One of those nights!!!!!!!!!!

[Price 2002]

Hi I am new here. I have recently become a STNA in Ohio. I work at wonderful facility. Tonight I worked a 2 person skilled rehab floor on 2nd shift alone. I luckily have great co-workers that helped me out but I was still overwhelmed. As I was passing room trays I dumped one on me and the resident because I was so exhaused. This is just about the toughest hallways to work in our facility. These are people that are used to being independant that now have to have total strangers suddenly take over everything....sorry I know I am preaching to the choir here. lol But anyway. Over half of these people are on bed alarms and could careless about them going off. They just get up and take off!!! There was several times over the course of the night that I had 5 alarms at once. I think it must be a full moon because my normal alert residents were even off tonight. Then after final rounds, everyone is clean, dry and alseep, all the trash & laundry is out and gone the 4 of us in our area go and sit down like always. We have pagers that go off everytime we have a call light. Out comes the only mean nurse that we have . She yells that if we don't all get up that this will be the last night we work at this facility. We all got up and stared at her in shock. :angryfire So we took off our seperate ways back to our respective hallways. I had no other call lights or issues. So I made another final round and then headed up to the nurses station to clock out. And what do we have 3rd shift in and sitting down. So 2 of us hung out a little later after we clocked out and got our assignments for the next day and when we left the evil nurse is sitting there with them. Is it just me or does this seem like a double standard??? I am not trying to make anyone mad but I am new to this biz and could use some advise. Thanks for reading this huge vent!!!

[bethin]

Does seem like she has a double standard.

I had a mean coworker (LPN) who everyone feared. She said something behind my back (I didn't give a pt a new straw with a water pitcher - just report me to state!). I found out about it and told her in private that I don't care what she says - I don't need nor want her friendship.

Since then she has treated me wth respect and we have come to know each other well. Some people have tough personalities and you have to stand up to them first before they will respect you.

Maybe she is burned out, hates her job, stressed or all three. Next time ask her what her problem is (nicely). I have asked nurses who never help out if their hands are painted on and the paint is still wet but I wouldn't recommend doing that.

I've been an aide for 6 years and before I was this shy meek little girl. This job has made me more outspoken and more sure of myself. But that comes with time and standing up for yourself bit by bit.