sunshines66

First, I feel like several of the responses here seem to push the boundaries of supporting each other. Second, we all have days that stuff bothers us more than other days. Third- there could be some meaner/hardened nurses there. I would try to chalk it up to the charge nurse as having a bad day. I try to get along with everyone because life is too short otherwise. Do you have any nurses you feel comfortable with yet? If so, I would get their opinion on how you are doing, and with the feedback, you are getting, that seems harsh. Some people do not know how to be tactful or care to be. Please do not let this event change the course of what you are doing. I frequently keep my nose down and continue to work and let coworkers slowly decide whether or not they like me. I do not care if someone I work with" likes" me. I do demand that they act professionally with me and help if a patient needs it.

Please life is too short. If you want to wear a tiara while shopping please do. Whatever works for you is great don't let the comments of others change what you do.

Great article- I just saw on my Fitbit app there is a mediation section and you can do focused breathing and relaxation it has some that are as quick as 2 minutes others are 5,7 11 and on up in the number of minutes. I am on day 4 of trying this I am amazed at how well this is making some improvements for me. I have found any help but the 11-minute ones are the cusp of relaxing too much as in another few seconds and I would be asleep. Another related Fitbit thing is I have slept poorly for years-there is a sleep goal section that can be put in and it has its own tile. It also determines when you should start your wind down to bed procedures to get yourself in the habit to allow you to fall asleep quicker as your body is readying itself for sleep with the routine. Pre-goal setting I was averaging 4 1/2 hours per night (yes I am always tired), now I am have gotten over 5 1/2 every night since. I am only on day 4 of that as well so only 3 nights of the extra hour. I still am tired but less tired than before.

I have done them all kinds of ways. I have been a nurse for over 30 years and most of that time being certified in my specialty and I try to go to one conference every 2-3 years and get as many as I can that way. This year I was lucky enough to attend a conference virtually so I did not have to pay extra (no travel expenses)and I was able to attend almost every session that was offered so I got I believe 66 Ceus it made for an extremely busy two weeks as I was currently working my full-time job at the same time but I was reimbursed for the entire cost of the conference so worked beautifully. I would highly recommend anyone to look into virtual conferences. It is a great feeling to know I am covered for a couple of years and if I really want to do anything else I can but I don't have to go to something. When I wait I am doing anything I can to get the hours not looking for what will be best for my career.

I had to the two days for NCLEX. It was a true test of stamina for a nurse. You had to take the test with a room full of nervous people with all their nervous tics in a huge room. You could not have a restroom break if someone else was out of your room. I stayed at the hotel where the test was being given because I did not want any potential delay because if you were late you could not enter. Everyone, anywhere I went were talking about the test it was a pressure cooker. It was a fabulous test of how you could handle stress because nursing can be very stressful. Nursing was more about noticing subtle changes in your patient's condities on not just relying on tests and monitoring devices. I felt I used my brain and senses more to montor for changes. Not so now, if it can not be showed on a lab value or monitoring device you are not believed. I liked spending time with the patients not paper or computer charting.

I am so sorry you have such a horrible instructor. I know there is a lot of subjective data going into a clinical grade in nursing school. One part of me says you should bring her up on battery charges for the saline incident. She is harassing you at the very least.The other is you have paid a lot of money and time in the program and should do whatever you have to do to graduate. After you have your diploma in hand you should write a letter to the dean. As far as what you should do with your nursing career that is up to you and your imagination. Start looking on job boards for register nurse jobs. You will be surprised at the number of things you can do. Do not let anyone pigeon hole you. Send me a private message and I will give you more insight if you want.

I have been a nurse for 29 years. I have called in when I am actually sick. When I need a mental health day either due to work issues or personal issues that have overwhelmed me. I woke one morning with my basement flooded. I had lived in my house close to 8 years at that point and never had an issue previously. Another morning I woke up and my car was stolen. Each time I was asked to reconsider or threatened. The only time I have not been given grief over asking for time off was when a family member died. When I have ever been the person taking the call off--call. I just told the nurse thank you for letting me know and I hope things improve. Sometimes I think the person receiving that call only thinks of the impact to the unit. We all have lives outside of nursing and are adults. If there are issues, those issues need to be taking care of by manager following the disciplinary process.

Years ago I had an awful preceptor. She made my orientation last a couple weeks longer than was necessary. She was a backup preceptor, but when she found a "problem" with me, they kept me with her to see what would happen. As I was new and unwilling to ruffle feathers. I did not protest as I was sure things would not go my way. I completed the additional two weeks and she passed me with flying colors. I know it is annoying to have people who precept that are not equipped to do it. Actually, she became such a non-issue for me afterward. We worked different shifts on different days so I didn't ever give her report or see her. Sometimes sucking it up is the best answer. Ask her specific things you can do to improve. Put the burden of proof back on her. Your example of giving oral care too long. Did the patient suffer? Did the sats drop? Did you need to give more sedation? Was another patient neglected because you took so long? Did the parents complain? Did you hold up doctors doing rounds? It is a sad thing that there are just horrible people out there. She sounds as though she was having a bad day working a double. Is she use to precepting? Everything takes longer when you are waiting on another to do it. Maybe she needed a bathroom break and you were doing oral care. I know I don't have much patience when I need to go. Hope things are getting better. If you are still in orientation make sure you are asking your preceptor on a daily basis to let you know how you are doing so you don't compound any problems. I have found that sometimes listening to someone's complaints makes them less angry over time. Always insist on being told negative things in private and not where others can overhear it. Work on the "killing her with kindness". If she wants a rise out of you but does not get it the pursuit gets old fast.

Tsm, Nursing is a very dynamic field. People move, hospitals downsize, realign, managers change, administrators change, benefits change. You have to do what feels right to you. I have always been one to push for a challenge so I have worked a variety of jobs and worked more than one at a time. I have done agency, traveling, floating, per diem in a variety of settings. I have always loved a good challenge. So it really depends on what you want and can handle at any given time. I have only had one job with no overtime, one job with tons of overtime, one full time and agency work and one full time and one part time job at the same time. I learnt alot and was really motivated. Some can feel just as motivated by reading articles, being involved in the unit they work on. The great thing about nursing is you can try lots of options until you reach the one you are completely comfortable with.

He-I am done for the day and even though I am on call, don't call me for any reason tonight. She-oh goody I can skip the phone calls with no answer and do whatever I can to keep patient alive for you to bash in the morning.

I love my case management job. I work mostly 8 hour days. Occasionally it will go longer if I am in the middle of a conversation. I can start or stop an hour or so earlier or later without consequences. I have productivity goals but have been able to meet them so far. I got close to nothing in terms of orientation. I did some on the beginning aspects but then none when I was actually making calls. We had no hard and fast rules at the beginning. Now getting new rules by the day. I am at a stage in my career that being hands on is not that important anymore. I worked 27 years hands on, lots of overtime and lots of challenges. I worked ICU, telemetry, emergency, with a spattering of admissions, cancer care, gen med surg, ortho thrown in to keep me on my toes. I worked a full-time job and frequently had an agency job as well. I plan on ending my career with this job. As a nurse, I have not always had good retirement benefits so I will be working until my full retirement age and possibly longer. I have at least 18 more years of working to do. Pay- well it is equal to what I was making in my last job that was heavily into travel. The benefit package is great. It is much better than when I was doing hospital work. Having no holidays or weekend work is awesome along with it is a day shift position. If you have specific further questions just let me know.

I agree completely. If I had an empty bed and knew I was getting someone if I know about it and have a few minutes freed up (ok, shuffle to get a min) I will call the ED myself to let them know I am ready and to give report. Occasionally I would tell them I was going up a floor to grab a soda to give me 5 minutes and they would. I built trust that I would help them whenever possible. I never complained about what they hadn't done. Its pointless, they did what they could. I have worked all around medical and surgical from general-step down-ICU and ED I get all the the perspectives. I would only ask for 5 mins about every 10-15 admissions so it was never a problem. I didn't care if I got last minute admissions. I did everything I could then handed it off to the next nurse. Once everyone understood I was a team player and did my share, those rare times I need a few it was not a big deal. Yes, at first it took a while for some to catch on but within a month the ED was trying to do somethings to make the admission a little easier for me when they had the chance. It took a while for some of the other floors with transfers, but a few minutes of kindness can help all of us and if you have it in yourself to try please do.

Recently there is a clip on TV for Code Black--What do you do when the the hospital has reach code black--you give more of yourself. I know I don't have the wording correct but what no management ever realizes that nurses do this day in and day out we give everything we have each and every day. We pull more from ourselves than we realize we had. Management sees this as a good thing. More for less money out. I have been a nurse for 28 years. I have missed weekend, holiday, family events for years. I am not even included any more because everyone has the mind set of she is never able to be there so why ask. I think every quarter nurses should have the ability to attend a workshop on stress management and reclaiming our own lives. After a while who know what it is like to actually have time to eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, potty when needed, let alone how to deal with the stress the job puts on us. I have worked for magnet and nonmagnet hospitals. I can't say which is worse. I was told once, that the honor of working in a magnet hospital meant they could pay me less. No altruism has never worked to pay my bills. I haven't been able to say to a creditor, isn't knowing I am a nurse enough to give me a better interest rate or only pay say 3/4 of my debt. I would be hauled off the the loony bin. I come home from work with bruises I can not always remember how I got because I am always working at top speed and do not have time to acknowledge a bruise only if I can no longer function would I be able to get a minute reprieve. Nurses sacrifice multiple times a day every day we work and half the time when we are off work, taking care of everyone else before ourselves. If we God forbid ever decide we need a minute we are called lazy or selfish.

You should have told the IDIOT you should tell him member enlargement oh wait that is the procedure you want not what you will be doing to this pt.

Yesyes, I am so sorry this has happened to you. As a new nurse years ago, I had one awful preceptor at that time we had to have 2. One I learnt a lot from. She was fantastic. I had the first part of my orientation with her, the rest went with another nurse she did not like me at all. I have no idea why. I had my orientation extended by a few weeks. I did all the checklist stuff and just decided to suck it up and kiss ass. It was difficult but I thankfully was able to do it. That was her thing to try to get one fired so I know it happens. It was a combined ICU/step down unit with 12 ICU beds at 25 step down beds. During the year I was there there were 100 nurses that left between my start and stop dates. We worked 12 and 8 hour shifts. I am talking on all shifts combined. Management did not see there was an issue. To me it would be hard not to see an issue in that. We had a total of 6-7 ICU nurses and 5-6 stepdown and one charge nurse at all times. It was full all the time. I don't think a bed was free for longer than it took to clean the room that entire year. So it you go with 13 nurses to each shift there had to be a staff of at least 35 nurse full time and then prn and part time. So probably at any one time there was 50 nurses on the schedule now think about 100 person left for variety of reasons. Anyway, yes sometimes there is the terminate question. I would answer that it was a mutual decision and not a right fit for you. Then expand to you had to rotate shifts, moved, personal issues, never ever ever badmouth a job to the next job. Talk about how you learned a lot, got to understand nursing better and realized it was not a good fit. Then explain why you believe the new job would be a good fit. You can talk to family and personal (outside of work) friends but never mention it in the new job as it will "taint" you as a whiner, complainer, unable to take responsibility for yourself. Never outright lie but put your self in the best light possible.