it is a nice as my first impression. I will give nursing another chance because it is really all that I want to do.

I would also like to humbly thank all of you for responding to this new nurse who looks to your experience to help me find my way in nursing. I know you from your posts and threads and know that you are happy and fufilled in your careers. You share your vents and accomplishments, you describe your jobs as challanging and demanding, and you say that there is nothing more in the world that you want to do then to be a good nurse. I wish to feel the way that you do. Thank you for helping me make my decision.

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

Good for you, Raphael, and good luck in your new job- it sounds like a great place to work! My first nursing job was in a terrible place, too. At least now you know what you won't put up with in a job- it gives you an experience to go by. I think those places rely on the naivete of newer nurses to get away with what they do. Don't let them get you down- you sound like you have what it takes to keep on plugging on with a career in nursing.

[Nurse89]

I missed your original post Raphael, but I do wish you the best, most importantly, I wish you happiness...Good Luck!

[healingtouchRN]

quick find another job!! don't give up, change gears!!!! I have & it is how one survives a bad situation...!

[RN-PA, RN]

I'm late in adding my 2 cents, but just wanted to say that in my limited experience (working at 1 LTC facility for 9 months and then Med/Surg at two different hospitals over a 10 year period), of course Med/Surg is hectic and even chaotic, maddening, and almost always stressful. We also have been forced to work with less as our private, non-profit suburban hospital has experienced severe financial problems the past couple of years, and we're in danger of being sold if we don't show a profit this year. With all the cutbacks, I've also occassionally thought of going elsewhere or doing something else, but I basically like Med/Surg.

*BUT*, the working conditions you've described are so incredibly awful and beyond the pale, that I agree with others: You must leave before your mental/physical health is taxed any further and so that your license isn't in jeopardy. I don't think all hospitals can be painted with the same broad brush-- Yes, Med/Surg is difficult and will continue to be so, but I hope someday you'll be able to find a safer, saner hospital in which to practice if you so desire. In the meantime, the LTC job sounds like a good situation and may help you to enjoy nursing again. All the best to you!

[CseMgr1, ASN, RN]

Originally posted by Rapheal

After my interview at the LTC facility the DON dropped me off at the desk and told me to stay as long as I liked to "get a feel of what we are like". I stayed for 4 hours and followed an RN who was quite happy and proud to show me the routine. The staff asked me alot of questions and I felt they were interviewing me as well. They seemed to care about what type of nurse they were going to be working with. They seemed very proud of their facility and the care they gave the residents. The residents were all cleaned, dressed and most out of their rooms for activities and socialization. One patient in for rehab told me " I'm leaving tomorrow-but let me tell you this is a nice place".

A picture speaks a thousand words....go, go, go!!!

[Rapheal]

Thanks again for your replies. I have felt just the greatest sense of relief in just knowing from your responses that med-surg should not be this bad. I truly feared that nursing was like this everywhere because when my co-workers told me this I had no other knowledge to compare it with. Now I feel so much better and hopeful.

Beth

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

I think the key to making it in your first year of nursing is support, support, support. If you're not getting the support you need on the job, it is advisable to leave and find one where you will get it. You are making a good move, Raphael. It's not the same everywhere. I work med/surg, and have picked up agency shifts in other area hospitals. I don't pick up agency shifts in other hospitals any more, because I realized I have it pretty good where I work. A lot of hospitals will actively seek out new nurses because they are cheaper and don't know what questions to ask during their interviews, such as what are the nurse-to-patient ratios, questions about support staff, will you be expected to take charge positions, will you be guaranteed a day/night position, are they implementing mandatory OT, etc. They do not go out of their way to inform new nurses on issues such as these, so once you figure it out, you feel duped and discouraged. You now have some experience to go by, and this has apparently helped you with this new job prospect. Take it as that, and keep moving on- you're going in the right direction.

[Used and abused]

Oh boy! this was me a year ago. I am now DON of a LTC facility, I walked in, the old one who was to train me left. This place is great; I cannot believe how different the stress is and how much more peaceful I feel. I still do blood draws etc, so my IV skills are being kept up. I do feel for you, my whole family tells me how much better I seem, I am losing weight in a healthy way, am able to enjoy life again. I say go for it girl, you recognize your stress and you recognize how you feel... take care of you!

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

Raphael,

Maybe I worked in the same med-surg unit as you?

Lol. Seriously, it's not you, it's them

I had been an LPN for 7 years when I became an RN and went to work in a med-surg unit for the first time. My experience was just like yours. It left me doubting myself, my abilities and feeling like a fool for even getting my AAS in nursing.

It wasn't me, it was the hospital.

I finally threw in the towel at that hospital. It took a while, but I got over the disillusionment and despair of the experience, you will, too.

LTC is also rough and stressful, but the fact that you have the pts for a much longer time and can become familiar w/ them helps a lot.

Best of luck to you!

[Rapheal]

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement. Last night I awoke to severe chest pain. I have MVP and have learned to live with chest pain - but I feel that this is totally stress related. So I guess that my heart is telling me it's time to move on (pun intended) lol.