New Grad Seeking Guidance

[kmg28765]

Hi. I am a recent new grad (May 2013) working on an L&D unit in a large hospital. We are the largest L&D unit in the region and as such take care of many high-risk patients. I have been working on L&D since August, and I'm not sure if it's for me. I still feel worried and scared to take care of my patients, and I fear that I am going to miss something that will lead to a major complication. I'm trying to figure out if these are normal new nurse feelings or if there is something deeper and maybe I should change units.

On my unit, there are many experienced nurses who I feel are slacking. I work with at least one or two of these "lazy" nurses each shift. We choose our own assignments, so when it is time to pick, these more experiences quickly choose the antepartum patients or the patients who are unlikely to deliver during the shift, leaving the more complicated patients to the newer nurses. During the shift when triage patients come in, they are nowhere to be found and complain about having to triage, so it is the new nurses yet again who pick up the slack. Seniority is a big deal on the unit, so the charge nurses never say anything and never ensure that the workloads are even. I often feel like I am drowning with my patient load.

I dread going to work. Every day when it's time to go to work, I feel physically ill. It's not uncommon for me to vomit before going to work or to cry on the way to work. I pray for low-census every day. I feel completely alone at work and isolated. If I desperately need help or advice, I can ask another nurse, but this help is given begrudgingly. A lot of the nurses on the unit are quite catty, and it is not uncommon at all to hear them complaining to each other about the new nurses or talking about how the new nurses are clueless. One nurse has even made a fellow new nurse cry on multiple occasions. I feel there is a great lack of respect. Instead of helping others to learn the ropes and become more comfortable with their tasks, the other nurses criticize and nitpick others' performance in front of other nurses and patients. I feel like I am constantly on guard.

Is this just a normal work environment? Is this normal for a new grad to feel? I don't want to leave my job only to realize that all units are like this or that it's just because I'm new to the job. Also, I feel like I should be very grateful since I was hired as a new grad into such a specialized area. In school everyone wanted L&D and I feel like I should just suck it up and be thankful I was lucky enough to get a job in this area.

Anyone have any advice or words of wisdom? Thanks!

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

You are working in a bullying unit. These women don't like you anyway so get ready to take them on. Learn the following phrases:

When swamped and they want to give you an admission say No you're not. I can't. This is ]unsafe

If you have an educator. ask her for some info on specific areas of concern. Do not bad mouth your

coworkers. Say nothing. Take the high road.

In a crisis let the physician know that team work here could be better.

You have to get on your gameand toughen up. Go straight to the nurse in charge and say I need help in here now. And if she even tries to give you any **** say If anything happens to this baby I am holding you responsible. Mean it.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

Of course I'm not there, so I will base my assessment of your work environment entirely on what you are describing. It sounds like you are working in a toxic work environment. I also noticed no mention of your manager, which disturbs me and makes me think she is a non-confrontational type who doesn't discipline her staff and may or may not pass the buck. You are still a newish nurse. It does take time to get comfortable. Keep this in mind. You started working in August. If August rolls around and things are not better, start applying for new jobs, in specialties that actually interest you. What every one else wants or likes is not necessarily what's best for you. It's important to pass the one year mark and really give the job a chance before applying for new jobs.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

Is your work environment normal, no, but it's not unheard of. I've read lots of threads on here describing similar work environments. The field of nursing to the outside world is seen as a respectable profession (and I agree), but we who are working in this field know about the cliques, gossip, and other unprofessional behavior that goes on at different units nationwide.

Your feeling of being afraid of missing something, is actually pretty normal for new grads. You confidence level will increase each month. I started in a GN Residency on a stressful and very busy critical care unit. For the first 3-6 months I use to cry every time I got up to go to work, on the drive to work, and walking into the building. It was a tough unit, exacerbated by me being a GN but I did make it a year due to the support of my coworker. It was a GN/new nurse friendly unit. I knew who I could go to for advice and ask questions. Not everyone is approachable, but you figure out quickly those nurses you can go to.

I now since transferred to Postpartum and lucked out again with wonderful nurses and techs. Unfortunately, a friend of mine who works in NICU at the same hospital is disappointed to see the gossiping cliques on her unit that she wants to leave. I agree to try to stay above the fray. I would stick it out for a year and speak to management or nurse specialist/educator on your unit. New Grads need support even after orientation ends.

[ArtClassRN, ADN, RN]

We choose our own assignments, so when it is time to pick, these more experiences quickly choose the antepartum patients or the patients who are unlikely to deliver during the shift, leaving the more complicated patients to the newer nurses.

What bleeding idiot is running the clownshow you work at? Seriously, like a name. This person deserves widespread notoriety for insane levels of cataclysmic stupidity.