carebear1980

I have resigned. Not because of the inmates/pt. population but because I cannot be successful in this toxic environment with the nurse manager who from day one has bullied and belittled me. She bullies everyone else as well. Examples yelling at one nurse about her request that she was not paid for hours she had worked and had requested the managers assistance in signing a form so she could get paid. Later from her office desk the manager knowing that several others could hear as well including Dentist, MD, and other nurses yelled at her and not a sentence but a full on five minute tirade. Another time the manager begin almost screaming at a nurse because medication orders had expired over the weekend (nurse getting yelled at was not responsible she just happened to be there when it was discovered). I was in the room and became so uncomfortable over the prolonged in your face yelling even though it was not directed at me that I had to leave the room. My poor burnt out co-workers some mirrored her in actions, others were burnt out telling patients oh but I was not allowed to call them patients, that they didn't care about them or there illness etc. I was yelled at to hurry up all the time, I was reprimanded if I dared to sit down while I wolfed down a sandwich, I was even threatened with losing my job for taking the time to eat less than 10 min. Even though I pointed out that not allowing any break in 8hrs was illegal or at the very least unethical. I am not saying I might not someday give corrections a try again just not at that place or any place like it. I would have to get a fair review from someone in nursing who I trusted. Thank you all for your responses....

So Foggnm what do you do instead of hospital work?? To the OP, I think it is a chronic staffing shortage even more so on night shifts and especially 12 hour night shifts. I work these shifts myself and the big problem is always short staffing to begin with. Not always but I think for people who don't work these shifts they don't see it. I was constantly denied PTO no matter how far in advance, or even with just one shift requested. I was always told to find my own coverage. It does seem unfair that you work and EARN PTO and than can not use it as you wish. After all the PTO/CTO is not supposed to be just time needed as others suggest it is something you Earned! and need doesn't always have to apply. I understand that managers have to say no but think that they should try to help come up with a solution as well. I can say that I worked a lot of overtime on my unit and it is disappointing to be always helping out your employer when they are short, but not getting that back from them when you want time off. Unless you find an alternative to hospital work I do not see how this will change. Unfortunately we are just warm bodies to these places. Congrats and good luck.

Well its been a week plus and I am starting to figure some things out. It is still challenging trying to find my way around the prison for keep lock , sick call. and med pass. Also scary because a couple CO's have twice left me alone on a unit with free inmate, and no one on the whole floor to call for help. That is against the rules but I heard you are not supposed to write the CO's up for anything. The NA told me last week that she could train her dog to do my job... I want to be successful but clearly there are some issues here.

I have just recently started working at a correctional facility. I have not even started nursing orientation on the unit, still doing security training. I'm a newer nurse 1 year med-surg experience. Yes I have to adjust to the security aspect which is Huge, and the games inmates play, and be firm fair and professional, etc, and I am in no way downplaying that. My main issue is I was told I had enough medical experience originally, only to feel I don't, after conversations with the nurse administrator. I have no ER triage experience and no past LPN/LVN experience, no history in corrections either, 1 yr. RN as previously stated. I was told that all the nurses there have years of experience in all different settings especially ER and I feel very confident in them and want them to feel that they can depend on me to. I want to be successful but was told that they could not train me to be a nurse. Well I am a nurse just one without ER experience, and they knew this when they offered me the job so I don't really understand the comment, unless its because as I have learned they have had several nurses quit within a week. I have looked over the job descriptions medication nurse, clinic nurse, infirmary nurse ,and feel competent in those areas. And feel I can perform any other part of the job including responding to medical emergencies with help and training. So I am trying my best to learn re/learn any thing I think may be relevant material. But experience with the actual situations will still be best to educate, observe, participate, and become competent. I really want this to work out and be successful. I think if I can persevere that within a month or so my doubt and anxiety would ease, and there trust in me could be established. However I would still need help with training on how to responding to codes and medical emergencies. What advice would you offer me to be successful in this situation? Also anything you wish you knew when starting in corrections would be great.

Update. Well its been almost a year. What a year!! Wow reading these posts over again. Thank you again to all who helped me.... I am still learning and don't think I will ever stop. Which is great because I love to learn. To any who have read this and doubted themselves or been anxious, with hard work and perseverance you can do this. Yes you can. It was worth every painful anxiety filled moment I went through as I grew into my new role.I am so thankful to all the nurses, discussion posters, peers, and co-workers from many different backgrounds and collaborations who have helped and continue to help me along the way!!!

Love how you answered this in more ways than one very creative.

powerful/painful lesson to learn, thanks for sharing.

Thanks everyone of you for all the great ideas and feedback...

Can I say wow, you definitley have good insight on what I was going through. Yes I think that is a great idea and am looking for some good youtube videos. Does anyone have a good link or two?

Thank you, I am certainly hoping this will be something I can say one day. It would be cool to go from where I am now to others asking me to help them to start a new IV.

Absoulutely this is how I try to approach situations. It helps lesson negative feelings I may have and also I love a challange on most days. :)

Chorr, I didn't think of that. I think I will approach my hospitals RN educator and see if I can get in some more practice, maybe another couple hours in Endo would help build my experience and confidence.

Sun0408, "OP, the fact that you posted so much back information on your IV skills or lack there of makes me think you avoided changing it." When I think back to it, I agree I may have been avoiding it. In my thoughts I resist this idea but it has merit.

I agree the AC is not a great IV area. I did not start this IV the pt. had it in already upon my arrival.

Just got off orientation on a busy med-surg unit. :) So I admit I have not had much experiance or practice with starting new IV's but have been succesful at it when I have done it in the past. My experience with starting IV's is this, 0 in nursing school, 2 hrs starting IV's with a RN for pts. about to have a colonoscopy maybe a total of 15 pt.s, 3 successful IV starts with my preceptor, 2 succesful IV starts and 1 fail on my own after orientatation. Also it does take me quite a bit of time to gather equipment, apply warm blankets to the pt.s arms, set up, etc. I had a crazy busy shift on 11p-7a and a pt. said to me while I was in their room hanging antibiotics that there IV site was hurting, and they were tired of having to keep it straight so as not to cause the IV pump to start beeping. I assesed the site for infiltration, redness, heat etc and flushed it and there was no pain while flushing with normal saline. So I felt the site was fine it was just irratating the pt. because of it being in his antecubital fossa or AC. I would have changed it if I had had time or asked another nurse to help, but I had neither. Also the pt. didn't mention it again and so I thought it wasn't a problem, and I was so busy I was grateful not to have to find time to start a new IV. Then just before I left the floor to go home my charge came running up to me and said that he had been rounding on all my pt.s. He let me know I should have started a new IV and did it in such a way that it left me feeling like an incompetent jerk for not doing it. I later looked up the policy and didn't find anything that specifically stated I had too start a new IV. But still now I feel horrible, that I was uncaring to the pt. by not starting a new one, and maybe that I am a little incompetant. What are your thoughts? Anyone in similar situations? My question is to everyone and all the experienced nurses out there what would you do? Also given the situation, was what I did really wrong?