CloverPark

This issue will NEVER improve and will likely continue getting worse as long as (most) nursing homes continue to run as for-profit organizations that are owned by people who know very little about healthcare...

So there's probably going to be a lot of people who say that your decision was dramatic, that you should just get a job elsewhere, that you've only been a nurse for 5 years, etc... Well, I've been a nurse for 10, and I'm seriously ready to give up too!! From what I know/hear, it's bad EVERYWHERE! Sure, I bet some jobs aren't TOO bad, perhaps even "nice," but at the end of the day, I'm still working in a field where profits are valued over people, and nurses get thrown under the bus and even end up in jail over a mistake... I went into nursing because I genuinely enjoy helping people, but the environment has become so toxic, stressful, and overly demanding that it is often impossible to truly give patients the care they need and deserve. Plus, it's just not worth it to have the soul (and sanity!) drained out of me to the point where there is NOTHING left when I come home to my family... That being said, I recently quit a toxic job and I am about to start a new one. If this one doesn't work out for me, I'm honestly going to consider a career change.

I'm glad there was a happy ending for you! At the time, for whatever reason, I thought going through the EEOC was going to be a lost cause so I hired a lawyer. That lawyer ended up screwing me over with a communication error (told employer I would accept a job as a tech, which I did NOT agree to). So I dumped the lawyer and decided to go the EEOC route. However, due to that miscommunication/"inconvenience," I ended up receiving a much lower settlement than I was originally entitled to. So lesson learned. Anyways, I am just NOW about to finally start working in a hospital again after being seriously traumatized over this ordeal (definitely not the same hospital). Honestly, I'm pretty nervous, but at least I won't make that same mistake again!

I would only disclose this if I absolutely had to. For example, my ADHD medication showed up on a urine screen once when I started a new job. The person who ran the test (not associated with the organization) called me and asked me to email them a picture of my prescription bottle, which I did, and that was it. There was no reason to let anyone else know. Also, it's not just the fact that you take that medication, it's the diagnosis associated with it. You never know how people will react, especially if you have not been employed there long. Based on my own experience, I will never again disclose the fact that I have ADHD to anyone in the workplace unless it's someone I trust 100% completely. During orientation at my very first nursing job, I randomly told the nurse educator that I had ADHD while we were discussing what I can work on so that I could get out on time (I tended to stay late charting, but again, I was a new grad). She seemed very understanding; however, I got a call from the director the very next day and long story short, I ended up being fired. No, I did not make any medication errors or do anything unsafe or inappropriate on the job or call out/come in late, etc... It was literally JUST the ADHD disclosure. This was almost 10 years ago, but it still affects and haunts me to this day. That was my "dream" job, and I had worked SOO hard and was SOO lucky to have landed it as a new grad. I STILL wonder what could have been if I had just kept my mouth shut.

I live in NJ and I have NEVER seen anyone NOT wearing a mask. I honestly think I might get shot if I didn't wear one out in public...

Are you kidding me??? Girls your age LOVE "dangerous" guys!

I think we work at the same facility! ? In all seriousness though, I totally relate to how you are feeling, because I am dealing with these same issues... Unfortunately, I can't even offer any good advice. I have been working as a subacute nurse and/or supervisor in the nursing home setting for almost 7 years now, and I just can't take it anymore. There have been times when I was hopeful that maybe I could help make some positive changes, and I did make some... But there are just too many problems, too many issues, and too much drama in these facilities, and hence, it is just TOO FAR GONE! I have recently started my RN to BSN online and plan to start working in a hospital soon. It will be sad leaving a place that once felt like home, but we have to take care of ourselves, because no one else will!! Walking away might be the best and only thing we can do to preserve whatever's left of our health and our sanity!

My input: I work at a subacute/LTC facility in NJ and things have been rough to say the least. I do want to point out that this facility has had a good reputation and has done very well during state inspections. That being said though, COVID-19 hit us hard, and it often appeared as though no one knew what they were doing, which is stressful and frightening. Administration states that regulations keep changing from day to day, even hour to hour, and I'm sure that's true, but there is such a lack of communication, and it's scary going in to work not knowing what you will be facing. One day it's "No one is allowed to wear masks" and the next day it's "Everyone MUST wear masks!" That of course, was very early on in the game before we had our first positive case. That seems like forever ago, but it's only been about a month. So much has happened and so much has changed... I can't keep track of the number of positive cases we have, but I remember the "official" number from last week was 56. No one knows the real numbers though, because 2-3 weeks ago (I can't keep track of time anymore), the local hospital, who does all our labs, refused to give us any more tests. During that time, residents kept getting sick... and kept dying. I believe the death count is at least 20 now, but I've honestly lost count. Early on, they emptied out our 2 subacute units, one of which was my regular unit, so I was initially bounced around and then worked regularly on the dementia unit after the nurse there became sick. Employees were dropping like flies, and others just didn't come to work, so we were working dangerously short on a daily basis. This of course, put us remaining few even more at risk, because being stressed and overworked made us more susceptible to getting sick from this virus. A little over a week ago, I began working on my unit again, because it was reopened and turned into the "COVID Unit." This unit was set up because the DOH stated that COVID+ residents must be separated from the residents that are "well." To me, that's a joke, because no one knows who is "sick" and who is "well" anymore! Not without testing!! Our facility did manage to contract a different lab that has supplied us with more tests. I believe the vast majority, if not all, of the new tests we have sent out have come back positive. The dementia unit had actually managed to stay "clean" for so long, even while the other 2 LTC units were in their peaks. However, this virus is completely taking over that unit right now. I have no doubt in my mind that literally every resident there is infected. Unfortunately, we cannot test everyone, so many residents will remain "presumed COVID-positive." COVID-19 has taken a toll on staff as well. Honestly, it feels like there are more who are/were sick than those who are not. This includes employees of ALL ages, young and old. I work 11-7, and three of the nurses, several CNAs, and most recently the supervisor on my shift have all gotten sick, with one ending up in the ICU. Fortunately, she is recovering at home now. There are many more employees on other shifts who have also become sick. One has been in the hospital for at least 3 weeks now with no end in sight... And sadly, another has passed away... That being said, I am grateful for the fact that I've managed to dodge this virus so far, and I'm not even sure how. I do believe in "mind over matter," which is why I go into work every day telling myself, "You are fine... You are healthy... You are F-ING IMMUNE to this S***!!" (I apologize if you were expecting rainbows and butterflies, but I'm just keeping it real here!). Don't get me wrong, I wear my PPE and wash my hands like a champ, but so has everyone else here who has gotten sick. I strongly believe that in addition to taking proper care of yourself and following the necessary precautions, you have to put yourself in a positive mindset and remain focused in order to stay healthy. There are definitely times when this is easier said than done, but I do my best not to allow myself to be consumed by fear and negativity.

Wow, I feel like I'm reading my own post... I too have ADHD and anxiety so I feel your pain! I definitely believe that the more experience you get, the better you will feel regardless of whatever position/specialty you are working. I have been working in subacute rehab for almost 6 years now, and I am FAR beyond the anxious scatterbrained new nurse I used to be... But honestly, I learned the most during times of chaos, code blues, and patients circling the drain... It may be horrible to have to go through, but that is what makes us stronger and wiser, because we will NEVER forget those times, and we come back to them often when new situations arise. At some point in time, you will just know what to expect and what to do, or at the very least, have a very good idea.... Nowadays, I can take vitals and see a BP of 82/40, HR 127, SpO2 76%, etc. and still play it cool like "You're doing fine, take a deep breath," "Don't forget to drink your water, you need to stay hydrated," and "I'm going to give you some oxygen, just as a precaution," with a smile and the most calmest demeanor ever as I assess, analyze, and consider my next course of action.... And I am telling you, that calmness you project makes ALL the difference in patient outcomes... even when you literally have NO CLUE as to what you should do, that calm approach will prevent a patient from freaking out, which prevents YOU from freaking out, and buys you a bit of extra time to think about what your next step will be.... And you will definitely need that calmness when you have a basically dead yet full code patient that the MD refuses to send to the hospital... I also dread phone calls. Always be sure to have the most recent vitals, labs, and any pertinent info readily at hand when you make calls to the doctor.... And be prepared for questions out of nowhere.... You may call a doctor for a respiratory issue, but then he/she will ask you when the last BM was.... Make sure you have ALL the info right there in front of you when you call.

I don't know which is worse... The nurse who rattles off useless information or the nurse who literally just reads off the report they got from the shift before them.

I have another "just for fun." The aides where I work don't write notes unless they are filling out an incident report. That being said, this was by far my favorite incident note I have read: "Patient was found on the floor on her hands and knees, in doggy style position..."

I just had to share this... So I work night shift, and early this morning I had a patient fall (ugh). It was really hectic this morning, so I didn't get a chance to read what she wrote in her incident report until after she had left. I couldn't believe she actually wrote what she did, and I had a good laugh, but wished I had seen it earlier to have her rewrite it. Anyways, here is what it said: "...Patient was on the floor on her hands and knees, in doggie style position, when I found her..." I don't know what she was thinking!

YES! This! I had the same problem as OP... Mind you, I was the BEST at my facility at blood draws, but sucked horribly at IVs.... Finally, I decided to observe one of the best IV starters and saw her do that little upward motion. I took a mental note and then tried that technique once I had the chance... And I got it!!! Been using this method ever since, and now I'm up there with the best of them at my facility.

Any nurse must ALWAYS carry a pen! And it also wouldn't hurt to have a member nearby as well.... Seriously though, I was once told that a pen is part of our uniform as a nurse.

Just this morning actually I was caring for a woman in her 80s who recently had a THR. Since she was on total hip precautions, she had a wedge pillow between her legs. She complained about being uncomfortable because the wedge pillow was so big (It actually was bigger than the ones we normally use. I had never seen one like this at our facility before). She said, "I don't mean to be a pain... I don't ALWAYS complain about big things being between my legs."