cmcoulis

I'm a new grad working in a level 1 trauma ICU. Everyday before I go to work-even several days before work, I get anxiety attacks and almost throw up from how nervous I am anticipating what kind of a night it's going to be. I guess what I portray on the outside does not depict this because it seems the unit trusts me enough to handle complicated-ish patients. It's 100% TMI-but since we are nurses, what the heck, but I can not remember te last time I had a solid BM-my anxiety about this job is THAT overwhelming. It's not only Thr patho, but the drugs, the interventions, the paperwork the protocols, who to page, what neurosurgeon/trauma doctor likes what and who's going to rip me a new one today over something? Can't complain about the people I work with-most are very helpful-all I have to do is shout I need assistance. But then there is person x who criticizes everything I do, don't do, say, think, etc-you get the point. This job is not easy-I think about quiting everyday-fantasizing over it almost. I have to be my own therapist just to work up the nerve to walk onto the damn unit. Our educator says this is normal-and that at 6 months it should go away. I wish 6 months was here tomorrow. It's really disheartening because I've always wanted to bra nurse-I love helping others and Helping them feel better-now I barely get the feeling I've even charted everything each shift-let alone improved my patients outcome.Love this thread because it makes me feel less alone-I find comfort in knowing others out there are feeling the same way I am.

Ahh, the politics of the healthcare enviornment. I have personally had a boss who would do the same thing-if she did not like you, there was something "magically dug up" showing that you were a poor employee and you MUST be written up. One girl who argued with her asked for proof of what she was accusing her of...the whole 12 hour shift went by with no proof, even after the girl repeatedly reminded her that she would like to see it throughout the shift. Our manager magically forgot that she had accused her. Other team members who did not fight her on her accusations were let go. You just have to decide if its worth staying and putting up with it, or realizing that you are a good employee who get bloom better elsewhere. Good luck to you :)

i'm a new nurse as well...but while in school one of my favorite prof's once told me that it tells a lot about your place of work the way they treat you in orientation. If they push you to rush too quickly through your orientation and do things that are not at your comfort level, is that really a place you want to work at? I know in this day and age it is really a crap market to get too picky about things though...but my advice is if you find yourself really unhappy at this place, that you try to make a switch. Best of luck to you

I currently work at BUMC-I am a Nurse Tech, but I am hoping to be hired as a nurse here in October when I graduate. BUMC doesn't pay as well as say the Methodist hospital system, but the healthcare benefits that baylor offers are really good. I know personally my floor is very understaffed, but from talking to other Nurse Techs, the rest of the floors seems to be adequately staffed. I really enjoy working for Baylor...I have worked with a lot of really great people here and since its a "teaching hospital", everyone is really open to new things (I believe parkland is also a teaching hospital though). The last thing I will say is every nurse i've worked with says "If you've worked at Parkland, you can work anywhere"...

I work as a Nurse Tech on a med-surg floor in Texas, and although I will not be an RN until December, I can tell you now that the nurses I work with feel understaffed 100% of the time. A couple months back a float nurse called Safe Harbor, and the unit, including the nurse manager, were under investigation. I have no idea how the investigation turned out, nor what happened with the float nurse, but I do know for about two weeks after that incident, we miraculously became adequately staffed. The adequate staffing was short lived-and we are now back to back breaking , running around with our heads cut off work. A nurse I am particularly close with went to the clinic during her shift one time because she felt extremely exhausted-the NP told her that her BP reading was so high she was almost certain if she did not go home for the rest of the day that she would suffer a stroke by the days end...when the nurse brought the signed slip back to our floor, it was pretty much ignored since allowing a nurse to go home mid shift would leave us even more understaffed.