Aurora77

Feel better?

That is brilliant!!

I can relate to the OP. I worked 12 hour nights for several years and it seemed like I never had time to do things outside the house. When I worked several days in a row, I didn't do anything besides work and sleep because 3-4 hours of sleep doesn't work for me. I also had trouble switching back to a semi day time schedule and spent one, if not two days, recovering from my shifts. I made the switch to 8 hour days Mon-fri and love it. I ever thought I'd give up those 4 days off but I feel so much more energetic and well rested. I actually have time to do things after work without cutting into my sleep time. You may want to look into a schedule change, OP. It's not for everyone, big I've had a huge improvement in my quality of life.

Not really, especially those no nights no weekends no holidays no call nursing gigs. Arkansas is beautiful and a great state but many areas aren't well known for their high paying jobs. Of course cost of living is lower, so it works out.

For me it depends on the nurse and if there is a pattern of behavior. We all have crazy shifts and have to pass things to the oncoming nurse occasionally but if it's a frequent occurrence by the same person, I'm going to refuse. I thought you were completely appropriate in splitting up the tasks that didn't get finished. I'd be grateful for that kind of help if I had a crazy shift and was behind. ETA: We don't have a specific rule about leaving things for the next shift, but it's our culture that nothing gets passed on without specifically notifying the next nurse.

If nursing doesn't work out, find a new career. Maybe my perspective is different since nursing is my second career, but it's possible to change to something completely different. It's a terrifying leap of faith, but worth it.

That's exactly my point. If chronic tardiness or absenteeism or other policy violations aren't addressed it can drag down the entire unit. Other people start pushing boundaries because if management can tolerate bad behavior from one employee, why can't they tolerate it from another? I've been in environments like this and it's awful. That's probably why I feel so strongly about the chronically tardy. I don't care if someone shows up exactly on time, but frequently showing up late, no way.

Lateness is one of my huge pet peeves. If a person can't arrive to work on time on a consistent basis, they should be fired so that they can find a job that suits their lackadaisical approach to time management. Showing up late regularly just lets everyone know that they disrespect their coworkers. When my shift is over, I want to go home. There's no reason (short of unforeseen circumstances) that I should have to wait on my replacement.

I love starting IVs too. This will sound weird and very few people will get it, but I like post mortem care. I love supporting the families and then respectfully preparing my patient for his or her next stop in the funeral home. There is something so special about caring for a person at the end of their life.

It makes me feel good when they tell me they like me. My shifts always seemed to be easier when I could spend a few minutes chatting with the patient and family. Is it essential? No, but it does make things smoother.

I will happily line the pockets of "Big Pharma." Lexapro has saved me and allows me to live like a normal person. I'll take the weight gain and whatever long term effects over the years of depression I dealt with. I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience but it has literally been a lifesaver for me.

Could you give some examples? I'm curious about how this works. Like other posters, I see most care plans as busy work and double charting. For example, practically every patient is at risk for falls. My judgement plus policies dictate what I'm going to do for them. That care is not driven by the care plan in the chart. In fact, I will have charted all of those interventions and patient care before I even look at the care plan. While I do see care plans as very useful to students learning to think through the nursing process, as a practicing nurse, I don't see their value, at least in my acute care setting. I'm sure there must be something I'm missing, can you help?

No!! It's one of my favorite phrases.

That's really odd. 7 am/pm I can see, but the next shift could easily cluster the 7:30 meds with their 9:00 with that hour window.

I'm so sorry.