opinion for seasoned dialysis nurse/manager

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Specializes in jack of all trades.

I'm currently the DON of an 11-bed chronic unit. One I didnt apply for at that. Hired for acutes but got stuck in a chronic unit when they fired the previous DON. Been 1 1/2 years now!! Anyway, we have a census of 38-40 varying at this time and open 6 days/week. Not only am I doing all the administrative, careplan, initial assessments, med adjustments, unit issues, staffing I am the charge on the floor 3-4 days aweek. I have one per-diem nurse who sets her own days 1-2 aweek and her last day is this week. We have ran add after add and unable to find an experienced RN to help out. Paperwork and everything else in this unit was months behind when I got drafted so to speak and I finally have most things caught up and on track. Problem I have is I cant get through to the administrator (located at another clinic as her home office) that it's too much for 1 person to do!! In order for me to have a medical procedure done they have to send the DON from another clinic to work for me who is 1 1/2hrs drive so she doesnt exactly volunteer. Shes either not hearing me or doenst want to. I need to determine best way to get it across or I need to head out for other endeavors. They have been cutting my staff to the bone where I also have to take a patient load of 3 when on the floor besides being the only RN and still expect me to do the monthly reports, network issues, orders, fistula first, etc while I take that load. Usually it's me and 2-pcts with 11pts. Oh we arent computerized either and have to hand chart everything. I cant work any harder. Forgot to mention they just made me go salary also so no ot for all the extra bs or hours :angryfire Get comp time sometimes but heck I cant take my pto much less comp time LOL. Am I nuts or is this too too much?

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oh my gosh, I thought I had it bad. I say you cant run fast enough. It is getting really scary in the world of nursing:o

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I bet I know what company you are working for. They are really taking advantage of you and treating you like crap. Don't allow them to.

You could insist on a traveler until a perm, full-time RN can be hired and trained.

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Specializes in Dialysis (acute & chronic).

One thing to ask yourself - "is your nursing license worth it to you?"

If I was you I would also turn in my resignation and get out of dodge. See if that would help you get at least an agency nurse to help out until you get someone hired.

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Specializes in ER, Critical Care.

I am in the exact same situation, cant' go into details where I work. I work PRN at another hospital and love it. I could really pick up all the hours I wanted and my family and I would be fine financially, but we may be without benefits for a while and that scares me. What scares me more, however, is that my license is in jeopardy and the lives of those patients as well. I need some serious advice. I have never been one to not give notice when leaving a place of employment, but I do not ever want to step foot in that place again, it makes me sick to my stomach to even think about it. Any advice would help. Thank you,

Daisy

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Specializes in jack of all trades.

There have been places I absolutely hated but I did give notice of at least 2 weeks as learned long time ago it's not good to burn too many bridges. I hated my last job in chronics and swore I would never work chronics again. Was hired for acutes and ended up stuck where I am managing a chronic unit. I hate it hate it hate it!!! From what I can see one chronic clinic isnt much different from the next down the road so I have come to the decision to get out of it all together. At least if I go back to ER or even ICU I wont get abused as I have found we are in chronics. If not by patients then by the employer so I'm pretty much done. I will find a position elsewhere first then give notice. State inspectors came into our sister clinic this week so now the administrator of our area is freaking out expecting me to do everything to prepare plus work as the only RN in the unit (I am the only RN on staff now LOL). You would think they would go out of thier way to keep a good manager, especially one who has increased the pt census when pts are leaving other clinics to come to ours due to reputation that we give individualized care rather than the conveyor belt mentality I experienced elsewhere. Guess it all comes down to that bottom line $ on the profit margin. Plus I am not working 60 hours a week for salary pay! I'm absolutely miserable. We just go so called "new" H's so we can rid of our old cobes. The "new" h's are older and more hours on them then our cobes and havent had maintenance on them in over a year!!! We duct tape our chairs, and the tv's are taped also to keep them from falling off the tv arm. Now told to keep my staff down to under 36 hours. Hmm hard when you only have 3 techs on the entire staff to cover 6 days aweek 10-12 hour days. Ok enough venting lol.

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There have been places I absolutely hated but I did give notice of at least 2 weeks as learned long time ago it's not good to burn too many bridges. I hated my last job in chronics and swore I would never work chronics again. Was hired for acutes and ended up stuck where I am managing a chronic unit. I hate it hate it hate it!!! From what I can see one chronic clinic isnt much different from the next down the road so I have come to the decision to get out of it all together. At least if I go back to ER or even ICU I wont get abused as I have found we are in chronics. If not by patients then by the employer so I'm pretty much done. I will find a position elsewhere first then give notice. State inspectors came into our sister clinic this week so now the administrator of our area is freaking out expecting me to do everything to prepare plus work as the only RN in the unit (I am the only RN on staff now LOL). You would think they would go out of thier way to keep a good manager, especially one who has increased the pt census when pts are leaving other clinics to come to ours due to reputation that we give individualized care rather than the conveyor belt mentality I experienced elsewhere. Guess it all comes down to that bottom line $ on the profit margin. Plus I am not working 60 hours a week for salary pay! I'm absolutely miserable. We just go so called "new" H's so we can rid of our old cobes. The "new" h's are older and more hours on them then our cobes and havent had maintenance on them in over a year!!! We duct tape our chairs, and the tv's are taped also to keep them from falling off the tv arm. Now told to keep my staff down to under 36 hours. Hmm hard when you only have 3 techs on the entire staff to cover 6 days aweek 10-12 hour days. Ok enough venting lol.

Sounds awful!

Did you know that the H machines are selling on ebay for only $500. a piece?

FMC is not making any replacement parts for them anymore- as of this year. Companies who still want to use them have to use old broken machines as a source for parts. Basically, a company has to have an H junk yard.

Duct tape on the chairs? Sounds like a real quality operation.:uhoh3:

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Specializes in dialysis (mostly) some L&D, Rehab/LTC.

NO NO NO:nono: Get out now! That's abuse!

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Specializes in ER, Critical Care.

Thank you. I did get out. I have no regrets.

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Thank you. I did get out. I have no regrets.

Good for you. What was their reaction when you quit?

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Whew, glad you got out! That a shut-down clinic in the making. How'd it go???

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Specializes in jack of all trades.

I'm still stuck there but giving resignation tomarrow. I'm done and pretty much just getting out of dialysis all together. Going back to ER thank goodness!!!

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