Should I stay or should I go?

[can'twait2B1]

I have been working at a inpatient psych unit since last year. I work as charge almost everytime I am scheduled, we have a team lead who works the other days, she doesn't work weekends and if we happen to be scheduled the same day she is always charge. She gets paid quite a bit more for the team lead position but it seems that since she does the schedules I get the crap hours, I usually end up getting scheduled for the big interdisciplinery treatment team meetings as well, since a charge has to be present. They are three days per week and are very time consuming.

I was told that there would be a second team lead position opening up, and I could apply for it when it did, since i am basically doing the job anyway. That was 8 months ago, no job has opened up. I just picked up six weeks of weekends to help out because we had a nurse unexpectantly quit, now another has given notice and that means we will only have 5 nurses on dayshift to cover 7 days a week.

Our unit is tough, our admission process takes roughly two hours sometimes more depending on the patient. Everyone is tired and stressed and its just not a good environment. The pay is mediocre, really it is, most of the people I graduated nursing school with five years ago make 5-10 dollars more an hour than me, and most don't work a specialty like psych. I love psych and I love most of my coworkers and my doctors are the best. However, we have a few "bad eggs" that like to backstab and try to get people in trouble all the time.

Our call-ins are through the roof, at least one person calls in pretty much everyday.

I feel like I have handled myself well and that I am a very good employee. I am not looking for a pat on the back everyday but I would like some sort of recognition for all that I have done to help out the unit.

I live an hour away from work and I constantly work overtime to help out my peers. I have a hospital 15 minutes from home that has current openings that I know I could get.

I feel very unappreciated and am really considering transferring out.

Even with saying that I would feel very guilty of what I would do to the unit as a whole by leaving because they are already so short staffed.

Any advice? This is driving me nuts! Thank you!!!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

How odd... you used the same headliner I recently posted. Interesting.... your psych position is driving YOU nuts???

You are being used and abused. Be gratetful you recognized this after only one year.

You owe NO loyality to this place,, it is a toxic environment..

You need to leave ASAP!

[misschiatia]

Just getting out of the same position myself. Have come to the realization that they will allow me to cover as many shifts as I let them give me. They will hold me responsible for as much as I let them pile on me, and I can be super nurse as long as I want to. They're just glad there's a sucker on the roster silly enough to even try to do it all. This may not hold true in your circumstances. Only you can decide that. But if they are using you now, just remember, you always have a choice. It's not all their fault. Not to be mean, but that 's what Im telling myself to make me feel better about leaving them when I know they're so short. If I stay, Im making a decision to keep doing what Im doing, and it's hard to back up on too many responsibilies, once you've established that you will take them on.

[can'twait2B1]

Interesting.... your psych position is driving YOU nuts???

LOL, yep, that about sums it up. Thanks for your replies. I have actually already emailed a contact of mine about a position at the hospital that is closer to home.

[ladybugbaby161]

I feel the same way. They make me charge. We are constantly short. The pay sucks. If I left or stayed we would still remain short. I just applied for another position last week and interview tomorrow! I need to make a change before this job takes the love of nursing out of me!

[RevolutioN2013]

Would money change the situation for you? Seriously. If you were to approach your supervisor about the fact that you are considering leaving and your supervisor were to ask you, "What would it take for you to stay?" What would your answer be? It sounds like there are a lot of issues going on with this job and a few dollars more per hour will not eliminate those issues. Money isn't usually the reason people become dissatisfied with their jobs. Money is usually the straw that breaks the camel's back. As a supervisor I have been in this situation and have offered the person the money to stay and every single time the same issues prompted the person to leave anyway. (non-nursing field)

[himilayaneyes]

Sounds like you need to leave stat..but not until you have another job waiting for you of course in this economy. Do you want to stay in psych? Are there other psychiatric facilities in your area? Have you ever considered working in a drug detox center? I did clinicals in one years ago, and it was pretty nice most of the time. You had your mental health drama, but not as much as the inpatient units I'm sure .And it sounds like even if you're offered more money that it still wouldn't be an ideal situation. Money definitely isn't always the answer. By the way, God bless you for working in psych b/c personally I just can't deal with it. I took a pay cut for a job closer to home in the icu from a medical-tele floor that treated mostly psych patients. Dealing with patients with mental health issues was giving me mental health issues. So I chose my sanity over the money. Psych is definitely tough. Thanks for doing it. Good luck.

[laughing weasel]

Get another job and go, in that order. These days your employers will certainly feel no loyalty or obligation to you find a place where your skills and dedication make a difference. Vote with your feet. They will only change as much and when it is necessary. Your life is your own owed to no one but yourself. We are responsible for the obligations we assume (god bless kids and women). We are also responsible to change our fortunes.

[BillyMae]

No good deed goes unpunished.......always hated that saying !! Relates to the work place though.

[can'twait2B1]

Thanks for all of your replies, I have sent out a couple of resumes, I applied for a hospice job, its closer to home and I think my psych nursing background could be very helpful, thanks again, its so hard to leave :crying2:but I know that I am doing whats best for me and my family. God Bless!:heartbeat