UpennRN

Hey fellow nurses! I work on a busy, stressful medical unit that causes a lot of burnout, poor retention, and a lot of new nurses to leave. I've come a long way and I feel like I have a lot to share with the newer nurses! My colleague and I are interested in starting a peer mentor program, but I am having a hard time finding a good framework that is ideal for nursing specifically. Based on my google search, I've only really found resources on peer mentoring in general, or why it is beneficial, but nothing specific on activities, pairing, etc. I was hoping someone could help! Please share what you have done! Also name some activities. We were thinking about a kickoff happy hour, someone hosting a get-together at their home, an outdoor picnic, etc. Should we pair a new nurse with a mentor? If anyone could share ideas for how to make this a legitimate program, I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

It's a bummer you thought working 8-hour shifts would solve all your problems yet it was the complete opposite =\ Will it be easy for you to go back to 12s?

OP, I feel like you are telling my life story! Even my "good" days on my med/tele floor are disastrous. I've been there for a little over a year, and yes, my "time management skills" have gotten better, but that doesn't change the fact that all of my patients are crashing simultaneously all the time (ok - a bit dramatic - but this has happened to me on several occasions). I feel like each day I handle one clinical emergencies after the next. Wrong and changing orders, one patient in severe pain, one rips out their IV, the other setting off bed alarm jumping out of bed, the other needs the bedpan, one's potassium is 6.2, one is hypoglycemic, one is bleeding out from their groin site. Then I find out I'm getting an admission. I laugh at all the nurses who say it "gets better". How does what I described above ever get better? I'm a really positive person too, but bedside burns me out like no other! I'm not sure transferring floors would even help me at this point. I do find it hilarious when the aids have no problem taking their two allotted breaks in 8 hours, when I don't pee for a full 12. For me it's knowing I'm the one totally and completely responsible for my patients' well being...

Agreed, joanna. Another day in med/surg for me is another day too many. The good news is there are many nurses on my unit who love it and thrive there, so I don't feel so guilty. I started in med/surg because that's what "they" say new grads should do but I don't believe I am all "new grads". I thought not working in a hospital would make me less of a nurse, but I've come to the conclusion it's the exact opposite path I want to go towards.

None of my responses are actually relevant to your question because I've only worked in a hospital. But I hope that my responses may ease your feelings of missing out on the experience because IMO it's not all glory like it seems. 1. Did you start out looking for a hospital job? If yes, for how long? Yes. Prior to graduating, I accepted a job on a medical floor in a hospital. I was offered the position because I was a nurse extern there. I frowned upon other types of jobs because I thought that the hospital was the be-all, end-all. 2. What made you decide to pursue something other than hospital nursing? Was it a matter of not being able to find a job, or was this something you wanted initially? I have worked in 3 different hospitals as a CNA before graduating college/nursing school. I had an "in" at those three facilities so finding a job wasn't a problem for me. However, I am realizing my passion for community health/primary care and that hospital nursing encompasses everything I hate. We are told every week of more tasks we need to do in our day-to-day. The workload is unbearable. It's not even about patient care; it is about quality metrics and HCAPS scores. 3. What area of nursing are you working in now? Hospital. Medical telemetry. Planning on leaving. 4. How do you feel your lack of hospital experience impacts you in the position you hold now? N/A 5. Do you have any regrets about not working in a hospital? N/A

I am 1 year into med/surg and ONE MORE DAY on this floor is too much. People are saying I have to "pay my dues" by staying on the floor another year. Forget that! It's not for me. Nursing is such a bullying profession.

During my nurse residency, it was mentioned that our health system and in general across the board, 12 hour shifts are under scrutiny. This is due to staff fatigue, errors, and continuity in patient care. It was said that in the not-too-distant future 12 hour shifts will be going away in our health system. In bedside nursing, the four days off to recuperate from the circus that is my unit, I can't imagine being there 5 days a week! I am looking to get out of bedside nursing anyway, but I was wondering if anyone else has heard talk of this! What do you think about it?

Thank you for the response. I am hoping that my therapist will help me make a clear decision. I however just think that bedside nursing is not for me.

I am currently in counseling for the depression, but that doesn't solve my work issue.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I took your advice to "stick it out for a year" and I am still miserable, if not more, but for different reasons. It's been 13 months and I am looking for an OUT!

My problem is that my friends/family all work M-F jobs. I certainly go out with work friends on our days off together, but then it's work overload. I enjoy going to the grocery store on Monday morning when it's not crowded, getting my nails and hair done, etc. But I think the depression is getting so bad that I'm unable to see anyone because of work.

Angels do you work in the Penn health system? I am unable to use PM.

I'm really sorry you were unable to accept the infusion job. That is something I am interested in as well. I plan on meeting with nurse recruitment to try to find a job suited for me within the health system. I work on a busy step-down floor and probably hate it for similar seasons that you hated ICU. Are you enjoying the ER?

That was harsh. To answer your question, I HATE my job to begin with, I think I hate bedside nursing, but I'm just afraid I'll lose all of my skills if I go elsewhere. This is my first job as a professional RN, but I was a nurse extern full time at 3 different hospitals during college. So I've done the every-other weekend, nights, holidays for 4 years now and I'm sick of it. I love working 3 12's but I did have a M-F job in the past. Aside from always praying for Friday, I enjoyed it for the most part because I had a life.

You are NOT the only one. In the past year, I made a couple of silly minor mistakes that my management took very seriously. We sit down in the office while the three of them question my judgement and nursing practice. Now I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and question everything I'm doing! Granted, my institution holds us to such a ridiculously high standard, but management goes about it in a way that's punitive even though it's not supposed to be. My anxiety and depression regarding work is out of control and I sought counseling just like you.