Please help needing immediate advice!!

[gt4everpn, BSN, RN]

I'm cutting to the chase here I'm an lpn i work in ltc, first let me say that i take much interest in doing my work as a nurse completely thorougly and properly. Ive been in ltc for a year and constructive criticism isnt a problem for me. over the course of the year i have been at this ltc facility the way other nurses go about issue is making me wonder, does this happen everywhere? for instance, when I worked with a nurse for the first time, she called the supervisor to report me because she had found a pts feeding bottle empty, I would have appreciated if she told me first seeing that I was busy and shift was changing! a charge nurse pulled me aside to tell me that she found a dirty dressing in a pts hamper and said that it could've only been me that put it there. the same nurse pulled me aside again to tell me i didnt give a pt her BP patch but by this time the pt was discharged to the hosp BUT came back with the BP patch on her skin exactly where i put it bearing my huge initials, then apparentely another nurse has a problem with the way I audit MD orders but tells everyone except me even though i see her time and again i didnt know there was a problem! I will confront her though. I appreciate constructive criticism but when people talk about you behind your back or report you about something minor that you've never done before, or tell you , you didnt give a med when you obviously did.Or supervisors tell people that you are lazy when they happen to come on the floor and see you sitting for 2 mins. mind you I've had pts, supervisors, cna's all complement me for my good work and say that I dont give problems. 40+ pts isnt easy and , i do doubles if they need people badly cuz no-one wants to come in and work!, turn my car around in the middle of going home to help with staffing! I've worked short while the same charge nurse who nit picks at me finds the minimum to do while I work the entire floor, my paycheck is always missing money! and its always the same nurses who keep creating the fuss! the other nurses are just used to the fussing, but when Im so hard on myself to do my work right and people call you at home when your sleeping to tell you about a simple mistake that harmed no-one, or never tell you, you made a mistake at all and rather have you written up for it, its disconcerning! What ever happened to having alittle mercy on people. Bigger problems like med errors are never looked into everyone just points a finger, Even supervisors complain about the daytime nurses and how negligent and lazy they are! I just need to know is this commonplace in facilities or should I hit the road?:zzzzz

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

That's harassment, pure and simple.

No more doubles, no more picking up shifts, stay only if you are mandated.

No good deed goes unpunished.

[Ms Kylee]

I'd be out of there so fast, I'd leave skid marks in the parking lot.

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

LTC work is hard work, everyone will admit to that. For some people it makes them feel better about themselves to trash on others...why I dont know, you ever see the movie "mean girls" sometimes it doesnt end in high school.

In my personal opinion the trouble with LTC starts with Mgmt and flows downwards. For instance, your mgr should not have taken a complaint about you over the phone. that is his/her fault for even allowing another nurse to make such a petty complaint via an after hours phone call. The Mgr should ahve said. "did you help her change the bag? Ok thank you" and made her feel like a tattle tale for calling. The talking behind others backs happens else where, but I think in LTC it is almost encouraged vs discouraged. The whole pay check missing money thing--this can not be tolerated. You work too hard to get even the slightest bit shorted. Back to the problems start at the top and trickle down...

From what I have read and if your asking what I would do, I would leave...I have also read and seen with my own eyes some pretty nice LTC centers that respect their staff and foster a positive work env that benefits not only the staff but ultimately the most important the patients.

Best of luck, I think a good LTC nurse are worth more than their weight in gold, you all work so hard in such tough conditions and your impact on others lives is immense, you deserve to be treated so much better by mgmt and peers.

[Southernurse]

there are too few nurses who can take constructive criticism, however you are not taking anything constructive away from this environment. you are being taken advantage of, and that role of yours can make you into a patsy, and patsies lose their licenses. it is impossible not to have a loose end or two when you have up to 60 people to care for. staffing in ltc's is ludicrous. how can one nurse provide adequate care for so many? the fact that there was another nurse ready to pounce on you for your loose ends is not surprising to me. i did ltc as an agency nurse, and that was very short -lived. my experience wasn't nearly what yours was, but i'll bet you the nurse that found your tf empty did not place a new bottle there before coming to tell you about it. if she did, it was to martyr herself. it is a bad environment, and you sacrificed too much to go to school just to be miserable where you work. you need to r-u-n-n-o-f-t!!!!

[Southernurse]

you need to r-u-n-n-o-f-t!!!!

don't go losing your license because these predatory nurses will nitpick. i'll bet you the nurse who found your tf empty did not replace it, and if she did it was to martyr herself and blame you. hightail it out! you sacrificed too much to go to school just to be miserable where you work. take control of the situation and your license and leave!:anpom:

[Southernurse]

sorry, computer had BM:chuckle

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

get the h........ out of there

[BradleyRN]

If you dont leave, at least tell them never to call you at home to complain about your performance. That is your time! But, with management like that in a world full of LTC facilities, id simply move to the next one. Another approach would be to complain to the DON. It sounds like this facility is severely understaffed and you do a lot to help them. I bet the higher ups would hate to see you go over the harassment you shouldnt have to endure in the first place. Finally, never accept too many pts. If by "entire floor" you mean nearly 80 pts, then that is way too many. If something were to go wrong, they would definitely blame you for accepting more than you can handle. You have the right to refuse any assignment you feel to be unsafe.

[KarynicaRN]

I am in Illinois and that sounds exactly of the kind of cr*p I have put up with for years. The back biting, complaining, whining, don't wanna work cause I have something already planned know it all nurses. You do all the work because the other nurses know you will do it. Oh do they make me mad.

I don't know how many times I have worked over for another nurse. I have even volunteered to work for the DON and she promised me her $150 bonus and never get it. I won't do it anymore. I became so burned out from helping everyone else and staying over to work.

My advice is to not work overtime anymore, don't talk to anyone because anything you might say will come back and haunt you even if you think it's innocent. LTC is one of those jobs where everyone thinks they need to get the "goods" on someone else to use on them later. I really do feel for you because I have been put in awkward situations. Stand up for yourself and your rights. It's harassment pure and simple. I wish you the best of luck. You deserve better.

[caliotter3]

What you describe often happens in LTC facilities. Nothing new. You need to stand up for yourself and evaluate whether you can stand up to the barrage or need to move on. After a year if you haven't been able to establish yourself as one not to be messed with, I suspect that you need to look for a new job. It is not worth it to constantly be wondering what it will be next. Look for a new job. But please be aware that you will probably find the same atmosphere in another LTC facillity. Hopefully you will have thought about the situation and will have come up with good coping strategies.

[ricknick92]

I have never worked in ltc but your situation sounds horrible!!! My advice is to stay if you have to but I am sure there are other places that would be glad to have you on their team!