How would you have handled this?

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Sep 23, 2005

Every evening I would find myself to be the only nurse on the floor while the other nurses and ancillary staff had dinner together in the breakroom.

This was certainly dangerous. I would've probably reported to the Unit Manager that this was happening. If no action was taken immediately, I would've been forced to move on to a different unit or failing that, a different hospital.

One of the first hospitals I ever worked at, the evening shift staff was simply not very supportive. If I missed taking my lunch break before 3 p.m., I would wind up covering for the evening shift as they took their break, but not one would cover for me.

Needless to say, I left.

You'll be so much happier and your patients will be so much safer if you can get into a more supportive environment, Chuckie. I'm living proof that it is better on some units. Best wishes to you.

SarasotaRN2b · Sep 23, 2005

As a unit secretary, I was very sorry to hear about this attitude of your unit secretary. If I'm working at the 101 things I might have to do and the phone rings, I would be appreciative when a nurse could answer a phone, but if they are involved with patient care, I would not expect them to drop that.

I work the night shift and I love the RNs I work with. The teamwork I've seen outpasses what I have experienced during the day shift. If I were you, I would start looking for another position. Considering the reaction of the other nurses when you were being "yelled" at by the unit secretary, it is a clique that that is very resistant to new nurses. Their loss!!!!

KatieBell · Sep 24, 2005

Sorry, yeah.

I had a similar experience in my first job. I lasted about 9 months. On a whim one day, I picked up the phone and called the "other" hospital , discussed directly with the recruiter that I was unsure if they would hire someone with only 9 mos experience. I was hired within a week. (I didn't discuss totally the problems with the unit, which were mostly due to personality and scheduling). The only thing I did differently, was to get a job before I resigned.

My advice is to stay fairly neutral and hit on the neutral points. In my case, I stated that

"While I had a good orientation, after orientation, I did not, as a new grad, receive much support from the RN's on the shift I was required to work. I requested to be transferred to a shift where I felt more supported, but that was refused."

I stayed at that "other" hospital for years, because it was a good place to work, would still be there, except for some changes in life goals etc...

Best wishes in your job search, and let us know what your next position will be!!!

live4today, RN · Sep 24, 2005

Hello Everyone,
I am a new graduate RN and recently resigned my first nursing position on a 24 bed Med/Surg floor that I started on five months ago. Some examples of the environment: Every evening I would find myself to be the only nurse on the floor while the other nurses and ancillary staff had dinner together in the breakroom. One evening I was at the med cart preparing to address pain experienced by one of my patient as call lights were ringing in at the desk along with the phones ringing. Being new, I was focused on the task at hand. The secretary, the charge nurse and all other nurses were in the break room. The secretary came out of the break room and screamed at me " you know, you can answer these calls." No one in the break room batted an eye. I informed her that I was addressing my patient's needs and that I was not equipped to handle the entire floor. I could, however, cover my "partner" if he or she let me know they were leaving the floor. Also, the experienced nurses went up on the roof on the the 4th of July to watch the fireworks and left me and another new grad on the flloor alone. There is no communication, I must add, you just suddenly are alone. The other new nurse started a month before me and left at the same point in time I did. The few examples provided are just the tip of the iceberg. I could not even get a civil answer to a procedural question. It got to the point that I would spend more time wondering where the next coworker blow was going to come from than one should. The acuity level of the patients was extreme. I feel that a new nurse is in a vulnerable state under the best of environmental circumstances and I choose not to be in this type of environment. Has anyone had this type of experience and how did you explain why you left to your next employer? How would you have handled this situation? Thanks in advance for your input.

I commend you for leaving that job! :yelclap: You also have explained very clearly and professionally why you felt the need to resign from that job. When asked by your next employer why you left your former job, be truthful, answer as specifically as possible without going into all the drama. EVERY hospital manager who interviews knows what's happening in the hospital's anyway. A GOOD nurse manager will embrace your honesty, and will be honest with you in return about how they can better serve you as a new grad or first year nurse. :) Good luck to you! :balloons:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2005

I've never had quite the same kind of experience you've had. As a new graduate I would have probably done the same as you have though. However, with a lot more years of experience under my belt I would have confronted the people in the break room. I would have also called the nursing supervisor and told her what was going on since she represents the nursing manager of your unit during the evening and night shifts. I would also call Human Resources and request an exit interview in order to tell them the problems you experienced and why you left. I might have even listed all that stuff specifically in my letter of termination. At your job interviews tell them you are looking for a change or you are looking for a better opportunity, that you felt you were going nowhere at the old place. Chances are that the other hospitals around town know if this hospital you were working in has a bad reputation for treating new nurses in such a crappy way.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2005

Probably it was best to leave.

Did you try to address the problem with your charge nurse. Did you let your manager know what was going on, that you felt unsafe and uncomfortable? Perhaps once you should have called the house supervisor to advise that the nurse practice act was being violated by leaving one nurse on the unit.

You're going to be faced with uncomfortable situtations in your career and you're going to have to stand up for yourself. Otherwise you'll be job hopping every few months.

Although knowing when to leave is important. I tend to stick it out and try to work it out with people to a fault. However, I've left positions three times the last 13 years. I'm getting better at knowing when to leave and when to stand up for myself.

Anyway, good luck.

Good luck to you.

ChuckieRN · Sep 25, 2005

Thanks to all of you for the replies.

Tweety (below is just FYI, not meant as a complaint for your input. I realize sometimes people don't perservere when perhaps they should),

The unit Manager was pretty much absent and has since retired. I can count the times I saw him in five months on 1/2 of a hand. He has health problems and perhaps was fighting his own uphill battle at work and otherwise. I do know he wasn't present. The charge nurse was part of the problem. Up on the roof for fireworks and she heard what the secretary said and did not bat an eye. On more than one occassion I observed the nurse supervisor walking down the hall and look at each cluster of rooms and actually say outloud "where is everyone?", only to come to the end of the hall and find me at the med cart and no one else around. She had enough information to take action. I thought about addressing this head on but when I thought about it rationally; what was really going to happen? These people have been there forever. They are not going anywhere unless a patient is harmed, and luck has been on their side so far. The charge nurse has since been promoted to a clinical leader on another floor. Good luck to them. Really, where could I be placed that I would never run into these people? At some point I would float or they would. I feel certain that I would be labelled as a problem anyway. Also, there was no guarantee that things would be different on another unit. As I said in my OP, I have only touched on the tip of the iceberg. Another nightly occurence was the search for equipment. These nurses would run in and take the equipment that worked and hide it. Even after they were done taking vitals, I would be told I couldn't use the equipment if their clipboards were still in the basket. Give me a break. I am a mature adult with 20+ years of business experience behind me and have perservered through some incredible life experiences, perhaps more than one should have to! I went into nursing because I wanted to make a contribution through my work that had more meaning to me, and to give back. I believe I am realistic and knew it would be really hard work. However, I never imagined the hard part would be dealing with the nonsense I found myself trying to deal with. How could anyone possibly grow and develop in this environment, especially a new grad. I just got my license and I want to keep it. If I find myself in similar circumstances, I won't stay in them. If this is what nursing environments are like, I won't be nurse.

christvs, DNP, RN, NP · Sep 25, 2005

Thanks to all of you for the replies.
Tweety (below is just FYI, not meant as a complaint for your input. I realize sometimes people don't perservere when perhaps they should),
The unit Manager was pretty much absent and has since retired. I can count the times I saw him in five months on 1/2 of a hand. He has health problems and perhaps was fighting his own uphill battle at work and otherwise. I do know he wasn't present. The charge nurse was part of the problem. Up on the roof for fireworks and she heard what the secretary said and did not bat an eye. On more than one occassion I observed the nurse supervisor walking down the hall and look at each cluster of rooms and actually say outloud "where is everyone?", only to come to the end of the hall and find me at the med cart and no one else around. She had enough information to take action. I thought about addressing this head on but when I thought about it rationally; what was really going to happen? These people have been there forever. They are not going anywhere unless a patient is harmed, and luck has been on their side so far. The charge nurse has since been promoted to a clinical leader on another floor. Good luck to them. Really, where could I be placed that I would never run into these people? At some point I would float or they would. I feel certain that I would be labelled as a problem anyway. Also, there was no guarantee that things would be different on another unit. As I said in my OP, I have only touched on the tip of the iceberg. Another nightly occurence was the search for equipment. These nurses would run in and take the equipment that worked and hide it. Even after they were done taking vitals, I would be told I couldn't use the equipment if their clipboards were still in the basket. Give me a break. I am a mature adult with 20+ years of business experience behind me and have perservered through some incredible life experiences, perhaps more than one should have to! I went into nursing because I wanted to make a contribution through my work that had more meaning to me, and to give back. I believe I am realistic and knew it would be really hard work. However, I never imagined the hard part would be dealing with the nonsense I found myself trying to deal with. How could anyone possibly grow and develop in this environment, especially a new grad. I just got my license and I want to keep it. If I find myself in similar circumstances, I won't stay in them. If this is what nursing environments are like, I won't be nurse.

Hi! I don't blame you one bit for leaving-I'm a new RN too & I would have done exactly what you did. Your ex-co workers sound incredibly immature & petty. Who would want to work with them? You'll be a lot happier now when you go work someplace else! :)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2005

Chuckie, as I was saying "you got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, and know when to run.........".

I didn't mean to put you on the defensive. And no, not all nursing environments are like that. They aren't perfect, there are problems everywhere you go. You just have to know when to stand up for yourself, what to let roll of your shoulders and when to throw in the towel.

Don't look back. Best of luck to you.

jenrninmi, MSN, RN · Sep 26, 2005

I probably wouldn't have stayed longer than a few days in that environment. No way! You're a better person than me to have lasted as long as you did.

Hello Everyone,
I am a new graduate RN and recently resigned my first nursing position on a 24 bed Med/Surg floor that I started on five months ago. Some examples of the environment: Every evening I would find myself to be the only nurse on the floor while the other nurses and ancillary staff had dinner together in the breakroom. One evening I was at the med cart preparing to address pain experienced by one of my patient as call lights were ringing in at the desk along with the phones ringing. Being new, I was focused on the task at hand. The secretary, the charge nurse and all other nurses were in the break room. The secretary came out of the break room and screamed at me " you know, you can answer these calls." No one in the break room batted an eye. I informed her that I was addressing my patient's needs and that I was not equipped to handle the entire floor. I could, however, cover my "partner" if he or she let me know they were leaving the floor. Also, the experienced nurses went up on the roof on the the 4th of July to watch the fireworks and left me and another new grad on the flloor alone. There is no communication, I must add, you just suddenly are alone. The other new nurse started a month before me and left at the same point in time I did. The few examples provided are just the tip of the iceberg. I could not even get a civil answer to a procedural question. It got to the point that I would spend more time wondering where the next coworker blow was going to come from than one should. The acuity level of the patients was extreme. I feel that a new nurse is in a vulnerable state under the best of environmental circumstances and I choose not to be in this type of environment. Has anyone had this type of experience and how did you explain why you left to your next employer? How would you have handled this situation? Thanks in advance for your input.

live_N_scrubs · Sep 26, 2005

I just recently graduated and started my first nursing job. My preceptors were so mean to me and they made me feel stupid. They made my life miserable everyday that I went into work. At one point I wanted to quit nursing all together. I mean I was physically ill every single day, I didn't look foward to going to work. I was disgusted because I felt like these people were trying to take away something that I had worked to hard to achieve. I had already tried to voice my concerns to my charge nurse (who happened to be one of my preceptors) and to my nurse manager, but it seemed that things got worse after that. They treated my even worse than before. So one day I just decided to leave the job. I was only there for a month. I was really worried about trying to explain that during an interview, but I tried to be honest without bashing the other unit and hospital. It was hard, but I was able to get another job. I'm just starting orientation at my new job and I hope that things go better. I'm actually a little scared to start again. But at the same time, I am proud that I didn't stay at the other place where they stepped all over me and made me feel like I was the worst nurse on earth.

Good luck to you,

Marina