0blam0v

Remember: opinions are like *******s...

Obviously he has psychological problems. Don't take his weird inferiority complex personally, but DO address this with his higher up as it is not professional behaviour.

Okay, not trying to start a ***** fest, but I actually would like some constructive advice... I am a >10 year ICU nurse that just started at a new unit. My orientation is going pretty fast, as to be expected, and the preceptor I've had for the last 3 weeks was amazing: made sure I good assignments, has a cheerful personality, and let me know if I missed anything that is customary practice for this unit. Last week I got assigned a new preceptor for scheduling reasons. This new preceptor has a ton of experience, has an advanced degree, and overall is a nice person. Unfortunately, she is the type of person who does not tell you anything you've done right, but everything you've done wrong. Which, in my case (because of the experience factor and I'm kind of a perfection nut) is not a lot. But, for instance, last night after independently admitting two ICU patients and doing complete admissions for both (including a lot of communication with the MD team when their conditions changed), she made me stay 25 minutes late to write SEPARATE NOTES ON EVERY HEADING OF THE CARE PLAN, in ADDITION to the admission notes, change in status notes, and twice-a-shift unit standard notes I had written. That amounted to 12 extra, distinct notes that had absolutely nothing to do with the patient's overnight changes, and that we are not required to do nor would I ever do in my own practice! I have her as a preceptor until the end of the month, and the thought that I will have to stay late working on ******** is really sticking in my craw. Should I say something or should I grin and bear it until I can get off orientation, what do you think?

I think overweight nurses are the easiest targets to pick on, but in reality there are nurses who might be taking very good care of themselves but are NEVER going to be stick thin because it is not in their genetics. (I'm not saying that because I am overweight and using an "excuse", I am a genetically thin person who could never gain a lot of weight, because, well, genetics.) I think a bigger, endemic, issue is nurses off all sizes and shapes that eat ****** food, do zero self-care, are running on empty at all times, and not only look it, but seem to glory in it in a weird sort of martyr-ship. Every single one of us work with nurses that look (and act) like they have been pulled through a knot-hole and still pick up as many extra shifts as they can. And the potlucks?!?!? Damn if you can find ONE single healthy dish. This is not clearly written, but my bigger point is that we, as HEALTHcare workers need to take the time and the space to take care of OURSELVES. We have access to a incredible amount of well-researched health information, we understand chronic disease and its cause, many of our employers now participate in some sort of health incentive programs, and we do owe it to our patients to be models of health and healthy habits. I know some will read this and say "Oh, easy for you to say, you don't have my life raising kids, working full time..." et cetera. But I walk the walk as I've been a single mom, working full-time, and I still manage to do yoga, prepare and pack healthy meals, and do cardio/weight resistance when I can. Is is hard sometimes? Absolutely! But these days it is even easier to incorporate health via apps on phones and the internets - much easier that when I started in 2001! I see it as crucial to keeping myself from being a patient myself, and also fueling my tank so I can be the best nurse I can be. I benefit, my patients benefit, my family benefits. Not easy but WORTH every second of effort.