compassionate_1

Hi all. I just need to vent about the current situation at the LTC facility that I work at:scrying:. First of all, I am a new LPN. I graduated in July 07' and got my license, first try, in October 07'. I started out working at an urgent care clinic. The pay was on the lower end and one of the physicians was extremely rude to all staff. So obviously I found a new job. Now I'm working the NOC shift at a LTC facility. I've been there about 3 mos and I've already had just about enough! When I came in for my first shift, I was informed that I would have 2 days of orientation and then I would be on my own to care for 40 people, by myself with the assistance of 2 CNAs:eek:. The only other nurse in the building is on the other end of the facility, caring for the remaining 40 or so Res. Talk about overwhelming! The first 3-4 weeks were really hard and I was scared to death. Of course I know how to do the nursing skills I learned in school, but that doesnt mean that I've actually done all of them on a real pt before, and even some of the skills I have performed I havent done since school. So, as I'm sure many of you can imagine, I still get nervous when faced with certain tasks or situations. As I stated before, I'm still pretty new at this, I'm only 3 mos into this whole LTC experience. Anyway, at this point I'm begining to feel that I know the Res, there routines, DX, crush or whole, alarms?, etc. Some of the paper work and as I said before certain tasks still present a challenge, but I'm getting there. Well pretty much from day one, I have had to receive and give report to one of the most two-faced, s#%* stirring nurses I have ever met. I never thought in a million years that anyone that becomes a nurse would be so awful. This woman has been a nurse for 9 years. She talks about everyone behind their back and I know of 3 nurses that work there now in addition to myself that she tries to belittle and gossip about all the time. Lately she has been focusing in on me:argue:. I'm not sure why but she really seems to want to bring me down. She leaves important things out of report; will get orders to d/c txs (alarms) and will put the order in the pt's chart but wont d/c it in the TARS. She has holes in the MAR almost everytime she works, she always chats with other people while giving me report, making it take forever, which puts me behind before I ever get started:banghead:. Last weekend when I was coming on the floor we did the narc count and she was off. She had popped 2 tabs out of one Res' card and gave one to a Res that had the same med same dose and the other to another Res who was supposed to receive the same med, but a higher dose. She makes these mistakes and well, we all make mistakes so I have noted that they have been made and move on, (the narc error was reported to the ADON but nothing was done because the ADON and this mean nurse are 'buddies'). Well, if I make a mistake; (dont sign off on a med, or dont get a transfer packet completed) she talks major crap about me. She has told people that she thinks Im a dimwit and that she doesnt like me. I dont really care if she likes me or not, esp c as little as I have to work with her, but dragging me into this nasty gossip circle, making me look bad and hurting my self esteem is really stressing me out:banghead:! I feel like I give 100% everytime I go to work. I'm not perfect, Im new and inexperienced, so my share of mistakes are going to be made, but there is no compassion from her even though she makes plenty of mistakes and has been a nurse alot longer. In the a.m. when she gets to work she will barely speak to me but if someone else is at the station or if someone else walks up she is super nice to them, almost like she wants to make a point to be extra nice to others in front of me just to reinforce how unfriendly she is to me. I sat at work the other night and no matter how hard I tried I couldnt keep from tearing up. I know that Im where I should be based on my experience as a nurse. I know I'm not a dimwit. I just dont know why she is making me look bad to others and trying to turn others against me? It really hurts my feelings and makes me mad. I saw other threads talking about nurses 'eating' their young. I'm not experienced enough to tell you whether it's common or not, but this nurse I'm dealing with has fangs. If anyone has any advise for me I am all ears. I havent had to deal with anyone like this since JR high! I just want to do a good job, learn, help others and come home tired but in a good mood. There arent many jobs open for LPNs in my area and I really need the money. Please help me cope:sniff:! Thanks:confused:

I have cried due to stress at work, but only once while at work. Nursing is a stressful job and its hard to not feel overwhelmed at times. Crying can be a way to let anxiety out and get rid of it (at least for a time) and then move on. After a hard day (or night), I find that a few tears and a hot bath help alot!

Hi, I graduated from the LPN program in July 2007, took state boards and passed in September 2007. I got a job at an outpatient clinic in October 2007 and worked there until February 2008 when one of the four physicians employed there was so direspectful and belittling:bowingpur that I spoke to management about it. Four days later, on my day off, I got a phone call from the nursing supervisor. She stated that I didnt do anything wrong but that a decision had been made, and I was being let go. So, after that slap in the face:(, I got a new job at a LTC facility where I am currently employed. It's hard getting adjusted to the heavy patient load and stressful med pass, but I think Im better suited for bedside nursing and that all the drama at my first job happened for a reason. Im going on for my RN degree and looking foward to the oppurtunities it will bring.

Hello all, I am a new nurse and I just got a job as an LPN in a Long term care facility, working the 7p-7a shift. This is my first job in LTC and even though the majority of my clinicals were done in LTC facilities, I have had a rude awakening:uhoh21:! I have only worked 2 nights and I am already concerned if I will be able to continue working LTC! They have assigned me to 2 halls, a total of 32 patients, 25 of which I am expected to pass 8p, 9p, and 10p meds to all at once, a total of about 150 meds, all in about 2 1/2 hrs:uhoh3:! I am very by the book and very safety minded. The other nurses at the facility have stated that "no one" can do this job by the book and get everything done. I have been told that in order to get things done in the "real world", short-cuts must be made, just dont get caught:nono:. That seems crazy to me:bugeyes:! I have been in tears the past few days, trying to figure out what to do:cry:. The residents are getting some meds too early and others too late. The CNA's will disappear for hours at a time and the amount of paperwork that is dumped on the night shift is overwhelming:banghead:. I want to do things the way I was taught, the safe way, but I cant get everything done, no matter how fast I try to be. Please, if anyone can give me advice on how to get things done quickly and safely, I would really appreciate it:heartbeat! Also, is my pt load normal for night shift? Day shift nurses only have 1 hall each, why do the night nurses get 2 halls? The residents are mostly sleeping, but all require alot of meds:confused:.