Runninwoo

I am in Colorado. I have thought about asking different palliative care and hospice organizations about shadowing a nurse, but wasn't sure if that was alright. Since you advised it I will inquire about it with some organizations. The nursing school I attended is near me, I will inquire there as well. Thank you!

I am interested in learning more about hospice care nursing. It seems like a very difficult but very rewarding type of nursing. I really truly appreciate the idea of a person having a dignified death, a "good" death as I have heard it put. How would I be able to shadow a hospice and/or palliative care nurse to get a better idea of this specialty?

I have a two year contract with the facility, so I have some time left there. Thanks for the boost of encouragement!

I completely agree with you; they are adults, and should be held accountable for their actions and words. Not only that, they should have respect for the team involved in their patients care. I have talked to my director, and she has said things to the extent of, "you help the patient by helping the doctor", and the saying I absolutely loathe, "it is what it is". My director is great at what she does, but I don't think she grasps the extent to how upset I get when I work with difficult surgeons. Yes I am here to help the patient, and by assisting the doc I can do that, but I am not here to be a slave to the surgeon, and get yelled at to boot. And not all of them are like this, but the ones that are infuriate me. I am one of the younger individuals in the OR. I look even younger than I am, most people would say I look 16 at best, and I think that does contribute on some level possibly. I am not a pushover, I am strong. Some docs respect that, some like to challenge that. I miss the more hands on patient care for sure. The OR has been good for enhancing my skills, IVs, Foley, meds, ect., but I do need more patient assessment work. Do you think LTC would be a good way to amp those up? Thanks for the advice and kind words!

You are most certainly right, I should, and do, stand up for myself in those difficult situations. Unfortunately most people do brush it off and chock it up to the doc is, "having a difficult day". We all have difficult days. And you are certainly right about their tempers. Not only that, but I have to practically spoon feed some of the surgeons for them to even remotely be happy. I have worked in long term care in the past as a tech, and enjoyed it a lot. I think I may take your advice on that, because I have always had an interest in home care and palliative care. Thank you for your wisdom and kind words!

I am a new graduate nurse who started a job in the operating room in July 2014. The actual nursing work is alright the majority of the time, but I cannot stand working with a lot of the surgeons at my hospital. I am constantly put down, yelled at, and left feeling diminished at the end of the day. I do not feel like I am helping people, other than the surgeons, and I can feel my confidence deteriorating every day. I want to switch nursing specialties. I have never enjoyed floor nursing, part of the reason I chose the OR. I would love to do something in home health and/or palliative care. My question is, how easy is it to switch nursing specialties? Would employers still view my nursing experience in the same light as a floor nurse? I just want to feel like I am making a difference again. Thanks.