akint19

first of all thanks so much to everyone who commented. and to answer this comment...by Miss.LeoRN and sevensonnets negative. It's more of when I was with different preceptors and observing how they are doing SINCE I AM STILL ON ORIENTATION, I had noticed none of them pulled out a stethoscope even on admission patients. It's the doctors who check with their stethoscopes and nurses have admitted that their stethoscopes are at HOME.

it can be overwhelming, since we are still new grads, but you are still learning! What is your nurse: patient ratio? Mine is about 8 on a med surg unit and sometimes I forget things too. Keep learning and learn from your mistakes!

I really want to quit this job - I can't take this place anymore. As from my previous posts, I am on a medsurg unit with a ratio of 1 nurse to 8 patients (6 IF WE ARE LUCKY). I'm getting anxiety while I am off from work. The other day, I had several admissions in the unit (I never did an admission before) and preceptor gave me no guidance. I was asking my preceptor to please check my notes and documentation and she would keep telling me that she doesn't have time or she will check it later. I am almost done with orientation (5 weeks) and I have a full patient load already (I took on my preceptor's patients) I have been thrown around from preceptor to preceptor and each one tells me a different thing. Others don't even scan the wristbands because they have no time. I notice also that other nurses talk bad about me behind my back like I am a stupid new grad and I just ignore them because I don't come to work to please them. One nurse told my preceptor right in front of me to take a tylenol if she wants since she will be teaching me today. They obviously do not want to teach since they are so busy with their own patients and are not welcoming at all. I don't expect for them to hold my hand during orientation but at least help me out when I have a question and not roll their eyeballs. How can I be a good and confident nurse when they do not want to teach? and I am taking care of THEIR patients, in which last week my preceptor never even bothered to assess the patients and depended on me for everything. If I have an incomplete documentation report, wouldn't that be on their license? since I am supposed to be working under a preceptor and not independently... It is so frustrating!!! Advice needed please.

Hey thanks for your reply. That sounds so hardh to say you're doing well and then 2 days later you were let go! that's so mean! But maybe it was a blessing in disguise... I get tossed around from preceptor to preceptor and they all tell me they are so busy. I ask them to check my notes and documentation and replies are usually "I will do it later" Had admissions thrown at me with no guidance so who knows if documentationare right. Sad but true. I do get weekly reports and they say I need to be faster with medications but they offer no help. I do ask for help but they are so busy with "their own" patients and don't realize i am taking care of their patients as well... I ask to slow down with patient load and they said I need to be fast. So unsafe!

I can relate. We get about 7-8 patients on days on the same unit and it feels so unsafe. The quality of patient care declines and I may risk losing my license

Not sure regarding the transfer policy at your hospital but most likely you would have to wait at least 6 months to a year. Try to ask when you can transfer and if possible, suck it up for that time and then transfer later.

Nope - there's no stethoscopes on the unit at all (even disposable ones). We have an isolation room but no stethoscope inside. The only time I saw a stethoscope was in the doctor's pocket but nurses do not carry one at all.

Thank you everyone for the advice!

new grad here, noticed ALL the nurses on my unit (med surg) do not use their stethoscopes...and just compare their notes to the previous shift notes..... i just bought a new stethoscope and hung it around my neck and the nurse told me to leave it in my bag. so how am i supposed to do assessments???? patient hasnt pooped in 3 days but do you think any of the nurses would pull out their stethoscopes to listen to bowel sounds??..... im still on orientation and i feel like this hospital is making me crazy... i still do my full assessments regardless!

thanks. i did ask for a back down of 1 to 2 patients and manager told me no that i need to be faster too but i keep reminding them im a new grad and they just dont care

wow sounds so similar...yes i am still looking for a job and wont quit until i have one secured - thanks for the advice.. iam the only orientee on that specific floor but another orientee on another MS unit observed the first week, second week had 1 patient, and is slowly increasing her patient load while learning. thats what i wish i had. not to be bombarded first week with patients and its much harder to learn. i ask questions and sometimes they dont want to be bothered but I am taking care of their patient! sigh... how long did you stay at that job? the one where u started off with 9 patients... again thanks for the advice

wow... yeah i dont think i can even stay another week!! lol but il look for other places in the meantime.. dont want to quit without having backup.. thanks for ur advice

how long did you stay there?

wow so we both experienced this type of setting. the aides on my unit... are another story. they want to sit all day and when you ask them for help, they say they are unavailable. so i have to do everything myself. its hard enough to handle 4 patients on my own.. imagine double! trying to find another job but job market isnt that great for new grads since all want experience. i dont think i can stay here and do my one year experience

thanks for the advice. i did request to see lesser pts but manager said she doesnt want me to do more than 5 weeks extension and that 5 weeks is good. we were sharing one blood pressure machine at one point and a patient coded. im going to look elsewhere or at least try for another unit... i dont want to risk my license or my sanity.... when i ask other nurses for help... they say "ask your preceptor" but preceptor is never available