firehawkrn

WHOAAAA!!!!!!!! Let me clarify some of what I said. I've had both good AND bad experiences with newbies. And I don't believe for a minute that they should be "thrown to the wolves" to sink or swim. But a some point, EVERYONE has to take a "bad" patient. When a newbie wants to refuse a pt that is on a vent, no drips, unresponsive and DNR, when all the meds and cares are done.........that gets alittle frustrating. And in defense of our new grads, their orientation consists of 2, maybe 3 months (of shifts) and their off. I wish we could give them ECCO and classes, geez, I'd take 'em! If they are willing to learn, there isn't such a problem. But when I try, as charge nurse, to give them "heavier" pts on the days when census is low enough someone can "be right there", they still balk???? Sometimes I think it's some kind of prestige thing or something. A cushy job with only 2 or 3 pts...... Anyone who knows critical care knows thats fecal deposits. I'm not attacking the newbies, I just think they need to be a little more willing to let their gnoads drop and start to step up. And yes, it is a managment issue, no we have no union, and no, managements response is "you shouldn't have given them that pt." What happens when "that patient" is all there is to give????

I need some advice, or maybe just to vent. Everybody has a different opinion of new grads in the icu. I've had good experience and I've had not so good. The issue now, is that on our dayshift, ALL the new nurses are new grads. There are maybe 2-3 seasoned nurses. Our icu gets everything from fresh open hearts to medical to psych. If a "really sick patient" gets admitted, we have to completely change patient assignments, because the newbies say "That patient is too sick, or really sick, I can't handle that." What the h### did they apply to the icu for??????? I agree, we shouldn't eat our young, but we shouldn't load down the old pack mules til they can't take anymore either!!! I'm truly concerned for patient safety and managment could care less. HElp!!!! Comments?? suggestions????

I feel your pain, my friend, and have walked that eval road a few times. I get "dinged" for "yelling" and "head spinning". Now I'll own up to a head spin a time or two, (no spewing involved), but I am rather impatient/intolerant of well, shall we say, intelligent-impaired people. I am a tall person, I have a loud voice and I look people in the eye when I talk to them. I don't do games and I'll tell ya the truth if you ask me. Unfortunately, that is very intimidating to alot of people. My NM believes I yell. I said, no, but I do have a loud voice that cares. If I was yelling, I'd be heard 3 floors away. My NM is a very petite, soft spoken people pleaser, so in comparison, I'm a raging bull. Our 12 bed ICU gets really crazy (duh) and as charge nurse with a full load, it's no pansy a** job. But I get it done. Sounds to me like your competence may be very threatening. Don't let them getcha down. I quit apologizing for being me a long time ago. Folks say I got em and their brass. Well, they are wrong. They be cast iron!!!! Your unit needs you, your patients need you and YOU NEED YOU. As long as your heart stays sincere, which it is or you wouldn't be trippin, hold your head high and do what you know you do best. Karma is a powerful teacher and it bites hard on the butt when it comes back around. Dollars to donuts, if "Cindy" had a family member in the unit, she'd want you to be the one taking care of them. Hang tight darlin' you're not alone!!!!!!!

Hi ya'll!!! I'm down south here in "the bootheel" of missouri, real close to the arkansas state line. Just an ole country girl, emphasis on the OLD!!!!!!!!

I can relate to your frustrations, however, in no way are nurses pathetic. Your complaints of our weaknesses, some anyway, are actuallly our strentgths. Granted, we do have problems with unity and "solidarity", but so does everyone else. I mean, look at politics, religion, corporate america..know what I mean? We are strong, in that even with some of the circumstances, we are still there to care, still there to hold a hand, wipe a tear, providing whatever we can in whatever circumstance to take care of our patients, well for the most part anyway. I know this sounds so really corny and trite, but it is so true...... when I have that one patient or patient family that says, "thank you so much for all you've done" it makes all the other ***** worth it. I didn't get in to nursing for the money, I did it for the people and being able to care and be an advocate. It can't be a total waste, nurses are still the most respected profession, and that's according to polls. We must be doing something right. Take care and best of luck.

we use an "acuity" system in the hospital where I work. I use the term loosely, because in all honesty, the "acuity" is only considered when convienent for management, or when state or JCAHO is in the building. Then we have staff coming out of our ears!! Med-surg is usually 1 nurse for every 10 pts, sometimes more. The nurse is either RN or LPN. In CCU/ICU where I work, it's usually 1:2 nearly all RNs, unless patients are overflows.