Grumpy Charge Nurse!!!!

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Last week I rotated to a new unit as registry. I have been going to this facility for several months and been treated pretty good, although you know how it goes in registry. The rent-a-scrub pretty much gets slammed and this day was no different.

4 pretty high acuity patients without a CNA. Charge Nurse did not wear a badge or welcome me to the unit. I requested a brief orientation from a friendly looking person in scrubs (again no name tag or ID) and was told they were new there themselves.

Got a really crummy shift report from off going, lot's of holes to be patched, new orders to be noted and carried out from the evening shift prior. Kinda had that crawling skin syndrome but tried really hard to make the best of it.

Finally discovered who the CN was when she chewed me out at the nurses station for not carrying out an MD order that had been placed in my mailbox half and hour earlier ... ( I had a mailbox????) All day long I fel like I had one foot on a banana peel and the other stuck in gum.

Vital signs, call lites, feeders, daily weights, I and O's and still no idea where the linen was stored. Pretty frustrating experience and still I don't know who the heck anyone is since no one wore their ID badge.

Well, end of my shift rolls around and once again I get bashed by the CN for not charting something that seems to be specific to that particular unit. I put in some OT, which I ate since this facility doesn't like to pay for it, charted like crazy and got the heck outta there.

I related this train wreck to my agency and they were very sympathetic to my plight but told me this facility was very "fragile " as far as an account goes and one "bad apple" like me could upset the entire cart.

I am scheduled to go back next week for 3 days and am dreading a repeat performance. I'm actually interested in hiring on with this place, overall I like it and perhaps I would carry a little more weight if I was a staffer.

I thought Charges were chosen for their tact, diplomacy and ability to coordinate he running of the unit. All she seemed to want to do was run me into the ground. When I asked for help I was literally ignored, the blank looks on anyones faces I was tempted to check em for a pulse.

A one point I asked a CNA if she would do me a "hugie" meaning a favor by getting a set of vitals on a new post op that had just arrived while I was obtaing MD orders. She full on turned me down! She said "NO!, I am not your CNA, I have 5 of my own patients to take care of" and then went to the lounge for some much needed R and R.

It was no fun, lemme tell ya. For any kind responders who would advise that I run fast and far from this facility I can say that RN jobs are drying up here in OC despite what the media would want you to believe. It is competetive and the more experienced wheel does not get the grease. In fact you can't swing a dead cat here in orange County without hitting a nurse, and the schools are cranking them out or importing them from other countries faster than you can say "Super size it Shirley"

I see the trend and it sees me. thanks for letting me vent.

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Good grief. :stone

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Specializes in Med-Surg, OB/GYN, L/D, NBN.

I think a charge nurse should be fair, firm but always there for their staff. I am charge (share with other staff every other pay period) and would never treat someone like that. Anytime I get someone new, I take them around, let them know how things work and let them know if they need anything to come to me.

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That's what parking lots are for.

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As a charge nurse, it is MY responsibilty to make sure that anyone who rotates to the floor or is new there is welcomed and informed of any unit specific charting,duties,the location of supplies,etc. A CN can get in some intense orientation information just by walking the person around while introducing self, other staff members. I have no excuses for her thoughtlessness, nor do I understand why no one was wearing their ID badges.

Perhaps your next assignment there will be much better for you.

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Specializes in Hospice, Internal Medicine.

I live in OC and start school on Monday. At our orientation they kept saying how big of a shortage there is and that we can pretty much write our own tickets right now. It sounds like you're experiencing the opposite.

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gets slammed and this day was no different.

4 pretty high acuity patients without a CNA. Charge Nurse did not wear a badge or welcome me to the unit. I requested a brief orientation from a friendly looking person in scrubs (again no name tag or ID) and was told they were new there themselves.

frustrating experience and still I don't know who the heck anyone is since no one wore their ID badge.

How do these folks badge in to work without name badges?

melissa :uhoh21:

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

I still would not go back there, at least not as registry. If you are interested in the facility overall, perhaps check out a different unit? It has to say something that your agency is referring to this account as "fragile" and referring to you as the "bad apple"...

Also, if the shortage is drying up there, why do they need registry? Sounds like a bad unit to me.....

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I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I used to work agency and I know that you can run into some pretty nasty people sometimes. Bottom line, you shouldn't have to subject yourself to that kind of a work environment and your agency should back you up!

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How could you even consider wanting to go staff there if this is the way that they treat agency? I would run as quickly as possible from there.

There are actually quite a few travel positions available down there, perhaps just not per diem agency.

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I live in OC and start school on Monday. At our orientation they kept saying how big of a shortage there is and that we can pretty much write our own tickets right now. It sounds like you're experiencing the opposite.

Really! Good luck to you. I was never told in nursing school about my career options. Good old Santa Ana College Class of 1999. I guess you have to be creative. This facility will call me in to take 2 patients, primary of course.

I don't understand the logic behind this facility. They will spend 80.00 bucks an hour thru my registry a few days a week but say they can't afford any per diem nurses right now. Seems like i would be cheaper in the long run.

It's nice to see you here, please keep in touch. You are going to love the wonderful world of nursing. Thanks for responding to my post.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Last week I rotated to a new unit as registry. I have been going to this facility for several months and been treated pretty good, although you know how it goes in registry. The rent-a-scrub pretty much gets slammed and this day was no different.

4 pretty high acuity patients without a CNA. Charge Nurse did not wear a badge or welcome me to the unit. I requested a brief orientation from a friendly looking person in scrubs (again no name tag or ID) and was told they were new there themselves.

Got a really crummy shift report from off going, lot's of holes to be patched, new orders to be noted and carried out from the evening shift prior. Kinda had that crawling skin syndrome but tried really hard to make the best of it.

Finally discovered who the CN was when she chewed me out at the nurses station for not carrying out an MD order that had been placed in my mailbox half and hour earlier ... ( I had a mailbox????) All day long I fel like I had one foot on a banana peel and the other stuck in gum.

Vital signs, call lites, feeders, daily weights, I and O's and still no idea where the linen was stored. Pretty frustrating experience and still I don't know who the heck anyone is since no one wore their ID badge.

Well, end of my shift rolls around and once again I get bashed by the CN for not charting something that seems to be specific to that particular unit. I put in some OT, which I ate since this facility doesn't like to pay for it, charted like crazy and got the heck outta there.

I related this train wreck to my agency and they were very sympathetic to my plight but told me this facility was very "fragile " as far as an account goes and one "bad apple" like me could upset the entire cart.

I am scheduled to go back next week for 3 days and am dreading a repeat performance. I'm actually interested in hiring on with this place, overall I like it and perhaps I would carry a little more weight if I was a staffer.

I thought Charges were chosen for their tact, diplomacy and ability to coordinate he running of the unit. All she seemed to want to do was run me into the ground. When I asked for help I was literally ignored, the blank looks on anyones faces I was tempted to check em for a pulse.

A one point I asked a CNA if she would do me a "hugie" meaning a favor by getting a set of vitals on a new post op that had just arrived while I was obtaing MD orders. She full on turned me down! She said "NO!, I am not your CNA, I have 5 of my own patients to take care of" and then went to the lounge for some much needed R and R.

It was no fun, lemme tell ya. For any kind responders who would advise that I run fast and far from this facility I can say that RN jobs are drying up here in OC despite what the media would want you to believe. It is competetive and the more experienced wheel does not get the grease. In fact you can't swing a dead cat here in orange County without hitting a nurse, and the schools are cranking them out or importing them from other countries faster than you can say "Super size it Shirley"

I see the trend and it sees me. thanks for letting me vent.

If you're as fantastic a nurse as you are a writer, I suggest that you leave the hospital, take an easy home-care case, and write full-time.

PS And if you decide you must stay in a hospital and want to try registry here in Florida, just let me know. icon10.gif

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