Daron73m

Believe it or not I been a hospital Rn for 18 years. The only it elevator I have been in was my my first hospital job interview. The fear is intense to the point I almost pass out if I try and step foot in one. Done multiple shrinks but just can't get through it. Working in Er and ICU over the years it was never as stressful as me thinking when I woke up, how many elevators will I have to avoid today and how many nurses do I have to inconvience. As a traveler it's even more intense when going somewhere new and not knowing if they will accept it. So far Iv been extremely lucky and fellow nurses have been empathetic or they have float nurses and transports. Er to ICU transfers Iv always been able to get another nurse just to do the elevator as I run steps. I also try and work at small 2-4 story places vs huge 1000 bed trauma centers. Coming up on a new assignment and get to work at a dream job 2 story beach hospital but found out they will occasionally float me to a downtown 1000 bed trauma center and find myself not being able to sleep the week before worrying about it so much. I always wondered if anyone else out there had it as bad as me.

Wondering if there are any other nurses with severe clausterphobia? To the point you can't get on elevators.

Been a nurse for 20 years. I have horrible phobia of them and have tried shrinks. Nothing has helped, it's truly a debilitating fear that has plagued me my whole career. I rode one one time, for my first job interview and almost passed out. Believe it or not everywhere I have worked has been receptive of my disability. I worked 10 years ICU and now am Er. I tried to find places where when I worked ICU the radiology dept was on same floor, with Er I tried to find ICUs located on ground floor..otherwise I worked at places with float nurses who knew my issue or the Techs would help me with a non critical and would ride the elevator as I ran the stairs. If I would have known that Doctors never have to get on elevators 20 years ago, I would have went to med school just for that fact looking back. Trust me I feel your pain. Iv lived with it since childhood.

I come from an Er that sees 160-200 a day and we have a 3:1 ratio. Occasionally if we are short staffed it may go 4:1. It is a tremendous difference. I am currently doing a Cali assignment in a Er where it is a busy 4:1. Meaning as soon as you have a bed for an admit the triage nurse or charge will put your admitted Pt In hallway and throw a triage Pt in the room. It is basically a clusterfuck all day long chasing our tail. Things are missed and forgotten and Pt care is a joke. Management needs to realize that even the money they save in less nurses, they are losing it because the discharges and getting a patient to a room assignment is delayed big time. I see the difference and in the 3:1 ratio ER we are getting Pts in and out 60 to 80 minutes quicker....Which means more pts seen quicker and more money...on top of a higher satisfaction level from the patients because we actually have time to talk to em and happy nurses...which make good nurses...and for all you nurses that sit and take a 5,6,7 to 1 ratio. That's your own fault, bring it up if they don't listen, quit or move to another unit. One thing in life I have learned is you have to ask for what you want. Things don't get changed if you just accept the ********. Hospitals can't work without nurses and if they lose staff and have to hire expensive travelors and registry maybe they will come to their senses and fix the issue.