what to do

Nurses General Nursing

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I started to work at my first hospital job for 4 monthes now and I was written up two times now whch is a final warning. One I did made a mistake and I admitted it and one I feel like I do not deserve it. I have a nurse who I work with who is a chronic complainer and she reports me to everything and my nurse manager listens to it and calls me without even investigating it. Plus my nurse manager asks nurses about how to do things instead of guiding the floor nurses. If I was an experienced nurse I would find another job but since this is my first job in the hospital I need at least a year of experience before I can find anoher hospital job. If I am written up one more time, then I am gone. I dont see myself working here a year. I want to give up yet I feel like I have to stay here because I have no choice. any advice?

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Specializes in L&D, OR, postpartum, pedi, OBGYN clinic.

Are you standing up for yourself? You don't have to sign the write up and can take the issue above her head if you truly feel the write up is unwarrented. The other thing to do is become chummy with the chronic complainer. I had that happen to me too in my first year. Now she is my friend. Hang in there :)

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Since you really didn't say what you gotten written up for, its hard to assess what you can do. I would take an active approach and ask how I could improve. People are less likely to write you up if you show you are trying to get better. I would also request not to take report from that nurse anymore. Even if it meant telling the charge nurse everyday. Become nice nice when the charge nurses and maybe you won't have to deal with her much.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

You have been working for 4 months and have been written up 2 times and the third time you can be terminated. I know there are really poor bosses out there and ones that abuse their power, but I see is you blaming others and you need to see if there is anything that you can do to improve your situatuion at least for one year. Have you tried going to your boss and asking what to do because you want to improve or have you gone around remarking how unfair this has been. Have you asked for guidence? Sometime for the sake of ourselves we need to grin and bear it and kiss a little butt...to get what we need to move on.

Good luck

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical ICU, Trauma, Neuro.

I don't think you have to stay at any place for a year. Why not look for another job if your so disatisfied? It wouldn't hurt to try. Remember attitude is everything. Try to stay positive and people will see you are doing your best even though you maybe new. Don't play the poor me card or I think it can put a target on your back. Find a mentor on your unit, someone you trust and who is someone that you can confide in and will support you. Thats the best advice I can think of with not knowing specifics about your situation and why you were written up. Hang in there. We have all been there. Things do get easier with experience. Promise :)

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hmmm hard to say without more details, but I agree about going above your manager regarding the write-ups.

don't stay a year at a place like this, start looking for other jobs right away.

honestly, I'd rather quit then run the risk of getting fired (if you feel like its a real possibility)

good luck!

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I am surprised that they are not offering support if there is something you are struggling with, especially since you are a new grad. Where I work if you have been written up more than once they will develop a learning goal plan to help you work on what ever area you are having difficulty with.

It's hard to give advice without knowing what you were written up for.

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I posted a thread about I was written up for not giving a good report to a next shift nurse. The second one was really my fault and I've made a mistake and I caught it on time and no harm was done. If I resign now and if I want to come back is my write ups still going to be effective? Is it possible to transfer to another unit at this time?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/SNF-LTC/Supervisory.

Ms. RN,

Definitely go to your supervisor/manager and ask for guidance. Make sure they know how willing you are to improve, but since you're a new nurse, you do need some guidance in the areas and how to improve in them. As far as the "chronic complainer".. well, they're all over the place. Try to seek out another "powerful" nurse on the unit and ask him/her for guidance as well. Try to be neutral, non defensive in taking the constructive criticism. Put emotions aside. If you do feel the supervisor/manager is being unfair, you can go over his/her head, but do not expect fairness.

I, at first, also found one particular nurse complaining about how my reports to her were poor. Thing was, this nurse made me SO uncomfortable, that I would stammer through it, and miss much for fear of what she was going to do to embarass me, etc etc.. One particular morning, my supervisor strangely showed up while I was giving report. Well, lemme tell you, I nailed that report and then went up to the super and told her I'd noticed her listening to me. She said that she didn't see anything wrong w/the report I'd given and admitted that she was there to listen in on my report giving.

There will always be those who cannot survive unless they are complaining about someone else. It's disgusting and they most of the time, get away with it, have friends in high places, or are just too damned loud to be fired.

Please seek out help from your super's, and also apply for some other positions elsewhere. This can kill your confidence and a new start may be just what you need.

Don't lose the faith!! I've been there.. and yeah, there are some really rotten people out there who get away with treating others cruddy, and management turns a blind eye to it.

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I posted a thread about I was written up for not giving a good report to a next shift nurse. The second one was really my fault and I've made a mistake and I caught it on time and no harm was done. If I resign now and if I want to come back is my write ups still going to be effective? Is it possible to transfer to another unit at this time?

There are generally guidelines re: intrahospital transfers. Sometimes you have to work IN the hospital for a specified amount of time before you'd be considered- but that's impossible for us to know here :) Check the employee handbook, and take a look at the open positions listed with HR.

There will ALWAYS be coworkers who have the manager in their back pocket in some way or another. It bites- but it is what it is- leftover high school. They see no reason to change, especially if they have someone who feeds them information -OR they have someone who WANTs their lousy information.

In the meantime, do all you can not to get more write ups. Make this place your resume for the next one- and move when you can. But also know, a bunch of the cruddy feelings could be still being a "young" nurse. It takes a considerable length of time to get comfortable in your own nursey skin :)

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How am I suppose to explain why I worked only 4 monthes then looking for a new job? I'm not even sure if another hospital is going to even consider me with only 4 monthes of experiece in the hospital though.

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