Beatlefan

I left bedside nursing after a 20 year intermediate care career. I couldn't agree more. Nursing was getting unsafe. Support staff and younger or newer nurses began to say "no" at work, and showed up and did not do their jobs. Instead of a career of service to others, they like to think how "cool" it is to see others at their most vulnerable moments- and almost brag about the privilege given them, to care for other humans. Makes me sick to see all the "selfies" and choreographed dancing videos. How about the "crying" pictures and videos? God help us.

I worked with her, too! Only she added online shopping and texting with her kids to the mix...

I left nursing after a 13 year career due to "games" just like this. No one wants to train anyone properly. No one wants to help coworkers. My support staff got to the point where they would outright tell me "no", and management informed me that this generation of 20-somethings were raised to think it is acceptable to say no. I went into nursing because I wanted a career where I could help people, get some good feelings back from helping people, develop professional but close working relationships/work as a team, and get paid. Nursing is NOT the place for those things to happen. Calling to give or get report and having yet another institution/floor or unit play the game tells me that this is pretty much universal. Nursing was a game; from the minute you show up for your shift, you are seeing who is working (team players/non-team players), patient loads and acuity, if your charge nurse will sit and socialize all shift or actually do his/her job, if your support staff are lazy (do they "hide", not answer call lights, get vitals, blood glucoses, assist with toileting and cares), and finally, your nurse co-workers- who will actually help you if you need it, would be good in an emergency, etc. Ironically, the non-team player co-workers are most often the ones who will raise holy hell with the ED or outside hospital for not sitting on the phone and giving them the most thorough report they have ever heard. You just can't win, and I really only miss the sweet people I was privileged to care for.

Walking into a patient’s room to do a large medication pass and assessment, passing my CNA leaving the room and looking around to find; garbage on the floor and in the bed, overflowing urinal, empty water mug, bathroom full of dirty laundry on the floor, old food and drink that was not taken away after previous meal. Leaving patient’s room to find the CNA, and; not being able to find him/her, OR finding them standing and talking to other staff.

I have encountered some odd people in my 18 years of working as a CNA and nurse. Mostly in the form of coworkers. I have always promised myself that the day this job makes me cry is the day I give my notice.

Your boss sounds unprofessional and a little immature.

I was basically badgered into getting BSN by my nurse manager. She talked about a bonus upon completion- never happened. She needed more BSNs on her unit to look good for Magnet status. The VA tells different people different reasons and excuses.

NO! Lateral bullying, horrible Co-workers, lack of team mentality, workplace cliques and subsequent immature behavior, understaffing and too many sick calls. I could go on. Intermediate care/transplant/cardio/ thoracic/PV surg for 12 long years

One morning while getting bedside report from night shift, I noticed a new sheet in the bedside clipboard. I asked what it was for, and my coworker told me it is to be filled in every hour to prove we are rounding on our patients. At that point, I whispered "you would think that people are just doing that anyway" right as our nurse manager walked past. Instead of stopping and talking to us, the manager walked to her office, signed into her computer and email and wrote an email to me and my coworker; "I would hope that people would stop gossiping on the floor. I see that is not the case." My coworker and I were shocked. We never went to her and talked about it, and the manager never brought it up. Farther down the road, the manager began to hire assistive staff with no experience and when the nurses would go to her with concerns, she made it about the nurses and made a point to micro manage some of us into finding work elsewhere. No one had a clue who to go to with our concerns, fearing retribution. I'm still there, nurse manager was promoted- but we lost a lot of good team- player nurses.

Mother of 3 here- was lucky enough to have stayed home during my last pregnancy, but worked during the first 2, right up until the days I went into labor. I guess I was also lucky to not have issues, as I never used being pregnant as an excuse to not do something. It's so hard in this job (floor nursing) to decide who is genuinely unable or unavailable to perform at 100%. There are co-workers who start the excuses, cherry pick assignments, etc. from the beginning of the shift. In the same vein, the new thing that takes nurses off the floor for exhorbitant amounts of time is pumping breast milk. I would never, ever say a bad thing about new mothers pumping- it's great- but for all these Co-workers who refuse patients, refuse admissions, take multiple smoke breaks and don't watch the clock during other breaks, or just have a habit of socializing too much or even sit on their cell phones or the internet, there are a few of us who DON'T sit down very often because we are understaffed and feel horrible for patients who have to wait for assistance or pain meds. I probably shouldn't have written this post, because I don't have a solution, but I wanted to agree with you and offer that this is a newer occurance on my floor as well.

I am a VA nurse, going on 12 years. When I was new, nurses reached nurse 2 status with longevity. If you worked there long enough, were able to function as a charge nurse, you eventually became a nurse 2. Now, we have to pick QI projects and improve the floors and units we work on and write our proficiencies based on these projects in order to become a nurse 2. In my last proficiency, I focused on my abilities related to my experience. I did not write for nurse 2 and I did not do a QI project. I am planning on spending the remainder of my career working the floor, functioning as charge nurse and nothing extra. I am fine with that. My manager's paragraph about me included her stating that I have always had a very busy personal life, and that is why I did not do a QI project. Am I wrong to see this as unprofessional and irrelevant? I have worked at the VA for 12 years, but do not really know federal labor guidelines or even VA policy. Any input would be appreciated.

Yes!! this, SpankedInPittsburgh!! the long, going on and on about personal life/problems/cats/kids- also the bodily functions; belching, etc-- to even taking bites from my meal or demanding that I share my food with you!!! I don't really make eye contact when they start talking about their lives!!! Many is the time I have had to wait for people to stop talking about their vacation in order to get someone's attention to help with a boost or a code brown!! DON'T CARE is right!!!

I resemble that remark. I am one of the ones who complains while I am at work. I try to keep things fun, cooperative and light- but since changing careers and becoming a nurse about 12 years ago, I find that this profession has changed me! I think I was pretty naive before I became a nurse, and just expected that all people behaved themselves and followed the golden rule, for the most part. Thanks for reminding me to keep things positive. : )

People are generally lazy, and selfish. There are a lot of know-it-alls in nursing, and nursing is a game. Who can come up with excuses or reasoning not to take high-acuity patients, new admissions, or even answer call lights. Co-workers, support staff, sometimes patients' families and less than sometimes patients themselves can suck the life out of you.

I have been an ICC nurse for over 10 years, and this is a problem that just gets worse. If management isn't a presence on the floor, there isn't much you can do. I took a class on communication and was told that the millennial generation has been raised that it is ok to say no.

Nursing and healthcare is a game. I get to work, meet in change of shift huddle, then my co-workers play games to see who can get out of taking a higher acuity patient or admission. Then we get report and learn about how busy the shift before was- even though they didn't miss the pot luck party in the break room. We inherit things they were just too busy to do. Then we hit the floor running and may get a post-procedure on frequent vitals, new admission, etc- and scramble to find CNAs to do their jobs so we nurses can do our jobs.

I became a CNA before entering nursing school to see if healthcare was for me. There were nurses at the small hospital that I worked at who claimed that they didn't go to nursing school to *toilet patients* (not the phrase they used). I also worked with one nurse who insisted on doing everything for all her patients, which included HS peri-cares/bed baths. Forward to now, with the hiring of non-licensed healthcare assistants/techs, who do little more than get vital signs and blood sugars, and have no problem telling nurses that they are too busy to do their jobs. I remember in nursing school that an instructor threatened to kick a student out of school for not toileting a female patient. I have seen both extremes in the past 20 years. As a nurse, in my own routine, I always try to establish with my health techs that I expect them to find me if any of my patients need assistance, so I can assess them while assisting. I also tell them never to be afraid to ask me for help with any patient, if they need help. When patients sit waiting for their call lights to be answered, they know what's going on. With the advent of the internet and cellphones that access the internet, there are many who prefer to be checking social media or playing games instead of doing their jobs.

Took an "escalating behavior" class at the hospital where I work. The instructor was very surprised and angry to hear us nurses tell him about what we endure on the floor. I think he was shocked to know that the hospital security and/or VA police do little with violent patients. MDs accept them for admission, but rarely are around to deal with the horrible behavior. I will never forget being a new RN, having a box of haldol powder come up from pharmacy, and asking for help from my coworkers to; mix and draw up the medication, and get it into the patient. Health care and all the games people play to get out of doing work has really changed me.

Hell to the no!! Mostly because of the other nurses and people in health care. Just horrible.

I learned that most nursing instructors were not very nice people, and that nursing school was not like college when I went in the late '80s. We had to basically teach ourselves and be expected to know everything already.

What quazar so eloquently said- ditto.

Please do not delete your post! I think it will stimulate some good conversations. I went into nursing in my late 30s, 2nd career. One of MANY issues that I experienced in my 10+ years in nursing includes what you are talking about. I have a BIG problem with how nurses treat one another, and a big part of this comes in the form of communication. I see people not receiving proper orientations. I see people who show up at work and concentrate more on socializing and eating in the break room than they do caring for patients or communicating with co-workers about things that matter. I have seen many good RNs leave my floor after realizing we do not even discuss a plan every once in a while, in case of a code. Thanks for your post!!

I have never heard of anyone being asked about taking the NCLEX or the time between graduation and passing the NCLEX in a job interview- ever. A girl in my graduating class also took 6 times to pass. She was a good student and is a good nurse.

I can see by re-reading my message where you would assume that I am comparing it to other careers. I am actually pretty bitter that I was cheated out of a proper orientation. I just wanted to state the fact that this happened to me, I changed careers while older, and that I am surprised to find that it happened more than we think. After my lack of orientation, my floor got a new nurse manager. I told her what happened to me, and the policy changed. No matter what the situation is- I observe that most often health care workers can be horrible to one another. Withholding training/information. Backstabbing and even outright rudeness. I would have loved to work with a seasoned nurse when I was new.

I was scheduled to work with my preceptor once. I was told to pair up with another RN once. Two shifts of orientation. I was lucky to have been a student on the floor I work on. I have been a nurse for 10 years now, and when I run this scenario past other nurses, I find that this attitude of throwing us in to teach us to swim was the norm. I became a nurse at 40, and had other jobs and careers.