So I started my supposedly dream job 8 weeks ago. I have 8 months of experience at a small OR and this one was much bigger. I was so excited. Got there and realized how understaffed they were. They had the same amount of nurses that the small, 3 room, OR had. The doctors are very disrespectful. I thought I was going to get kicked once. I've been called stupid, had things thrown at me, yelled at, ignored. The staff is no better. They have no strong nurses. One nurse told me it's unfair that she has to sit in the corner and twiddle her thumbs while I do all the work in the room (I was orientating in a new speciality).
The have about 8 new staff (techs and nurses) all of them are so unhappy. Looking for new jobs. So it's not a, just me, thing.
Friday is the last straw. I think the older people feel threatened. None of them teach you anything. They either just do it themselves, or make you feel like an idiot. I asked the charge nurse to explain the video camera system to me. It controls a bunch of monitors in the room. He comes in and is clearly annoyed. He then starts drawing pictures for me and talking to me like I'm an idiot. I even said to him, you're talking to me like I'm stupid and that's not what I need right now. I need to learn how to operate this. His tone then changed, but I still felt like crap. It's such a terrible learning environment. All the staff is overworked. They want you to do things so they don't have to but they don't want to show you. I was even asked if I could take heart call on Thanksgiving. I've only been in 6 hearts. When I talked to the manager about it her response was, don't worry you won't get called in! Um.... Right. And what if I do?
Friday all the older people left around one to go to sushi. The charge nurse asked me if I'd be okay because there was an emergency endarterectomy. I've seen two of them, circulated one by myself. The woman's thigh was the size of a volley ball. She was in ICU and I've never even had to get a patient from icu before. I told him I wasn't comfortable. He said that the agency nurse (someone whose been there for 7 weeks) and a brand new nurse (she's a school nurse for years with OR experience 10 years ago) will be there with me. I still said I don't feel comfortable and to talk to the agency nurse because it's his case then. I still ended up charting on it.
These people don't care about me. They don't care about the patients. They care about the doctors and making them happy. That's it. I want to get out. Taking to the manager is like taking to a wall. I feel bad saying this but she's not the brightest. We had a meeting the other day with everyone. She said that she's heard the new people are unhappy here. She then went around the room asking them all why they were unhappy, in front of everyone. One of the nurses says he would like time in every speciality. He then had to leave and after he left they all made fun of him and laughed. Even the manager!! Like what is wrong with that idea??
I called my homecare agency when I left Friday and they would be happy to give me hours. Do i just up and leave? Like never return? I have no problem with waking away from this place. But I also like to have good work ethics. To make matters worse they screwed up my health insurance and waived it after I signed up for it. I'm a single mother! HR could care less and never even called me back. It's just one thing after another.
I was thinking of emailing some big hancho and explaining the situation. But I don't know if I should even bother. I obviously need cash and a paycheck. I am just very fearful of being put in a situation where I can lose my license. They will just leave all the time. Don't ask what time you need to be home. You could at any moment be stranded with zero help. Alone, with a very nasty and mean doctor. If you have ever been in this situation some advice would be grateful. Thanks.
imanurseintheor
20 Posts
See this is why I Am so afraid to do travel OR nursing.