Over my head?

[Madc]

I got hired doing exactly what I wanted out of school. Working with psychiatric ped patients. The hospital is a residential and acute for pediatric patients. I was hired as the residential charge nurse to help the house supervisor but there is no house supervisor so I’m acting HS every single day.

I was told my priority was residential but to help acute if needed. The past months I’ve dealt with sly comments from the nurses and the acute station. I smile through it and try to be respectful but one day I snapped on the LPN for being smart with me.

Another day I was attacked by this group that I don’t know what my job is and I’m not helping acute and I needed to learn my job. I asked a very simple question and the response I got was ridiculous.

Now I had an LPN refuse cart keys from another nurse unit on residential even though another nurse was coming in 3 hours.

All the children were asleep there were no meds to be given.

I was told if someone is insubordinate to send them home but I don’t want to take someone’s keys and do that to them. I try and talk out it. Well the HS coming on read my messages on the phone before I had even given over my shift and asked what happened. I told her I’m confidence HS to HS and she went and asked what happened and why she was being insubordinate. I was cussed out in front of everyone and I told that HS it wasn’t her business to tell nor was it the LPNs business to know until higher management handled as they said they would. I was pulled aside and told I should never disrespect her like that again. I just don’t understand how what she did wasn’t disrespectful. It was basically stirring the pot when it didn’t have to be that way. She told me it was her business to know everything that goes on but technically I am acting HS and there’s her and another. The one I trained over NEVER acted like that. It’s all overwhelming and it’s like I’m verbally abused everyday on this shift. I don’t have this issue on weekends or mornings. It’s this particular group of people that think I need to do everything for acute, but if children are fighting on other units they don’t come to my aid.

I’m fed up with it but it was my dream job everything else is great. And now who’s going to want a new grad who went straight and boxed herself into this field. I feel hopeless.

I just don’t understand how these people treat each other like this either. I try and treat people with the upmost respect. I’m just at a loss.

i want to apply for new positions but I’ve been a nurse for 3 months, went into psych ( which I still love dearly), and I’m afraid I look like I’ve boxed myself in and a flake.

[Madc, BSN]

1 minute ago, Hoosier_RN said:

as a new grad, you are in no position to be a leader either. Leaders have learned the skills and are proficient to help others. Beyond what they have told you, you have a game plan to get out of there and into an appropriate job situation. Keep your chin up, you're going to be fine!

Thank you for the postives words!!! I’m just going to apply apply and apply.

Would you recommend keeping this job on my resume? Even though it was overwhelming there are skills I learned and can apply!

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

I would, because you can always say, "I learned, x, y, and z. The role was really more than I should have taken on, but I'm glad to have gotten the experience with the facility. I just decided to move on because it wasn't a good fit". You get to show your skills learned, problem solving, and ability to notice when it wasn't a good fit. By not bad mouthing the facility or anyone in it, you show you are being adult, and classy, about it.

The only exception would be if you can find a new grad residency. Apply, leave it off of there for obvious reasons, and never look back!

[amoLucia]

to TriciaJ - kudos on your very, very well worded interview response to OP.

OP - it is sad that you were taken advantage of not only by TPTB who hired you, but also those who worked around you.

Time to move on & good luck to you.

[Forest2]

On 7/6/2019 at 5:22 PM, Madc said:

I do feel like I learned how a lot on establishing rapport,psych medicines, assessments, and medication side effects along with time management. The job has taught me a lot it’s just too much with all that. How would I worked things carefully?

I’m not sure if my ability to coordinate staffing and conflict resolution among staff (besides these couple of incendents it’s gone smoothly) look good or bad

I’m sure they’ll ask why I left and the truth is it’s overwhelming as a new grad to be in such a position.

In an interview I don't see how it would reflect bad on you if you just said you learned that you were not ready for management yet. I mean you learned this, so that is good. What a toxic environment!!

[ICUNurse32, BSN, RN]

I would get out of that place ASAP!!!!! Awful situation. Sorry you are enduring that.

[Interpolfan89]

I know I am going to get virtually shot for saying this but I don’t agree that a new grad should NEVER be hired into a leadership role. Circumstance is everything. This person could have had a leadership role outside of nursing in which the same leadership skills would apply and transfer. I’m not saying that the OP did but I’m just hesitant to use the word NEVER. We learned in school that any answer to a question that contained the word NEVER or ALWAYS was usually wrong ?

[Madc, BSN]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I do hate to leave it because I loved the kids and management does have my back

however I don’t want to lose my license or anything over it.

I have a some interviews already lined up!

[Madc, BSN]

3 hours ago, Interpolfan89 said:

I know I am going to get virtually shot for saying this but I don’t agree that a new grad should NEVER be hired into a leadership role. Circumstance is everything. This person could have had a leadership role outside of nursing in which the same leadership skills would apply and transfer. I’m not saying that the OP did but I’m just hesitant to use the word NEVER. We learned in school that any answer to a question that contained the word NEVER or ALWAYS was usually wrong ?

I was a manager in a retail store for 3 years while in nursing school but it is very different running a store and running a psych hospital. I believe the issue is more the culture of the place and the employees being “messy”

I actually had LPNs tell me the LPN that cussed me out was bragging about doing it.

[Zookeeper44, RN]

On 7/7/2019 at 1:42 PM, TriciaJ said:

"I was excited to be offered a management position and accepted it. I came to realize that it required a skill set that as a new grad I just don't have. I am now looking for some solid nursing experience and hopefully there will be some mentorship available. I want to develop my practice before maybe someday considering management."

They will get the message that someone hired a new grad into management with predictable results. They will be impressed by your assessment of the situation, your insight into your current strengths and weaknesses and your ability to change course and problem-solve. Good luck.

This is perfect. I say there is no shame in having the ability to recognize when something is not a good fit, and move forward. Personally, I was hired 6 months out of nursing school to do home health...it was absolutely HORRIBLE in every way...THEY should have not hired me, but they were taking any warm body that came along. And on top of me not having the required skills, experience, or knowledge...they berated me about anything and everything, daily. It was crazy. I got out FAST.

Don't give up on psych, you will probably love being a psych staff nurse.

[Forest2]

16 hours ago, Madc said:

I was a manager in a retail store for 3 years while in nursing school but it is very different running a store and running a psych hospital. I believe the issue is more the culture of the place and the employees being “messy”

I actually had LPNs tell me the LPN that cussed me out was bragging about doing it.

Dang. She should be disciplined, there is no cause for that kind of behavior.

[Madc, BSN]

8 hours ago, Forest2 said:

Dang. She should be disciplined, there is no cause for that kind of behavior.

I know management is going to handle it and I truly do love my job and the kids I just wish I didn’t have to be in this position if power as a new grad at 23.

I have interviews on SICU and labor and delivery floors and hopefully I’ll like those

[Nisa Kreuzer]

I agree that you should never have been hired in that position as a new grad. It's important for most people to experience the position of an entry level nurse to establish your foundation and give you that knowledge base. You can easily explain when you apply for another position that after working for 3 months you realize that the position is not appropriate for someone with your level of experience. And there's nothing wrong with that, it's not a mistake on your part. It may even benefit you in an interview to express this, showing a level of insight.