MamaT

No more night shift! Woo-hoo! Someone actually traded me for it! Thanks y'all! :monkeydance:

I once worked in LTC prn, and got a whopping $1/hr more. BUT, when I started prn at a local rural hospital I received 50% more per hour in lieu of benefits. There was no minimum required, just willingness to fill in when needed. I'm full-time now and really miss the extra $$, but you have to be full-time in order for them to pay for continuing education...not to mention guaranteed hours - ya never know what the census is going to do. Good luck!

Something I failed to mention about our little pow-wow...the boss actually told me that when the other nurses have a problem with her, they don't go to her but right over her head to the DON. The DON then comes to her, says 'this is what's going on, what are you going to do about it?" Like me, she gets torn down immediately without warning, not having a clue that anything is wrong, and then is expected to take what's coming for what has happened. It's like she's following in the DON's footsteps in how to handle things, even though she doesn't like how things go for her when SHE's on the hot seat. I honestly don't think she's trying to get rid of me...but ya never know. BUT...she has told me I'm a good nurse, she has told me she wants me to succeed, and she SEEMS very sincere. I have a wonderful relationship with every other single person in that hospital...we work very closely with the rehab staff, specialty clinic for consults, and of course radiology, lab & ER. No issues whatsoever (that I'm aware of). It's just the med-surg nursing staff. I worked yesterday. My day was very busy, but I know for a fact that I followed the timeline she is going to give me in my 'work plan.' It was not a problem. The therapeutic conversation was actually very helpful. I still spent plenty of time with the people who needed it, and even with the whiners was able to tell when I could go without making them feel they were driving me nuts (which they were). Being the people-pleaser that I am, I think I did cater a little too much to some patients, so yesterday was an accomplishment. I also paid extra attention to how I talked & reacted to the other nurse working with me...asked questions (which I knew answers to, but didn't do it to the point it made me look incompetent), didn't offer opinions during general conversations unless asked directly so I wouldn't appear to be a know-it-all (which I'm not)...just kinda hung back & soaked it all in. One of the PCAs told me yesterday that one nurse (I'll call her R), who I enjoy working with (she's smart & has a lot to offer), made the statement that she HATES working with me. Turns out she's been there about 3 years...when another new, strong-willed grad came onto the scene a couple months before me, R instantly hated her because she felt like she wasn't in control any more. The other new nurse is like me when it comes to being eager, confident, hungry to learn. Nothing I can do about that one. I still don't get the unapproachable thing...I am a COMPLETE goofball. Not a day...sometimes HOUR...goes by without someone rolling their eyes & laughing. I love to use humor with the patients...We had a new rehab patient whom we were getting out of bed for the first time. Once her butt was off the bed & her hands were on the walker, I said "now stand up straight...come on, look me in the eye." She was 5-2. That totally broke the ice for the patient, who was very nervous, and she transferred very well. Another patient ended up pretty much hugging me & putting her head on my chest during a transfer..."I feel like I'm dancing with my husband - he always does that." He's 5-6. The patient about peed her pants laughing. OK, I'm off topic. Really should be getting ready for church. Peace out. :monkeydance:

Actually, I thanked my boss for the session, stating that I'm open to anything that will help me be a better nurse. I openly acknowledge the things she brought to my attention and told her I would work on it. Thanks for the therapeutic communication idea...I'll definitely give that a shot. Bye for real this time...gotta get ready for my date. The kids are all busy tonight.

You guys are awesome! Keep the ideas coming. I often show my silly side, my sensitive side...everything. In fact, when the PCAs have a problem, they usually come to me first because I have shown them that I listen and I care. The one nurse in particular who complained about me is lazy and hates to do admissions...she says she a rehab nurse and refuses to take med-surg patients. Several times during one of the days in question I asked her if she needed for me to do anything. EVERY time someone asks me to do something, if I'm not in the middle of direct patient care, I stop what I'm doing and help. Teamwork is not an issue for me. All for now...have a date with hubby tonite. :heartbeat

There's a difference between cockiness & self-confidence. I'm not unapproachable...I greet everyone with a smile. I'm not intimidated by the 'young 20 somethings' who know more...I want to soak up what they have to offer. I plan on following the work plan and showing that I'm valuable. I don't need to get faster...I need to spend less time in patient rooms...I can get everything done just as quickly and efficiently as anyone else, and the boss told me that I am a good nurse. I always engage in conversation with the other nurses. I guess perception is everything...if you saw me face-to-face, you'd view me quite differently. ~Gentle Giant

This past Saturday, then Monday through Wednesday, I worked 12s. Hit the floor running and didn't stop. Tuesday stayed over an hour & only took 15 minutes for lunch, then Wednesday stayed an hour over and didn't take a lunch at all. Had to go in for a pow-wow with the nacho grande yesterday to discuss...get this...my 'time management issues.' At first I was completely ticked. Other nurses had been complaining that I leave stuff for them to do (I try not to, but for cryin' out loud, night shift at our facility isn't near as busy as day depending on acuity, and I wouldn't be upset if the tables were turned...it's called teamwork), and one nurse complained that I didn't help her with some admissions one of the days (that was Saturday, and again, if the tables were turned...she had the in-patinet rehab side & I had the med-surg). I could ramble about that forever, so anyway... My boss made the comment that I like to spend too much time talking to my patients. That's when it hit me. I said "no, I must spend too much time LISTENING TO my patients." Wow. I've been a nurse just over a year, doing my obligatory med-surg rotation before I can move on...and now I know without a doubt I need to be somewhere else...somewhere where I can be the kind of nurse I'm meant to be. It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I've learned that the girls I work with aren't there for me to teach me as a new nurse; they love to shoot off e-mails whenever I do something they don't like. Forget talking to me & teaching me...let the boss come down on me. I'm a sponge and want to learn everything I can, but they are holdin' onto the water. At that point in the coversation, the boss also said that the girls say they don't feel like I'm approachable, like I act like I already know everything. BULLTWINKIES! I told her that I have been told that people are intimidated by my height (5-11). I also told her that most of the staff are immature (they are a very two-faced, gossipy bunch). I went into nursing later in life (I'm 42) and have a lot more life experience than these girls, so between my height and my self-confidence, I guess they're intimidated. But that's their problem, not mine. Self-confidence doesn't mean knowing it all...it means having the confidence to do what I'm doing, and the confidence to be shown something once, take it and go with it. I'm always asking questions of the other nurses, so I don't know how they perceive that as 'knowing it all.' Not approachable...puleeese! I'm one of the nicest people you'll ever meet...probably too nice (if you read my last post about night shift, you'll remember I'm too much of a people pleaser). So, anyway, the boss is putting me on a 'work plan'. Whatever. I'll have to follow her timeline and show improvement by a certain date...yada yada. I actually don't care that this will be in my file, because it can always be explained as a growth spurt early in my nursing career wherein I realized who I am and where I am supposed to be. Despite never wanting to do it, I really love working med-surg...but I'm a nurturer, a comforter, I always take time to do that, and I think overall that's a pretty good downfall to have. I've always wanted to do hospice, and this is showing me that is where I need to be headed. Until then, I'll keep on being a sponge, doing my job, loving my patients, start working on my BSN...when the time is right, things will happen. Never been happier.

You took the words right out of mouth... I could see it on her face when I brought it up, but I decided not to go there. After working at home for so long, this past year has been a whirlwind slap-in-the-face crash course in office politics. I'm glad my mama taught me patience is a virtue. :wshgrt:

Today the boss told me that a girl who works just one day a week on med-surg will be concentrating just on ER after middle of October...which leaves room for me on day shift all the time. She still never answered my question about why she didn't make the other girl work some nights, but whatever. I'm scheduled for two more nights (one this week, one the first week of October), and that should be it. Whew...what a freakin' relief.

Well, it's better for this month. Just one night shift. That's probably because one of the girls is on vacation. She still could have given that shift to the other girl, but we'll see what happens in the meantime. Thanks for everything, peeps!

Well...I did it. Kept true to myself and was still the nice girl, but let her know that I couldn't handle it. Told her all the physical symptoms and that I was doing my best to be flexible, but my health was more important. I told her I didn't want to cut down my time there & find hours elsewhere, and she seemed to agree. She's actually working on the next schedule now, so we'll see what happens. I feel so much better! When I mentioned that the other girl had stated she refused to work nights, her eyebrows went up & she said we weren't allowed to refuse. So, I may have thrown a little poop in the fan, but I'm glad I've been patient and shown her that I've tried to do what she wanted, whereas the other girl doesn't have that attitude. Oughta be interesting. I'll keep y'all posted. Until next time...

Thank for all the input! I'm amazed by the support I've found here. Woknblues...you're right. Usually I'm a pretty humble person, but for where I am in my career I KNOW I'm good. When I started my first med-surg job (45 minutes away) they said I was the best new grad they've had in a long time. There are openings on day shift in our parent hospital 40 minutes away, so a transfer isn't out of the question. My personality has always been to take care of everyone else before myself...that's just the way I've always been, but that needs to stop. Straight nights are out of the question. I worked at home for ten years (medical transcription) to raise my family, made it a priority during nursing school to balance school & family, and plan to do the same with work. Nights would ruin that. I'm back on tomorrow...think I'll have a little chat with the boss.:innerconf

I'm 42 and have been a nurse for a year...not old, but started at an age when my body was beginning to let me know its limits. You all know that when you're new you pretty much have to work some night shifts (in most situations, anyway). Well, I'm trying. First, I would wake up the next afternoon in full-blown anxiety attacks (which I've had before, but not in years). That slowed down, but now I'm getting migraines, which I've NEVER had before. My supervisor said that nobody is promised straight days, but of course the ones who are on days have been there a lot longer and will not switch. A girl who was hired two months before me was not promised straight days, either. However, she absolutely REFUSES to work nights, and is very blunt about it. We are a small hospital...25 beds, 4-bed ER, out-patient testing & clinic. So, with the number of nurses we have, there are 14 day shifts to be filled in a week (2 per shift if census is low), but there are 15 available to be worked by the nurses (varying degrees of employment, .3, .6, .9). So, that leaves 3-4 day shifts a month where there is no room for me. My sup IS trying, I guess, and agreed to give me only one in a week, which is better, but it's like it takes me a week to recover. I can't win for losing and am getting very frustrated. I don't want to work somewhere else...it takes me TWO minutes to get to work, and anywhere else would be a pain-in-the-butt drive (it's pretty cool taking care of people who watched me grow up). There's always the nursing home...which I love dearly and miss...but I don't want to do that full-time and lose all that I've learned med-surg wise; I want to keep learning. Plus, benefits are better, hosp will pay for BSN, etc. I don't want to go back to casual status or drop to .6 (two days a week) because there is no guarantee the census will stay at a point where they will need me a third day a week. My doc is aware and said he'd put something in writing if I wanted, but I don't want to jeopardize my job and have my sup say, 'well, you can't be flexible like we talked about in the interview, so hit the road.' Of course, the other girl refuses to be flexible, and I'm biding my time, being patient, living with the pain & aggrevation, waiting it out, doing the right thing. I know she could do the right thing & put my physical well-being over the other girl's attitude... I just really needed to vent. Yes, I'm looking for sympathy, ideas, encouragement, ANYTHING...I really, really love my job and don't want to leave. HELP!

Dickies are great for me...I'm 5-11, 190. Usually wear x-large, but in Dickies a large tall is absolutely perfect. I buy the sandstone (or sand-something) type...very soft, wrinkle-free as long as you take them out as soon as the dryer is done. Sorry, don't know about the skirts.

I just got a t-bone steak from the holy man.