georgie3

Thanks for the tips. However, I DO have a problem w/ irresponsible NURSES who take smoke breaks and then come back to a pediatric unit and care for very ill children with respiratory problems. Some of which we end up flying out. It irritates me to no end! As for taking "smoke breaks" per se, I would not feel comfortable leaving the unit with the amount of pts. and the care they needed. Nope, you're not going to see me leaving the floor for selfish reasons. I do believe I should've at least had a chance to go in the breakroom for 5-10 mins. to eat or drink something. Many days I feel like I'm the only one who gives a darn. We have a unit clerk that shows more concern than some of the RN's on the unit.

Thanks for the tips. However, I DO have a problem w/ irresponsible NURSES who take smoke breaks and then come back to a pediatric unit and care for very ill children with respiratory problems. Some of which we end up flying out. It irritates me to no end! As for taking "smoke breaks" per se, I would not feel comfortable leaving the unit with the amount of pts. and the care they needed. Nope, you're not going to see me leaving the floor for selfish reasons. I do believe I should've at least had a chance to go in the breakroom for 5-10 mins. to eat or drink something. Many days I feel like I'm the only one who gives a darn. We have a unit clerk that shows more concern than some of the RN's on the unit.

Hi all. I'd really appreciate any feedback regarding this issue that happened last night at work. I'm a new graduate nurse, just off orientation for appr. 1 week. I work on a pediatric/adult med. surg. floor. Yesterday I worked the day shift with one other nurse, (who happened to be "in charge" b/c of another nurse who called off) Anyhow, I had 5 pts. she had 6. My one pt. was a "sickler" who required q 2 hrs. of pain meds. Another pt. was a full dnr who needed his meds. crushed through his peg-tube. My other 3 pts. required iv antibiotics every 6 hrs. and decub. ulcer dressing changes. Yes, some meds. were late, but I administered them as quickly as time allowed. I was asked to stay over for 12 hours b/c they were short a nurse and I agreed to. However....I did not get 1 break, nor did I get a lunch. I was there a total of 13 hours. I know some of you are probably thinking, get used to it, but what irritates me is the nurse who was "in charge" was able to not only finish all of her charting on time, she gave me a new admission AND she was able to leave the floor 2 times for a smoke break. COME ON!!! Leave me, the only RN on the floor w/ all that was going on, for a SMOKE BREAK! :angryfire:angryfire And I didn't even get one bite to eat for 13 hours! Much less a smoke break. I won't be PALS certified until May and I know that the "charge" nurse should not have left me alone on the floor. :uhoh21: Like I said, I'm fairly new to nursing and would appreciate any feedback regarding this situation. Thanks.

Thanks, I appreciate it!! I'm dreading the fact that I have to go back and face some of the people on that dreaded shift. Like I said, I had a long talk w/ my NM and she has asked for names. I was very reluctant to tell her names b/c I don't feel like encountering more hostility while I'm there. But I told her anyway, b/c I feel that perhaps I'm one of the few nurses on that unit that speak up. Besides, she needs to know what's going on when she's not around.

This unit is a 23 hr. observation unit. Half is tele, other half is general med/surg. The blood situation was a one time thing. This preceptor was the only preceptor that (I was with) didn't know how to hang blood. With that being said, I knew (from observing) that she was unqualified to be my preceptor. (they also make her charge nurse on my shifts) After precepting w/ her that night, I asked the other charge nurse to not put me w/ her ever again. I told her she was not qualified to precept. (she was also a fairly new grad. to top things off) What scares me is that my NM tried to take me off orientation weeks ago b/c the unit is so short handed. I continued to tell her and my "preceptorS" that I only had 20 days on the floor, and I was not ready. She adds 2 days on here and there and tells me that everyone says you're doing a great job. Maybe so, but it's b/c someone was showing me what needs to be done. (admissions, orders, putting home meds in computer, etc.) Also, one night I went into work and they had a new grad. be in charge that night. (she graduated w/ me as well but started 2 months earlier) Thanks for the advice. I'm scheduled to work w/ a nurse on a different shift who is very knowledgeable. For now, they're keeping me on orientation, but I am looking at other hospitals. I called yesterday, just waiting to hear. Cross your fingers.

She does. And she's putting me on a different shift (with an experienced nurse, thankfully) for 12 hours shifts until another position opens. As long as I don't have to work w/ the ignorant bunch, I'll survive. But, it's hr that's giving me a hard time about transferring.

She also made it quite clear to me that no matter what hospital I go to, I will run into those nurses "who eat their young" and the hectic floors. Don't get me wrong, I like the fast paced environment, what I don't like is trying to basically learn an ER setting in about 4 weeks. Along w/ the ignorance of some of the staff. The only thing I'm contemplating is that my unit manager is wonderful. But she's only there on the day shift so she's unable to witness what goes on during the other shifts. It's my word against theirs.

The hospital is accredited. My husband works in HR at his place of employment, he couldn't believe what they told me either. I did a ton a clinicals (10hr. days) when I was in nursing school. At various hospitals w/ the exception of the one I got hired in at. I know how floor nursing can be. I'm generally a laid back person, I've been told I do quite well under pressure. (I graduated w/ honors in nursing school while raising 3 children, talk about pressure...). But.....I refuse to believe this kind of hostility and ignorance goes on everywhere. Like I said, many nurses on this shift sit in the nurses station and bs while I'm running around like a chicken w/ it's head cut off. seriously. it's pathetic. 6-7 co-workers took their "lunch break" the other night and no one was to be found in the nurses station. phones were ringing, lights going off, pts. asking for their nurse. (I was at my module trying to get my charting done) Either my nurse mgr. can switch my shift or I will be transferred. I'm also looking into other area hospitals.

Hello everyone. I'm new to this forum and also a new graduate nurse. I applied for a job on an admitting floor in Oct. and was hired. This floor is like a "mini-ER", very fast paced and extremely busy. I've had a total of 24 days on the floor to learn computer charting, meds. admin, admissions, and getting down the basics of floor nursing. I've been w/ about 4 or 5 different preceptors, all of which do things differently. One of which didn't know how to hang blood. (I had a direct admit with a hgb of 5.9) Also, my orientation mostly consisted of getting telephone orders implemented as well as doing a full admission. (I'm pretty much getting that part down) However, I have not had the greatest orientation, I feel like my preceptors were too busy to really teach me. To make a long story short, I'm considering moving to a different unit. I've had snide remarks made to me by other nurses as well as a tech who down right refused to transfer my patient. (I ended transferring my pt. myself, he was in an ortho bed) One nurse told me I needed to go in the "back and eat some popcorn" yeah, ignorant, i know. :angryfire THis nurse has repeatedly asked me why in the world would I want to work on this "f-ing" floor. The nurses station is full of employees who bs around and cuss and carry on as if they were in a bar. Very unprofessional, especiall b/c we have family in and out of our unit. I'm 35 yrs. old and refuse to be talked to like I'm worthless. Does anyone have any suggestions? I talked w/ my unit mgr. and she's willing to transfer me to another floor, but hr tells me it will not be any different elsewhere. How sad.