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.

[cswain12000]

I am so sorry about your experience in your hospital--get out now, before you forget why you went into nursing. Not all hospitals are like that. I happen to be at one of the very good ones and am extremely happy. If you're able to relocate, or interested in relocating, you can pm me and I will tell you where I am. We also have great union backing where I am at. I can say that the hospital I work at genuinely cares about their employees and takes very good care of us, but they also care about our families. For instance--I moved two weeks ago, and shortly after I moved my car got broken into, and because of moving, I didn't have the money to get my car window repaired and my deductible was to high to cover the cost of fixing the window. I called my HR rep and explained my situation, and within 2 days they had an emergency loan check to me-no interest-and to be paid back by payroll deduction at 25$ every 2 weeks.

Anyway-Have you thought about calling JCAHO? and perhaps your nursing board-It sounds totally unsafe there for the patients

and if you make a report to JCAHO they have to investigate. It's just a suggestion. Good luck to you and don't give up on nursing. Not all places are like that. C

[RNMBA]

I will echo the sentiment of most of the earlier posts. Find a job at another organization as fast as possible. Your license is at risk every time you accept responsibility for your patients.

Seemingly insane decisions by administration happen too often to be mistakes. The nursing profession has taken up the slack so many times in the past that short-staffing becomes a viable financial alternative for the "nursing" administrators and VP's that make the decisions.

Your situation is not unique but it is not the normal state of affairs. I have worked at four hospitals over the last 15 years and most of that time has been enjoyable and fulfilling.

Take control of your situation and find another opportunity.

Brian

[Irwin0111]

:roll :roll :roll have you tried singing while you work.like the one your mom always sing to you when you were a kid. that helps a lot joe.:roll :roll

irvin

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

I think you should give LTC a try, you may be pleasantly suprised. You are realizing the burn out is emminent, be smart, protect your health and your license, find another job and give your notice. Unfortunately so many med/surg nurses are dumped on and burned out, I feel for all of you.

[CseMgr1, ASN, RN]

Originally posted by 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.

Honey, if you don't get OUT of there, you won't NEED a resignation letter!

[bet_12002]

I feel the same Rapheal . I have worked on med/surg unit for 4 years an I am disgusted with it. I had an interview with a nursing home last week . I havent heard any thing yet. My main concern is do they pay as good as the hospital . If any one on here works at ltc ,would u be so kind as to tell me ?

oh yeah an mandation is really really bad right now where I work. Not a day goes by many isnt mandated, after working short all day.

[shodobe]

Rapheal, you have invested to much time getting your license to give up. It is not you! This is happening to frequently around the country and you do have to protect yourself and your license. Maybe moving on to a different job would be beneficial. I have been in nursing for 27 years and and did have my ups and downs when I worked on a Med/Surg floor. I really did not like going into work most of the time. Now this was 27 years ago and I had on the average 20 patients a night. This sounds bad but our paperwork was much less, I had some of the best aides and some nights we had an LVN to pass meds. At the time I felt I wanted something more challenging so I went into the OR. I haven't looked back and enjoy what I do. The OR is a fast paced area and very challenging but very rewarding. I work two hospitals and get a wide variety of cases and keeps me interested. There are days I want to chuck it all but there isn't anyone out there that hasn't wanted to do that. You have to find your niche and settle in for the long haul, job hopping isn't the answer. Get very good at what you love and you will be indespensable! Don't give up because you have lousy management just move on to bigger and better things. The LTC sounds good, go for it and if this is your niche stay with it. Good Luck!!!!!! Mike

[TravlrVickie]

It sounds like you are definitely working in the wrong place. Med/Surg nursing is not like that everywhere. There are plenty of nice units in organized hospitals. I am a travel nurse and I have visited many hospitals. There are bad ones and good ones out there. I have worked with many good nurses and bad nurses. I learn what not to do from watching the bad nurses. I have learned how to become a better nurse through watching some really awesome, caring nurses. I wouldn't give up on Med/Surg nursing if I were you. The LTC facility sounds nice. If you want to keep your skills updated, you need to stick in there with the hospitals. Leaving and going to the LTC facility will make it difficult for you later on to get back into the hospital if you stay away too long.

[pappyRN]

I don't blame you a bit for wanting to leave this hospital. I have no respect for any supervisor who won't get their hands dirty and give a hand. They take advantage of you because you are from an agency.

You must give them notice though. It would be unprofessional not to.

Have you ever considered neonatology working in the Special Care Nursery or Neonatal ICU? I live in the Midwest and that is a popular area to work. I worked NICU for over thirteen years and loved it! Best job I ever had!

In regards, to LTC, definitely drop in unannounced. When the person who gave you the tour or allowed you to follow her told you to drop by another time unnannounced, she wouldn't have said it if she was afraid for you to see something wrong.

Go and not only watch the nurses. See if the staff greets the resident in a respectful manner. Do they engage the pt in any type of meaningful conversation? Do they answer the pts. when they are trying to ask a question?

Are the patients all sitting around like the "peanut gallery" across from the nurses station and just aimlessly staring at the nurses? Get a copy of the activity calendar. Stop and talk to a resident and try to have a conversation without the presence of other staff members. One of the most important things I would do is to ask a cna about the nursing staff. Do the RN's or LPNs help the cnas? IS there any ongoing conflicts she'd care to share?

How's the DON? How are they when you have to call in sick? Do you usually work with the number of scheduled aides or do they usually work short? Ask just about everything that drove you crazy in med surg at the nursing home. Do they have many pts with decubitas ulcers? What about hip fractures. Is there adequate supervision and staff to feed people AND is that one of your responsibilities?

Just think about it. The questions will come to you.

Warm personal regards,

PappyRN

[Totone656]

Well I just gave my mouse a workout to make sure where in the country you lived! What you wrote could have been the hospital where I just quit! I listen to these great posters on the board and told the hospital where I was working to "Take this job and shove it!" In fact to tell you how Po'd I was, instead of giving a 2 week notice I gave a 3 week one instead! It was the best thing I ever did!

I am now with a Hospice company and I am loving it! I do not go into work with a sick stomach or tear stained face. I do not have to put up with Telly Clerks who don't want to do their job!

Please listen to your heart and of the experince of those who are on this board!

[Rapheal]

***************Update******************]

I've accepted the other position. I am leaving med-surg. I hope to go PRN if they let me. If not- well that's their choice. We lost 2 more nurses in the last two weeks and one has been on sick leave for weeks now and is not on the next schedule.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. The last night I worked I walked into: A patient on a nitro drip with no tele (against protocol-but still there it was), an irate family member who wanted to talk to her husband's nurse, a patient who was SOB with a panic ABG (they just handed me the paper with a real short explanation), 3 patient's in restraints and only one with a current restraint order, and we were short a nurse until an agency nurse arrived. Did they send help? No. I was expected to address all these issues, get vitals and deliver 8 pm meds in a timely fashion. 2 of these patient's were sent to ICU and IMHO they should not have been on med/surg in the first place. I just cannot handle this. So off I go unto what I hope is a better place.

Please pray and /or think a good thought for me and my future. I truly am grateful for all the responses and encouragement.

[HARN]

First, never be ashamed or afraid to let managment know that your staff is not doing there jobs (when the tely techs leave, or any staff neglects their jobs). I mean we would be repromanded for that same thing as RN's why are any others of the staff different?

Second, I think that you sound like you are very caring and giving (wanting to clean the deceased pt before the son came to view the body with day shift up your butt). Also that you are making yourself sick over this issue. Please don't think for a second that you are not "CUT OUT TO BE A NURSE"....you sound very much like what the nursing field needs. I am sure you worked hard for your degree like the rest of us, don't let one facility make you give that up.

Try another job, another if you have to. There is a part of nursing out there for you.

I agree with the folks above don't burn your bridges as you go....that is GOOD ADVICE.

I wish you the best....:)