I'm sure it's just me, but I'm getting sick of my coworkers. Besides the one who left me transerring a patient to smoke, the one got snotty about the BP, I guess I'm just in need of a vacation.
Last night I was in charge. Busy busy night. I was with four LPNs, we had a patient seize, an unsuccessful code blue, three temps above 103, one respiratory distress, and our census increased by seven through the shift. All of us were stressed, but one nurse in the intermediate unit. Said nurse had four stable, quiet patients, which is o.k. I practically begged her to hep lock a patient for me since she was looking for an IV pole, "nah I ain't going through that just for a pole".
I think I'm loosing it.
You think I should:
A) Take a break from doing charge
B) Become a screaming raging lunatic when I come across selfish people like that?
C) See a doctor, people really aren't all that bad, it's all in my head
D) Go Postal
E) See if Taco Bell is still hiring and stop my sniveling
F) Toughen up it comes with the territory, all your coworkers are stressed., your a charge nurse, you duty is to serve them
Seriously, I'm tired of doing and doing and doing for everyone else. I worked NONSTOP for 14 hours last night.
I vote for taking a break from mbeing in charge, but how the heck can you do that if you are the only RN on the unit? eing in charge SUCKS! Except....for the fact, that NEXT time you have that lazy B***h on your unit, you give her the assignment from he!!, then when she neess help say, "Nah!, I'm busy!" I know that will sound bad, and I was not the kind of charge nurse to retaliate, but I would file those things in my head for future assignments, and when other nurses need a break, give it to the lazy one.
Forgot to mention, an important aspect of giving it t the lazy one, yu must remind them of whatever it is they need to do as frequently as possible, it really gets on their nerves! Unfortunately, this takes a lot of my mental energy, so I really had to be pizzed to do it!
i suggest finding a more nurse freindly environment. whether it be a different floor or a different hospital all together. there is a reason there is a nursing shortage and until we let our feet do the talking they will always run over us.
i suggest finding a more nurse freindly environment. whether it be a different floor or a different hospital all together. there is a reason there is a nursing shortage and until we let our feet do the talking they will always run over us.
i'm seriously thinking of that option. the ironic thing is that i worked as a charge nurse on another unit, it was a full time job mon-friday eight hour nights. (i even won a "nurse excellence" award during nurses week one year, not to brag, just i'm good dammit!). finally, after seven years on that unit, four of being in charge i left. i transferred to another floor where i like the manager and didn't have to do charge.
three years later, the rns have left, some have moved, some have transfered to other departments. we've gotten other rns, but i'm back to doing charge nurse most of the time.
i'm a natural leader i think, i'm a good charge nurse, but the bulls*t that goes along with it is draining me.
the irony is we are fully staffed most of the time. (although sometimes the rn to patient ratio is 1:20, but the lpns are awesome so i don't mind that.) so they can't blame being short-staffed on their attitude, and it's not everyone i work with, it's just a few. but why should i work like an idiot nonstop to make their night better. they all left on time without so much as a thank you for helping. i'm there until 9:00am having worked without a dinner break, or any kind of break. i must be stupid.
thanks again for listening. i'm babbling and reliving it again. but i'm processing. i've moved on before, and maybe it's time to move on again.
3rdShiftGuy, Hope your feeling better today! That full moon, coupled with the holiday season was a problem at my work too. But, then how do we explain the rest of the days of the year? LOL.
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
Thanks again for listening. I'm babbling and reliving it again. But I'm processing. I've moved on before, and maybe it's time to move on again.
When you start feeling like this consistently, maybe it IS time to move on. Sometimes we can get so burned out at a job, that we need a complete change of scenery.
I know how you feel, been there. I finally realized that it wasn't worth the struggle. In May 2002 I walked away from Nursing full time and I've never felt happier. I now work doing what I really love and usually work one, sometimes two four hour shifts a month as a nurse. Every time I do work as a nurse, my co-workers always comment on my happy attitude. I never get caught up in the politics and I ignore the backstabbers. Patient care is my only focus. Maybe its time you do the same. There must be something you really enjoy which you can get a job doing.
My new job is physically demanding and we are under more pressure than I was nursing. All my fellow coworkers want to be there and we all give 110% all the time, yet we all love our job. Any one who doesn't do there job is replaced. Its what nursing should be but will never be.
I've attached a picture of me at my job. I have posted it before, but I do it now to show everyone that you can do anything if you set your mind to it, and you should never feel trapped by your career choice. I'm the one the white arrow is pointing to.
I WANT YOUR JOB MONTROYAL!!!!!!! CAN YOU GET ME IN???? PM ME ANYTIME YOU HEAR ABOUT AN OPENING AND I'LL QUIT MY JOB IN A HEARTBEAT AND TRAVEL ANYWHERE! I EVEN HAVE EXPERIENCE!
When you do what you love, you will be happy! LOL.
adrienurse, LPN
1,275 Posts
Guy, I sooo know what you're talking about. Co-workers are my number 1 source of stress at work. They drive me completely batty on a regular basis.
Enjoy your time off.