erin01

Yes I do realize I won't be paid but worry they won't hold my position.

Hi, So I just found out I'm pregnant. I currently work per diem for my hospital in there float pool. On Monday I plan on calling HR to see what will have when I leave to have my baby. I also have a good relationship with my manger but was wondering If anyone has experience with this? What are my legal rights?

So I have been a tele nurse now for 3 years. Last year becoming per diem after family care issues. I try my best everyday I am there to take the best care I can of my patients. However, I Feel it's a lossing battle and I am becoming burnt and disheartined. I am unsure how to process these emotions. I have always wanted to be a nurse and was so proud to become one. On bad days, I can have 5 patients with transferrs and new admits. On the worse of days my head is spinning and am Unsure at the end of my shift what the hell just happened! On the way home I pray I made no mistakes under all that crazyness! I have been chewed out by another nurses for forgething something, called on a discharges and questioned. I just feel like there is no winning in this field. The things that are asked of us and the dangers involved...are they worth it? I am told to chart on my patients room every two hours, make d/c calls, discharge patients, adm meds, check orders from stupid doc's. I am sure I dont need to go on with the list of things that are expected of us in 12hrs. I just dont know how to make this any better, how to be less hard on myself if I forgetting something. I have learned from my mistakes and I do believe that these mistakes have made me better, but in this field is there really room for error? Am I just not cut out to do this anymore? When a patient asked me if I am back the next day and tell me that they would very much like it if i was, it can make it worth it. IT is rare that we are thanked in anyway for what we truely do! Being able to give my patients the attention they need or that i would like to give is impossible! Sorry for the rant..just no one truely understands how sometimes i feel completely incompitant and stupid!

So I am now on my second year on a tele step down unit. After having my second son i went to perdiem status. I work about once a week day shift. I love that i get to stay home with my boys! But the other day i started to question if i was working enough to keep up my skill set? I work on such a stressful fast moving floor. I had had a really ruff day and Felt so behind on patient care and time management. I felt my "flow" was off, maybe time management? But i was asured by a college it was just the group i had. I guess i was just wondering if its possble to keep this up for much longer? AM i losing it? Its just so hard to find a job that i can work so little with out paying anyone for childcare. I often take classes that are offered to us so I can stay on top of things. But I am just not sure anymore? IS it safe to keep working so little? sometimes i feel like a new nurse all over again, questioning every little thing. Even though the time is passing I dont feel llke a senior nurse! Any thoughts or suggestions ?

So I believe i work on one of the hardest floors of the hospital. We are always in need of staFF and have a high turn over rate. I started this job about 2YRS Ago. I had my son aftER A year and now have been working per- diem ever since. I usually work once a week sometimes 2. I feel so comfy there and sometimes wonder if i am just settling there because its familar. I also at time think i am still so new and am not ready to move on. I look at other units and not sure where i would look to go. I think its important to challange yourself and grow as a nurse, so i wonder if i should move on. I am not looking to move just yet as i am not willing to work more at this time with my little guy at home. But I am just looking for thoughts and suggestions. I try to attend class to keep my skill up and have concedered taking the pccn exam to become certified. Would be it bad to stay there for a long period? I am missing out? I dont want to ended up there with 15 years and nothing to show for it! Does working in other units make u a better nurse? thoughts, comments are welcome:yeah:

I work in a busy tele floor now on days and been here over 1 year. I am per diem after maternity leave. I am starting to think I should quit. They have stopped using acuity for patients and it feels in safe . I feel very overwhelmed and scared I may make an error. I typically have 5 PTA of all acuity and it feels so wrong. Is this just nursing? Or my floor? Or my management ???

That sounds great! I would love to that ob home health...hmm did she have ob experience?

So i worked on a tele floor for over a year and just had my second child. I tired to go back to nights but its not working out and need to do whats best for him right now. But i am scared to quit, what if i never get another job? I would take maybe 6m to a year and then would maybe go back to a different field. I did not like my job on that floor at all. We were always dangerously understaffed and to many heavy patients, to much turn over. I am glad i did it and defiantly learned a lot. But not sure i would like to go back. Am i making a huge mistake? I am calling my manger today to tell them nights is not working out for me and what if any are my options? because i dont want to flat out quit on them, i would pick up a shift during the day if they needed me in the future. I just cant commit to much right now. adv?

I read in my handbook just now that it must equal the amount of vacation u qualify for. I would be 4 weeks, I don't think I can do that... What are my rights? I don't know if I can do 4 oh boy

I read in my handbook just now that it must equal the amount of vacation u qualify for. I would be 4 weeks, I don't think I can do that... What are my rights?

So I just returned from maternity and went back as perdiem nights. It's not gonna work, I asked about days n nogo for now. How much notice do I have to give? I am having trouble getting child care for nights.

Hi, I worked on a step down tele floor night for over a year. I just went out on maternity leave to have my second child. My plan was to go back per diem nights! Well i went back the other night and now am re thinking everything. I felt like crap going in i was already tired. While i was off i really felt the toll nights had taken on me, and when i went back felt it all over again. My lo didnt do well either, got a call from hubby with a screaming baby. I had a horrible night, that made me think about quitting. i just started to questioning everything. I hate that floor its really hard and always understaffed and not sure i even like bedside nursing. A lot of my friends have left that floor and went to ccu and the ER. I am not sure what to think right now other than i do not want to go back!!!!!! I feel like my family needs me and its not worth torturing myself to stick with nights. I was thinking about calling my manger and saying i am not able to return at this point but would be able to pick up a dayshift on the weekends if they need me. I feel like maybe i should take some time off, and explore another types of nursing. i feel like am at a cross road. Oh man i am lost and confused.

I think he just anxious over the baby being so small. He worried he won't know what to do with him. I really appreciate ur comments and it's made me feel a bit better. I not sure exactly why I thought I was the only one who did this. I don't want to give up the job just yet with out trying it. So I keep telling him it will be one bad night! I think we are both just anxious ={ thanks

So I worked f/t nights on tele floor before i had my lo. I knew it would be hard to return and was not sure if i would. WEll my maternity leave is almost over and i have asked for per diem work. I told my hubby yesterday that they had said ok. Well he freaked out! WE had discussed me going back one night a week. And he had mixed emotions about being left with the baby alone! WEll now they time is 2 weeks away and he lost his mind about it yesterday. I am sick just thinking about leaving my lo and then to add to it to have him tell me he cant do and if i think he can i am out of my mind. I just kept saying its just one night, and if its to much i will quit. Well i am just sick thinking about it. Every time lo woke up last night i wanted to cry thinking it would be hubby with him. I also have a 3yr and was thinking he would have to spend the first night or two i work at the grandparents to make it a little easier on my husband. I am soooo torn on what to do. I would like at some point to go back to work but am not sure if its just to soon. My lo will be 10 weeks old when i go back. I did not want to give up my job because i was scared i would lose my skills and have to start from scratch all over again. The other part just feels so unnatural to leave my sons as i am there mom and it hurts to do. I figured if i worked the night before my inlaws could help watch the babies while i grabs some sleep and then i would get up and just go to bed really early. Anyone out there with experience with this? or just a hug lol=(

well now i am nervous ..=( I am calling in the am!

I was a full time staff Rn nights. Been there over a year just b4?I left.

Hi, I have no one too ask for adv on how to go about this. But I just had my 2nd child n I am not able to return to work full time. I would like to stay on my unit. For another year and would like to do prn possibly on Fridays nights! my baby is now 4 weeks and was gonna wait another week or two n call my manager to meet with her. This would be giving her more than 6 weeks notice. How should I word that I want to go prn? Do I have to go in person? Do I have to dress in a suit? Any adv? Pls any adv? Sorry about typo I typing one handed lol

Thank you for clarifying

I am always so careful when i give pain meds... just so paranoid about overdose and respiratory depression. The other day i had a 68 yr old female pt who was 2 days post op after a hip fx. she had very bad copd and had many respiratory meds she took daily, as well as nc 2L and tachypneic and sat was 98%. She was getting loratab q 4hrs alternating with Dilaudid 0.5mgs sq q 4hrs. The orho doc came and she was still complaining of +6 pain so he added oxycontin 5mgs sch bid. I verified with the dr that he wanted her to start the oxy tonight and i stupidly assumed he d/c one of the other meds. Well 6 am rolls around and the patient wants dilaudid only about 5hrs after oxycontin doses. I call our house dr to verify it was ok to give, as i look up these drugs and i know that they can cause resp probs! How do i go about making theses decision on pain management. Am i being overly cautious? Pt was so upset with me that i wanted to check to make sure it was ok to give, as to her the dr told her that oxy was a base for her and lortab and dilaudid were going to be used all the time too! Any suggestions? thoughts?

Hi, I work full time right now on a tele unit. I have been there a year and its nuts, we have lost 6 rns in like 4 weeks! Anyway i am going to be going out on maternity leave at the end of July. I know right now that i just wont be able to pull off full time nights with two small kids at home. I would love to come back prn maybe 1-2 week! I know they are desperate since we are so short staffed, but not sure if they will let me. I would definitely work more than once a week once the smaller one is a bit bigger. But for now i am not sure when i should talk about this with my manger! I was planing on waiting till at least 6weeks after the baby was born to see how it will be. Which would give them 4 weeks notice at that point. I plan on taking as much maternity leave as possible about 12 weeks. Any adv or suggestions? I really don't want to quit but i cant do full time at all.

The charge nurse didnt take her patients because she had 6! this is a tele floor and we usually have 4 pts each and we all started with 5! I had taken 2 of her patients which gave me 7! I realize that i made a mistake being so wrapped up in anger that she was doing this. I would have went out of my way for someone else who was truly ill. But i find it hard to be compassionate when this was going on for 2 days and she was taking pain meds like candy. If your that bad off, then dont come to work! But also this is not the first time she has been to the ER either ...this is weird. I was also upset because why did you not tell us earlier. I plan on talking to her to hear her side but i just have a hard time accepting.

I really thank all of you for your inpuT! I feel badly that i let my emotions get to me and cloud what i should have done!

Thanks i realized maybe i could have done better and have learned.

SO I work on really busy tele unit and i work nights. OuR unit is tuff, a lot of the nurses leave and we just lost 6 nurses between day and nights!!!!!! So we are short staffed for this month. We are all pretty new on nights, and i am about a year. I have a girl i work with who has gotten into to with other nurses because she always getting others to do her work!!!! I figured this out a while ago and stopped helping her! She has been a nurses for 3yrs and its just the type of person i think she is. I love to help my colleges when i can but she gets ridiculous! The other day we were only 5 and we were swamped, full floor...heavy patients all running around like wack jobs. She had had her tooth pulled and was telling me that they messed up and was in a lot of pain and taking pain meds! And that she joked about it with my manger who said he was glad she came in! So what ever, untill she had gotten sick from the pain meds which i learned that she took to types and was now vomiting. So eventually she had to go to the ER! Which left us in a hot mess. Well she leaves about 2am with nothing done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No 9pm meds,people with out there insulin coverage, no documentation........nothing. Well i got handed her 9pm meds for her patient that i took and refused to give them any pills at 2am!! I wrote a note in the patients chart that i was given patient at 2am with no meds given. I was not about to wake up a patient for medication that they were about to get 8-9am again the next morning!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus there were not critical meds at the time. I was furious to say the least that i was put in this horrible situation. I was not waking up her patient to accesses them at this hour. I went in and checked them make sure they are ok and thats all i did. I was sooo mad, and was going to talk with my manger but was just to exhausted to wait in the am. I am unsure what to do when i return to work, i like this nurse to some level and have to work with her so not looking for a fight! But this is my license and i think what she did was extremely irresponsible and she should get in serious trouble for. I understand that if your are ill your ill, but i felt it was irresponsible to take that much painkillers and try to work. I would rather get written up for calling out that put myself in that situation. We have a policy at our job about calling out which is y i think she didnt. But i am an adult and if i was that messed up i would have come in!!!! I am sorry if i am rambling i am just still so annoyed by the situation and want to handle it in the best way possible. I am curious to see others reactions and how they would handle it?

So i am now almost a year into working on a busy tele floor. I usually have 4patients most 5. But when a nurse calls out we really seem to make it to 5 or 6. At this point I feel unsafe! I just finished a night like this, had 5 when i came in and got an admission just an hour into my shift! And of course... everything that could go wrong does, pt with 13 beats of vtach, pt with a low blood sugar, i was still handing out meds at 1130! I just feel like this is where i would make a med error trying to balance all this and remember it all!!!!!!!!! I just wondered if this is what its like everywhere? IS this what nursing is really like? uggh frustrated=(