I<3NEPatriots

Like I said in another post, I have no idea as to how to go about this and would it be really worth it to go through all the trouble. If it wasn't for the change in DON I'm sure none of this would be happening. But they say everything happens for a reason right? Maybe for all this the reason would be to help me get a strong start on my career and understand what is out there? I'm trying to keep a positive outlook on it all but it's quite difficult

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys use for shoes to work? When I first started working as a CNA I began using Sanitas and transferred to Danskos after getting my nursing position however I noticed after getting the Danskos my back problems became worse to the point I ended up selling them second hand. Now I use an old pair of Jordan sneakers with insoles in them and I am much more comfortable with them. What do you use?

I feel so guilty for the amount of money I spent within the past month on uniforms however at the same time I'm glad that I did because I was in dire need of uniforms that actually fit me. When I was in nursing school, I was working the night shift as a CNA and between the hours I worked, the hours of school, and the poor lifestyle habits I had and the amount of stress I was under I ended up putting on a LOT of weight (I was considered obese). However, after I graduated with my ADN and began working as an RN I managed to lose a good amount of weight (over 60 lbs). However, working as an RN now some of my fellow coworkers used to bust me all the time because I would wear the scrub tops that were 2 sizes too big for me (some of the tops could go above my knees) or the pants that would be so baggy as well. In the middle of nursing school though a friend of my mothers gave me a huge bag of new and unused scrubs (her niece wanted to go into nursing then backed out) that I combed out the larger sizes and gave the smaller sizes away along with donating the scrubs that didn't fit me comfortably anymore, which I now regret. I was slowly adding new clothes that fit me into my wardrobe however within the past month I went a little crazy and ended up buying about 7 pairs of pants and 8 new tops. Thankfully with the scrub pants I was able to get a 20% off discount using my school ID. The irony? After I splurged I got a gift card for a uniform store for nurses day. Granted the pants are not as fitted as the tops because I like the extra wiggle room, it makes me feel a little extra confident that I look good in scrubs again. And I also learned my lesson too about getting rid of scrubs that are too big now - I placed them in storage as a "just in case" I get a little "fluffy" again. Have any of you been through a similar situation?

That's actually unbelievable that the doctors got to that point! The physicians I work with have been on the fence about what is going on. One of our main nurse practitioners doesn't like our DON but at the same time gave me a long winded story about how she had to stay during a storm while having a baby at home when she found out that I had to stay.

That is my plan. Trying to hold off until I complete my remaining semesters to then start applying. I sometimes wonder if it's worth contacting the department of labor though.

To be honest I wouldn't know how to go about contacting my state about that (I went on their website and all I found was a pay equity thing however not sure if that's the right thing). I have approached management and administration with concerns, complaints, and everything to the point where they won't acknowledge me anymore which makes me feel that they honestly do not care. I also don't want to report them as well in fear they'll realize it's me

I wish I could say that were true! The last time I was on-call on my weekend on I ended up having to work a double because we had an agency nurse who was a no call and no show but later I came to find out that I didn't get paid time and a half for working extra while being on call! I know many nurses say that when you're on call you get paid a little extra for being on however not where I am. Management has not bothered to try and give incentives for current staff to do a little extra here and there. I know we shouldn't expect it but we are so understaffed and under appreciated a little gesture wouldn't hurt! When I got hired as well I didn't want to be too picky because this was the first place who offered me a nursing job right out of school (I was hired by the previous director) and didn't mind at the time about being on-call because frankly I wasn't worried then! At that point we were fully staffed and had very little to no call outs. Thank you for your response!

Hi there Tricia. Thank you for your comment! I tried writing the post in Word first prior to posting and I broke it up but it didn't post that way. Anyway, I was having such issues with the DON that I ended up sitting with her boss and HR in a 1:1 meeting but I don't feel as if much has been done if anything at all. I feel as if when I go back to work I'm going to be penalized for not staying from the last situation however I felt as if it was border-line employee abuse if I did so. The way I looked at it was I must feel confident that I'll be able to deliver safe and effective care before agreeing to staying/picking up more hours. It's an awful situation nonetheless where the DON says it's not her responsibility to be on call but it is what it is at this point. I was trying to get at least two years experience under my belt before advancing in my career but with situations such as these keep rolling through pretty soon I will have no choice but to look elsewhere. More than half of our staff nurses have left within the past 6 months and I'm sure more plan on leaving the way things are going.

Although I may not actively post on these discussions boards I still like to go through what people say but I feel now I'm now due for a little venting myself. (For a little background, I have been an RN for over a year now and finishing up my bachelors degree). As I'm sure many of you are going through currently my facility has had a staffing shortage and we've had to resort to using agency/temp nurses. It's been a difficult situation because the ratio feels as if we're using more agency than regular staffing and reg. staff feel so demotivated and under appreciated, and our DON doesn't help the situation. Our DON does not try to take the time and make the effort to help us on the unit. For example, about a week ago I worked second shift and the third shift nurse called out sick at 1900. I began scrambling to find coverage however between making the calls to other staff members along with calling the agencies I was unsuccessful. Since it was understood by me that the DON was on-call Mon-Thurs I contacted her at approx. 2200 and she refused to come in stating that she wasn't on-call and that I would have to deal with the situation (ie. staying until I find coverage). Because I have never been in a situation such as this before I ended up calling her boss (who had no clue) and he told me it's what I signed up for. It was my understanding when I originally got hired that the DON was on call Mon-Thurs and staff nursing Fri-Sun, however our DON denied that. After I got off the phone with him the DON called me back angry for calling her boss and ends up offering to relieve me at 0330. It was difficult because I am not used to working past my shift and by the time I was giving her report I could see that mentally I was not alert and frankly if I stayed longer I'd feel unsafe. It's been so difficult to get up and go to work because all of the regular staff including myself walk into work anticipating disasters and wonder if that day will be the day our licenses go on the line. The last night I worked recently a similar issue arose as well. I was getting ready to leave after finishing my documentation (did report, count, etc) when we heard that the agency nurse covering for the third shift on another unit didn't show up and it was because they weren't scheduled. Because there was an agency nurse working second shift on said unit was insisting that she was unable to stay because of medical reasons and was threatening to leave. The 11-7 nurse who relieved me was between a rock and a hard place, and I felt the same way as well. I quickly finished up my work and bolted out because I did not want to get stuck again. However, like I mentioned, I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wanted to stay and help but mentally and physically I felt unsafe since I'm not used to working doubles as a nurse. I came home contemplating whether or not I should go back in but at the same time after I took a shower I fell into bed and that was it. The day after I felt so guilt ridden over the situation but at the same time I am both mentally and physically exhausted. I wanted to ask one of the staff members how everything went but personally feel as if for that particular situation I need to let the sleeping dogs lie. I am truly mentally and physically sick and tired of everything that has been happening lately to the point where the stress has made me physically ill. The facility did not have these issues when I first was hired however with changes in management it's disappointing to admit that things have declined. I know that it's a difficult situation however I am trying my hardest to stick through it all because I will admit I do love what I do and I love some of the staff members I have, but with situations such as these have made it difficult to look forward to coming into work like I used to. I know I'm still a rookie at this and I know I have much to learn but it's hard for someone to learn when dealing with conditions such as these. I'm hoping that any experienced and seasoned nurses here will help me with any suggestions and/or advice to help me get through this. I'd truly appreciate it.

Although I may not actively post on these discussions boards I still like to go through what people say but I feel now I'm now due for a little venting myself. (For a little background, I have been an RN for over a year now and finishing up my bachelors degree). As I'm sure many of you are going through currently my facility has had a staffing shortage and we've had to resort to using agency/temp nurses. It's been a difficult situation because the ratio feels as if we're using more agency than regular staffing and reg. staff feel so demotivated and under appreciated, and our DON doesn't help the situation. Our DON does not try to take the time and make the effort to help us on the unit. For example, about a week ago I worked second shift and the third shift nurse called out sick at 1900. I began scrambling to find coverage however between making the calls to other staff members along with calling the agencies I was unsuccessful. Since it was understood by me that the DON was on-call Mon-Thurs I contacted her at approx. 2200 and she refused to come in stating that she wasn't on-call and that I would have to deal with the situation (ie. staying until I find coverage). Because I have never been in a situation such as this before I ended up calling her boss (who had no clue) and he told me it's what I signed up for. It was my understanding when I originally got hired that the DON was on call Mon-Thurs and staff nursing Fri-Sun, however our DON denied that. After I got off the phone with him the DON called me back angry for calling her boss and ends up offering to relieve me at 0330. It was difficult because I am not used to working past my shift and by the time I was giving her report I could see that mentally I was not alert and frankly if I stayed longer I'd feel unsafe. It's been so difficult to get up and go to work because all of the regular staff including myself walk into work anticipating disasters and wonder if that day will be the day our licenses go on the line. The last night I worked recently a similar issue arose as well. I was getting ready to leave after finishing my documentation (did report, count, etc) when we heard that the agency nurse covering for the third shift on another unit didn't show up and it was because they weren't scheduled. Because there was an agency nurse working second shift on said unit was insisting that she was unable to stay because of medical reasons and was threatening to leave. The 11-7 nurse who relieved me was between a rock and a hard place, and I felt the same way as well. I quickly finished up my work and bolted out because I did not want to get stuck again. However, like I mentioned, I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wanted to stay and help but mentally and physically I felt unsafe since I'm not used to working doubles as a nurse. I came home contemplating whether or not I should go back in but at the same time after I took a shower I fell into bed and that was it. The day after I felt so guilt ridden over the situation but at the same time I am both mentally and physically exhausted. I wanted to ask one of the staff members how everything went but personally feel as if for that particular situation I need to let the sleeping dogs lie. I am truly mentally and physically sick and tired of everything that has been happening lately to the point where the stress has made me physically ill. The facility did not have these issues when I first was hired however with changes in management it's disappointing to admit that things have declined. I know that it's a difficult situation however I am trying my hardest to stick through it all because I will admit I do love what I do and I love some of the staff members I have, but with situations such as these have made it difficult to look forward to coming into work like I used to. I know I'm still a rookie at this and I know I have much to learn but it's hard for someone to learn when dealing with conditions such as these. I'm hoping that any experienced and seasoned nurses here will help me with any suggestions and/or advice to help me get through this. I'd truly appreciate it.