Hi yall, I'm hoping you experienced nurses out there can give me some advice... I graduated in May, and have been employed at a hospital for 3 weeks now, and on orientation. I was told that we are encouraged to take 4-8 weeks on orientation so that "we are not thrown to the wolves". I have been taking patients (I mean, completely, totally being responsible for ALL of their care) since my 2nd day. The nurse I'm orienting with, "Nancy", has been at this hospital for 16 years, and knows everyone. Here's the way it's been going, since the start of the 2nd week, I've been taking all or half her patients (sometimes up to 9), while she spends time gossiping or playing jigsaw puzzles on the computer. Some days, she is very smiley and happy, and doesn't mind answering questions, etc. Most days (4 out of 5) she hands me my MARs in the morning, doesn't speak to me unless she has to, and when I do have to ask her questions, she huffs and stomps off, she sets me up for the doctors (tells them to ask me about HER patients that I know nothing about even though we're SUPPOSED to be working together, yet she hasn't spoken to me all day unless it's ordering me to do something), humiliates me in front of the patients and my charge nurse AND the nurse manager- this is mostly things like, someone asks me a question and before I can even open my mouth to answer, she's yelling out the answer- as if I'm too stupid to think for myself, barks orders at me, and on and on.... I know what yall are going to say- go to my nurse manager, etc.... but "Nancy" is the kind of person that can breathe venom on me and turn around and be all sunshine and roses with the charge nurse. This is a Catholic hospital, and she is very religious, always talking about how God did this or that in her life, asking people about all their problems and telling them how God has his reasons. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT about religion- I think it's great- the stories she tells. It's just everyone sees the sunshine side of her, because she's always acting very caring and such, then she turns around and screams at me. I'm just very frustrated because mgmt tells me (more than once) they don't want me thrown to the wolves, yet, every day so far, I've been COMPLETELY responsible for 4-6 patients, and when I screw up, the person that's supposed to have been helping me is screaming at me when I screw up, and then grilling me as to why I screwed up in front of drs or charge. Also, I don't want to go to mgmt because I will be on day shift, as so she is, and so I dont' want to make enemies, and I really dont' think that management will believe me, because she's ALWAYS nice and "sucking up" to them. Please advise before I go crazy. I have 3 more weeks with her.
