Job frustration

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I have been a RN for three years and currently work for a clinic that sees inpatients as well. Until recently, I loved this job. Loved it.

Recently an efficency company came in and deemed us horribley overstaffed. The hospital cut nurses week gifts, cut our raises, threatened layoffs and things have went downhill ever since. We have lost a total of seven staff members and they have not replaced them. They work us dogs and honestly patient care has suffered. Everyone is miserable and they are slowly taking away all the perks with working in a clinic. I took a $600/month to work day shift and have weekends and holidays off.

So today we had an patient/employee satisfaction comittee meeting and my manager was quite angry when I mentioned that everyone feels like management doesn't have their backs. She snapped at me that I dont know anything about how they defend us. I was taken aback since they had asked what the problem is. A group of Four of us were discussing a list written by other employees. After all the concerns were discussed the other boss mentions that he didnt hear any of us worry about patient care. We were only worried about ourselves. At that point I felt heated. I stated that he was being insulting. I am a professional and I do care about patients but I also care about my family too.

Am I out of line or should I be willing to bend over backwards and work even more otherwise I am not concerned about patients? I already work five days a week. Call on weekends and holidays. We stay late all the time due to late cases or lack of staff. In the same breath they will take any chance they can get to change our start times or send us home if its slow to not allow us,to keep our overtime or use up our PTO. Should we as nurses just sacrifice our home lives in the name of patient care? Honestly, I know I haven't been a nurse long but I am starting to hate it.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

My facility went through a major transition recently and the dust is finally beginning to settle. That time is hard on everyone. It still continues to be an issue where I work.

No, you don't have to sacrifice yourself in the name of your job. A job is just a job, no matter how noble or how much a person likes it. My best advice is to not make any hasty decisions. If you've previously enjoyed your job, do you think that you can give the new staffing procedures time to work and maybe learn to live with them? If not, it may be time to look at new options.

Awhile back I posted about being seriously burnt out after major upheaval at work. Someone brilliantly suggested that I was grieving about what I'd lost, since my facility had changed so much. It sounds like this could be the case for you as well. Changes like this are incredibly difficult.

My last piece of advice is to cut your managers some slack. If they have been good to work for, their anger is probably related to the fact that they are now the enforcer for policies they might not support.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Recently an efficency company came in and deemed us horribley overstaffed.

What a bunch of mosquitoes. :mad:

After all the concerns were discussed the other boss mentions that he didnt hear any of us worry about patient care. We were only worried about ourselves.

Well, SOMEBODY has to worry about you...sheesh.

should I be willing to bend over backwards and work even more otherwise I am not concerned about patients?

Um, no. One should not have to prove their dedication to patient care by being martyrs.

Hugs...I know that doesn't help your situation, but just wanted you to know I don't blame you at all for how you feel.

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Thank you. Everytime he wants to end an argument during meetings he brings up doing what's best for the patient. It makes me so mad because I do care about the patients and its insulting to imply otherwise. I don't believe that it is wrong to fight for your own rights and working conditions. I know nurses are supposed to have this overwhelming sense of duty but I shouldn't have to sacrifice everything and let the hospital walk all over you.

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This kind of stuff is why I'm going to seek Union hospital jobs when I graduate. Representation worked in my last job, I believe in it 100%!

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