I'm drowning...advice please!

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jul 29, 2005

Bless you. That would stress anyone. What type of unit is this? It sounds more like ICU.

DYatesRN · Jul 29, 2005

Bless you. That would stress anyone. What type of unit is this? It sounds more like ICU.

It is a monitored progressive care unit. We usually get all the cardiac and stepdown ICU patients. God got me through it but I am not sure I want to go back. Thank you for input.

noclpn · Jul 29, 2005

Although my situation is different, I understand how you feel. I just started a thread about quiting my current position. I am a new nurse, and unlike some seasoned nurses I will not say to "suck it up". Life is to short, and family time is to valuable. Do what makes you happy! The last shift I worked I had that "drowning" feeling. My husband and I talked tonight and I am quiting. I know there is something else out there for me. Since I am a new nurse, others might say there are ups and downs in nursing and you will get through it. I say why? Find something that you enjoy, not dread. You should not let your job interfere with the quality time at home. Hope that helps. I wish you lots of luck! It's a hard decision.

Town & Country · Jul 29, 2005

A couple of things.

I was taken off orientation 3 weeks early because they felt I was above the average new grad.

MISTAKE ~ get all the orientation they offer. Taking you off orientation 3 weeks early sounds very unusual to me, and it's not for YOUR benefit, it's for THEIRS. You basically missed out on another 3 weeks of orientation during which you wouldn't have to take a full patient load. Now you're stressing out. Tell them you want to go back on orientation.

(I get no breaks because I try to do my best)

You CANNOT "do your best" without breaks. Take your breaks, there's a reason it's law to get them...

She was getting blood (2 units with lasix inbetween plus q12h lasix), cardizem drip, HAL with lipids, a primary fluid, and multiple piggybacks, IV push morphine..........I left in tears and swore this is just not for me.

That sounds a bit intense for a new grad. Talk to your Unit Manager and tell her that this type of patient is too challenging for you, as a new grad, and that you don't feel comfortable with this yet.

The charge nurse just said "yeah"--no offer to help and sat gabbing with several other nurses all night.

You must ask for help if you need it.

If you ask for help and don't get it, that is very bad work ethics and you should report it......stand up for yourself.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 29, 2005

I am not a nurse but will keep you in my prayers. God is good and more than likely he has something better prepared for you. Your sanity is priceless hun, and if you really feel like the situation is not going to change then leave. Look elsewhere ASAP and then give them your coordial notice and disappear. Best of wishes to you from the bottom of my heart. :)

Mulan · Jul 29, 2005

Money isn't everything. Myself, I would take less money for better working conditions and better ratios and less stress. You also say you loved what you did before, how many people can say they love their job, not many.

live4today, RN · Jul 29, 2005

Thumbs up to the advice "SunStreak" just gave you, DYates,RN. It's the exact advice that I would have given you. Do NOT risk your new career as a nurse by working at a place that treats its new grads the way they have treated you. They cut you loose for "their benefit"....NOT for yours. :icon_hug: Shame on them for using you that way! :angryfire Find yourself another job where you are appreciated and given the type of orientation you deserve to receive as a new nurse. :)

prmenrs, RN · Jul 29, 2005

I'd let your manager know. This is an inappropriate assignment. And the other nurses should be helping you, not dumping on you.

Sit down and talk to the manager. If these assignments are acceptable in her eyes, then she should know you will be looking for employment elsewhere, because the treatment you are receiving is unfair.

And take your breaks!!! Esp if everyone else is loafing. Sheesh.

Tony35NYC · Jul 30, 2005

I started as a GN on a PCU floor in April....My preceptorship was great, I was the only new grad to pass pbds in over a year, and I was taken off orientation 3 weeks early because they felt I was above the average new grad...

Sorry to hear this but its good that you brought this up because there was another post on here just a day or so ago from a new grad who was stressed out about not passing the PBDS. This assessment tests your ability to think critically based on the specific scenarios given, but its not an indicator of how well you'll actually do once you're on your own as a nurse. I am a new nurse myself, and I've known for a long time that there's no textbook or exam that fully prepares new grads for real world nursing. Even if we're exceptional new grads, there's still a lot that we don't yet know, and we need all of our orientation time to shadow an experienced person to watch how things get done, to ask a lot of questions, and to see how a seasoned nurse handles the tough cases. I'm sure the nurse managers on your floor know this, but they also know that telling you how bright you are for passing the PBDS would make you more agreeable to ending your orientation 3 weeks early---which allows THEM to cut corners and save a few bucks at YOUR expense.

If you really want to continue working in that unit, you should tell the manager that you need more time for orientation. On the other hand, you said that you are unhappy and that the situation is affecting your relationship with your family. IMO, no job is worth that!

Oh, and one more thing---TAKE YOUR BREAKS!!!!!

SharonH, RN · Jul 30, 2005

To make a long story shortened, I started as a GN on a PCU floor in April....My preceptorship was great, I was the only new grad to pass pbds in over a year, and I was taken off orientation 3 weeks early because they felt I was above the average new grad. My assignments have been tough lately and I have done them with little complaint as I look on at other nurses talking and gabbing at the desk (I get no breaks because I try to do my best). The last night I worked I literally felt as though I was drowning.....I was given 4 patients (not bad really) but one patient consumed so much time. She was nasty, sarcastic and ungrateful on top of all the work I had to do for her! She was getting blood (2 units with lasix inbetween plus q12h lasix), cardizem drip, HAL with lipids, a primary fluid, and multiple piggybacks, IV push morphine..........I left in tears and swore this is just not for me. The son was throwing a fit about a missing walker that was not there when I got on the floor. The patients blood pressure was also getting really low from all the lasix and her lungs were so moist. I told the charge this is so difficult (and two of my other patients were demanding as well). The charge nurse just said "yeah"--no offer to help and sat gabbing with several other nurses all night. The lord got me through it. The seasoned day nurse I took report from felt like crying too--it totally stressed her and she is seasoned. I am highly contemplating taking a job with peds on vents for less money in the home setting. I did this as an LPN and loved it. What is the price of my sanity??? The other half says suck it up--but I am not happy and my family is tired of me being crabby. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
God bless!

Boy, the crap never changes! That was a completely inappropriate assignment for an inexperienced nurse and I am not surprised your charge nurse did not offer to help. Life is too short to be unhappy. Trust me, it is not you that needs to adjust, it's the job. Move on, that work environment is wrong not only for you but for anybody.

CritterLover, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2005

does your charge nurse often have this attitude?

if the answer is "yes," you need to find a new place to work.

if the answer is "no," then you need to talk with your charge nurse. let him/her know that you needed help with that difficult assignment and he/she let you down professionally by not helping you. as the charge nurse, he/she should be assisting anyone with a busy assignment, but especially a new nurse. and in my opinion, as a new nurse, you shouldn't have needed to ask for help.

i, too, worked on a step-down unit as a new grad. it was the hardest job i've ever had. and my charge nurses were more judgemental than supportive. i lasted less than six months. i dreaded going to work each night. thankfully, a traveler i worked with there pointed me in a new direction. my next job wasn't exactly heaven, but it sure seemed that way in the begining!

good luck to you.

and, to all the new-grads-to-be out there: get all of the orientation you can!!!!! don't let them release you early because you are "doing so well." don't do it. 'cause they won't let you go back. you need your orientation. your patients need you to have your orientation. the only person who benefits by you getting out of orientation early is the person who does the schedule!