LittleRN5678

I work in oncology and I 100% concur with you! It's hard. The job makes you sad and a little paranoid. But I've found it helps me appreciate the little things in life. You are the best person there to help them. Just be careful and don't get burnt out. I have benefitted from therapy, meditation, crying sessions with my boyfriebd/coworkers, and reflective journaling.

I've been at my nursing job for a year now. I'm a shy person and I've worked hard to overcome that. But these techs don't listen! When I ask them nicely to do something, or remind them, they roll their eyes, say they'll get to it later (even if they're on their phone and the Pt needs to go to the bathroom). Meanwhile I'm jumping up and grabbing call lights. At first my boss was supportive but now she says it must be something with my communication since "nobody else has this problem" (which I know isn't true, it is well known that the techs here are lazy). It's getting frustrating. They give me excuses for why tasks aren't completed, and make me feel like a nag when I'm just doing my job. Even patients have commented on how rude they are! I guess it's part of my job to be a nag, but on the other hand I feel like I'm putting in 110% and the techs put in 50%. I try so hard to speak to them politely and help them when I can (I was a tech before too, but I never acted like this to my nurses). I make a big deal to thank them when they do the right thing. Do others feel like they are constantly nagging their techs? Should I just get used to the rudeness and swallow my pride? My blood pressure is increasing as my work satisfaction decreases.

I've been working on a med surg floor for about a year. I have the opportunity to work in the ICU in the same organization. It would be in a different hospital though. My reasons for wanting to switch are--1) curiosity, as med surg is all I know; 2) feeling unsafe caring for 6 pts who are med surg but pretty involved; 3) feeling a "no one cares" attitude on my floor, lack of professionalism on my floor. It may be a grass is greener on the other side situation. I love my med surg patients but lately I've had issues with techs/lab/sitters not following my instructions and with 6 pts, I can't devote the time I want. People say I'm too perfectionist. I know these delegation issues won't end in the ICU, but experienced ICU nurses have told me they think I would be happier in an enviornment where details are more important (not that details don't matter in med surg--they do! I just tend to watch my patients like a hawk, and end up doing most of the work I delegate myself anyway, because there's an attitude on my floor of "with 6 patients, we can't be perfect"--but some patients still need strict i's and o's! Patients need to be turned! Vitals need to be done on time--and accurately!). I'm not sure if it's me or the med surg environment (writing this, I think the former). I don't want a bad few shifts to change my whole career path. I also don't know anything about the ICU--vents, drips, etc. I would miss my med surg Pts-I love talking to patients and families. I love the pace of 5 pts--not 6! In a perfect situation, I would still retain my med surg job full time, let the ICU team train me, and work Job 2 for them. my questions are--has anyone ever worked med surg and critical care together for the same facility? I wonder if HR would even let me (and this is if the ICU will hire me, train me, and let me work 1-2 shifts a week, highly unlikely). Is it unprofessional for me to shadow in ICU without telling my current manager? Is it rude to shadow if I'm only doing it to see that I'm happy where I currently am? I don't want to waste the ICU manager's time.

I need more feedback. I'm not sure how to ask for it though. Patients seem to like me and I get along with my coworkers. But lately I've noticed that the people who follow me aren't so happy to see me...I've made a few mistakes and I have learned from all of them. I've only been on my own since December. I had a med error, one of my surgical patients got a hematoma, I held a heart med due to parameters in the med order and the next day the guy had to go back to icu, and one time I had an order for fluids at 150 but somehow they got set to 125. And I just realized that I had hung a secondary (no primary fluids ordered, I just put some ns to 5ml/hr) and didn't cut it off so the Pt is still on 5 ml/hr even though it's not ordered. How many mistakes is usual for a nurse to make the first few months? I've only been spoken to about two of them. I realize I make them after I leave work. How can I ask my manager and coworkers for better feedback?

I'm a new grad, been out on the floor for about three months on my own so far. So far I've made two major mistakes. The first was my second day on my own..it was a med error. After that error (which wasn't a life threatening error) it scared me so now I'm super careful about meds. But then last night I didn't monitor a post op thyroidectomy Pt frequently enough. When the surgeon came in he had a small hematoma around the incision. I felt terrible but I was so anxious I couldn't even think straight when the surgeon was asking me questions. The Pt had been up and walking fine so I just didn't even think to check under the dressing (I know, it's stupid). I basically made a fool of myself in front of the surgeon and incoming nurse, and far worse the Pt could have been injured. I've had these types of pts before but they had no complications, and open wound sites so there was no dressing to peek under. Luckily the Pt was fine (as far as I know), they just kept him for more monitoring. But now I'm afraid to go back to work. I already "turned myself in" to the nurse educator, told her about my mistake and what I should have done differently. I'm worried I'll get fired or suspended or written up, now that incoming nurse thinks I'm an idiot/lazy and probably told the other nurses, the surgeon provably has no trust in me...ugh. After I made the med error I learned from it and I learned from this mistake but this was a more serious mistake. I'll never make it again. But I feel like I've let everyone down and probably ruined my reputation. has anyone been in this situation? What should I do? Obviously I'll go back for my next shift...the educator didn't seem too alarmed when I told her, but what if I got suspended but don't know it?