concflynn13

hi fatrabbit, I worked in dialysis in 2 different units all thru the 80's. the first unit was quite dysfunctional. the nurse manager had no respect for me or any of the other staff. backstabbing & tattling were promoted. getting dry weights changed for patients when they gained or lost body weight could take 6 mos. the next unit, I had free reign with my primary patients. the attendings valued my opinion. some of the residents were gods. unfortunately in the mid 80's we became hep B & HIV aware. one day we ran out of gloves. SPD was out of them. the glove manufacturers couldn't produce them fast enough, so they cut the washing of the powder when gloves were removed from the forms. all the powder became the vector for transmitting latex proteins into the air creating an "epidemic" of natural rubber latex allergy. my symptoms didn't begin until '94 & I couldn't work with open sores. I wasn't diagnosed for 3 years. I was constantly exposed. I didn't know what to avoid so my allergy became disabling. I wish I could give you better memories of the 80's.

I have been out of the work force since 1994 d/t a work related injury. nursing seems to have changed, really changed. many of us never got out of work on time, all that paper work & clearing problems for the next shift. it wasn't unusual to be called on a day off to come to work. we all knew NO would float us to a different floor. I started turning off the answering machine & not answering the phone on my day off. I didn't have caller ID back then. also, an unwritten rule, staff doesn't appear for the next shift, we can't leave. usually it was a snowstorm. interviewers should be honest. at one new job, I was never told I would be administering 8 hour chemo treatments. I also wasn't told I would be working charge every eve. I worked & w/e. it isn't fair. nurses work very hard to take proper care of their patients, sometimes without breaks & meals. I spent 12 years in dialysis. if you enjoyed it, go back to it. now, at 67 years old, I would say that you weren't given the proper info, you don't need to give 2 weeks notice. you are in orientation, not working the floor. good luck, I'm praying for you.

hi deborah, you are at the beginning of your nursing career. it is difficult to feel competent working with seasoned nurses. don't be afraid to ask questions. when we graduate, we don't have all the answers. when we have become seasoned nurses, we don't have all the answers. but we've learned thru school that we are supposed to have them. i remember how intimidated i was. i thought i was supposed to have all the answers. i learned thru time to ask. we take on so much responsibility caring for our patients. with heavy assignments(or not) it's difficult to be with all of them all of the time. anything can happen so quickly. ex.-in one of the last years of my career, i had one patient in the tub room. another of my patients coded, but i couldn't hear it, so i was the last one to get to the room. you can only be in one place at a time. if you don't know, ask. if you feel in over your head, ask for help. all of this happens to all of us all the way thru our careers. not one of us has earned the title of super nurse. we all do this best that we can, & ask for help when we need it if we are caring for our patients properly. i'm glad you love what you are doing. i did, too. you really care, i can tell that in your post. give yourself time, be kind to yourself. you are human, not a machine. ahh, but a machine would not give the special care that you give. i would be proud to have you for my nurse. wish my bandaid was a hug instead. concflynn13