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.

I feel like I could have written the same exact post. I am miserable working nights. The first night is definitely the hardest. I am not motivated to exercise and run errands that day. I lay on the couch/bed and watch tv feeling sorry for myself. I stay up late the night before so I can attempt to sleep all day, but then I don't go to bed with my S.O. and it's a miserable feeling. You are not alone

nurse.j any updates?! Have you accepted the position or decided to stay?

Mari, how does one get into public health nursing?

Hi Silver, Did you have any trouble finding a job given that you were only 5-6 months in? When I look at other positions, they require 1-3 years of experience. This frightens me and I feel trapped as well. What advice can you give regarding leaving before 1 full year?

Hi Bronze. I can totally relate. I am miserable on my medsurg floor and have sought therapy for this. I was diagnosed with depression. I cry all the time, have anxiety attacks before work, and think about work on my days off. Your friends and family won't understand. Mine don't. When they tell me to "stick it out" and "don't quit" I get so frustrated! I would try to stay for a year so it doesn't look bad for resume reasons. I am in the process of meeting with recruiters for outpatient positions in my health system. My sanity is way more important. I am also interested in womens health but in my hospital, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get into!

Hi fellow allnurses! I have been stalking these forums for awhile and I desperately need some emotional support. I work at an awfully busy, hectic, chaotic medical floor. What makes my floor suck even more is that our managers require us to work every OTHER weekend, when all the other floors in the hospital work every third. I also have to rotate days/nights. I work three 12 hour shifts, but with every other weekend, I have like 4 days off during the week and I am so ridiculously bored and lonely. I do things to keep me busy, but no one else is around for company! I am 24, have an active social life with friends, family, and my boyfriend. All I do is miss out on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, life events, weddings, because of my job. I am DESPERATE at this point to find a M-F 8-5 position because I am desperate for a normal life. Nothing irks me more than when people say "you chose to make sacrifices when you decided to be a nurse". My response is my life is too short to be spending all my weekends, holidays, and nights on a floor that I hate. I am afraid I'll miss "bedside" but my passions lie in primary care anyways. I am afraid of losing skills, but at this point I don't have any work-life balance and would do anything for a normal job! I sought out therapy for this. Who can offer some support? Greatly appreciated!

Hi Miranda, I don't have any advice for you, other than that I am going through the same exact thing. I have been on my busy med/surg floor for a little over a year now. In that past year I was so desperate to get outta there that I've excessively stalked job postings and even applied to other hospitals but never went through with anything. At this point I am looking at non-clinical positions. My colleagues always tell me "the grass is always greener" and that I might miss bedside nursing, which is true. I think I'm going to give a new outpatient position a try, and if I hate it, who says I can't go back to bedside nursing? No one says you can't go back!

Has anyone experienced the need to obtain letters of recommendation/provide evals? I am a very competent new nurse with positive feedback from my managers. However, our turnover is so high, nurses are always unhappy, it's a negative environment, and I heard my managers can be spiteful/sabotage your next move. They make it impossible to transfer within the hospital, so I am thinking of applying elsewhere.

Same problem here! When I am on dayshift, my days off are pretty productive. On night shift, I spend my days getting excessive amounts of sleep. I basically move from the bed to the couch. Only get up to pee or walk my dog. I know there are things I should be doing, but I'm not motivated.

OP: I am going through the same exact thing! I want to apply elsewhere to other hospitals, but I'm afraid my management will be spiteful and sabotage me even though I am a very competent nurse! I hate med/surg. Wish I waited for a different job to come around rather than jump into this one...