doe dreaming

(I used up all my space I guess) Cont'd: I didn't come on like Attila the Hun about the poor practices I observed, but between that and the idiosyncrasies of how they did things,I was always running behind and feeling overwhelmed. The last night I worked (I started this job 1/27) I was put on the 'long term ' side, again without any orientation.Everything was just a little different on this side,enough that just finding stuff was a major challenge. I had to pass meds to about 60 residents,do a couple tube feedings,and check blood sugars on about 5 people. (Again, no info given on who needed crushed meds,or who would flip out when stuck for a blood sugar) One resident I checked was difficult to get a good drop of blood from.She wasn't on a sliding scale; just BID cverage and her am dose was 8u NPH. When the glucometer showed 'LO' I rechecked it and got the same reading.The res.was not pale or diaphoretic, was alert and responsive,skin warm&dry. Breakfast was coming in 1/2 hr. so I gave her some oj and gave her her insulin which wouldn't take effect for at least an hr. I rechecked her BG an hr later (she was sitting up eating brek) and she was WNL. I came to work tonight and was told to call DON, who said "they" had tried to reach me on Friday to discuss my "giving insulin to people with low blood sugars" and that I was suspended until they could figure it all out. I have an answering machine, and the only message I rec'd was to see if I could work on my day off. I am angry,and just flabbergasted at the haphazard and unprofessional manner I have been treated. I've already accepted another job, but my issue is more with whether these people are within their rights to behave like this? Please, any input appreciated! ------------------

I am in a situation which I find distressing and demoralizing, and would appreciate any feedback to help me sort it out. I was an LPN for >10 yrs, and then got my RN a little over 2 yrs ago. School was always pretty easy for me, and I think that I have excellent assessment skills and considerable diagnostic knowledge, and have worked a variety of acute care positions;usually in step-down or critical care areas. I have done some travel nursing (Fl. and Ca) and also registry (agency) so I consider flexibility one of my assets. Recently I moved to the central coast of Ca. and was surprised to find NO nursing shortage here! I was competing with nurses with tons of experience and being a little green in the ICU, and my other background still being a bit of a specialty (tele and stepdowns) I found it difficult to land a position at the local acute care hospital, and took a position at a LTCF in the meantime. The manager who interviewed me made it out to be more of an acute care rehab facility, and expressed lots of empathy to my situation, saying that he was a critical care nurse also and had no trouble keeping his skills up at this institution, etc. That was the last of the supportive stuff. I was asked if I could work the next night, as the regular nurse had just injured herself. I said I'd give it a try, and walked into a nightmare. Nobody seemed to be able (or willing) to remember what being new was like, and I found myself asking questions to the air. Nurses spent a lot of time complaining about this and that, mostly short staffing, and there were never enough CNAs.The paperwork was incredible; sort of a mixture of government gobble-de gook and the facility's own redundant forms spawning more forms. The nursing station was crowded, cluttered and disorganized. Stuff would not be in the same place from day to day. The staff just seemed to ignore me except when they wanted to tell me what I should have done, or that I was running behind and better "pick it up". I found out that first night that I would not be given any slack, and when my med passes ran late,I got a lot of rolled eyes and whispering but little help. I went to suction a pt with a trach and found the suction machine didn't have enough suction to actually remove any secretions, and sterile technique was not observed. The oxygen generators all had clogged filters, and the PICC lines were being flushed with 3cc (high pressure) s yringes, if they were flushed at all.