Doumbia

I don't think it is legal to call oneself a "nurse" unless they are actually a licensed nurse, RN or LPN. Calling Yourself a Nurse Is a Crime, No Less In WA state it's pretty common unfortunately for MA's to do phone triage in clinics. It's considered outside their scope of practice- previously when they were "certified" and also now when "licensed." But physicians persist in allowing this kind of stuff, probably it saves them $$ in the short run. Particularly a phlebotomist? Bizarre that she would even want to call herself a nurse. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking an order from her by phone at all. Often when the orders are faxed to clinics, staff fill out and return/ those staff may be MA or nurse, in that case you would have no way of knowing, but by phone...

IMHO, while the letter writer's language might be a little frustrated and harsh, I largely agree with him. I'm a female nurse. I'm more on the side he describes. I see, often, management applying the tactics of "divide and conquer" to their great advantage, with nursing. It may be because nursing is a more traditionally female occupation, but that strategy has been used also in male-dominated occupations. One interesting point I've read about in a number of studies is that nursing has a high level of "lateral abuse" even compared to other healthcare occupations, i.e. people turning on each other, as the letter writer describes. Raising the Level of Awareness of Nurse-to-Nurse Lateral Violence in a Critical Access Hospital Up to 90% of nurses experience lateral violence [1, 2]. Extensively and globally reported in the literature, nurse-to-nurse lateral violence (NNLV) or nurse aggression profoundly increases occupational stress with psychological, physical, and organizational consequences [3]. The pervasiveness of nursing workplace violence is of major concern for nursing as evidenced by the multiple position statements developed in response to NNLV [4]. A conservative estimate of the annual cost of nursing workplace violence is $4.3 billion dollars or nearly $250,000 per incident [5]. Nearly 60% of new nurses leave their initial employer within the first six months due to NNLV perpetrated in the workplace [6–8]. Each percentage point of nurse turnover results in an annual cost to an average hospital of nearly $300,000 and $3.6 million in poorly performing hospitals [9].

"It was a terrible review, out of nowhere, with no suggestions for improvement. Stuff like 'you administer medications safely, but you struggle with iv starts sometimes, so you are not progressing as expected.' " This seems odd to me. "You struggle with IV starts sometimes, so you are not progressing as expected." Hell, that's very common for new nurses. They see this as "not progressing as expected?" I've known new grad baccalaureate RN's who have never done an IV start. I've worked in surgery and this was so common with new nurses... they were mentored and helped. This sounds a bit of a toxic environment. Life is too short and it sounds possible that they are preparing their records to have ammunition to let you go. Curious about the racial slurs? Do you mean co-workers make racial statements and slurs toward you? And no support from mgmt? If that's the case I'd get the heck out for sure. Management sets the tone and the tone there sounds toxic...

SaggieRN87..... excellent, articulate response. Wow!! ?

Interesting how the term "essential employees" seems to be a mandate to treat employees badly and with absolute disrespect... such as sending a person home after they have made the effort to be there, not allowing bathroom breaks or meal breaks... understaffing... on and on. I worked as an emergency services dispatcher for years prior to healthcare and we were considered essential employees of course. In one job, that meant we never got a meal break, but the officers did, because their union "negotiated" meal breaks. In another job, we had a more supportive manager, and we did get our (short) meal breaks and adequate staffing. Management who advocates for their staff can make a huge difference. We were also expected to get there during inclement weather, but in one horrific winter storm, two of the staff lived further out, not that far mileage wise, but a 2 hour drive in the snowy weather. The option was to stay home, or have an officer take 4 hours to go get the staff person, then drive them back. IMO expecting an employee who worked until midnight, then had to take 2 hours to drive home, to show up at 6am for day shift? Unreasonable beyond words.

Wuzzie, agree with much of what you say, but disagree in that I find it appropriate that the oncoming nurse publicly humiliated the new nurse. What age are we, are we in grade school? I have worked with (many) nurses who get frustrated when we are understaffed (which is freaking ALWAYS to be honest) and it gets overbusy and we are having a hell day. What are the responses of the nurses?- varied. But the most damaging response is when nurses get angry- start slamming charts down and throwing things around, barking at others or publicly humiliating; those things are all inappropriate behaviours in anyone over the age of.. maybe 23. It's also quite frightening for their coworkers, and it adds greatley to the stress level of the entire staff. Life is a learning process and hopefully eventually people stop that stuff, but I have seen also many nurses in their 40's and 50's STILL doing this stuff. It's almost as if they take pleasure in it as a form of stress relief. And possibly it's also good for management in terms of.. divide and conquer. As long as nurses continue to resort to childish acting out, and bullying abusive behaviour to others, as their stress coping mechanism- NOTHING will ever change. We can all discuss this to death (useful actually in terms of parsing out problems)... but unless nurses eventually stand up to managment, NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING will ever change). In my first nursing job, in the first two weeks, I had a flash of realization that the working conditions in nursing were on a par with the most terrible jobs I had as a young teenager- dead end, no support from management, poor working conditions, etc. Has any of that changed? No. Is it because nursing is a traditionally "female" occupation and women traditionally have had a hard time advocating for themselves? I have to wonder about that. Unless nurses stand up for themselves (and that can make us very unpopular with management)... not sure anything will ever change. Downward spiral for profession, IMHO...

Perhaps part of her dislike for the job is working with nurses with your attitude, SL.

I think I would have been out after the HIV stick. Hope you are ok health-wise. In my opinion, most of the problems in healthcare are caused by bare-bones staffing as a way of doing business, by management that is willfully ignorant and concerned only with profit and their own renumeration. Medical providers including physicians are considered as widgets and tools only, not as professionals or humans who need to care for their own health also. Unless medical professionals eventually get this and stand up for themselves, it's not going to change. In the short run, I think it's good to get out before one's health is impacted permanently. Am also on that route. Good luck with the training you are getting, have had friends who enjoyed that field and found it enormously satisfying.

Your cooking sounds fantastic, actually! :-)

I agree, the stereotypes just need to die. Am a nurse and massage therapist, have been asked occasionally by morons if my massages have "happy endings" or similar type questions about nursing. But not often, thankfully. I just chalk it up to the developmental and intellectual level of the person asking. I can't imagine why someone would not be attracted to a male nurse, but I suppose we all have our idiosyncrasies, implicit biases, etc. Unfortunately attractions can't be mandated to be politically correct, they just ARE. But if you are meeting women who say they aren't attracted to you because you are a male nurse, IMHO they are missing out, not you. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Their issues. Find women who don't tend to think traditionally or group others into stereotypes. They're a lot more interesting anyway. I tend to think in terms of what I find interesting/ attractive in other humans, and try not to stress too much about things I cannot control, i.e. why they might not "like" me, especially if the non-like is based on traditional stereotypes. Perhaps it's a useful way of sorting the chaff? :-) As far as receiving care from caregivers, providers etc... no major preference except prefer female gyn providers. I look for intelligence, empathy, listening skills, etc.

I love this... this is how I feel :-) Very well put.

Have you thought about dental hygiene? Or would you be able to work as an RN in oral surgery, is that what you meant? I have a friend who obtained ADN at age 60. She had a previous degree in an unrelated field. She landed a job (had 2 offers) in a smaller hospital in her town, as a floor nurse. She is very fit and strong physically. She did at one point say that if she knew what she knew now, when she was in school.. she may have reconsidered nursing as a career choice, but I think it was related more to nursing as a career choice PERIOD, not to being age 60. (Demanding, mostly thankless, high responsibility, low autonomy, all the negatives present for nurses at any age). If you think you might love nursing, consider how you liked being a CNA.. if you liked that, maybe nursing might be a good choice for you. On the other hand, I know a doctor who was a nurse in her twenties, and felt- yes, in her twenties- that her body would never hold up to it. So she went back to school and never looked back. It seems like the dental field could be a lot more satisfying and interesting than nursing, to me anyway. My dentist is in her mid fifties and is slowing down her practice a bit, but she loves her work. The hygienists there do too, and are involved in a lot of patient education outside of the "regular" job duties. My dentist, over the years, has often been more astute in helping figure out my health issues, than my regular primary doctors. I have a LOT of respect for those in this field. oops- one more thought- a male neighbor in his late fifties recently obtained ADN. He had NO previous exp in healthcare. He was unable to find work except in a nursing home. He has commented to me that he finds nursing "extremely demanding"...but I believe this to be more related to his finding the expectations on nurses overly demanding- and they are- NOT due to his age.. he is fit and healthy. (many nursing homes here have terrible ratios- such as one nurse to 30 patients on a ward).

This really is lovely and poignant, and for me, wistful, I guess. "That the days of not knowing your purpose are over." That, for me personally, is the part that made me feel wistful, sad. After 14 years as a nurse, I have not really felt that about purpose. I have at times felt as if I really made a difference, and have loved the patients, the families, and other staff. But not this about life purpose- many times have felt quite the opposite, as if I was wasting gifts in the time I have here, doing this work. But that's me, and I definitely see how many might feel this way. I think what nurses do can be extremely impactful and I admire it that. But I do not feel fulfilled by it. (I wish I did, but I don't... Call the Midwife, modern-day nursing is NOT, lol). Also, I am not a Christian (or any other faith) but my partner is Muslim. I have spent time in many Christian churches. I didn't find her sometimes spiritual focus offensive. I am open to trying to meet people where they are, wherever that is. Thank you for such a sweet piece, even if it made me a bit sad!!! :-)

IMO she did the right thing, as the one responder mentioned, the hospital is quick to throw the individual nurses under the bus, often after staffing is inadequate and workflow too overwhelming for patient safety. Cripes, this kind of stuff can cause PTSD in staff, this is also why nurses leave the profession, and patients get hurt. Also wonder why a brand new graduate would be working in this area. Often nurses who speak up are reviled by admin, even other nurses who should know better. Why would any millenials want to go into a profession where this is now the norm?

Oh god.... I will be a different voice here, but I say LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE, get the hell out of dodge. It sounds absolutely awful. I would say it sounds like the Southeast, but I live actually in the (supposedly liberal) Pacific NW, and in our rural corner of it, there is plenty of racism to go around, and very little diversity. I am white, my spouse is African and black...and Muslim. Try getting a job in rural white Amurica when you are black, you have an accent, and you have a Muslim name. He just doesn't get called back on jobs, multiple applications. He finally got on and temped at a boatyard, and in the first few weeks, there was a federal hate crime- someone hung a rope noose on a forklift. (FBI defines this sort of harassment as a hate crime, even if there is no direct verbal threat). Meanwhile, the non-diverse communities here like to talk about how there is no racism and we are all so liberal and all. I say again, get out... don't worry about the flipping resume. Life is too short to live in fear about going to work. The recent success of Trump, and thousands of cheering white Americans when he talked about banning Muslim immigration, and that Mexican immigrants are rapists and criminals... well, it's a good reminder that a lot of this country remains extremely racist. Please, take good care of yourself and don't put yourself through this. I've seen my husband walking into a business to drop off a resume, and a bit physically shaky and worried that people will be mean to him. Please take care of yourself. There are so many nursing jobs in better areas. It makes me mad just to hear that you are getting palpitations about going to work. Good luck and let us know how things go, whatever you decide.