Hi, I'm an RN and I'm needing some advice. I've done med/surg for about 9 1/2 years.
My username was "ihatemedsurg" but that was just too negative so I changed it. But I still feel it. What should I do now? I still want to be nurse.
The last time I worked was crazy and I was so relieved to leave early. I had just signed up for part of a shift and felt guilty leaving my coworkers. Some meds didn't get passed until after 10. Some patients didn't get assessed until then too. 10 patients to assess and pass meds on-- I've had it.
Well my first choice is postpartum-- don't really want to do L & D. Hardly anyone will hire without experience though. Second choice is ICU. I'd like to know what ICU would be like.
Specializes in Med/Surg since ‘96; PACU since ‘16.
oh, wow. thank you all so much for your replies. it is so nice to talk to others who understand and who can offer different points of view. i just saw a coworker (yesterday) who was also there that shift i mentioned. she said she just wanted to quit too. and she's been there almost 20 years. it is sad that it has to be that way. there are good people who work there and they're just almost "used up" you know?
i appreciate all the words of encouragement. i spoke to a recruiter yesterday-- i had applied for an l&d position. she said they won't hire anyone without experience. but she did say i could get an icu position.
the floor is just too intense, too much. i've thought some nights i can't do this anymore but there's so much to do in nursing i know i can find something to do that's fulfilling and not so much of stressor. i really don't want to give up on nursing.
Ten patients for acute care? Amazing anyone survived, pts. or staff. I know it's supposed to be about the patients but if something happens (and it will eventually) you have your license to protect, too.
Ten patients for acute care? Amazing anyone survived, pts. or staff. I know it's supposed to be about the patients but if something happens (and it will eventually) you have your license to protect, too.
When the **** hits the fan, it's the general floors that suffer. It's occurred a couple of time on my unit, staffing will pull nurses to send to other units or floats will cancel at the last moment when they find they are coming to my ward. We get dumped on, the sickest of the sick, the ICU patients that are dying and ICU wants the space, the overflow from medicine floors.
We have our union stewards on speed dial for nights like this. We grieve and for a few weeks things get better and the cycle repeats itself.
It's a symptom of how sick the healthcare system has become. New nurses don't want to work nights leaving those shifts to the oldtimers, floats only want to work M-F day shifts, patients are sicker than ever. Patients who five years ago would have been dead are in ICU, those who should be in ICU are on the floors.
Families have unrealistic expectations (sure your dad is 99yo, had 3 MI, a dicky prostrate, bronchitis, fed via g-tube, deaf, blind, and is a full code, 'cause he might get better).
Patients watch too much tv and play on the internetz, so they KNOW how they should be looked after.
zoo*moon, BSN, RN
66 Posts
oh, wow. thank you all so much for your replies. it is so nice to talk to others who understand and who can offer different points of view. i just saw a coworker (yesterday) who was also there that shift i mentioned. she said she just wanted to quit too. and she's been there almost 20 years. it is sad that it has to be that way. there are good people who work there and they're just almost "used up" you know?
i appreciate all the words of encouragement. i spoke to a recruiter yesterday-- i had applied for an l&d position. she said they won't hire anyone without experience. but she did say i could get an icu position.
the floor is just too intense, too much. i've thought some nights i can't do this anymore but there's so much to do in nursing i know i can find something to do that's fulfilling and not so much of stressor. i really don't want to give up on nursing.
thanks again! :)