I need Help regarding my situation right now

DixieRedHead, ASN, RN · Mar 4, 2012

It's just a month. Do what you need to do, and watch, look, listen, and learn. You may gain an opportunity to make some inroads for a better position. Nursing is always dynamic, things change on a daily basis. You never know what will happen.

AMN74 · Mar 4, 2012

It sounds like a crappy situation, but if you want the job, and if jobs are hard to come by in your area...You should do it, be a cheerful and helpful as possible and take every opportunity to learn that you can. If you know a nurse is getting ready go put in a foley and you have not seen it done, ask if you can watch, If they are doing ostomy or wound care ask if you can watch. Pay attention to meds if you see them in charting and become familiar with them now and then you will be a head of the game after your one month in HELL is over with! Good luck!

LynnLRN · Mar 4, 2012

All of the positions I've seen filled around me lately are filled by people the hiring people already know. So with that said I would stick it out and be nice to everyone. Hopefully, something better will open up and you will be in someones good graces and be able to get the job.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2012

so long as you (and they) recognize that even if you've been hired as an attendant, you are held to the standard of care of the licensure you hold (rn or lpn/lvn) and they have to pay you for that, you're good. then when the attendant comes back from vaca and you start your regular job, no problems.

oh, and nurses have to run errands too. i've worked places where only a nurse can transport drugs (pharmacy run) or blood (blood bank run). it's not like that everywhere, but i suggest you just smile sweetly and count the days until you're done. letting yourself feel all "insulted" about being "commanded" to be a helpful team member won't do anything for anyone, least of all you.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 4, 2012

letting yourself feel all "insulted" about being "commanded" to be a helpful team member won't do anything for anyone, least of all you.

i agree. trust me, as a nurse you will be doing a lot of errand running, more than you think.

in addition, no one forced you to do this. if you felt that what you may have to do as an attendant is an insult to you, then you should not have accepted the job.

imo you should stick the month out and learn what you can. and i say this with all kindness: i would fine-tune your perceptions of everyone's roles in healthcare. perhaps this month may be a good thing for you: you will experience what attendants do first hand, and this may give you a better appreciation of what they do, something that hopefully will carry over when you work as a rn.

staceyp413 · Mar 4, 2012

I agree. Make the best of it, work hard, and adopt a 'I'll do what I can to help' attitude and believe me~~~~supervisors and other staff will take notice and then hiring those they know will go away as they'll know you!!

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Mar 5, 2012

Are you in the US? (based upon your statement that you trained as a volunteer in a hospital for 6 months, I don't know of any US hospitals that "let" nurses work as volunteers however I know that it is common for nurses to work as volunteers in other countries such as the Philippines) Either way, do your best and go in with a positive attitude to make a good impression. Supervisors and other staff nurses will notice which could be beneicial for you in the long run when looking for another position, just as others said.

Some facilities in the US have nurses fill in as CNA's when the floor is short staffed. Many just go with the flow as RN's & LPN's are trained to complete the tasks of nursing assistants in addition to the advanced assessment and clinical skills. A friend of mine looked at the day she was requested to fill in as a CNA as her "easy day" as she had less responsibility than a floor nurse plus she had more opportunity to interact with the patients & families than she did when working as a floor nurse. (She is a social person so she really enjoyed when it was her turn to "float" as an aide)

Travelswithmutt · Mar 5, 2012

I agree with everyone's postings. You will ALWAYS have to serve somebody. You are in this role temporarily so just take a deep breath, make the most of it and if you find that the expected end of this assignment comes and goes and here you are still in the gopher role (as in, go fer this and go fer that) then apply elsewhere. Take it as a lesson learned. Everyone has worked a crap job but that doesn't mean you have to let it become who you are or stay there forever.

Vespertinas · Mar 5, 2012

I feel like the ANCC is just a bunch of women who wish they went to med school... Y all this credential change if you need to incorporate something else just do it with mandatory education completed by a certain date... Why all this DNP mandatory and then you just do more theory statistics that. 's going help so much with patient care.. I could see if a residency or something to beef up clinical skills... What is all this the PA PROGRAM has been around forever they are well respected and not going through these issues.. I mean not to be mean but maybe it's because there organization is male ran, not by a bunch of old women who enough never seems to be enough... Jezz I say boycott the ancc get certification from aanp... Maybe some of us should get together and form a organization for th NP WITH COMMON SENSE!!!

What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?

And what inane, insulting things you have said. Should I be ignoring this whole post? Because I can't... it's so out there.

allnurses Guide · Mar 5, 2012

How you perform this month is going to influence how they see you for the rest of your employment. Are you a cheerful and willing worker, or a complaining drag on the team?

Go in with a great attitude, show you are willing to do whatever is needed, learn the unit without all the stress of full responsibility, and watch how they admire your work ethic. Somebody is always going to be telling you what to do. How you choose to respond is up to you.

Merlyn · Mar 5, 2012

I agree. Trust me, as a nurse you will be doing A LOT of errand running, more than you think.
In addition, no one forced you to do this. If you felt that what you may have to do as an attendant is an insult to you, then you should not have accepted the job.
IMO you should stick the month out and learn what you can. And I say this with all kindness: I would fine-tune your perceptions of everyone's roles in healthcare. Perhaps this month may be a good thing for you: you will experience what attendants do first hand, and this may give you a better appreciation of what they do, something that hopefully will carry over when you work as a RN.

What do you think nursing is we all do things we don't like. Feeling this is beneath you. Nothing is beneath a nurse. We are here to help in anyway we can. I've been doing little jobs like this for a long time. As long as I get a paycheck I'm happy. Let it be an experience for you.