Hoping they fire me

HalfBoiled, BSN, RN · Oct 5, 2018

I would delete this. The AN community can be very toxic.

elkpark · Oct 5, 2018

You do not want to be fired. That is something that will follow you for years into the future. If you hate the job so much and have other options, resign (giving appropriate notice, working it, and leaving on comparatively good terms). Best wishes.

Ponymom2 · Oct 7, 2018

Why not just leave? Why not just call the doc and staff out on their negative behavior?

Trauma Columnist · Oct 20, 2018

Why not just leave? Why not just call the doc and staff out on their negative behavior?

Because the nursing community is small and your reputation follows you.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Oct 22, 2018

Because the nursing community is small and your reputation follows you.

Facilities can also develop bad reputations. When I was was job hunting after Nursing Home Hell, people would see the name on my resume and say "Oh, you worked there." They were usually pretty understanding.

HomeBound · Dec 9, 2018

AxO, I am so sorry you are going through this. First, breathe and do some self care right now--because no job is worth your health, mental or physical. Period. Nobody will come pay your bills or clean your house when you are too depressed or have gotten injured because of unit politics (seems like they shouldn't be related, but they are)

Did EMS. Did ER. Both have a, how shall I put this delicately....distinct personality type that is attracted to it. It's not negative or positive in the grande scheme of things---it just is. You have to see it and be in it, to understand that it exists.

It's not a fit for some people. I don't know if you have yet another ER job lined up---but I can tell you after working at several Level 1s, critical access and community hospitals and just plain old mid sized---the ER is the ER is the ER. There are some GREAT EGGS out there, but it's becoming so toxic that even the ones I thought were "mostly toxic" can't tolerate it and leave for other units or NP or retire. There definitely is something going on with the ED in the past few years that is making the underlying stresses we go through---even worse.

For some reason, I recall you work in CA? So did I for a time. And it seemed, to me, that the ER RNs there and the Management there, and the Docs there---have this entitled attitude--the cliquey, know it all but can't perform a thing group...that leave you to drown while they talk about the best fake eyelash place, where the cutest scrubs come from, and oh my where shall I buy my next Benz (such a dilemma!). Two hour lunchers and NMs that surround themselves with yes people to protect that little core group.

It's not you. And it's probably not the place. The ED is getting crushed between two forces---overwhelming patient load, those who use the ED as a PCP/hotel/mommy added to the out of control psych population...and throw in traumas? Then you get the admins who want you to do 8:1 with no techs....the princesses can't handle that, so they elevate themselves and let the donkeys do the bulk.

The only way to keep the disparity is to be the biggest a****** on the unit--and they compete for the title. The docs are no different. I'm sure you realize that the old joke always applies here....what do you call the person graduating last in their med school class? Doctor. He may be SoOoOoOoOoOoOo poorly trained/skilled....that he feels no other choice but to attack before he is found out. My ex was one such doctor. THE WORST DOCTOR I have EVER seen...and I am not being hyperbolic. He would read the prior doc's assessments/notes into his own dictation....and never change a thing. He had his medical school books out in front of him if there was no prior history on the patient. It was AWFUL. I had a test done and it "may" have gone to him to interpret---and I deliberately went to the director and told him I didn't want my spouse seeing ANYTHING of mine. He was that bad.

But he makes a cool $500K/yr now, made it through craptacular groups of equally craptacular docs who routinely got sued, then he'd move on. Now he's saved enough to go into the alcohol biz---a dream of his---he sits in a bar, with a "mixologist" bartender...and relives his youth. He needs to stay there and out of medicine.

What I am saying---

There are bad actors everywhere. The ED (at this point) seems to be the dumping ground for them. If I were you---I would change specialties for while. Can you get into an ICU or a step down? Lower patient ratios, challenging, and the docs are far too busy trying to keep the patients breathing to bother with being nasty to you.

It may work out for you to change up. You won't ever lose your EMS/ED experience and that can write your ticket into pretty much any unit, especially if you have an additional year or two of ICU. You can walk in anywhere, and get whatever you want.

Don't let this jerk test you. Don't let them fire you....and if you just cannot keep it to yourself for just a few more months....I would resign. If the management is this bad (and it is a problem with management for a doc to be able to do this with impunity)---they aren't going to give you a great reference anyway.

Line up your people to recommend you. Get written references as well as verbal ones...you don't want anybody backing out on you when you need them. Don't make waves at this place---because they are well aware of this doc's behavior as well as the politics of the unit. It won't matter. It will make you look like a malcontent.

Get your references, take a look around for a PRN/local contract job---maybe something with a travel company that does local---and go. I still think you'd be better off out of the ED, because in my opinion, this is the direction the ED is heading overall. Bad management, overwhelming patient load/acuity and bad actors.

Good luck to you.