Hi, I just recently graduated and got a job directly out of nursing school at a hospital known to have a very busy PCU. I'm on orientation week 9 out of 14, 2 days ago was my first day taking on all 5 pts and I was rushing to complete all the things I needed to do: vitals/assessments, morning meds ect. When I went to give one of my pts their morning meds they asked me to get their pain meds....not paying attention I gave the pt 1mg dilauded when he was suppose to get 10 mg Oxy IR, I immediatly filed an incident report, called the doctor, and made sure my pt was ok. W/ the same pt later that day I gave him his scheduled bp medication when his bp was less that what it needed to be in order to give that med...literally as soon as he swallowed it I said to myself I was sappose to hold that med. I was sooo upset and felt soooo stupid for making these mistakes, I felt like I just had a horrible day. I am normally more attentive.
Yesterday I got called into the nurse managers office (I knew was bound to happen), in the office were my nurse manager, nurse educator, and clinical assistant. My nurse manager began to to discuss the incident. I explained to the best of my ability what had happened and the steps I took after. My nurse manager began to tell me that she feels that I am not progressing well in my orientation and questioned me about whether or not this is what I want to do and if this is the floor that I want to work on. (this contradicted what my preceptor has been telling me: that I have been doing good especially w/ the type of patient load we have been working with). They went on to what felt to my like an interrogation of my intension and my feelings about what had happened. I felt like they were trying to break me down and make me cry. My nurse manager told me to come back tomorrow at 12 instead of my scheduled time 7am to discuss what it means to me to be a nurse, and if I still wanted to work there.
I know what I did was wrong and I felt terrible for it. My intension wasn't to hurt anybody. I feel as though by making these mistakes they will stick with me in the back of my mind, when giving meds which will only make me a better nurse. I am dreading tomorrow and don't know what to do or say to show them that I am serious about my job.
I did not suggest bringing preceptor into her meeting(physically or in conversation) with NM.. I suggest she not even mention that preceptor lead her to believe she was doing okay. MY suggestion was to be careful not to get sucked into conversations with preceptor involving any of this.
Absolutely she must come to the meeting with plans on how SHE is going to avoid med errors. This is her doing, not the preceptors. Sorry if I did not make myself clear enough. :)
BrookeeLou, that comment was not directed to you. But the comment after you. You were clear and gave great advice. Peace!
So, today at our meeting (once again w/ the nurse manager, clinical educator, and clinical assistant) I told them my plan was to learn from this mistake and move forward. To always assure that I have the right patient, right drug, that I know what I'm giving and why I'm giving it. (ect).
And that nursing to me is giving comprehensive care and treating my patients the same way I would want to be treated. (b/c the NM wanted to know what nursing meant to me)
Nurse manager begins to ask me if I was aware that the orientation process included what others said about me. I said of course I did (as I replayed in the back of my mind all the good things people have been telling me when I ask them how I'm doing) She told me everything people were saying about me....none of which was good. which like I said before, totally contradicted what was being told to me to my face. Apparently my nurse manager stated she feels like I am not remorseful for what I did. And let me go. I told her I didn't think it was right that they are telling all these things that people had been saying about me since week 2 of my orientation and now I'm at week 9 and I'm hearing about all this now??? I should have been told constructive criticizes throughout my orientation thats what orientations is all about, your preceptor is suppose to identify things that you are weak at or unknowable about and to educate you. Every time (which is every day), when I asked my preceptor if I was doing good she would say your doing great or your doing good. My nurse manager called my preceptor in and asked her how does she think I've been doing. My preceptor says, "she has been doing good when she has 3 pts but when she has more than 3, mistakes get made." (Just to let everyone know my first time taking 5 pts was this thursday, then friday I had 4 and they all got discharged, then on Sunday I had 4 and thats when I made the med error, then on Tues I had 5...The same pts as Sunday just w/ one more:(my pts included one who had to get multiple blood products (who had a splenic bleed but was a DNR)...eventually that pt got transfered to INCU b/c they reversed the DNR/DNI (I found this pt on the floor, he pulled his dobhoff out...hummm what else could happen??), the other was on a heprin and lasixs drip and in chronic a flutter, next pt was post opt CABAG x4 who just got his chest tube pulled, 4th pt was complete care who wouldn't eat who's son called me like twice already that day wanting to know when his soon could get transfered to skilled care facillity, the 5th was waiting for his INR to be therapeutic) so all of this happened w/in the past 4 days) I couldn't believe my preceptor didn't have my back. Even the day I made the med mistake she said your doing good considering the difficult pts we have. I couldn't believe the whole situation, I feel like I got stabbed in the back!
I view myself as a caring person who enjoys seeing people get better. I feel like this whole experience has changed my view on hospital/bedside care. I no longer want to deal with feeling stressed out b/c I'm running around to complete patient care on time in order to document/anticipate the worst happening to a patient, I'm tired of not eating lunch b/c I'm more concerned w/ my patients than my own health, I'm tired of backstabbing nurses who act like they are helping you, when in actuality they are talking **** behind your back...when they should be telling you what your doing wrong and try and educate you instead of letting you crash and burn....and making you assume you were doing a good job, I'm tired of condescending nurse managers.
I now really believe bedside nursing is not for me.
Yup a rat she is. Wow, sorry about it all. Just from that initial meeting, you would have tried to get the heck out of her unit. I think that they should have never hired someone new without the knowledge of how to orient. All that is going to do for that hospital is get them bad press from you and all who love you.
I am glad you got out no matter how, that unit is toxic. You are too good for them.
I am so sorry for what you have had to go thru. I know you are hurting and disillusioned, who wouldn't be? Even though it hurts very bad it is better to be out of there as like I originally said they would be watching your every move just waiting for you to stumble.
But please note all nursing is not this way. There are happy nurses, or at least nurses who are happy most of the time.
I hope you can take alittle time and re-build your confidence. You passed your boards, so you need to find an opportunity to have less stress and maybe a slower pace till you get more experience. :redpinkhe
For those of you who didn't read my previous thread titled "need help", I just recently got fired from my job working on a very busy PCU. I have been doing some thinking and decided I don't want to work on a busy floor/ I may not even want to work at a hospital right now.
Anyway, my first question is should I put the job I got fired from on my resume? (I was there for only 9 weeks, it was my first and only nursing job....I am a new grad)???
2nd question is I have always been interested in research..not only do I have my BSN but I also have a BA in biology and psychology. I don't really know where to start looking for a nursing research position or the terms that are commonly used when searching for a job in this field. Is there anyone out there who can help me get started with this search.
My third question is does anyone know of any other nursing jobs that are not at a hospital that I could apply for besides doctors offices??
For those of you who did read my previous thread and responded, thank you so much for the support...I really need it at this time. I am still so upset about the way things were handled. But things happen for a reason, this may have been for the best.
Do you think it would be wise to file some sort of complaint about the way I was treated....? And who would I complain to?? I feel as though if they were talking negatively about me since the second week of orientation then they had already formulated an assumption about me and were just waiting for me to make a big mistake in order to fire me. If they were noticing incidents that they didn't like during week 2 then I feel as though I should have been confronted week 2 instead of week 9. So that I could make changes and improve whatever behaviors they felt were not to their standards...?
Just a suggestion...if you want to get more responses, try titling your thread something other than "need help". This gives people an indication of what kind of thread it is.
Since this is only your first job don't worry. You could try applying in clinics also.
Do you think it would be wise to file some sort of complaint about the way I was treated....? And who would I complain to?? I feel as though if they were talking negatively about me since the second week of orientation then they had already formulated an assumption about me and were just waiting for me to make a big mistake in order to fire me. If they were noticing incidents that they didn't like during week 2 then I feel as though I should have been confronted week 2 instead of week 9. So that I could make changes and improve whatever behaviors they felt were not to their standards...?
My opinion is to drop it and be glad you are out of there. Honestly you made a med error and they will say that is why they fired you! Were they mean? Yup. Were they wrong? Depends on which side you are on. Employers can talk all they want. So who would you complain to??
I suggest you learn valuable lesson from this incident and move on. You need to spend your time applying for jobs better suited for you.
Chin up
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BrookeeLou, that comment was not directed to you. But the comment after you. You were clear and gave great advice. Peace!