I am older, and would rather not say BUT...

[ZZTopRN, BSN, RN]

it can happen as it did to me when I couldn't get my clinical instructor to pass me on my clinicals. (98& in classroom). She was an aged woman, hard on the eyes saying "you can't keep up with these young nurses, it's a dog-eat-dog world in nursing." So guess what? I challenged that and didn't get my clinical RN renewal certificate. However, I got a per diem job in an acute hospital and found maybe not the age, but cliques. Cliques that don't give you information, cliques that leave you completely alone on the floor, cliques that harass you with the "cold stare" and hostiley interrupts you on every turn. Report that the pt is a lamin, staples from base of neck to coxxyc. Glares and "how many staple." Nurses prepouring their meds from the pxysis. Different standards for you. Pulling meds from the pxysis and you are purposely interrupted, "are you doing your meds," I need pain meds, over and over until they have poured their meds, but not you.

Late with your charting because CNAs telling you "you can do it." NM and DON saying "I come in for 10 minutes and everyone is working." I didn't know I worked on a unit where the nurses were perfect, all the newcomers are run off. But I did see a few incidents of patient neglect.

So it's not just Group One in FW. Good old coworkers. I was sent home today because I was "not safe" passing meds. Patient complaints. No wrong meds given. "just didn't seem like she knew what she was doing." On and on, 10th day 90 evaluation due. Called 11th to come in for it. Called in to work today and was told to go home until "investigation" was over.

I asked both my former employers if they were called, said no one had called for references. Was told they didn't. Did go through background check though.

What chance have I got, older, re-entry nurse, if you complain about harassment, told "what goes around comes around." My sympathy for others and my self. I will be called tomorrow to tell me the results of "my investigation. Even though I am a union employee, I am an at will employee.

So how does a nurse with these "limitations" get another job. What reference are you going to give? There are not too many (more like little except LTCs because 2 very large corporations own everything.)

Just ranting, giving my sympathy to you guys that are experiencing this also.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Wow, sounds like a very dysfunctional unit.

If hospitals are smart, they'll not waste their money training people and then losing them.

You need to leave that unit and get into a better workplace for sure!

Best of luck and keep us updated!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Sounds dreadful. You have my deepest sympathies for having to put up with that. You should definately find another job.

[jmgrn65, RN]

Yes you need to start looking for another job stat! Not all units are like that. Your age doesn't have anything to do with it. I don't know what your age is but on the unit I work on, I am one of the young one 41, avg age is around 50. Good Luck and get out of that unit.

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

Visibly older equates to slower in mind and body in the perceptions of younger but settled coworkers. Sometimes it's not just a perception. I do think any time one breaks the mold, it's an uphill struggle. I know from my own experience. I often get "the look" and can pick up on the general unit vibes. It's an uncomfortable place to be. We have to work harder (like it's not already hard enough) to prove ourselves, sometimes to our undoing.

If you want to save what's left of your self esteem and confidence, get thee out of there. You can tell prospective employers that it just wasn't a good fit for you... and it wasn't! Give yourself a brutally honest self assessment and try to find a better fit for your skills and temperment. When you get interviews, and you will, be observant of the environment. Look for older staffers that you can blend with. Anything that will increase your comfort level.

I wish you much luck in your search. There are happy hunting grounds for older nurses but they may not be the ones that first come to mind.

[ZZTopRN, BSN, RN]

Thank you all for your encouragement and replies. I couldn't figure out what to say about why I left. But saying it wasn't a good fit sounds good. Thank you for that insight.

This is a Tenet hospital and is being forced by the Federal Government to sell or close the hospital by February or close, for bribing doctors to send their patients to them or something like that. I was hoping I could hold out until the new owners came along.

Since the DON said she will investigate and call me tomorrow, I will have the union rep meet with me if there is any discipline. If we can come to an agreement, I want limits set and more information about the pxysis since I wasn't called to get my training and certificate on it like the other nurses. If I am fired, I will stay until I can find something else.

The biggest reason I have been trying to hang on is, an 8-hour shift, and possible changes by new owners.

But if I get fired, will there be any benefit of my saying to a potential new employer that it was not a good fit? It might work, because Tenet has does some pretty bad things, like unessasary heart surgery in their LA hospitals.

Just my last Saturday there on my last shift there were so many things that concerned me about patient care. First was a patient that was being discharged that had no d/c papers. I had called the NM because of the swelling and redness and the refusal of the patient and her husband to be discharged. There was no prep for the DC and no after home care. Of course, she was on antibiotics and her husband had only one arm to try and change dressings, but insurance wouldn't pay. I don't know how it all turned out or if she got home care.

There was another patient that had an original surgical dressing that I asked the NM 3 times about calling the doctor about changing it. She ended up changing the whole dressing after all the guaze fell out and she was bleeding drops of blood from the incision.

Then the same day, I had a pt with a PICC line whose arm was bruised and the insertion site was red and swollen. The charge nurse said it didn't need to be changed. I didn't get to be assigned to that patient again.

So much for all the trauma. I definitely will start looking, but it is going to be rough to find an 8-hour shift.

Again, thanks for replying, but it does drag you down after awhile. Any more suggestions, I would appreciate hearing. It helps when you are in a spot for others input to give perspective.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I wish you the best!

[greatshakes]

ZZTopRN

I really sympathise, being 57 years old myself and still waiting to get a job in my chosen area I find that some workers (and patients) can destroy their and co-workers (and nurses) whether by action, work practices or just innuendo. Just think if these people treated their children as they are treating you, they'd be facing charges of assault. We may be slower and we may take longer to learn some things but when it comes down to care and practice some of us really make the difference. Let's hope you find a place which welcomes and values your contribution and all the best.

[ZZTopRN, BSN, RN]

Good new!! Met with HR, my union rep and DON. Got what I wanted. Will get the teaching on the things I didn't get, and new preceptorship. I think some of the offenders will be talked to since the issue was raised with HR. The nurse is one I really like. But I really think all the negotiations were done by email between the union rep and HR. So I am very happy.

Thank all of you, mucho, mucho.