SJGH1982

Nurses Eating Their Young And I am VERY sad to say it does happens in the facility where I work. I guess I qualify for a COB now, but really I'm pretty nice. The age - I own up to. A few people tried to chew on me many moons ago - but they came away hungry. Some of the "young ones" - who I love to death - call me "Muds". I accept that - after all - I am old enough to be the mother of probably 80% of our ER staff. All in all - we are a close, solid bunch. I also am perpetually nice to a fault as ixchel said - and a thin coat of crust would probably do me good! LOL! I don't get the chance to log into allnurses very often - but really enjoy it when I do. Have a great day everyone!

I'm not sure in what ER a nurse would "hit first" - you could put your arm or leg up to ward off a blow - but really? to HIT FIRST? Walk away - run away - duck and zip and get outta there - but I would think there would be no defense at all for "hit first". DIFFERENT story if you have already been assaulted - in that case - do what you gotta do to get outta there and protect yourself , block / punch their eyes out / kick em in the groin / do what you have to - and get the frig outta there!

Sadly - we have hall patients approximately 70% of the time. Thats not including the 3 exam rooms that we have pushed stretchers into, the cast room that also doubles as a place to put a stretcher, the alcove by the linen cart - the person in the family room getting their IV med - then going home. Then all of a sudden you have to make room for a trauma or chest pain or sick paeds. NO FUN. But ya do what ya gotta do and juggle the patients around. Sometimes pulling more people out into the hall way to accomodate the new ones. We also have two cardiac/monitored beds and two big trauma rooms and a minor procedure room - as well as a 5 bed observation room - and Yep! - you guessed it. We could have upwards of 18 patients on stretchers by nights end if there are no empty beds on the floors. Fun times in the ER. So we work as a small unit - doing all the routine things that the "admitted waiting for bed" patients require. As well as handling all the urgent/emergency stuff.

I TOTALLY agree with you about the lack of respect issue MassED. And the politics of the institution, toxic work environments, poor management - I could go on and on - they all interact together make the ER a place to work that we sometimes at work jokingly call "The Pit". Or worse. Anyhow - we "keep calm and carry on". Thats what we do!

Well, (with a deep breath), as a Canadian nurse with 32 yrs plus as a full time nurse -and the last 14 of it full time in the ER - I really feel for you 'young ones' - as I call all the new, young, fresh ER nurses. And - to be honest - a LOT of them do just fine. But - there are Bachelor of Nursing or Masters of Nursing Prepared new RN's, who just aren't prepared properly for the blood and gore, and poop and sputum and vomit among other things, that is the reality of ER nursing. Not their fault. But some move on - some choose to stay. Some that choose to stay do just fine - but I wonder - how can you do this for 30+ years? If you can - kudos to you. But it will get you in the end - either physically, mentally, via your home/family life ----it will. Sorry to be a "Debbie Downer" - but been there done that -and still doin' it and watching my young ones do it too. My only bright spot is that I can get out before too long. They can't. I worry for them, and for who will look after the patients when they can't do it anymore, and for the patients.

My shift is over when my feet touch the pavement outside the sliding glass doors of our ER - and even then - I would NEVER see a patient that was truly sick or injured and not do anything. A nurse thing I guess.