New nurse here. How do I overcome a suspension from work?

TurboGirl · Apr 5, 2012

Ltc is def not the answer. They are always understaffed and a lot of patients. I'm a new nurse also and they just threw me in and its either sink or swim. I have 40 patients on my watch and I'm the only nurse with 2 aides. I usually work over nights so the 40 is ok still hard but ok. But then I get stuck working 7-3 after just doing 11-7 and still by myself with a few more aides. It's crazy. Everyone makes mistakes that's just how it goes. Learn from it and just keep going.

catlover314 · Apr 5, 2012

As a new nurse I had an older nurse who constantly picked at me. I called her Sarge to my friends. After I'd had enough, I sat her down and said "I need your help. You are so well organized, do you have some hints that could help me?" She changed from being my pain in the neck to being a valued mentor. It wasn't overnight or anything, but she did help me get my feet on the ground. Your supervisor might help too; again just let him/her know "this is what I've been trying...what else can you suggest or is there an easier way to keep organized?" I am a supervisor, and I would see that approach as evidence of someone who has both insight into their own learning needs, the motivation to have tried a checklist themselves first, and someone I can trust to let me know when they need a mentor or some assistance in that difficult first year. None of those things are negative, in my opinion. Of course, your supervisor may have a different perspective. Don't bail just yet. And certainly don't bail to a position where you will have more responsibility without the experience to know when you are in deep doodoo! Again, just my opinion.

Fngrpntsnotasin · Apr 5, 2012

Supervisor in a LTC will mean being responsible for everyone on your unit ( or most likely the entire home). You will have to call the MD, take off orders, deal with family, treatments, help with admissions, replace call outs, and more than likely hop onto the floor and take an assignment... On top of everything else you are responsible for. I would much rather be floor nurse!!!

Altra, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2012

With 5 months of experience you have not yet mastered nursing (no one has, in that time frame). You have no business supervising, guiding, or acting as a resource for others. Does this make sense to you?

Female-intuition · Apr 6, 2012

Great suggestion! I am a new grad and will be starting on a busy med surg floor (1:8 ratio) next month. The biggest fear of mine is staying organized. I think I need to create my own "cheat sheet" when I start!

BradenRN30 · Apr 7, 2012

Thanks for all your advice!! I am going to listen to it and count LTC out. I did talk with my manager about the one nurse who seems to want to get me in trouble, and I also asked her to speak to some of the other nurses that I regularly work with (because I know they will say good things about me). She thanked me for letting her know and told me that one person alone is unlikely to get me into trouble, because she will see that it is always coming from the same person. She seemed to want to work with me on things, but I dont know how much I can trust this? What if she is just saying that so that I stay my year (my floor has a high, HIGH turn over rate) and then right before it's up she fires me? I told her that I feel like I am walking on eggshells and I'm very worried. There are just so many things that can go wrong......

caliotter3 · Apr 7, 2012

While it is nice that she reassured you, your misgivings are quite justified. I have seen situations where someone went through what you describe in your last post. They thought things were going fine but got whammied in the end. You can not let anxiety about "what ifs" deter you from your efforts to improve and move beyond this. Work on your relaxation techniques as well as improving your job performance and you should be ok. Best wishes.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2012

"i did talk with my manager about the one nurse who seems to want to get me in trouble, and i also asked her to speak to some of the other nurses that i regularly work with (because i know they will say good things about me). she thanked me for letting her know and told me that one person alone is unlikely to get me into trouble, because she will see that it is always coming from the same person. she seemed to want to work with me on things, but i dont know how much i can trust this? what if she is just saying that so that i stay my year (my floor has a high, high turn over rate) and then right before it's up she fires me? i told her that i feel like i am walking on eggshells and i'm very worried. there are just so many things that can go wrong...... "

yeah, well, you have a manager who is not firing your butt right now, says she wants to work c you, and knows that if there's only one person complaining about you it's more likely to be a personal issue so she's willing to let it pass for now, wants to work c you, and wants to work c you, and you have a problem c trusting that?

dear, you are so inexperienced and you could be out on the sidewalk right now. think about that. you're drowning, she's offering you a life raft, and you think you might want to go for a longer swim instead. bad move. take the help she's offering you, make the most of it, and thank your lucky stars she's doing it.

Merlyn · Apr 8, 2012

For heaven's sake, take the offer of help.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Apr 8, 2012

thanks for all your advice!! i am going to listen to it and count ltc out. i did talk with my manager about the one nurse who seems to want to get me in trouble, and i also asked her to speak to some of the other nurses that i regularly work with (because i know they will say good things about me). she thanked me for letting her know and told me that one person alone is unlikely to get me into trouble, because she will see that it is always coming from the same person. she seemed to want to work with me on things, but i dont know how much i can trust this? what if she is just saying that so that i stay my year (my floor has a high, high turn over rate) and then right before it's up she fires me? i told her that i feel like i am walking on eggshells and i'm very worried. there are just so many things that can go wrong......

you have a manager who seems to want to work with you on things -- what in the world do you gain by not trusting this? what if she is just saying that so you stay your year? you stay a year, you work hard, you learn everything you can . . . and she probably won't fire you. it's to her advantage not to -- if she fires you, she just has to start all over teaching someone else. but if she does fire you, you have a whole year of experience, a year of income and a year to make contacts. you would be in a much better position to find a new job. what's not to trust with this scenario?

uRNmyway, ASN, RN · Aug 7, 2012

Having been in a similar situation minus the mistake and suspension, I totally hear ya! I had great grades, great recommendations from clinical teachers, until one teacher who was known as a bully chose me as her victim. She pushed me into taking a medical leave from the course. When I came back, my confidence levels were in the dumps.

My first job was what I thought would be my dream job. Super progressive mother-baby department. Turned into a text-book case of nurses eating their young. They threw me into a full patient load after a week long orientation before I even had my license. Forced me into mandatory over-time (totally illegal since I was still unlicensed, but I didnt know this) on a 7am-3pm shift when I was normally evenings, had done a girl a favor and taken her night shift. So of course, I was borderline braindead, crying. Patients felt I didnt teach them as well as I should have, and I got fired. Then there I was, got licensed shortly after, and was working as a waitress because I felt like such a failure as a nurse.

It took me a while to gain the confidence I needed. I went agency, initially LTC. Let me tell you, even if you excelled in clinicals in school, it is so easy to miss something, just because you havent seen it before. Like others have said, LTC is no good as a fresh RN. Not only for your lack of experience, but you wont get to practice skills that are still new to you.

Consider yourself lucky to have a nurse manager who wants to help you. That is what helped me learn and gain confidence. Other than the awesome cheat sheet idea others have mentioned (I also use different colors, and put my different systems to organize my evaluations properly), one of the things that helped me most when I doubted myself was what a colleague told me. She said that its ok to not know how to intervene. In fact, its normal because you are new. However, when you go ask someone for advice or help, dont just say "What do I do?". Say "This is happening to Mr. So-and-So. Here is what I think I should do. What do you think?" At least that way, even if you are wrong, you are showing some critical thinking abilities. Then your supervisor/manager/colleague at least knows where to go from there.

On that note...please dont give up on yourself. If I had listened to what others had to say at times, I would have thought I was the worst nurse ever, not cut out for healthcare work, etc. And now here I am, with almost 3 years of med-surg and almost 2 of mother-baby, contemplating a Masters program. Remember, no one can bring you down unless you let them.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 7, 2012

she said that its ok to not know how to intervene. in fact, its normal because you are new. however, when you go ask someone for advice or help, dont just say "what do i do?". say "this is happening to mr. so-and-so. here is what i think i should do. what do you think?" at least that way, even if you are wrong, you are showing some critical thinking abilities. then your supervisor/manager/colleague at least knows where to go from there.

that is great advice, and i wish every new grad who says that someone has told her she asks "too many questions" would follow it!