Not enjoying my new job...

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Specializes in L&D, Antepartum.

I moved across country and got a job in a smaller unit than what I came from working nights (L&D). I worked nights at my last job. Granted, I am still a new grad, but I am tired of being treated like crap. I hate this new unit. There are people on dayshift who have never worked in another facility, ever, for 20+ years. This unit is growing fast and they can't keep up with it. It is so disorganized, there is one charge RN for M/B, NICU and L&D. That's waaayyy too many people to be responsible for IMHO. I came from a very busy unit but it was organized. Anyway...here's my problem. I have the older dayshift nurses come on and give me crap for the stupidist things, most of which are not my fault. I am still trying to figure out their jacked up system, especially when it comes to paperwork. This morning I had had it. I had a pt come in, in pain, GBS unscreened and the MD said lets just watch her, don't admit her, but give her IV, abx and x1 dose nubain w/phen. I do that...then I get another pt, SROM, writhing around in bed, takes 3 RNs to get an IV started, unit sec doesn't get her banded and this is at 6am. I didn't have time to get her consents, nothing. SO...the MD comes in at 6am and checks 4 pts, 2 are mine and admits both of mine..at the same time. I go out front to find the dayshift RN getting info from a chart that I hadn't made up, the sec did. I was behind because of the SROM pt and IV problems. I tell her, sorry, I haven't had time to get the consents signed yet and she starts rolling her eyes, slamming the chart, etc. I try to give her report and she just asks when her abx were given and walks away. I call her by name and ask if there is something wrong. She lays into me about how the consents should have been done, she's been here all night and I said, the MD just NOW admitted her, she was a clinical pt before. The RN walks off. I go to the CRN and she's like "what just happened?" and then I go to the med room and start bawling. I'm tired, I'm stressed, I can't take anymore crap for stupid things. The RN who was blasting me walks in to get meds and sees me crying. She says, don't cry, I didn't mean to get you upset. I said, that was completely uncalled for out there, you should not have acted like that to me. Its not my fault that the MD just now admitted her, I didn't have an order to admit her so that's why the consents weren't done. I had another pt that I was trying to deal with who is being uncooperative. She says I'm just tired of things not being done when day shift comes in...I said You know, I don't sit around on my butt all night, I work. She says, I know you do, I've worked with you. I said then why are you taking this out on me? I'm sorry I didn't get the consents done, everything happened at once. She hugged me but at this point I couldn't stop crying. The tears wouldn't stop. I had both day and night shift CRNs come and tell me she was wrong, they were sorry, etc.

Now, I'm just embarrassed that I couldn't stop crying and get a hold of myself. I was very tired and I didn't need to be treated like crap for no good reason. Something else happened as well with the day shift sec, she started laying into me and I just pushed back. I'm done being walked all over. I don't care if I'm "new", I don't deserve to be treated any differently. I do my job, I am a team player and I'm tired of this day shift vs night shift bs. As it is I have to drive an hour both ways to get to this stupid place. I'd rather fly back to CA and work one week out of the month than work here anymore. I never had issues like this where I worked before. I wish I never left.

If you've made it this far, thanks. I just really needed to vent.

Thank you!

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Specializes in geriatrics, L&D, newborns.

Sorry you are having such problems with your new job. And don't be embarrassed about bawling. I think we all have done it at one time or another. I can't tell you what to do but you might find, that if you can stick it out for a while longer, that things will get better. Or not.

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Specializes in OB L&D Mother/Baby.

Wow, I'm sorry. I have a nurse that works days that is always wondering what we did all night... If I get a pt at 6:50am she'll ask, "why didn't you check her (or spec her or get her IV going... or whatever)... If she gets a pt at 6pm she doesn't do a thing with her. It's such a double standard.

We seem to get a lot of the nights vs days...One of the girls I work with on nights always says something to the effect of "if working nights was a piece of cake and all we do is sit around and cross stitch... they pay us a differential... and you are still working days... you are the one with the problem"

Hang in there.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

you are only human and you did the best you could... she should of been more understanding.. 12 hours is a long long day and a long long night..... don't be embarrassed about crying at work you can only take so much ... by the end of the shift i am so exhausted i can barely give report.. i'm to tired to expalin what i did all day ... and heck i can't even remember it to give report...

nurses are their own worst enemy sometimes ... when we should be banding together .. that is why we have 24 hour facilities.. for one shift to catch up and cover for the other shift... thats why we have team work...

give yourself a big hug for me and don't worry about crying at work... we've all done it .. believe me i have more then once.. in a few days noone will care .. and somebody else will probably be crying...

you are just fine...

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

I can sure understand your frustration....we all have it at one time or another....I have been a nurse for 25+ years and still have night shift nurses come in and try to rant at me for something not done when I have had 3 admits after 6 PM....Sometimes if I know who is coming in and it is one that likes to rant, I leave the pt for nights to admit...If it is a normal human being coming in, I do as much as I can and even stay over to help or finish an admit....I can't handle the rudeness, cockiness of some nurses, either...Fight fire with fire, I say !!! and don't let it get to you....there are always going to be some like that..But there are many kind, wonderful nurses to work with, too...

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

You have every right to how you feel and you took your feelings/behavior to an appropriate area........in privacy. This nurse who picked on you was way out of line. Your unit does indeed sound like it's in a state of flux. This means stress for EVERY person working on it, the nurses, techs, unit secretaries, everyone feels the pain and takes their stress out in inappropriate ways, at times.

First off, understand it's not about *you* and it is not personal. But you have EVERY right to stand up for yourself. If/when people mistreat you, do not be afraid to collect yourself, (first)-----then ask to speak to them in privacy and tell them just that.

Second, understand units that are undergoing rapid growth or under similar stress are going to have situations like this-----everyone is feeling the pain and reacts to it. Under decent and solid leadership, these times pass and the situations improve and resolve, if there is not excessive backbiting and in-fighting among staff. I am not sure what the exact climate of your unit is but sometimes, you can't fix toxic situations/units. It's not at all uncommon to have OB units where nurses have been working 20 or 30 years. I have worked in 4 different such units, and each one had nurses who worked there 25 or even 30 years! This can be good and bad. If the experienced nurses are able to teach and help you grow, it's great. If not, it can be awfully difficult, but not impossible to work with.

Now I may have missed it, but I did not see how long you have been working there. If not long, only a few months, you can give it time to see if the changes settle and things start to improve. If this is the case, you may find the staff stress levels lower also and you will "find your niche" among them and feel better. If things continue to be this stressful, and people are attacking each other on a routine basis, and you don't see strong leadership from your manager and charge nurses, these are things you won't be able to change. You will need to consider whether staying on is worth it-----as toxic environments cannot be fixed by one person alone, usually.

It's never easy to move cross country, leaving people you know, friends among them, to start new in a new unit and hospital. Be careful not to fall into the trap of making too many comparisons between the units. This unit cannot be the same as the other one----the people and region are not the same---and policies vary. It's easy to make negative comparisons, as the "best place I worked is the place I just came from" is a very common thought among people. People will not mind learning how you did things elsewhere, but not all the time; just be careful not to start going down that road or you will have adverse attitudes to greet you.

I made a move from Oklahoma to the Pacific Northwest myself some years ago---- and it was hard for a few months. I missed my coworkers and the flow of things in my old unit so much for about the first 6 months. I too, work with nurses who have worked on this unit in excess of 20 years. At times, my frustration in dealing with one or two of them was very high. But I was not one to take their garbage, either. I was always calm when I had to confront someone about how she treated me. It has worked well. Are they all my friends? Heck, no. But I have workable relationship with every nurse on that unit now.

Whether you elect to stay or go, I wish you the very best. I am so sorry you are going through all this. Hang in there----give it some time and see how things come together. But never, ever let anyone make you her doormat. Be assertive and strong and teach others how to treat you.

Good luck.

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Specializes in OB.

On a positive note: In reading your initial post, I see that the RN who gave you a hard time did realize (it sounds like quickly) that she was wrong and had hurt you and made an apology. It also seems that others acted to support you and validate your feelings. While the situation sounds like it was very rough on you, I see a group that wants to support you - otherwise you would have been crying alone in the med room while they went on about their business. Since they made this move, I'd try to let it pass and give them a chance.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
you are only human and you did the best you could... she should of been more understanding.. 12 hours is a long long day and a long long night..... don't be embarrassed about crying at work you can only take so much ... by the end of the shift i am so exhausted i can barely give report.. i'm to tired to expalin what i did all day ... and heck i can't even remember it to give report...

nurses are their own worst enemy sometimes ... when we should be banding together .. that is why we have 24 hour facilities.. for one shift to catch up and cover for the other shift... thats why we have team work...

give yourself a big hug for me and don't worry about crying at work... we've all done it .. believe me i have more then once.. in a few days noone will care .. and somebody else will probably be crying...

you are just fine...

Isn't that the truth !!!! I am glad I am not the only one that feels that way after 12 hr. I forget things in report, also....we do so much that is sometimes impossible to get it all together when you are dragging....

:no:

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Specializes in L&D.

Hun, (((Hugs))) to you! I'm sorry this happened to you! I know how it is when you've been pushed, and pushed and pushed and so stressed that when the tears come, you can't stop them. I've had it happen before (not at work, I'm very happy where I work - thank goodness!), but I've been there. Have you worked since? How has it been?

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Specializes in Labor & Delivery.

I worked in a place very similar to what you are describing. I have never worked in such a disorganized backwards place. I wasnt used to treating pt who where not admitted, or having doc's come in and admit several at one time. What I was used to was either admitting them and doing all of the paperwork, iv's ect. in a sequence or sending them home. There was a clearly defined system for getting things done. I never could make the adjustment to the disorganized facility and quit after 5 months. I dont regret quitting at all. I felt 5 months was a fair shot at getting used to it and then decided to move on. I left a full time day position which was a shame because I love working days...but it was worth it. I'm now PRN at a facility that runs MUCH better. Much more like I am used to. Life is much to short to be miserable.:typing

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Specializes in OB, CASE MANAGEMENT.

I think I might have worked at that facility. It sounds so familiar. Hang in there I will bet that now that you have reacted they will leave you alone. If not continue to hang in there and dont let them run over you. You did a good job sticking up for yourself and the tears they just mean you are female. Good luck.:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in L&D, Antepartum, Postpartum, MB, Special.

I am going through the same thing right now. Only the nurses invade my home time too by calling me at 9 or 10 am right after the night shift and asking stuff that could easily be looked up in the computer. It has been 3 months for me and I am not sure how much longer I can deal with it. I hope it gets better for you.

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