foxc1121

We rotate charge at my facility too. And I still say hurray for you, you have a great attitude...I want to work with you@!!!

Hurray for you charge nurse!!! In time, it will get easier as you get comfortable in your position. I will tell you this - a word of advice. DO NOT tell a nurse to be a patient advocate and call the MD and dismiss the nurse and her concerns. I already know that. If I am coming to you it is because I cannot resolve the situation and need your input. Do not make me feel that I am overwhelmed and cannot handle my responsibilities, just because I ask you a question, opinion, help..... whatever - you will create animosity and have resentfull nurses. I can only speak for myself. Really truly look at patient assignments. Night shift acuity is different from day shift acuity - I say this because during the night shift do they feed their patients? NO. Do they deal with family members? No (visiting hours are most likely over at that point) . Listen to your nurses, besides being a patient advocate, you need to be a nurses advocate. When a nurse is speaking to you - do not - if you can avoid it - dismiss her/him and make them feel as if their voice is not important. Case in point....My charge nurse asked me what was going on with transferring my patient to rehab. Social services was not responding to my calls regarding patient pick up....etc. Patient's husband did not want her to go to rehab, I was in the process of calling the MDs already...My charge nurse dismissed me and said "just be a patient advocate and handle the situation". Now, this was one of my closest friends that was charge that day - to be dismissed in such a manner was disrespectful and inappropriate to me and I walked away feeling disrespected. I understand as charge you are responsible for the entire floor and your time is limited, however, treat your nurses with respect. Do NOT speak to them in the way that I was spoken to. I guess the bottom line is respect....trust your nurses that they are doing the best that they can do...praise them, because you are in charge that day and chances are they have not heard praise in a long time. Please, please learn to field as many MD phone calls that you can. No nurse likes to be called when she is doing a dressing change, pushing an IV med, etc to speak to an MD about an admission that she/he knows nothing about yet. It only makes you and your floor look incompentent. Thats it in a nutshell...treat your nurses with respect..help when you can, and never, ever say to management that this nurse is overwhelmed and she needs help all the time....not fair - look at the assigment, ask your nurses questions. Can this patient walk?, can they feed themselves? So many times I have no answers and need to discover things for myself.

I guess no one is ever happy with what they receive...especially nurses that really are the core of patient care. We deserve so much, ask for so little and in return...get sooo little. Got an ice cream bar, beach chair, lunch box, and a tea service ( if you had time to leave the floor and enjoy it). Of course I ate the ice cream bar...the rest - donating to charity...one write off for next year.

Honey, Welcome to the world of nursing. In addition to patient education, patient advocacy, trying to decifer MD orders, dealing with overbearing family members.....Do I need to go on? You are worried about a 600 BS level, and rightfully so. As a nurse - I am tired, tired of giving education to patients that leave the hospital, go home and within several days (yes, days) are back in the hospital again. Case in point...On our floor 3 patients over 300-400 pounds- maybe 5 feet 5 inches tall. One has been in the hospital since January, 2009 - YES, JANUARY 2009. No insurance 39 years old. How am I as a nurse to turn this patient? Do you think my hospital is worried that I pull my back? No!!!! I guess bottom line is that I give education to everyone. It is only up to the patient to take it and run with it. I can't force it down their throat. At this point I am a disgruntled nurse. I see soooo many young patients that are sooo obese that they cannot even feed themselves, turn in a bed, walk, etc. Just know that you and I as taxpayers are paying their bills. Maybe that is how this country got into the state that it is in now. Just a thought....don't really care what others have to say...talk to me when you are trying - by yourself as a nurse to turn a patient this HUGE - your back goes out and that is it for your as a nurse. Try and support your family now- by the way - the patient is soooo large that he needs a room that is designed for 2 patients - just for himself. Talk to me now.....By the way have tried to get him to rehab - no facilities will accept him. So before everyone jumps all over me for this blog - think about the taxes you are paying - they may just be going to support this young, young man laying in bed asking for dilauded Q 2 hours and doing nothing to help himself.

I wish you the world of luck. But girrrrl, if you think BCC north campus is mean....get ready for the real world when you graduate (management, fellow nurses, patients, family members). Start now to develop a thick skin and go for your dream. Ignore those that are nasty. They are probably unhappy in their lives - their problem - not yours. I am a graduate of the BCC north campus. I had great instructors (and some really crapy ones)...to this day I remember their words. Always remember this - you are striving for greatness - to be the best nurse you can be - don't let anyone bring you down. Learn how to let words roll off your back and be as professional as possible in any and all situations. Good luck!!

Thank you everyone for replying, just to give you an update....my nm (while still on maternity leave) sent an e-mail to everyone questioning how we can improve customer satisfaction. Well...I let her have it (of course in a professional way). First, we need to not have hallway patients, for goodness sakes where am I going to take a 90 year old lady to pee? She agreed. I wrote to her about the staffing issue. She did not reply about that, however, I have now noticed that different nurses are now being flexed off - not the same nurse over and over. I wrote to her about customer satisfaction issues that I have heard of from patients - specifically about one nurse in particular (I did not name names). I told her that I had spoken to the anm about certain problems, and asked her not to ask me to name names because when I did I got "burned" by it and will not do it again. When I spoke to my anm, I did name names, she assured me that she would not mention my name when she spoke to this particular person - well she did. That particular nurse came up to me and confronted me about my phone call to my anm - so now I have tension between me and this other nurse. My reasoning for mentioning my getting "burned" was because I knew that she was going to go back to my anm and mention it - I was so angry that I didn't want to speak to my anm anymore. I was so furious and felt betrayed by my anm - when all I kept hearing from her was - if you don't tell me about a situation, I can't repair it. Well I did tell her - nothing was done - except me looking like a fool. Also, I was nominated for employee of the month - I know it is something stupid - but I was looking forward to having my picture on our board. I also mentioned that to my NM. Well the next day, I got my picture taken and my anm said to another nurse - "take her picture already because she is making such a big deal of this". I got told for some reason patients loved you in August. What??? I would never sign up for ot anymore, if I didn't really need the money. Yes, I am a manager's dream because I work primarily dayshift - but I also work night shift!! Which really messes me up and I need at least 2 days to recover from it and get back on dayshift track. At least my NM sent me an e-mail telling me that I am a very valuable member of our team. Is it BS in order to cover her own staffing needs? probably so. Since I am working day shift and night shift - some days I feel as if I don't have a life other than nursing. My husband can't understand why I am exhausted half the time. DUH?! Here I am still a newbie (only 1 1/2 years) and I am already feeling burnt out. I can't deal with the politics anymore. From this point forward I am just going to keep my mouth shut, go to work and collect my paycheck. I have come to the conclusion that managment knows what needs to be done already, they are just fishing for someone to spread the "dirt" and when you speak about actual problems - they really don't want to hear it - just so long as they are not over budget, you show up for work and they are not bothered by your problems. After speaking to other nurses - my place of employment seems like a dream. Does anyone work anywhere where they are happy? I am even considering relocating...:sniff:

Hello everyone, I really need some insight on what to do. Let me start by stating that I work alot of OT. I have been told by staffing that when our census gets low, nurses that are on overtime, pool, agency, etc... get flexed 1st. Here is my problem. Of course when I sign up to work ot I do not want to get flexed because I would loose those hours, however, I have had several occasions that I have been on the schedule to work ot and have still come in when I was very sick (ie. in pain from a dental procedure), just because I did not want to leave the floor short. I made my charge nurse aware that I was on OT and if our census dropped and she needed to send someone home, please send me. Well that never seems to be the case. Another nurse is ALWAYS sent home before me that is not on ot as I am. Yes, I could be nasty and call off of OT, however, I am a responsible person and feel that if I signed up I should honor my commitment. I have brought this to the attention of my ANM (my NM is on maternity leave). Yet there is no resolution to my problem. I don't want to not sign up anymore because, quite frankly, I need the money, however, when I am sick and making an effort to be there, I feel that I should be the first to be sent home - because as my husband says - I am on the big clock. It always seems to be the same nurses that go home. When I was in sooooo much pain another nurse got sent home because she needed to study for a test!!! Please, please someone give me some feed back on who to contact next because I feel as if I am taken advantage of and don't know who to speak to about this unfair treatment.

Okay, so while I was in school I was told that I could do so many things with my license. I am not finding that to be the case. I have been an RN for 10 months and I don't know what to do now. I am unhappy with my current position, yet I like floor nursing. I want to have more hands on with patients. I am ACLS certified and am fascinated by ER nursing, maybe I should do that. I have worked in women's health for over 20 years (not as an RN), so maybe I should do that. I am so confused. Can any ER, labor and delivery nurses or any other nurses respond and make any suggestions?? I don't have much experience in NG tubes, I suck at starting IVs. However, I will say this, I do not panic in an emergency situation. I have two children (now grown) and have never, ever panicked in an emergency situation (I guess I feel that if I don't panic with my kids - I can handle anything) We had a code yesterday on our floor (tele), the patient died (not my patient) As I watched the code and helped out to a certain extent - I just thought - I would loved to have been in the mix of this. What do I need to do to be an ER nurse? Is there a course I need to take? My hospital will not tell me because they do not want me to leave my floor. Every job that I apply for asks for 2 years experience, which I do not have, yet. Just don't know what to do. Any suggestions??

Thank you for your replies. I am having an argument with my husband about this. He doesn't seem to understand, there is more to this situation than what I have mentioned. I worry for my license, something that I have worked so hard for (as we all have) I kick myself in the butt every single day for not going to the trauma facility as I wanted (I looked and there are no available positions open now.) I guess I was insecure with myself at the time and to a certain extent am still insecure. I guess I just wanted the cushion of having a fellow classmate on the floor. My classmate has seemed to bond with everyone and I am sick and tired about hearing how wonderful she is- tired of someone else getting all the glory and want to break away and find my own idenity as a nurse. I don't want to get lumped in with all the other 6 newbies on the floor. One of which is dating every single doctor that asks her out (yes, even married ones). I feel that I am working in a soap opera. Does anyone else feel like that?

Okay - so here is the deal. My friend and I graduated from nursing school together. She convinced me to work with her in a small hospital, even though I wanted to work at a trauma center. We have been there for almost one year and we are both unhappy and currently looking for other positions. I am not a jealous person by nature, so I don't know if what I am experiencing is jealousy or is it favoritism - I am relying on other nurses to tell me. I don't know if it is important or not to mention but I am latin and my friend is black american. Most of the nurses on the floor are black including the NM and ANM, I am only one of the 2 or 3 latin nurses on the floor. Having said that, here's the problem. On our floor we get written up for incidental overtime. I have been written up three times. My friend leaves at the same time as me (most days) and has only been written up once. I have gone to my ANM and asked what I could do about this - I was told to figure it out and work on my time management skills. My friend did the same and was told that she should call the ANM, explain the situation so she could get approved for the incidental overtime. My friend, I'll call her Stacey, recieved employee of the month award. She was nominated by other nurses. I was approached to nominate her and was told (by the other nurses) she really deserves it and besides you have already been employee of the month. When they realized that I have never been employee of the month, they were embaressed and just walked away. I pick up extra shifts, I work night shifts (when needed), she doesn't, my documentation is almost perfect, almost, yet management has never acknowledged my positive contributions, they only pick up on what I have not done. I am on several committees, attend the meetings - my friend is not. Don't misunderstand - I am not looking for a pat on the back - I would just like some kind of acknowledgement for my contributions, instead of management always focusing on the negatives. I am always on time, I never call out (she has). I don't believe in bringing my personal problems to the work place. My friend has shared her personal problems with the ANM and has recieved nothing but sympathy. When I was in the hospital (the only time I called out) there was a total lack of concern for my situation. The CNAs and nurses all want to work with her. I have asked her what she does and have gone through what I do. We both do the same things. I feel as if I am working in her shadow and want to break away. Please let me know..am I being silly?

Sometimes action speaks louder than words. We have one particular nurse that is very vocal and complains about everything. At every staff meeting she reminds everyone that night nursing is much harder than day nursing. I was curious - so I worked several night shifts. It is my experience that both shifts have their positives and negatives. Well she couldn't complain to me about that anymore. One particular day I was trying to give her report on a heavy patient (total care) she became so upset that she had several heavy patients she spent time running around to other nurses complaining to them about her assignment (while I am still trying to give her report) Since I get written up for incidental overtime, I gathered my things, clocked out and left. I never did finish giving her report. I was worried that she would complain to the NM that I left, and get written up yet again, but that never happened. I later find out that no one likes this particular nurse, she does the same thing with everyone and everyone just takes it. I shared what I did with them and they agreed that they were going to do the same. If she tries to do this to me again, I will just tell her, politely, please let me finish giving you report, if you have a problem with your assignment, then take it up with the charge nurse when I am done. Maybe the fact that she is the godmother to the ANMs daughter or the fact that she used to be the ANM to the current ANM in another hospital makes her feel that she can do whatever she wants. Does it sound like favoritism? I think so....

It's funny you should mention that...the ANM helped out on the floor one day - not a full shift, only till 4:00pm. She told me the next day that her husband had to rub her feet and she was exhausted. She mentioned that realized the perfection management was asking for from the nurses is impossible to achieve. I heard from other nurses that day that when she left she left alot of work as well as paperwork undone. Since that day the ANM has backed off...but just a little.

Thank you all for your responses and advice. I know I need leave but I am nervous about what my NM would do. 2 of my classmates have already left. One transferred to the ICU in the same hospital - she gave them a months notice. The NM wrote her up within that month for something silly. I later found out that if you get written up you can't transfer for another month. The other nurse transfered to another hospital system, which is not an option for me because I am under a two year contract with this particular hospital system. My other classmates attitudes have changed. They have bonded with other nurses, and gossip - something I don't feel comfortable doing (but guess what I got called at home by my NM and was accused of gossiping about her). I get along with everyone and help out but I just don't know who to trust anymore. Alot of other nurses watch what others do and run to the NM and let her know of mistakes. Then you are either called at home, written a note or called into her office. Everyday we have new posts in our lounge of new forms we need to fill out in addition to our regular charting, I swear that I am overflowing in paperwork. We are required to do beside reporting (not a problem) the NM and ANM are on the floor most days in the AM and PM watching us and if we are not in the patient rooms we are approached and questioned. We are required to do rounding on each patient at least every two hours and are required to sign a sheet posted in each patient room proving that we have done it and at the end of each shift it is collected and given to the NM. We are required to do 12 hour chart checks and the ANM and NM check each chart to make sure it is done. Every day the ANM and NM go into each patient's room and question them about the nursing care they are given. Again, I don't know if this is done at other hospitals so I may be complaining about something that is common place. Please let me know. My NM is the one that interviewed me, not HR, she was the one that told me about the patient ratio. When she was questioned about it by my other classmate (we were interviewed together) the NM said she did not recall ever saying that. Well here is another kicker - the NM sets nurses up. She will ask another nurse to go into a patient room and push the call light, just to see how long it will take the nurse to respond. Well in one particular situation the nurse that was called did not go into the room because she saw the other nurse already in there and figured she was helping her out. Well, it was reported to the NM that the nurse never went into the room and she got called into her office about it. I swear that my NM has ears everywhere - one nurse was heard complaining that she was clocking out and continuing to work. The NM got wind of it and told this particular nurse that she would never, ever suggest that we do this because it would be against the labor law. When the nurse asked the NM what she could do about it the NM told her to figure it out and work on her time management issues (I was told the same thing when I asked) I know that no matter where I go there are going to be things that I am not going to like, no job is perfect. What I do not like is the fact that I have worked hard for my RN and am terrified that if, no when, I leave she will find something to write me up about or fire me and it will be on my record. Also I know that when I leave she will ask me why - I don't want to burn my bridges anywhere - what should I say - I am planning to work on another tele floor - so saying that I want a different experience won't cut it. Help!

I have only worked at one hospital as an RN (am still a newbie, almost one year as an RN now!! ), so I have no other experience to base this on to say this really stinks. I am relying on other nurses to let me know. I am really exhausted right now having worked one 16 hour shift and two 13 hour shifts right after, but I really would like some feedback and advice. Three days after I passed my boards I started working on a tele unit. I was told during my interview process I would get 4 patients, no more than five, based on acuity. Almost one year later, I can honestly say that I could handle 4 patients with my eyes closed (hurray for me!) I am up to 6-8 patients none of which are based on acuity. Some days I can get 4 out of 6 or 8 patients that are total care. Now I am really thinking that if I wanted this kind of patient load I would have gone to a med/surg floor. I have a running joke with other nurses and CNAs that a requirment to be on our floor is you need to be either half dead, a psych patient (really - I have had to call security on patients!) or drug seeking. Management is now saying that we are a med/surg tele floor. I am taking care of patients that are post op lap chole, drug overdoses, post op/pre op D&C, non cardiac monitored patients, prisoners and pre-op/post op ORIF (we do have an ortho unit), you name it - with no cardiac history. I could go on forever and if this was the worst of my situation I could deal with it, however.....I was one of 6 new nurses hired at one time - we were all classmates (I know, I know...horrible for the existing nurses!! and should have sent a red flag up in my head). We are in the process of switching over to computerized charting, so for how everything is paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. I spend more time doing paperwork than I do with my patients. I discovered that my managers were pulling all nurses bedside charts and making copies of them. One nurse already got fired for her "poor documentation". Granted, I don't know the extent of her situation, nor do I want to know. I just feel sorry for her, knowing that she had been a nurse for over 10 years and patients had nothing but rave reviews about her (I understand now that she has a lawsuit pending for unlawful termination.) Needless to say ALL of us, even nurses that have extensive experience are walking on egg shells. Anyway, I just feel that nursing is hard enough - management is on the floor constantly - everyone is nervous. I understand that documentation is super ultra important but people have gotten written up for not giving a walky talky, well hydrated patient lotion. Before I can finish one discharge, admission, whatever, I am hit with another. It is no wonder that I am there later than I should be finishing up paper work. I have been written up three times for incidental overtime. I can't take it anymore - they want perfection - perfect documentation, perfect customer service - yet when I run over I am written up. I know many nurses that clock out and continue to work so as not to be written up. Sorry, but I don't work for free, not to mention should a patient try to hurt me or I get hurt still delivering patient care - guess what I was off the clock. Please some one give me some advise. Is it this bad everywhere?? I have really only hit the tip of the iceburg with problems. Dee:cry:

Because I didn't like how my grandmother was being treated and I know I could care for her better (trust me I did run to the hospital when she called me at midnight because she was in so much pain and no pain meds were being administered - and this was even before I was an RN!). Because I looked into my dying mother's eyes and knew I could care for her better than the hospice nurses. Because I have worked with 15 year olds that are pregnant (after only one sexual encounter) they have contracted HIV and a pregnancy to boot and I knew I could do better than the nurse they encountered treating them as if they were outcasts of the community. I have sat with them, cried with them, helped them to the best of my ability... that is what nursing is about. Most importantly - my mom died of MS - she could not pursue her dream of being an RN - but she cared for people - I have her picture on my mantle of her in a nursing uniform- while she was in school - this was a dream that she never fulfilled. Guess what? I did it!! I got my RN. I know that my mom is looking down on me every day - and she would be proud. Grandma is still here and I can't even begin to tell you how she cried at my graduation - P.S. grandma was a nurse in Puerto Rico. I guess nursing is in my blood. Dee