aquaphoneRN

Honestly, I doubt it is you ethnicity that is preventing you from getting a job, if that's what you're saying. I work in the MICU/SICU in NYC, and I can tell you that in the SICU, the cheif surgeon is black, and he's absolutely dedicated and brilliant. Everyone looks up to him. In the MICU the chief MD is a Russian woman who immigrated to the US. The majority of my RN co-workers are Philipino immigrants, as well as black Jamacians, Russians, Chinese, Koreans, white and black Americans etc. We all work together, we are all friends, most of us are very good at what we do. I love working with the diverse group of people that we have. I look up to and respect them. I go to them for advice and guidance. I'm a white, American born male. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Okay, again, for the record, I'm a male RN who has worked in ER and ICU. At no point did I EVER say I asked female RNs to insert my foleys for me. Nor did I say I was uncomfortable with inserting foleys in femal patients, as I have done dozens if not hundreds of times. I will now repeat myself so that there is no misunderstanding. What I am SAYING IS I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HARD TIME FOR REQUESTING A CHAPERONE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO "JUST DO IT ALONE" ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.

It sounds like work is really getting to you, much more than it should. You should talk to someone about it. I hear that burn nursing is not for everyone. I'm not saying that is the case with you, just that I hear many nurses find it unlimately too emotionally difficult and haunting. Please don't get mad at me for giving my opinion, it is only an opinion, but I think you really sound like you're in bad shape, and you should discuss this problem with someone. Be it you manager, or a co-worker that you really trust, or a counselor. The key is, I think, it has to be someone you know you can trust because you don't you personal and private thoughts and feelings spread all over work, which could easily happen if you talk to the wrong person. If your job offers crisis counseling, I would start there. What you are describing is no joke and should be taken seriously. Good luck.

I'm not sure I understand you correctly. Are you saying that a male RN should go ahead and insert a foley cath into a female patient without a chaperone? Or am I misunderstanding you?

Well then, I agree. I'm a male RN who worked in the ER. I've put many, many foleys into female patients, done EKGs on females, suppositories, etc. However, on more than one occasion I've been given a hard time because I didn't want to do a foley insertion alone. Femal RNs would do foleys alone, but I think realistically, the chance of being accused of sexual abuse is much higher if you are male. I don't have any statistics to back that up, but I think it's something men have to be more conscious of. I think men are at higher risk for false accusations. Women have to be aware of this too, and would be wise to take a chaperone as well, but in my experience, they don't (except during pelvic exams where it's required.) As far as doing procedures on a female patient, I don't care, I'll do anything necessary, and ralely has it been a problem. The overwhelming majority of female patients had no problem with me caring for them.

How much is rent in Fayetteville?

This is a very simplistic statement which doesn't appear to have much thought behind it.

I believe your 5 years of med/surg experience makes you an excellent candidate to work in MICU/SICU. Of course it will be a difficult transition. You have to be willing to learn and you will have to leave your comfort zone. Seriously though, 5 years of med/surg? You are now very seasoned and unless you're a below average nurse, you should be very well prepared to make the transition. It's an opportunity to learn and experience incredible things. With so much experience, at this point your attitude and work ethic are what will make the difference. Just do it.

Every experienced nurse you tell this story to seems to have the same advice. That should tell you something.

Camden, NJ! Wow! Short of Iraq or Africa, you won't find trauma like that anywhere!

In my hospital, it would be a violation of union policy to come off orientation without completing the critical care courses. The manager would have a lot of explaining to do if they attempted this. You owe it to yourself and your patients to fight for this.

This is turning out to be a very positive thread after all. I think it's very easy to misunderstand each other on these forums and I'm rally glad you feel this way and posted again. I also understand your point and I'm sure nurse anesthesia is in may ways different from other forms of nursing. Now, is the original poster still alive?

Allright, I apologise. I think I was perceiving your comments insulting and therefore I missed your point. Certainly most everyone in my ICU can keep a patient alive with a BVM. Wether or not we're properly ventilating is another matter. It suprises me that you would say RTs tend to be terrible at it. After all, they're the ones who do it the most. I would think they would cover that subject quite extensively in their training. I wouldn't know. Is manual ventilation emphasized to a great extent in anesthesia training? I will discuss this with the anesthesiology residents who work in my unit. We don't have any nurse anesthetists in the SICU/MICU, so I can't ask them. In the mean time, can you give any recommendations as far as how to properly bag a patient? Any websites/articles? While you're at it, how would YOU define proper manual ventilation? Thanks!

I was giving sympathy and comic relief to the original poster. I did not mean that I actually wanted to leave my current job or that it was in fact a good place to work. I was implying that any normal nurse would feel exactly the same as the original poster. To think that one is "burnt out" because they are having extreme job disatisfaction under these conditions is absurd. To feel unhappy under such circumstances is normal. The post was intended as a joke as was not to be taken literally. I am very sorry if I have offended you.

You don't have to be a CRNA to see that the poster might be more unhappy with their current employer than their actual career choice. The poster talks about arrogent surgeons, being rushed to take care of patients, and compromising patient safety for the sake of expedient care. Certainly these are issues that all RNs have to deal with. What I would like to know is, how long have they been with their current employer, and how long have they felt this way? If the feeling of dissatisfaction has been going on for many years with several different employers that's one thing. On the other hand if they've been with the same employer for years and feel this way, why not seek out new employment? It can be scary to leave a place you are acostomed to, but it can be very rewarding. All employers and all institutions certainly are not equal. Where I live, one of the highest paying hospitals can't retain CRNAs because of working conditions. They all end up leaving for significantly less money but higher job satisfaction at other institutions.