New grad: HATE my floor...

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HELP!

I'm a new BSN grad as of May (yahoooo!) and have been employed in our Children's Hospital level III NICU since the summer of 2009 when I externed. I've worked here and there, but am finally in the process of orientation & am finally getting a good taste of the floor's vibe. So far not so good. Everyone seems to have a chip on their shoulder, so few people are welcoming or even bother to say hello in an empty nursing lounge (when it's just me and them.... weeeiiirrd). I keep hearing Debbie Downer comments like "Oh she's new... give it a year" or just negative things about other employees. It's eerily quiet in terms of friendly conversation between cares of patients. It's just plain uptight and uncomfortable.

Now, I know work isn't social hour, but shouldn't it be a place you at least kinda enjoy going if you're gonna be there for 12+ hours at a time?? I worked on a med-surg floor (coincidentally this was the 1st floor I did clinicals on, then got assigned to the other half of my externship on, AND got assigned to do my senior leadership. Odd considering this is a big hospital and I kept ending up on that med/surg floor). BUT my point is, those folks were happy & welcoming to me and other newbies, seemed interested in one another, supportive.... I just wasn't crazy about the med/surg part, darn!

Anyway, not only that, but it seems as though the particular floor I'm on has THE strictest rules to getting any time off in the whole freakin' hospital. Seriously. I've heard it from just about everyone. You pretty much have to ask off 2 months in advance at least... and have to have the PTO to cover that time off already accrued when the request is put in. PTO takes forever to add up! PLUS, if you called in a day sick or something before that requested time off, they take away one of the request days or whatever equals the number of sick days!!! I heard a nurse say she came to work REALLY REALLY sick because she had a flight to Florida coming up and didn't want it taken away. YIKES!!! Safety issue! So backwards! There's so many crazy request off rules... I just don't know. I'm not super busy or in need of a ton of vacation time, but by golly I have a life and a family and life's too short not to enjoy them if something comes up. I mean, they won't even consider giving you a day off if you don't have the PTO to cover it. At all. Period. It takes, like, a month to earn 12 hours of PTO. That plain sucks.

I'm feeling trapped on a bummer of a floor :crying2: I love the babies & the parents (believe it or not), but these people are a bunch of kill-joys. I haven't even passed boards yet (take July 13, wish me luck!)... and I'm wondering how I can manage on this floor.

Any advice or like stories to share? Positive replies only please... I can only take so much negativity in a lifetime.

Thanks ya'll! :)

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.

Try to hang in there, ignore the negativity, and learn as much as you can. Some nursing environments can be quite toxic, but dont let it ruin your learning experience. Also make sure to cover you butt. It appears you work on a CYA floor where there is little team work and plenty of buses revving there engines waiting to run over those thrown under them.

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In order to pipe in some sunshine, you may have to do a little digging. Believe it or not, these cold and snarled nurses that you are working with will need you, and you need them. You are on a very hard floor. A single bad day can rock the foundation of everyone involved. One wrong move can lead to a death of a child, and sometimes it is inevitable. I can feel the chip forming on my shoulder just thinking about it. So it's been hard for you. You're new, get use to it. Buck up. The downers are only downers if you let them get you down.

That leads me back to the sunshine. You would be happy with a little sunshine on the floor, then bring it. Don't sit hear and complain, do something about it. I know I am sounding hard but think about it, you are fresh, new to the profession, ready to take on the world. If you don't like the existing conditions, start thinking of ways to change it. Ask questions, confront the issues, and figure out how to fix it.

The nurses are probably used to a high turn-around of new members and may not want to get to know you until they know you are there to stay.These people need your excitement and ambition as an incentive. When someone loses a feeling they once had because of a few bad experiences, they mourn. Many nurses look at the new faces and it is a reminder of why they began their nursing career.

It sounds like your floor needs some morale boosting, and maybe you should take on that responsibility. Coffee and Donuts are a good start, and I am talking about the good stuff. Pictures and posters of the good patients, the good memories may need to line the halls. Start asking questions, using humility of yourself. Walk up to one of the "chipped shoulders" and tap on it. Let them know that you need them. "I know that you are busy but, I could really use your guidance with (so-n-so) __________". Give praise on the little things to these nurses, Lord knows they deserve it. "It was great how you handled (some situation or person), could you give me some tips sometime when you are not so busy?"

Stop wishing for things and start doing. I know you can do that because you have made it up to the boards. Don't let yourself believe that you can't make a difference. Start piping in that sunshine!!!

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Specializes in NICU.

Walk into work with a smile, even if inside you're dreading being there. Treat your babies tenderly, and their families with compassion. Offer to help someone if you have a minute. If she says no, that's OK. Don't take it personally. I TRY not to take unfair criticism to heart. I ask myself: "Do I respect the person criticizing me? Does she respect me?" If the answer is yes, I tend to listen to her more. Our hospital has started having pizzas delivered to the unit on really horrible busy days when we're short-staffed. Amazing how quickly a slice of pizza can change my mood!

It is very, very hard to be in the situation you're in. I always remember, and I say this out loud, too... "Everyone has a 'first day on the job' day." So even if I'm 35 years out, I try to recall what it felt like my first days on the job, and I treat others the way I would want to be treated.

It gets better. I promise. Hang in there.:heartbeat

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As a new grad that hasn't taken their boards,yet. Here is my advice sit down shut up and open your eyes to all the things you don't know. your time off will come and it will be well rewarded. For right now learn. Nursing is 24/7 holidays included.

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Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Boards passed with 75! The staff are not all grouches. Called my first code SOLO... good outcome & glad to get that out of the way. (whew!) High risk deliveries left & right. Staying focused. Learning boucous!!!

To the last person that posted, thanks for the advice but a pinch from the nice fairy might do you some good. I've been learning my buns off for the last several years & while I'm not stopping now, my life (which I'm finally getting back), husband, and daughter are more precious to me than anything. I miss them, they miss me. Anyway, telling yours truly to sit down, shut up and learn (really? that's your encouragement? yikes.) and basically have a life later.... nursing is 24/7?! (Please do not give me a speech on how life is not always "nice" either. I get that.) Did it ever occur to you that I'm scared to death? My new commitment to the hospital, unit staff, tiny patients, families... and my family is HUGE. This is a scary big change! All of which I hear is normal, yay for that. Look, I love nursing but I might turn out like those calloused grump a**es if I take no time to regroup now and again. No thanks.

Let me now offer my advice: find balance my friend. It's good for the soul. Nonetheless I appreciate you taking a moment to respond. Please, no hard feelings. Thank God for "allnurses" therapy sessions. ;)

All in all, life is good, my new floor/role is growing on me quickly, and I have my health in a field where people struggle for theirs daily. Not to be taken for granted...

The best to ALL of you.

NikkiJ, RN

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