Mistorri

I believe you ran into what I and several others call "Nancy Nurses". Those are the know-it-all's who have to "be the best" and make you feel like you are one inch tall and will never be as good as they are. I have met some of those same sister nurses. They can cause a good nurse to quit or be fired just because they have this self-power trip going on. The thing you have to learn is to stand up for yourself. You cannot let them beat you down. Do not worry about the finding another position thing and even not liking to move from job to job. My sister did it and she got excellent experience in all fields in the hospital. She is very valuable now. She has probably worked in at least 12 different hospitals or more and now can set her own hours. I ran into pretty much the same thing you did when I first went to a hospital setting. I had worked in a nursing home right out of nursing school in 1995 because there were now hospital jobs for those in my graduating class. Most were luckey to get work in nursing homes. Then I did diaysis for almost 7 years. That is when I decided to try the hospital. Well, to make a long story short, the hospial tried me and convicted me and let me go. It was the worst year of my life. Stressed out from a move away from home after living there for 20 years, new life setting, moving ( in itself stressful), taking care of my daughter and her husband, new career move in to OB/GYN, and some nurses who were horrific! I felt like I had just gotten out of nursing school with those nurses. They were terrible to me. Then my Mom had heart surgery, I was ill much of the time myself, missed a lot of work. Then got fired. My self-esteem was all but ruined. I cried, figured no one would want to hire me knowing I was "let go". WRONG!!!! I got a job at the first place that I interviewed at. I was honest with them and they needed a nurse. I got the job. There is a nursing shortage! You won't have any trouble getting work. May God bless you and I pray that He will teach those "Nancy Nurses" that they too were once new at a job. They could have been chewed up and spit out too! Maybe they need to be good at sharing their knowledge and being a mentor (this is much nicer and more liked people) to someone who needs a break. We ALL need one now and then!!!

I need some advice. I work now for hourly wage for a hospice. I will be on salary at the end of my 90 days probation period. Well, when you are on call all you get is a $50 beeper fee for being on duty for 15 hours. During that time, you may or may not get called out to a patient, or you may have to answer the phone and deal with a problem for a patient/family member/caregiver. This is after working 8 hours during the day. But, then all you get is the $50 beeper pay. No other pay. Not even your hourly pay. The company says they have always done it this way. If I were already on salary I would think "Ok, that is at least some kind of pay". But, I am on hourly pay. I think I should be paid hourly pay because I at the on call status, you are in charge of all the patients and their needs. Whether you get a call, or go out on a call or not. You are still "on call". On duty. What do you think? Please tell me what you would think if it were you. Most of the nurses have had this happen through the years. I personally think it is a rip off and a nurse "on duty" should be paid. Even if she doen't get a call or go out at all all night. Just because she is "on call".

:) Your patients should do very well, a good back rub and a few good laughs is probably just the right prescription!

:) Yes, actually there is more to Rn than Lpn, it is education-wise. Do not get me wrong, Lpn's or Lvn's are very smart and good nurses, but the difference is more education. More courses. Also RN's get taught IV skills and a few other things in clinicals. More indepth on why diseases affect people the way they do. More on Care planning. More on management skills, etc. Just like there are more courses to get a BSN opposed to an ADN or more for a Masters or Doctorate degree. So, yes, it is all more education. You will see what I mean when you get started in your RN courses. We all make choices, some want the Lpn, some want the RN. I chose RN because I know there is a pay difference. Honestly. If you are a young person, I suggest you either go all the way for a BSN or Masters or Doctorate or for becoming a doctor. After all, the time has to go somewhere, may as well go in your pocket toward a great degree! I am only an ADN RN, but wish I had went on for at least the BSN. God bless you in your studies.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: That is so cute. I can see it now! Hey, where have you seen nurses in tight skirts and high heels these days? LOL. We nearly all wear scrubs and sneakers! LOL. You have a great sense of humor too! I love it! God bless everyone! Merry Christmas to you all! Don't you just love down to earth people! I cannot stand to work with stuffy, stuckup know it alls! Give me friendly, funny and compassionate coworkers anyday!:balloons:

You are speaking the truth. I do remember being in nursing school many years ago and the instructors taught us the "right way" and told us never to detour from it. But, like you said, "the real world". In the real world we don't like being short handed and having to rush up jobs that should not be rushed. In the real world we don't like not having time to do things the "right way'. We got angry when we were newbies and saw a nurse taking a shortcut, but we were not in her shoes! We didn't see the doctor waiting on her to make rounds, the family waiting for her to get their family member admitted, the patient she was trying to give blood to, nor the patient who needs blood drawn for a stat level. No, we don't see all the "now" stuff she has to do until we enter: "the real world"! LOL. Then is when the eyes pop open...and pop open, they do! Anyway, I don't see a loss of LPN's just yet either. Thank God! They have said this for years. But, we are needing nurses more than ever. It would be stupid to cut the Lpn's. But then, some people think they are smart and wooohoooo! Take care and Merry Christmas! God bless you!:)

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Deanna, what a great nurse you will be! That sense of humor is just what the doctor ordered! It would be fun working with a funny nurse! Not to mention the happiness of some patients (not the stuffy ones) who love a good laugh! God bless you girl! You will do just fine!

I have met nurses who I would never have thought was a nurse if I had met them in civilian clothes! LOL. Yes, we all look alike! LOL. NOT! We don't know from looks what a person does, unless he is a coalminer and let me tell you , they can get the look across! I have family in WVA and I have no trouble identifying a CoalMiner! LOL. but nurses are all shapes, sizes, hair styles, etc.:)

Seems like there is a coworker like her in every facility. She does sound like she could become dangerous. Then too, maybe she is trying to sound loud and in control to hide her nervousness. She may not be sure of herself and is trying to hide behind that assertive behavior. You say she is in her forty's. I get the feeling that you are younger. She may feel threatened by that. But, she needs to work that issue out herself. She has no business putting her hands on you in any way. That is cause for assault charges. I think you need to talk to her calmly and let her know that you are not trying to be bossy, but that things run a certain way there and it is not permissable to put your hands on others without their permission. She needs to conform to the way the ship is being run, not try to sink it. Let her know in a kind way that you have been there longer and she is a new graduate. If this doesn't work, you need to take her in and talk with a Supervisor and get this straight before it escalates into something that could have been prevented. God bless you. I know it is hard to have to confront others. I have been there. But sometimes it is necessary. By the way, I am in my forties and have met a lot of young nurses with attitudes too! LOL. But, most are sweet and helpful. Now, you go get her! LOL!:)

Actually we are not paid what we are worth my friend! LOL. Nurses wear many hats and we earn what we make and then some. Nurses are also very under appreciated. Not to discourage you. Who knows, maybe that will change! But then, maybe not. Anyway, like all jobs it has its good and its bad days or nights whichever you work. Sometimes the patients you meet will make it worthwhile. We won't mention the other side of that coin. Anyway, if you want to go nursing, go for it! All I can say is i'd rather be nursing than waiting tables or flipping hamburgers or worse, cleaning toilets! God bless you in whatever you decide.:)

Well, some places insist that you do not use names, while others encourage it. So you need to ask the Supervisor for the policy at your place of employment. I know that if there is something that I need to chart like: reported c/o pain to S. Doe, RN, Charge Nurse, I will do so. Especially if that is what I was told to do by a Supervisor. Report it to her and let her handle it. I have seen my name charted on in this fashion many times. You expect it if you are in charge.

This is some really sensible advice! Good job! This is all so true. Dealing with rude people comes in all professions. I think the nurse making the call meant well. She was trying to help the family. But, that call would have been better not made. I work in Hospice now. But have met or spoken with some really rude and mean doctors. Usually one who is taking on a Hospice patient in a Nursing Home. Usually he is THE doctor for most of the nursing home patients. Then the admitting nurse (me or others) get yelled at because no one at the Nursing home has faxed info on the patient, or other things that were out of our control. I think some people, not just doctors feel better about themselves when they have belittled someone else. I have met nurses who do the same thing. Especially coming on shift at a hospital and taking report. They do not think they might make a mistake and are themselves just human. They feel they are Super Nurse and everyone else knows who they are! LOL. The other nurses have just become accustomed to the rudeness and try to overlook it. I know also that hospitals will tell nurses they are "working on soothing out situations where doctors yell without knowing why the nurse even called". Funny, you never see a change. So just be prepared for anything in Nursing. You will eventually see it all! Nothing will come as a surprise. On the other side of the coin. I have met some terrific doctors! You know, we all come in all personalities. I just wish Nurses were more respected. They are very important as the eyes and hands of a doctor. No reason to be treated like mud on the bottom of the docs shoe.

I agree with this, sounds like you are too stressed out. That is normal with a new grad. But, you are a valuable comodity. There are other jobs. I stayed at my first job for 1 month and quit because I thought some things they were doing was wrong. For instance, you don't put a child in solitary confinement to make them mind if that is what was done during their time of being abused. It only brings on more bad memories. That was only one. So, I know you can find another job little sister. I didn't even use these as a job ref. I have been a nurse for nearly 10 years now and jobs aren't that hard to get. I do believe in staying with a company, but only if they treat you fairly and don't abuse you. God bless you. You will make it. Just keep trying. I do agree that you should go talk to the Supervisor first.

I have problems with the pain scale much as I have seen everyone say on these posts. You have to tell a patient that a "10" on the pain scale is not only the most excruciating pain they have ever felt, but: they are in so much pain that they are thrashing on the bed, unable to think on anything except the pain, they would like a bullet in the brain to end it! That is a "10"! The nine is a little bit less, at least you can forego the bullet! The 8 is a pain that you want to scream about, but not so bad that you can't think of anything but the painl They have to understand that the higher the number, the less the patient will want to hear your voice or cooperate with anything you say because they are so wrapped up in the intensity of the pain that they can't deal with anything else but that pain. Like one post said: "They won't be eating taco's and chatting"! that is for sure! I know what a "10" is because I had a back surgery and after going back to the doctor's office for my first checkup the pain was like a very sharp throbbing in my spine. If anyone knows what an exposed nerve (like with a tooth) feels like when something touches it. EXTREMELY sharp pain, and throbbing, that is what it was like. That lasted 2 hours after the two pain shots I was given in the ER to stop the pain. It was out of control. That was when I wanted the BULLET! I begged for a bullet. So, I understand real pain. Not the chatting and eating taco stuff. When they tell me it is a "10", I dig into the explaination of just how bad a "10" is! LOL! God bless you all!

Well, either you hate dialysis or love it. No in between. Not many nurses like being on-call. Although there are the exceptions. I personally look for stability, good hours, good pay, and possiblity of staying a long time with a company. Tips for new grads on dialysis positions: first of all, you will come to love the patients, but as most nurses know, dialysis patients are some of the most demanding of all patients. I understand why. They deal with so much depression, pain, cramps on when on treatment, oftentimes a patient will come in overloaded with fluid and will be "pulled" so dry that they pass out during tx and vomit, and cramp. They have to be rehydrated with Normal Saline immediately. They often leave feeling very tired and need to rest. You have to have a lot of patience with these people. They need it. I loved my dialysis patients. I would still be on the job but the company was too cheap and treated the staff like so much dirt. You cannot keep good nurses if you treat them badly. You will always meet the patients who try to control the treatment you plan for them. They will tell you to wash your hands even if you just washed them. They will tell you how to dress and secure their graft, fistulas, or IJ's. They have to feel some kind of control over an out of control disease process. Just bite your tongue and let them feel they have some kind of control. That is unless it means they could have some terrible problem such as an infection brought on by how they treat the IJ site or something. Then it is patient teaching time. There is a lot of that too! Good luck to New Grads!