Ouch, I'm tired!!!!!!!

frann · Nov 7, 2001

I'm only taking a month or two off. I was thinking school nurse or something.

My brother in law has a opening for a pig cooker on thanksgiving.

I think I'll be a shoe in for the job.

micro, RN · Nov 8, 2001

Frann, what a plan. what a cool vacation, from the fun we have as nurses!!!!!!!!! Enjoy the pigcookin' and then back for a new start!!!!! MICRO:p :p

emergency · Nov 9, 2001

Hey Fran - GOOD FOR YOU!!

I have been an RN for 8 years, various specialties, currently in the ER. I decided just yesterday that I've had it up to here with all the crap nurses have to take i.e. lazy techs that have worked there forever and have always done NOTHING right in front of management. And when I cross that road with mgmt - it's always the same answer - yeah, we really need to talk to them again, they tend to get lazy sometimes. I work in a fairly large ER, 44 beds, decent staffing ratios, usually 3-6 pts per RN, 60K plus pts per year. And I agree with most nurses that people come in for a condition they have had for 6 months and have no local doctor and then expect the staff to jump on it because this is the ''ER for Gods sake". I decided to leave nursing and now I feel so liberated I can't stand it!!! I will be taking a class on medical coding, I hear there is a large demand and the pay is pretty good, best of all you don't do any direct patient care. I used to think I would always be a nurse but now I am so tired that I basically have no life and no hobbies, and probably if I did I would be too tired to participate in anything but work/housework.

Good luck to you - wish me luck.

CareerRN · Nov 9, 2001

emergency,

"I work in a fairly large ER, 44 beds, decent staffing ratios, usually 3-6 pts per RN,"

I can see why you are tired. How can you say that 6 patients to 1 RN is decent staffing in an ER setting? I know that it might have been what you have gotten accustomed to, but it is in no way decent. This would be a acceptable in an urgent care/fast track setting where no IVs are started.

This is not a personal slam of any kind. It does however point out how quickly we are brainwashed or learn to accept the conditions that we are forced to endure. Even to the extent of accepting and even defending those conditions.

Good luck to you in your new endeavor. I am sure that there will be many other experienced and fed up nurses following.

micro, RN · Nov 10, 2001

Wow!!!!!!! Ditto!!!!!!! I agree. I don't work in ER, have been tempted to apply and get further training for ER, maybe will, but to have 6:1 ratio. Give you credit if you can do it, but YIIIIIKKKEES! :eek: :eek:

I currently work on med-surg unit which is typically not badly staffed, but with 4-5:1 ratio w/w-o charge nurse can be just enough to handle with having almost charting to do after finally passing off report to following nurse. :rolleyes:

Of course, I am still working on my organizational skills, and must not have them perfected!!!!!!!!! :p

What makes me tired, to answer my own question!!!!! Today, was non-stop patients, both with psych/physical Dx, ACUTE, and don't want to go on anymore as too tired and still believe in attempting to keep confidentiality. And when should have got out after twelve 1/2 hrs., but instead closer to 14.........

Oh, well.....I am off this weekend and guess who is not answering the phone and if I forget and do answer the phone, I will only discuss the weather and nothing about coming in to work!!!!! Tee!!!! Hee!!!!

MICRO:p

psnurse · Nov 10, 2001

What makes me tired? Sure the physical demands of the job make me tired. But I can deal with that, I wasn't expecting a bed of roses.

What really makes me tired are those mental drains. Backbiting, complaining about nothing, listening to non issues become issues, and having MDs complain about being on call (like I had anything to do with that).

micro, RN · Nov 10, 2001

LISTENING TO NONISSUES BECOME ISSUES!!!!!!!!!

Ditto, PSNurse!!!!!!!!!!! micro:p

FLFRN58 · Nov 10, 2001

Yeah Frann...have a great mental/physical/emotional vacation month...or two....! I took off from Sept.6 until Nov. 9. I went back to work as flex staff. No benefits, but not many committments either. I am going to float around for awhile. I've done oncology for almost 14 years now. I'm doing a couple of weekends in that unit and then I am going to venture out.

I don't know how much longer I will be able to do nursing either. I am rejuvenated for now. But you know how fast it takes after vacation for the smile on your face and the spring in your step to be beaten down. Sometimes all it takes is a shift or two.

OC_An Khe · Nov 11, 2001

Working long hours in a frustrating field will really make one tired. Instead of leaving I stopped doing 12 hour shifts, quality of life definetly improved.

Researchnurse · Nov 12, 2001

I would like to offer an alternative to those of you who are burnt out with floor nursing. I have been in your shoes some 10 years ago, and got into research nursing. What a great change! If there is any major university hospital in your area, give them a call and see if they are hiring. I still come home tired sometimes, and there are deadlines to meet, and gobs of paperwork, but I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Not a day in 10 years have I not WANTED to go to work, and all of my peers have the same opinion as me. When we have a bad day, we always finish our gripe session by saying "but hey....it's better than floor nursing"!

We still see patients both inpatients and out patients.... and we may administer drugs(if it is a drug study), we are not out of the loop as far as new meds, treatments etc. and there is so much to learn!

Currently I am doing about 9 different studies... on just about every condition: sickle cell, arthritis, dermatology,compulsive gambling (fun) , depression, stem cell transplant, obesity etc.

As far as pay, I could not ask for better.... our university pays for my kids to attend any college as long as it is less than theirs, and they will even pay for me to go back to school. I get 4 weeks paid vacation, and pretty much make my own hours according to when my patients are scheduled.

I just wanted to mention this, because I remember those days of having more patients than I felt was safe, working 12 hour shifts, and coming home night after night wishing there were an easier way to make a living!

It is a DIFFERENT kind of nursing, but very satisfying. I have never had any regrets having gone into this field. If any of you would like to look into this field, start by looking up you local ACRP(Assoc. of Clinical Research Professionals) chapter to see what they know about job openings in your area.

micro, RN · Nov 12, 2001

will keep this one in my back pocket for my future career plans. thanks!!!!! micro;) :)

emergency · Nov 15, 2001

Hey - tell me then, what is the "usual" staffing ratio for ERs, our breakdown is as follows: In the main room - i.e. crash and burn - we usually have 3 pts, sometimes 4. In the wintertime (in Fla, all the old folks), it is always a cluster with your 3 pts, and then someone in the hallway with active cp. I even had someone hooked up to the crash cart last winter because that's the only monitor we had left! (incidently, the monitor was not turned on by the tech that brought her back. I happened upon her, asked her where she was from, she said "I just came over from my cardiologist's office, failed a stress test". ) After I felt a little run of SVT myself, I handled the situation and moved her, etc.

It seems if they come in to triage with cp, some miracle is going

to happen when they get to the main room, like there will be

a nurse to take care of them. Nothing like running between pts with ntg series in progress to get your blood flowing.

Besides the main room, we have 2 hallways with 9 beds each, kindof a "whatever comes in" type setting. Usually 2 RNs and a medic, sometimes a tech to transport. I have worked many a code on these other halls also. Is it the nursing shortage, I don't know, I see new/different RNs every day either taking report or getting a tour of the ed. Maybe management??!! I've been there only a year, but I know when to get out (BEFORE winter season!)