New Job Rant..

Published

Specializes in LTC, Dementia/Alzheimer's.

I'm working in LTC atm. And ugh! I HATE it!! It's not that I hate LTC, but I hate the DON and some of my co-workers.

The DON is so hateful. She has so many opinions of me and my work and she's gone before I even get there most days.

Example: Pt with DM. Order calls for 8u Novolog with "first bite of food". Well, pt ate the first bite of food, but not much else. Encouraged him to eat more, explained why. His BS dropped to 20s. Administered Glucagon. Called the Dr. Rechecked his BS. Then went and got my DON. She told me she'd be there "in a second." I went back with my pt. Rechecked his BS. He started having periods of apnea. I stayed with him doing sternal rubs. I thought it would be inappropriate to leave this guy, so I told one of the aides to get the ADON since the DON was nowhere in sight. Thank God the ADON came right away. She went and called for an ambulance. The DON shows up after 10-15 minutes. And takes over the situation.

From that situation: She told me I needed an inservice on insulins. I did exactly what was ordered. She said I was overly confident, because I "tried to handle the situation on my own." I went and got her RIGHT after I called the Dr. I was in no way trying to handle the situation alone. Should I have dropped everything when I saw his low BS and got her.. Should I not have administered Glucagon? Should I not have called the Dr.? Is it my fault that she didn't come when she said she was going to?

Another example: There was an admission a little before 1300. My shift starts at 1500. The skin assessment of this admit wasn't done by day shift, so it was passed along to me. Actually none of the admission paperwork was done. Okay... I start on the paperwork... A res collapses on the other unit and that nurse has a bad back.. I run over there help them. His O2Sats were 71%. He's DNR.. I ask the nurse if he can have a non-rebreather. She said "I don't know..." I keep asking her questions about what we should do for this man who is dying.. Her answer? "I don't know..." So I basically take over! I have a CMT stay with the pt while I get a non-rebreather and some oxygen. I tell the nurse to call the Dr and the DON. Before I left, his O2Sats were back up to 94%. He would've DIED if I didn't step in, because this nurse would've sat around saying "Well, I just don't know...." --- Back on my unit. A guy is puking everywhere and a difficult pt at the other end of the hall is being ... difficult screaming and making demands. I REALLY didn't have time to do the skin assessment. I did everything else though. The next day, the DON calls me and says my behavior is completely inappropriate and if I wanted to keep my job then I needed to come in and do that skin assessment. Because it HAD to be done within the first 2 HOURS of admission. WHAT?! Well, then it should've been done before I even got there! She didn't want to hear anything I had to say. So, I went in on my day off, worked for two more hours without pay.

There's another new nurse at my job.. She's very ditzy. Never finishes her work. She's made med errors with Coumadin and Narcotics. I noticed and talked to her about it. Told her to tell the DON about the med errors and the DON just said "Oh, well, that's okay!" And then she laughed and patted this nurse's back. The DON LOOOOOOOOOOVES her. While I'm working my ass off and doing everything I'm supposed to be doing!

I hate I hate I hate I hate my DON. Ugh! My blood boils whenever I see her. This place is so ass backwards! I really don't feel like I'm overly confident... This is my first year in nursing.. How can I be overly confident?! If anything, I'm insecure with my nursing. I ask questions until my face turns blue!

I think, for some reason, they are trying to get me to leave. They let me know that they have someone interested in my position.

If this is what nursing is like.. I don't know if it's for me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Your only mistake was working that two hours for free.

I've been in this type of situation in the past. When I was a newer nurse I would have tried my darnedest to keep doing my best, and worked myself into the ground only to be even more miserable and still have a DON who did not value me. Now that I'm much more experienced and know better, I would just quit.

Them letting you know that someone is interested in your position is a huge red flag- read the writing on the wall.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Dementia/Alzheimer's.

I have an interview next Tuesday with Home Health Care. And there's another place just waiting for paperwork and then I can start.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Good luck, Grasshopper!

I think looking for another job is the best course of action.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB/GYN & Med/Surg.

good luck, grasshopper!

i think looking for another job is the best course of action.

i second that opinion! good luck! a facility that doesn't value its employees doesn't deserve them anyway! good for you for being pro-acitive :up: before they make you look like the devil incarnate (fire you then give you a really bad rap in front of prospective employers). :angryfire

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion