I have had a difficult experience recently. I've started my first nursing job, (LPN) recently and have only been there a couple of weeks. My first day I was assigned to 25 patient's which I know isn't that much to some of you but keep reading. First I had my 25, an unbelievable medpass, several diabetics, peg tubes, treatments, One patient screaming at the top of her lungs all day, another that stood by my side and asked me the same three questions about 80% of the day, The aids are great but they can't do vitals or fingersticks and there was only one!!! How much can two people do? I felt okay at first despite all this because there was an experienced nurse close by. Well she had to leave early and said someone was coming from another floor shortly to take her patients. She showed up about three hours later. There is no secretary or unit clerk. The phone rings constantly with no one but the nurses to answer it. I know your thinking "welcome to nursing!" But OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to run away and hide. I had to call the doctor for all these issues that couln't have just happened before the stupid newbie came on the floor (me). Not to mention all the other paperwork and orders and this and that involved. Anyway the point of this is that I made a med. error on my first day. It wasn't life threatening but I feel awful. HOW PATHETIC. So what happens now? Is my license at risk??? I understand that when I took the cart I was responsible for these patients and I did it with the understanding that I only had 25, not 50, I did not have keys to the other cart, but anytime there was a problem and I was the only one there, they came to me and several of them were persistant and insisted on getting what they requested. I know I need to be accountable for my actions, but I do not feel that I would have made such an error if I wasn't so horribly overwhelmed. Seriously the nurses take the fall for these kind of mistakes with this kind of staffing??? I have to leave this place, this probably is not that unusual, and Im sure it happens all the time. I'm miserable already, I thought it was just nursing school. I am so discouraged. I hate that I chose this career now.
Thanks for your responses. Your right, it really is a shame. It is difficult to give the kind of care these people truly deserve. I have been told that all nursing homes are like this, and unfortunately, in my area, we don't have many options. So I really hope they are not all so bad because I would hate to leave another job so soon in my career, but I refuse to be put in situations like this again.
MelodyRNurse
255 Posts
Thanks for your responses. Your right, it really is a shame. It is difficult to give the kind of care these people truly deserve. I have been told that all nursing homes are like this, and unfortunately, in my area, we don't have many options. So I really hope they are not all so bad because I would hate to leave another job so soon in my career, but I refuse to be put in situations like this again.