NurseLeader12

Ashley, PICU RN, You know... Them! haha I actually can't tell you came up with it originally. All I know is that anyone who leaves out magic #6 and ends up in court will be a prosecutor's dream!

Wooh, to respond to your comment, I worked at the bedside for five years until January of this year (both in the emergency setting and in Labor & Delivery) before moving into my current position. I still staff occassionally to keep up my clinical skills and so that I can understand the challenges of our bedside nurses. I've always worked with challenging populations - uninsured/underinsured, patients from difficult social backgrounds, less than half of my patients speaking English, high levels of non-compliance, huge patient volumes with low staffing levels, etc. I promise I get it... Nurses are asked to wear many hats and balance many demands. However, it is possible to provide exceptional patient care AND go the extra mile. Time management, teamwork, and a little bit of compassion go a long way. Think back to your days as a nursing student/new grad. Would you still have pursued this career if you knew you'd end up feeling this way about nursing/patients? It's up to you to choose your outlook on our profession... Nobody said it'd be easy, but it's a pretty special calling if you ask me.

Bless your heart! It's totally normally to experience stress with a position change, and L&D is so specialized that it can be overwhelming when you're new. My best advice is just to hang in there and give it a fair shot before jumping ship. Once you get more comfortable with the unit-specific clinical skills and your role, hopefully you'll be happier. It's a lot of pressure to care for a mama AND the unborn baby inside of her, but it's such a special field, and your patients will forever remember the care you give them. Best of luck!

You mentioned that you like her as a person and a nurse, which is a likely indicator that she isn't the kind of person who would intentionally hurt others, so hopefully she'll be receptive to your concern. I'd suggest speaking with her privately at a time that would work well for both of you- not in the heat of the moment if you're feeling hurt and not when you're swamped with work tasks. It's always best to avoid gossiping with other co-workers about the situation and to avoid accusations ("you always...," "once you said X to so and so," etc.). Best of luck!

Please remember that now there are 6 rights of medication administration. They added documentation to the original 5! :)