twoangels

Thank you everyone- I'm still trying to figure out what I could say to encourage a policy about this. She tends to be very defensive and takes offense to suggestions. However- this is very sloppy to let these kinds of things go to the last minute and causes discord among the group of co-workers.... so I would like to find a way to approach this with her. Any suggestions for that?

So, it's 1 week before a holiday and our manager announces today that if she doesn't have the volunteers she needs for the holiday shift we will just have to draw names to decide who works it. What do you say to a manager that a) doesn't bother posting a schedule until we're almost out of any posted schedule, b) thinks it's fine to wait until the last minute to either get volunteers or force nurses to work a holiday, and c) thinks it's fine to possibly randomly pick nurses who have done holidays versus choosing only from those nurses who have say, not worked a holiday at all in the past 12 months. I'm so angry about this sloppy way of doing things, I want to say something without saying the wrong thing. Help please!!!!!!!

That makes sense to me. It's been an issue where the MAs will give medication IMs without aspirating and the RNs find it difficult to exert improvement in this area since the MAs are supervised by another MA who doesn't understand the importance of aspirating when giving Rocephin, Bicillin, Lupron, etc... This is why clinically, I think the practice should utilize the RNs as clinical supervisors since they pay us more anyway.

I understand that part of it- the physicians have decided what the MAs can and can't do there. I'm talking more about how the RNs could be better utilized in a supervisory role and a quality control role in our situation- and I wonder if others have experiences where the RNs supervise MAs or if the MAs have their own supervisor who is also a MA.

I am hoping for insight here. This is my second job- I work in a pediatric clinic. My first job was in the hospital, L&D; I've seen how management and supervision work in the hospital and know what a highly professional setting feels like. Now, at the clinic- there's a much more laid-back feel overall which I love. What I am caught up on is that there are a fair number of RNs that work there and there are anywhere from 4-7 RNs on at any given time. There are about 10 MAs on each shift and they are supervised by another MA even though the RNs work right alongside the MAs. I would think that the natural nature of this setting would put the RN in a leadership role and the physicians would want to use their RN staff as "quality control" and as ambassadors for consistency. The RNs are seen as a separate entity by the MAs even though culturally, in our clinic- the MAs and RNs are lumped together into what is called "nursing" there. However, it feels like the RNs' job is just to help out the MAs as needed and do those tasks which are outside of their scope or that the physicians would like to have the RNs do. Those of you who may be RNs ro MAs who have worked in a similar setting- how does it work usually? Any insight would be VERY MUCH appreciated!!

ummmm..... how is this post helpful? sheesh!

I was a new grad, and after 3 months I left my dream job due to health issues I am certain were caused by working night shift. I too, suffer from depression and anxiety and I had some of the worst panic attacks I've ever experienced while on night shift. I did not feel safe at work because of how "off-kilter" I felt. My blood pressure was up, my heart rate was always up, and I felt extremely short-tempered all of the time. It was like living on a different planet. I was making $35.00/hr and I resigned- not an easy decision. I think a lot of people may think it's crazy to leave a dream-job and a great paycheck like that behind, but I seriously thought that long-term I would shave years off of my life if I stayed. So, I left and I've never looked back. You have to do what's right for you. No job is worth your happiness or your sanity. If I were you, I would discuss your circumstances with your manager. If they can't move you to days within a reasonable timeframe, I would start job hunting right away and keep that on the down-low. Best wishes to you!

I chose to send an email to each person on my interview panel and thank them for their time and to reiterate my interest in working with them. I chose to email because I reasoned that sometimes these decisions are made quite quickly and I wanted to thank them with the chance of standing out before final decisions were made.

Thank you, I would like to leave as gracefully as possible, thank them for everything and express that this is something that I don't WANT to do, but it is something that I feel I NEED to do for my sake, and this baby's sake.

Going in to this, I expected nights to be what would would work for my family the best. I have classmates who were hired at the same hospital for days, but on various med-surg units. The birthing center is a different story because of the low turnover. Now that I'm working nights, I realize that I need a lot of childcare so that I can sleep and I can't be with my kids as much as I thought I could. I feel disconnected from my family when I leave as they're getting ready for bed, and then come home to an empty house and have to sleep all day. Then on my first day off, I still have to sleep all day and still feel kind of "hungover" (for lack of a better word) on my second day off. I'm sure that the amount of sleep I am requiring is being skewed by the pregnancy, but it feels like after the 12 hour nights, my body/brain refuse to function without A LOT of sleep. I did 12 hour days in a LDRP for my senior practicum and had no trouble whatsoever. Of course, I wasn't pregnant then but my family life didn't feel so altered is what I mean. What will happen to me if I'm still a new grad but I don't work until next spring? Will it be *that* much harder to get a job?

Hello everyone, I am a new grad/new RN lisenced in July 09. I was hired onto a LDRP unit for nights, and was SO excited I felt like I was floating. I'm only two months into the orientation and I am on the verge of resignation. My husband is in full support of whatever decision I make (we are not relying on my income), but I am having trouble making the leap. The main reasons I feel I should resign: *Night shift makes me practically useless to my family- I find I have to sleep twice as much as I ever have *I'm pregnant and get high bp spikes when I'm at work because of the stress I feel *I have been having anxiety/panic attacks only at work, but because of the pregnancy am limited on medications to help manage this *I feel like I've irritated the unit in general by being pregnant and an intern (plus EVERYONE knows me as "the pregnant intern"):grn:-without ME being the one to tell everyone:confused: *I never realized how much charting a L&D nurse has to do- I don't get the quality of pt interaction I would like because of this- I'm constantly pecking away on the keyboard! *The orientation involves more on the L&D side than the postpartum side and the intensity of the stress combined with my preganancy hormones is not good It just feels like bad timing.......not for this pregnancy, but for THIS job. What I feel I need help with is advice- how do I bow out without burning bridges and looking like I just couldn't hack it? And where does this put me? Will I become less marketable because I left a job (a great job) within two months of hire? My husband agrees that it may be best for me to spend the next year getting through this pregnancy (which is complicated by elevated bp's and possibly gestational diabetes- not sure yet), and spending time at home with our kids the oldest of which will be starting school next year. My concern is that I would look like new grad who didn't work for a year and therefore, is not "fresh". Valid? I will dearly appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this and respond.:loveya:

Thanks everyone, for your replies! I DID GET THE JOB!!!!!!!:yeah:Soooooooo happy!:redpinkhe

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE Well, I had my interview Friday!!!!!!! I feel like it went really well, but as the weekend has gone on, I've let doubt settle in. All I can think about is how much more I could have said and other questions I could have asked. At least I'm not kicking myself for anything that I DID say!! That would be worse than just wishing I could have sat and talked to them longer. It was so awesome to sit in a room of people who I felt shared my passion and love for L&D. I hope that they become my co-workers!! HOPING...........:redpinkhe

Hello everyone! I'm going for an interview on Friday for a full-time L&D position, and will be graduating in June. I'd like to hear from anyone who got into L&D straight out of school. I am going to be precepting in L&D/Mother/Baby so I will have that experience to bring with me, but would like to hear how new grads get offered these positions.:bby: What made you stand out in your interview if you made it in? Do you feel like you missed out by not going into med/surg or critical care first? Please, share, share, share!!!!:typing

Thank you Jane85- I am processing that thought right now. As anxious as I am to go to L&D, you're so right- the opportunity to learn so much in ICU would be something that will only add to who I can be as a nurse in the long run. And a year or two wouldn't be too long to wait. Daytonite- Very encouraging to hear that you've seen ICU new grad nurses get nurtured. That relieves some of my concerns. Good thought!