TriciaJ

It's always good advice to not ruminate on people we dislike. There's nothing saintly about not wishing ill on others. It's just a way to maintain what little peace we might have.

It's not clear what kind of comprehension problem you have. Most nursing students find the academic requirements challenging enough without comprehension problems. It might be worth your while to talk with a vocational counselor. That person may be able to give you an assessment of your skills and challenges and give you a realistic view of what you'd be up against. Another option would be to take a CNA course. Much less of a time and money commitment and you'd get a chance to see if going on to nursing would be in the realm of possibilities. Good luck, whatever you take on.

Karma's a b. but she works in her own time. Every place I've ever worked had a golden child who wasn't so golden. Annoying as hell but all you need to do is smile to yourself while you play a long game. Don't waste any more emotional energy waiting for something bad to happen to her. That just creates negative karma for you. Just go about your business and let nature take its course.

Since it's your job to educate patients and families, why don't you educate your LPN supervisor, too? Next time she demands to know why you've taken a course of action, don't get defensive. Regardless of how she asks, pretend she's just asking for information and educate her the way you would a patient. Keep your tone pleasant and refuse to get your back up. Remember she doesn't have your education so you're just helping her fill in some gaps. Maybe you're misinterpreting her motives, maybe not. You'll have a lot more power in the situation if you don't take the bait.

Is there someone you can speak to? Before assuming reasons, is it possible some of your coworkers are just overbearing? I would speak to a supervisor and tell her you're open to constructive feedback. But you are not open to eye-rolling or having your tasks aggressively taken over. Similarly, call out the obvious behaviours as they occur. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?". "Was there some urgent reason you grabbed the IV equipment out of my hands?" It doesn't really matter why your coworkers behave as they do. They're welcome to their own thoughts and beliefs. But the unprofessional behaviours you describe need to be nipped. I hope you can get some help and support with this. It's a tough problem to have to tackle alone.

"Nurse" is a legally protected title and fraudulent use can trigger legal repercussions. I have no idea if there are similar laws regarding librarians. If there aren't then they don't have much recourse.

I would really avoid the use of the typical go-to lines. "I'm sorry you feel that way" is one. Also "We take your concerns seriously". The problem is that they're overused and sound trite and insincere. If the behaviour is really out of control, look the person in the eye and tell them specifically what to stop doing: "I need you to stop screaming." "First, you need to let go of my lapels." If those things continue or if you're physically unsafe, then the next step is to call security. If the person settles, then ask "Tell me what is not happening that is supposed to" or "What is going on right now that needs to be different?". First, express empathy with whatever is being experienced. "Yes, I know that you're in a lot of pain." "I know that you're very concerned about this." "I bet you're really starting to feel hungry". Then tell them what you can do for them, or why you can't, what needs to happen and the timeline. "The Dr. is supposed to come here next. As soon as he gives the go-ahead, I'll get you food." OR "I'm calling pharmacy right now and making sure your pain med gets here ASAP." OR "I know you're having a really horrible time and I wish I could make it better. Is there anything I can do right this minute that would make this suck a bit less?" The key is genuine empathy. Pretend you're in their shoes, hungry, painful, anxious and not feeling listened to. What would someone need to say or do to make you believe they actually care about you? Of course, some people just enjoy picking fights so don't beat yourself up if you don't make any headway with them.

What's common is to take advantage of the person who is easiest to take advantage of. "You can always come in at 7" tells me you have a salaried position and they're going to milk you for all you allow. The LPNs come in at whatever time they want because they can. Sadly, the world does not share your work ethic and it isn't going to. You need to assess your responsibilities compared with your scope of authority. My hunch is that there is a gross mismatch which you will have to navigate.

Frankly I wouldn't say any more on the matter. That way you won't be stressing that you might have said too much. If B is not the patient's next of kin and there are no grounds for a professional conversation, I'd leave it where it is. If B asks whether you got to see him/her, "Yes I did, thanks".

I really don't think this is a problem. B knew you were there to see her family member. You told her nothing she didn't already know. It's a non-issue. HIPAA exists to keep people from accessing info they don't need. That didn't happen so you should rest easy.

1. Find a new job ASAP. This is a fly-by-night outfit and who knows when or if they ever pull themselves together. 2. Contact the Labour Board about your missing paycheque. 3. Good luck. Bummer this gig wasn't what it was cracked up to be.

I suspect a lot of your questions will be answered during your orientation. I hope you will be blessed with great preceptors. If you learned one kind of glucometer and other equipment, you can learn how to use what's on your new unit. In fact nursing is fraught with changes and always new things to learn. My strong recommendation is to use a worksheet. Keep it detailed and organized and it will keep you on track when everything else goes to hell in a hand basket. I suspect you'll do great.

You are essentially asking for legal advice which none of us is qualified to provide. (Even a lawyer among us would need to see all your paperwork.) Since legal charges are public information, can you look yourself up to see what shows up? To try to find some peace of mind while you get it all sorted, reread the fine print on both BON websites. You might find it reassuring or not, or you might find some talking points in case you need to defend your license. I hope both BONs have better fish to fry. Good luck.

I had already heard the cruise ship story and I suspect these are shaggy dog stories. For the same money you can move into a senior independent living facility and pay extra to hire an independent care-giver for your personal needs.

It sounds like one can identify as "doctor" as long as they're not misleading patients in a clinical setting. The term "Dr" is practically synonymous with "physician"; it will take a long time to change public perception. Until then, people need to be careful not to mislead. This is no different from UAP calling themselves "nurse". The public has a right to know exactly who is providing their care.

Money is very tantalizing. It feels good to pay down debts, sock money away and have it on hand when needs arise. Because you still live at home, you're caught between childhood compliance and adolescent rebellion. Yes, your mom sounds a bit demanding but you only have one mom and she won't live forever. Also, at some point your own body will start to rebel at the work demands you place on it. I've known people who literally made themselves ill chasing the almighty dollar. Start thinking about balance. Balance between work and rest. Balance between money and relationships. It's not a one-time lesson. It requires a lifetime of reevaluating and adjusting. For example, maybe you still want to work Christmas for the overtime, but take off a day for your mom's birthday. I have a hunch you're an independent thinker, so you'll figure this out

What they don't seem to realize is that the lowly floor nurse is their bread and butter. Everyone sells out their own bread and butter at their own eventual peril.

I'm a bit late to this party. It seems like everything in your life is fantastic except your career. I get that your plans have been frustrated but that's how the Universe works. For now, enjoy your little one and give thanks for a great guy and financial security. I do believe the next thing will come along when the time is right. Hang in there!

I'm not convinced this was from an anonymous coworker. I strongly suspect your manager made it up out of whole cloth. She sounds like someone who likes to be Queen Bee and gets nervous when someone demonstrates leadership. I've worked with this type before. They back the ones they aren't threatened by which is a poor way to run anything. I concur with the advice to never do another thing beyond great patient care.

Oh, gosh, I'm sorry! You're still an adult and a professional. I'm rooting for you.

When I was younger I used to remind myself that I was actually an adult. That meant I gave no one the power to make me feel like a school girl. If a supervisor had information for me, it was just that. Information. If she wanted to admonish me like an old hen, that was her. Maintain calm, steady eye contact when this is happening. You're just being respectful and attentive, but it can take the wind out of their sails. Respond to all criticism by requesting more information. If the motive is constructive you'll learn what you need to know. If the motive is a power trip, you'll make it less fun for them. If you're fighting the urge to cry, it helps to roll your eyes upward for a second. You are a professional woman. Carry yourself as such and expect respect. Blessings.

Twelve hours with no break of any kind? Why is it still like this? Yes it looks bad on a resume but so what? You need to survive first. More nurses need to vote with their feet.

I'll tell you why conditions are more cush on some floors. It's not only about reimbursement. It's a good way to keep staff pitted against one another. If your hospital was an equal opportunity screwer, they would be screwed themselves. You can have what is called an "open shop" where union membership isn't mandatory. It's not optimal but at least gets a foot in the door. The caveat is that everyone still gets equal representation and the non-members tend to file the most grievances.

I'm blown away that the ANA or anyone else would champion the cause of a nurse who was so horrifyingly reckless and sloppy. I guess everyone needs a do-gooder bandwagon to jump on to the point of defending the indefensible.

I'm not clear on what makes you walk away. Do you just feel unfulfilled or are you hating every minute of it? If you're just feeling unfulfilled, maybe you're expecting more than any job can provide. A paycheque can buy a lot of fulfillment. If you're hating every minute, then maybe nursing just isn't your thing. In that case I concur with the previous advice to figure out your next thing. Good luck.