New LVN, home health, job company problems, boss put me on notice

[KyleLVN]

I am a new LVN just got my license 3/21/2013, I am not sure where to start so details will fly in. I'm working for a home health company not shift work, I see individual patients each day, busiest day was 7 patients. I'm 21 just turned 21 live with my dad he is also an LVN, and works home health to and I look up to him as a nurse, none of my instructors have ever compared to him except maybe one but she taught classroom, I am to embarrassed to ask him for device stressed and depressed.

My boss chewed me out when I was with a patient and his daughter. Here is the situation I already got vitals, observed the wife who changes the wound dressing. Now she does not use any kind of clean technique and I stepped away because patient was with physical therapy and the wound looked like it was infected, so the office was trying to call the doctors office, I wanted to call the doctor, but my office is weird to see what the doctor wanted to do. I feel they do not trust my judgment. I am new but I am gaining a lot of wound care experience and I knew what the wound looked like before and had the classic symptoms red and swollen/puffy.

I was talking to the RN *****, or the scheduler ***** who is not a nurse, but the boss ***** RN (who her mom runs the company) treats her like a nurse. Now I was talking and I called the patients wife who changes the dressing clumsy, I should have said that she does not use any kind of clean technique she touches things that do not need to be touched while changing the wound, and cleans the wound bed and then down the arm and goes back to the wound bed. I didn't say that, but anyways my boss ***** gave me a huge ass chewin about that, I doubt anyone else heard, I admit it was an error in judgment. And she told me how that may fly in a hospital, but she will not have tolerate that, which I completely understand, and I was apologetic, but she thinks I may need to spend some time in a hospital, either that or get my stuff together and fix it.

I am trying to get my stuff together but would like tips or ideas on how to wow her. But this is a question for other RN's would you have reacted that way, and I am pretty sure no one picked up on that small bonehead comment I made. And I have excellent rapport with my patients I am very kind and caring and just had a slip of the tongue. I have had other problems such as turning in my notes on time, but when it comes to care, I am trying my best, I check all blood pressures with a manual cuff, and listen to the heart for one full minuet, count the pulse, and listen to the heart and lungs. I try my darndest to be the best nurse I can be. But should I wait 6 months and look for another job, or start looking for one now.

I like the scheduler, but she is just not a nurse, she is pretty smart, but I think you nurses know what I mean, when you talk to another nurse you trust their judment more than someone who was appointed to the postion of nurse, and that's honest to god what her postion feels like. Also I was out in the field today, had a question couldn't reach ***** she was on call I only found out by calling ***** the scheduler saying ***** was probably out at the coast or lake and didn't have service.

don't know I want to be a good nurse, but I'm concerned with the lack of leadership, were now finally having weekly meetings, about each patient usually on mondays. But we don't give report daily. I like giving report. And we have a qa nurse, but she is off site at the other office, she is really nice but wish she was on site. Maybe I'll ask for her cell so I can give her a call. I don't know my head spins, and it just feels like the boss ***** her heart isn't in the company she just takes the money and doesn't do the work. I am mostly in the field but 7/10 when I call the office it seems like she is never there.

Please help.

[nursingmomma33]

I have bn an lpn for a year. I ahvent done homeare, but my advie to u is something ive never learned in school: it doesnt matter how ur technical skills r but if u dont have tact u wont last. Also,there's a lot of back biting in nursing. Ppl will lie on u. Management who dislike u will find a way to get u out, epecially if favoritesdon't like u either. that slip of the tongue mifht have gotten u fired if u worked in ltc. Trust me, i have dealt w literally stupid family members and wante fo tell them how i really felt abt them. I wanted to tell famiky memebers and patients that demanded all my attention that they r not the only ones here. Everyone is entitled to good care and i want to provide that to everyone, but some ppl have unrealistic expectations and i keep my mouth shut. If u ever work in ltc remember eyes and ears r everwhere, so u need to watch it. Also, i have bn on the other side and bn the patient. I had a few who thought it was ok to talk down to me and not fully inform me of my rights. I let them k.ow uofront that that treatment is not going to fly w me.