jserrano

wow, (deehavern)you do sound like you are in the same boat as me! I think I might have written you before about your back? What kind of back injury do you have? I had a microscopic discectomy-(for a ruptured disc L4-L5) the best decision of my life, and have been pain free since-ran 2 miles today!!!! Anyway we had this big staff meeting at work(the first in 6 months) and then a charge nurse meeting(which I didn't get to attend since i was working that night and in charge) but I did break into the meeting to talk to my boss and present a case study(my current problem of the evening)! It was great to show all the charge nurses in the room the whinning I usually have to put up with and all the issues i was having already! Anyway thanks for everyone's comments, it saddens me that you all know what I am going through but also makes me feel better that there are some people who can understand this stress!!!!

I am so sorry for your situation and can not believe what idiots the hospital risk management are at your hospital? Most places are so careful with work or other injurys they are actually the opposite and you are begging to start work again. Wish I could help you more. Good Luck.

Hi, My job has been really stressful lately and there have been multiple times within the last few months that I have cried at work! Actually literaly cried at the desk! I am a charge nurse in labor and delivery at a fast growing hospital(but we are relatively small for our area doing just under 200 births a month). We have recently gotten a new director who is trying to make changes for the better. But I feel our unit is more overworked than most labor and delivery units. To try to keep up with the growth they have hired a lot of new nurses(some straight out of nursing school) and had an internship program for them. But since most of our night staff is new I am one of the "older" more experienced labor nurses there which means I have to be the charge nurse almost every shift.( I have 6 years L&D experience.) I feel so stressed out with all these new nurses and the constant pressure to "staff down". And I am so embarrased to be crying at the desk! (anyone have any good ideas on how to tough up and not cry like a freak at the desk, thanks) Just wondering how many patients you typically have each in L&D and how you split up the patients, etc. Right now we are expected to do 2 laboring patients, or one laboring patient and see evals(we do not have a seperate antepartum unit or triage unit) If possible all the nurses should have 2 patients each, (which can be very difficult when it comes time to push with a primip, because everyone is so busy there is no one to watch your other patient during your delivery) There are times when we bring in all these elective inductions to make the dr's happy even though it takes all the rooms and max's out all the nurses. (heaven forbid someone should actually go into spontanous labor) More frequent than not lately when busy I will have 3 patients and be charging with no one to call in to help. The charge nurse is expected to take a full assignment and do staffing, deal with complaints and help the new nurses. We used to do one to one patient care with an unmedicated pt, or a patient on magnesium, or during pushing and delivery, but now that seems to never happen. What are you thoughts on this, should I consider another hospital? I hate to loose my senority and start over but my job is so not as fun as it used to be. I am a hard worker but this kind of overload is breaking me down!

I think you did good. I would have done the same thing. we are taught at our hospital if it is a tight cord to clamp and cut and deliver. And that is what I have seen all our docs do in the same situation.

Don't you have a medical note from your back dr? I also have had a back injury(ruptured disc) and I had a note from my doc with detailed specifications on what I could not do with my injury. I eventually had back surgery(which was fabulous and well worth it) and after the surgery had specific limitiations for about 6 weeks. I also work in labor and delivery(at a smaller hospital) so we do our own triage. We can have a laboring patient and also be seeing someone for an evalutaion of labor, pre-term labor, PIH etc. I wasn't able to do Labor and delivery for a few weeks after my surgery(couldn't lift more than 10 pounds at first) so I worked in post partum for awhile, then gradually I could lift up to 25 pounds( which I felt barely lets me work in labor but I love it so much) I always ask for help when needed(never want to go through a back injury again) I don't see how you can safely work in labor and delivery at all if you can't even put someone's legs in stirrups?neither in your triage area. Maybe you should consider another area of nursing that is less physcial while your back heals?