Medical Surgical Floor from Hell

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I graduated in May of this year. I took my first job on a Med surg floor. The orientation was basically sink and swim. After the orientation, I received no check list or feedback. I have not done almost half of the skills required to function confident on that floor. I addressed my concerns with the floor manager, she told me, I would be ok. So far, I am doing ok. My main concern with that floor, is the way they assigned patients to nurses. For example, last night, there were about 4 isolations, I got 2 of them out of 5 nurses working. My assignment was split from the night shift because of the complexity. The Day charge nurse purposely changed the assignment so her friends can have lighter loads, while I ran alll shift. Almost all of my patients were confused and on tabs, which required constant running from one end of the hall to the other. I am planning to resign, but before that, I would like to meet with the CEO and the nurse manager, so they can do something about that. I am also not the only nurse the clique is doing that do. There are like 5 nurses that are good friends. They drink and party together; so when they are in charge, their friends get easier patients, so they can have time to text, surf the web and joke around with each other.

I appreciate any advice from you guys.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Naomie, I've moved your post to the "First Year After Nursing Licensure" forum, where you'll probably get more feedback. Best of luck to you -- sorry you're having such a rough time of it.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I understand your frustration and realize that you want to make things better. But I advise you to think carefully before meeting with anyone or saying anything that you can't absolutely prove. Sorry if I sound jaded, but years of working for various employers has given me a clear picture of how employee grievances are handled, even valid ones. Managers an CEOs are not stupid. They know the problems that exist in their departments. If they are interested in addressing those problems, they do so. If not, meeting with a novice nurse will not prompt them to do so.

Quietly hunt for a new job. When you find one that you are certain is a good fit and an improvement from your current position, prepare a professional resignation letter free of any accusations or complaints. (See below)

If you wish to air any grievances, the exit interview is the time and place for that. It won't help, it may come back to bite you in the butt, but at least you will have another position in place.

Good luck.

Dear Nurse Manager,

I am writing to inform you that I am resigning my position as Staff Nurse on Med Surg Floor, effective at 7pm on January 1, 2010. Thank you for the opportunity to serve our patients for the last 12 months.

Sincerely,

Nancy Nurse, RN

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Thank you, I agree 100% with you.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Yes, sadly they know what is going on and won't take kindly to someone pointing it out to them. :( Remain positive with your new interviews also. We are a very incestuous bunch and you never know who knows who. I can almost guarantee you will run into someone out of this group again. Also pat yourself on the back because it sounds like you are doing great under less than supportive circumstances. Good luck.

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good issue to discuss.

on our medsurg floor each nurse is assigned an isolation or heavy pt until the load exceeds the number of nurses present, then someone picks up the extra pt in need.

we have an excellent dept. manager who has established this policy and equally excellent charge nurses (cn) who abide by this policy. if by chance a mistake is made and someone has an unequal load, they can bring this to the cns attention and the issues is correct quickly.

additionally, if something is amiss, we are encouraged to bring this up through the chain of command... being the vocal individual i am--i do.

bottom line: yes, sometimes the politics of nursing dictate we take the quiet route and don't make waves. however, we don't make waves we do our profession and ourselves a disservice by keeping quite and allowing unjust issues to continue... until someone with guts stands up to the problem.

granted, you may or may not win the issue, but you will sleep better at night knowing you addressed the issue... in a calm and respectful manner.

good luck.

- luis

(sunlight is the best disinfectant)

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

you sound like you are working the last med-surg floor i worked! i not only left the hospital because i saw the writing on the wall that i was going to be stuck on that floor for some time, but i also left med surg to work in emergency nursing (something i wanted anyway). i did not waste my time complaining. trust me, it is a waste of time!

other more experienced nurses on your floor have suffered the same thing and have complained and have gotten nowhere. the nurses in the dominate clique are going to continue to work for that department and organization for a long. others, like your self will move on but management considers this to be an acceptable loss. try not to torpedo your future chances by opening your mouth. who cares what happens to that floor once you no longer have to report for a shift?

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I agree with the other poster don't say anythingto manageent they know alread and frankly don't careas long as their are bodies to do the job.

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Well, I know that when I first started on the floor, either they WERE giving me the tough assignments, or I at least felt like it was tougher than the others. What it could have been is that it seemed tough and that I as a new nurse, just didn't have the experience and time management skills that the other nurses did.

Now that I"ve been on a floor for a while, it really seems the assignments are getting easier, or I've just seen the same things over and over and know what to expect. I know when I can sit and chat, and I know when I need to move my hide. Then again, sometimes they DO give the tough stuff to new grads so you can gain experience. I'd just do it, ask for help as much as possible. I know on our floor if you ask for help, you'll get it right away. You just need to ask.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
Well, I know that when I first started on the floor, either they WERE giving me the tough assignments, or I at least felt like it was tougher than the others. What it could have been is that it seemed tough and that I as a new nurse, just didn't have the experience and time management skills that the other nurses did.

Now that I"ve been on a floor for a while, it really seems the assignments are getting easier, or I've just seen the same things over and over and know what to expect. I know when I can sit and chat, and I know when I need to move my hide. Then again, sometimes they DO give the tough stuff to new grads so you can gain experience. I'd just do it, ask for help as much as possible. I know on our floor if you ask for help, you'll get it right away. You just need to ask.

I think this is a very thoughtful post that rings with truth. Nicely said.

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Specializes in Cardiac, stroke, telemetry,Med-surgical.
Well, I know that when I first started on the floor, either they WERE giving me the tough assignments, or I at least felt like it was tougher than the others. What it could have been is that it seemed tough and that I as a new nurse, just didn't have the experience and time management skills that the other nurses did.

Now that I"ve been on a floor for a while, it really seems the assignments are getting easier, or I've just seen the same things over and over and know what to expect. I know when I can sit and chat, and I know when I need to move my hide. Then again, sometimes they DO give the tough stuff to new grads so you can gain experience. I'd just do it, ask for help as much as possible. I know on our floor if you ask for help, you'll get it right away. You just need to ask.

I agree with your post. I feel the same.

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