Please help, feel trapped

Guest716906 · Mar 11, 2020

Thank you all so much! All your responses help so much. I didn't put in my 2 weeks.. I'm trying to stay. However today I just couldn't get out of bed. I'm at work now, super late. So behind on all my charting. My caseload is so heavy today and my back just hurts so bad. These patients are all so heavy and I'm always alone at their houses turning them, cleaning etc. I think I just have to look into FMLA. I'm just having worse and worse back pain. Any advice on how I should go about this? Our company is already short staffed and has lost 2 nurses. Another one keeps calling off. I'm trying to take a break. Something is very wrong at this company ?

carebear01, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2020

46 minutes ago, Tele RN 92 said:
Thank you all so much! All your responses help so much. I didn't put in my 2 weeks.. I'm trying to stay. However today I just couldn't get out of bed. I'm at work now, super late. So behind on all my charting. My caseload is so heavy today and my back just hurts so bad. These patients are all so heavy and I'm always alone at their houses turning them, cleaning etc. I think I just have to look into FMLA. I'm just having worse and worse back pain. Any advice on how I should go about this? Our company is already short staffed and has lost 2 nurses. Another one keeps calling off. I'm trying to take a break. Something is very wrong at this company ?

Get into see your PCP as soon at you can. If your pain is really bad, go to an urgent care. They can do some imagining and if the images are negative, maybe they can write for a few days off to rest your back. Are you full time or part time?

Guest716906 · Mar 11, 2020

@carebear01 I am full time. And OK that sounds like a good idea

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2020

11 hours ago, Tele RN 92 said:
@carebear01 I am full time. And OK that sounds like a good idea

You have to decide to take of yourself, not worry about the company. If you keep enabling them to overload you, make you lift without a Hoyer lift or whatever equipment would make your life easier, you will continue to be abused.

Get on FMLA immediately and take care of YOU. Don't let them beg and plead and cajole and promise you the moon. Be firm and take care of YOU.

Google FMLA and read up on it so you know the law.

Ever thought about teaching Nursing or being a public health nurse?

Guest716906 · Mar 12, 2020

@Kooky Korky Thank you. I actually went to work today and ended up hurting my neck, so I will go to the doctor and tell my manager. Hopefully I can have some time to recover. I'm pretty upset tonight though. I pushed myself too far and now my back and neck are killing me, it's not worth it. Hopefully I can have some time off and land a new job by then. But if not, I just have no idea. I don't think I can go back after this. I feel so abused and taken advantage of. My old job in med surg tele made me feel like this as well after 4 years. I just want a normal job where I don't have to kill myself.

Cindy Ann McAllister · Mar 14, 2020

When I experienced similar feelings, I cut my hours back and worked casual on a few units. It gave me a break and I learned new skills. I discovered what I liked and what I didn’t . I did not suffer financially.

The bigger bonus was how welcomed I was to go to these other units! The staff went out of their way to be friendly and helpful.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Mar 15, 2020

I'm sorry you are having such a rough time. You sound like you are physically and mentally burnt out. I can't imagine the stress of that. But in reality the stress of being unemployed will probably be greater when those bills start piling up and you have no way to pay them if you don't find another job right away.

You can't rely on credit cards to live off of. Unless you have large credit limits it won't take long to max out those cards plus you'll still have to continue paying on them. Even if you have that insurance through the credit card company that makes payments for you if you become unemployed I'm pretty sure you have to be unexpectedly and involuntarily unemployed to qualify.

Others have suggested FMLA and I am sorry to say but you won't qualify, not yet anyway. To meet FMLA requirements the company has to be a certain size which I assume yours is but unfortunately another requirement is you have to be with that employer for at least 12 months and you are not there quite yet.

Not that it is a good thing you were injured but...at least since it sounds like you told your manager you hurt your neck at work there's a good shot you can get a little break if you initiate a workmen's comp claim. Your employer might not like that and you will probably have to start by filing an accident/injury report detailing the neck injury you reported to your manager with that employer if you haven't already. But whether they like or not they are required to abide by the rules so as long as you have a reportable work related injury they have to cooperate with you filing a workmen's comp claim. I know from talking to a couple of staff I worked with that were either out of work or on modified duty with workman's comp that they are slow to pay you but at least you would have some guaranteed income while being either off work or at least working light duty. Just don't let anybody know that you will be using any time you have off to job hunt.

It sure does sound though like you need something different in the job department being so burnt out after only 9 months that you have a hard time making yourself even go to work. Employee assistance programs are supposed to confidential, if your company has one please use it to talk to somebody. At the very least learning some new coping methods to manage your stress is essential until you can find a job that you are better suited for.

I wish you the best of luck finding a job that's a better fit for you sooner rather than later. In the meantime do what you have to do to keep yourself going through the workday. Unless you have a partner or family that can support you financially having a crap job is better than having no job.

Good luck and please keep us updated.

Guest716906 · Mar 15, 2020

@kbrn2002 thanks so much! I reported the neck injury and filed a workmans comp claim. I am now working light duty. I feel so much better. Next week I have an interview for an insurance case manager and a hospital case manager, hopefully I can land one of those jobs and put in my 2 weeks asap. I know I can at least make it 2 more weeks. I feel better but it still scares me that things have gotten this bad. I have had a rocky road with nursing. I really hope my next job is good, and I find my place in the nursing world!

Kathylee460 · Mar 16, 2020

OMG! Poor girl. Hang in there. I have been a nurse for 35 years...majority of time hands on. However, I have had some "desk" jobs. Big pharmaceutical companies, like Merck, GSK, etc hire nurses to answer phones to clients who have questions about one of their drugs. This includes taking adverse event reactions, product damage etc. Clinical trials work but they want folks who have clinical research degree. Blue cross and Blue shield hires nurses as well as other big insurance companies. They usually will train you. Look on Indeed.com. Search office RN, try pharmaceutical RN, try drug company jobs, try health insurance RN jobs. Good luck to you. Keep trying.☺☺

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Mar 16, 2020

12 hours ago, Tele RN 92 said:
@kbrn2002 thanks so much! I reported the neck injury and filed a workmans comp claim. I am now working light duty. I feel so much better. Next week I have an interview for an insurance case manager and a hospital case manager, hopefully I can land one of those jobs and put in my 2 weeks asap. I know I can at least make it 2 more weeks. I feel better but it still scares me that things have gotten this bad. I have had a rocky road with nursing. I really hope my next job is good, and I find my place in the nursing world!

Glad the workman's comp was a good option for you. That'll at least give you some room to breathe. Good luck with the upcoming interviews! You already have case management experience so that'll give you a bit of an edge I would think. Thinking positive thoughts for you!!