andsoitis

An Rn missed a prophylactic heparin drip protocol that was supposed to be started after a patient's surgery which was the start of his shift. I noticed it at the start of my shift and discussed with the prior RN. The patient is fine but technically we are supposed to report errors like this in our database system. This eventually goes to the charge nurse who does an informal discussion with that RN asking what could have been done differently and then our unit is made aware in an update of reports though no name is given. So I don't normally write these reports unless there was potential serious harm to the patient because all nurse make mistakes. Sometimes I have a hard time determining what is serious if the patient wasn't injured. But to me it seemed serious not to start a heparin drip after a surgery and I feel like something like that could be missed again by other nurses since these protocols aren't scheduled like how medications have timed administration. But i feel like such a tattle tale especially when these same nurses have helped me with questions in the past. I feel like they'll be mad at me and not want to help me after I've "tattle taled." BUt at the same time I want to cover my butt and be a patient advocate and correct system issues. Thoughts?

There is a nurse on my floor who is trying to micromanage me and I absolutely dread working with her. She's been on light duty for several months and is auditing people's charts . I was supposed to get a post-op patient up twice on the night shift and I was so busy I forgot and only did it once. She confronted me and I apologized and said I would be on top of it tonight. I was on top of it and, even took him for a walk. I charted 15 minutes before my shift ended but she apparently was digging in my charts prior to that and pulled me aside although it was still in front of everyone to tell me how disappointed she was in me for failing to take his second vitals and getting him up. I told her I did and she asked if I really did and I said YES!. Then yesterday I ask her a simple question of who to call regarding a question a pt had and she gives me the answer but then goes off topic and asks me if I'd done this and this yet. And I Said yes. And she said you did? ANd againI Said yes! I'm a new grad and obviously I make mistakes and have questions but I still feel like overall I do a good job and I just feel like she is micromanaging me and now whenever I say hi to her she give me a cold hi and doesn't look me in the face. And she's micromanaged me in a similar way couple other times I've worked with her. She's been there for several years so maybe she thinks she high and mighty but I've caught her not knowing the answer to basic things, too. How do I deal w/ her? Has anyone had this happen?

There is an opening at a INR clinic that sounds ideal and my friend works there and said she could help get me the job. It's close to home, no holidays/nights/weekends, ideal hours, good pay/benefits and it sounds like less stress than the med/surg floor I am on while still challenging and interesting. However, I've only been at my current job for 6 months. I'm a new grad. For awhile I hated my job because almost everytime I was working with at least one confused pt that would yell out in the hallway or try to get up in the mist of a busy day trying to do a blood transfusion, trying to get a pt to the bathroom before they had diarrhea, or getting another pt ready for surgery while passing all their meds. And of course pretty much all pts are tired/angry because they are so sick. I would miss lunch over half the time so I wouldn't have to stay late and even then I would stay late once a week or feel like I didn't give the best care. I'm finally starting to get used to it and there are days my pts are grateful and I feel good about what I do but those are still few and far between. I someday want to work this INR clinic either way but I feel guilty quitting after 6 months. I feel like I should try and do the year so it looks better on my resume. My friend said there would likely be another opening in 4 months which would put me at 10 months at my job. I don't know if that's any better.....what do you all think? The thing is I want to start trying for a baby this summer and I can't imagine being on the med/surg floor while pregnant. But I don't know if the INR place will hire me 1 month pregnant if all goes planned. Thoughts?

I knew going into nursing would be tough but I thought I could handle it and the rewarding aspects of making a difference, being challenged and learning so much would get me through. I've been a waitress for years, nursing assistant, consulting, etc so I really thought I could handle it because I succeeded in these areas. I am now off orientation and the last few weeks have been hellish. I've had doctors chew me out even though the nurses thought I made the right decision, I've had mostly good but a few crabby coworkers that won't give me the time of day with questions and roll their eyes at me like I'm stupid, and of course I've had verbally abusive patients, depression/anxious/addicted/bipolar/dementia patients, and just plain angry patients all on a busy stepdown floor give me crap. I feel like I can barely sit down before something else happens. I feel stupid half the time even though overall I think I'm doing good but who knows. I don't know where I'm supposed to be at as far as competency goes. And then of course there is office politics, people gossiping frequently about others, and unhappiness from many with management compounded I think in nursing. I am a naturally an anxious person and I wonder if I will get through it. I'm already thinking where I can go next in nursing that will be a better fit for me but I have no idea where. But I feel like I need to stick this out for at least a solid year or two to have a base under my belt that I could hop around. I just can't imagine coming home crying almost everyday for the next two years. I'm thinking I need to see a therapist. I have a few friends who are nurses and I've never heard them talk about this! Is it just my floor or does this occur in a lot of places? Please tell me what to do to get through this without going crazy.