New Grad and Dealing with Difficult work environment

[AlwaysLearning247, BSN]

Hi everyone. I came to vent about my new experience as a new grad (and hope) to get some feedback on how you would handle certain situations. I passed my boards 6/1/15 and quickly landed a position on a subacute rehabilitation floor. The DON was nice and everyone was welcoming at first but now each day is getting more difficult. It is not my patients that are difficult its the working conditions, I feel like I am being treated like a slave in a sweatshop. The never have the AC working (tons of family members complain and they still don't do anything, being cheap I guess), I have an average of 20 patients per day (doing all treatments, meds, orders, gtubes, IV meds, etc), I am at work from 7AM-830-9 PM every shift, some of the nurses won't give me proper report and just expect me to know what is going on with everyone, not many people are helpful, the list goes on and on.

It does get worse. My DON told me I'd have a set schedule but she has literally been filling me in week by week and acting like she can control my life. She will make comments like "this is what happens when you're a nurse, better get used to it." I kept asking for my schedule this week for next week and she wouldn't give it to me (mind you I've been there for two months already) so I went ahead and made an appointment for next week. I told her I can work any other day except that one. She messaged me back saying "you need to know I don't work for you, you work for us," so I got a little aggravated and told her "I am sorry but I need this appointment, I have asked you my set schedule for a few weeks (she was supposed to give it to me weeks ago) so I had to make the appointment. When I got hired I was under the impression that as a full time regular staff member I would have a set schedule by now" She writes back all snippy after that (come to find out we're already fully staffed the day I chose so it's not like I would have needed to be there but she needed to go on a power trip, apparently. This week I was supposed to work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. She told me Monday night that she is switching my schedule to Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, I said it was okay (I was mad but held it in). I let her do this a lot so I didn't think one time I needed a day off she would get like that.

She has been telling me from the beginning that a new grad won't get hired anywhere else and she wants me to dedicate a year to her. I am scared that if I try to leave she will give me a bad review. My orientation did get extended because I was sick for a week with a bad URI. I dread going to work, I am not the happy person I have always been, I feel depressed, and its really weighing down on me. I did have a job interview at an urgent care facility and they seemed interested and I have an interview in an acute care rehabilitation hospital soon. I am to the point that I can't wait to get out of this place. I am nervous to give a notice (depending on if I get a job first) but I'm starting not to care. She has this hold on me like I should be bowing down to her since she gave me an opportunity as a new grad and I am her property. (I should add that my DON is a distant family friend so its an awkward situation)

I'm sorry about the long post, I didn't mean for it to get that long. When I started venting I couldn't stop typing. Thank you for reading.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Keep pursuing those other opportunities and do not tell your current DON about them -- until the day you hand in your resignation. She is taking advantage of you and does not deserve your loyalty or any special consideration. If you get another job offer, leave -- but don't aggravate the situation by letting her know that you are looking.