MissyWrite

In "the jumble" (and it's not a jumble at all) of what I've written, it is VERY CLEAR what my position is.

Not one person who was against the quarantine responded. I asked the question in several posts, for weeks, and no one answered. Sometimes, silence is loud. Very loud. What disappointed me most is that nurses were acting like uneducated lay persons. Many people in favor of the quarantine said, "Where are you getting your information? Show me where you heard these things!" To me, that said they obviously didn't know the facts and were basing their 'opinions' on what they'd heard or read from the same sources that whipped the unknowing public into hysteria, and it said they had no idea where to find facts (or that they didn't even want to). Since when did nurses get their education from junk media? It doesn't take much to find information based on facts, but again and again, these people claiming to be nurses wanted to know 'what evidence there was.' But no matter what links to that evidence I (and others) posted, it made no difference. I'm sure they never even read any of it, because their 'minds' were already made up for them. May God help the patients and colleagues of these so-called nurses, and I pray that I am never one of them. I think it speaks volumes about the schools that have been pumping out nurses by the truckload for the last several years. Nurses are supposed to be health professionals. What happened???

The company you work for should have nurses who only do admissions. They are VERY time consuming and there's a TON of paperwork, and the family is usually in crisis mode, understandably. I can't understand how anyone with other responsibilities could fit this into their workday on a regular basis. It can take several hours to do an admission from start to finish. But if admissions are your only responsibility and you'll just do one per day, it can be a very nice job. I hope your manager will agree with your request. Good luck to you.

Congratulations on landing your hospice job! Hospice inpatient units typically have patients who are already part of the program and are receiving intermittent care in their homes, but are suffering from worsening symptoms (such as pain, nausea and vomiting, or respiratory distress) and need close monitoring and around the clock care to bring them under control. Often, you'll have patients who are actively dying and you will keep them comfortable during the process and interact with their family members. There is usually a social worker and chaplain to help with psychosocial needs (unless you work nights). Other patients come straight from the hospital -- usually these patients are in very bad shape and hospice was involved at the last minute, unfortunately. You may also see some patients there for 'respite' care, which is to give their caregivers a break for a few days. Some inpatient hospice units have longer-term patients, but I didn't work in a facility like that so I don't know much about it. As an RN, you'll do all the things a nurse would usually do on any type of inpatient unit -- assessments, meds, admissions, discharges, communicate with doctors and other members of the team; whatever patient care needs to be done. You'll probably work with a nursing assistant. I can't say how many patients you'll have -- that varies per facility. There's a lot of documentation, but I wouldn't say it's worse than anywhere else. I hope you'll get a decent orientation. Hospice truly is a specialty, and many things are done differently than they would be on a med/surg unit or in home health. Some meds are used in unusual ways, so be alert for that (for example, you may see atropine eye drops given sublingually, to dry secretions, or you might administer morphine via nebulizer). Hospice doctors were some of the nicest and best I ever worked with -- I hope it's the same for you. Ditto for the nurses. Best of luck to you -- please let us know how you do.

There's a lot of horizontal violence in nursing, and in health care in general. BUT the atmosphere vairies a lot depending on the unit or facility you work in. It's hard to make an informed choice as a new nurse, since you don't know what to look for. Try this approach: "As nurses purposefully implement the strategies described in this article, they will become skilled communicators. The bottom line is that a healthy work environment begins with each individual nurse, i.e., it begins with you!" A Healthy Work Environment: It Begins With You

I'll address the workplace bullying you're experiencing. That's what it is, plain and simple. These older, more experienced nurses are doing nothing to help you become a more competent, confident nurse. In fact, they're doing the opposite. The eye rolls, the knowing glances, the sarcasm, the whispering, etc. are meant to induce one thing: Shame. Shame does not make us feel bad about what we do -- it makes us feel bad about what we ARE. Shame is a feeling of deep humiliation. It damages self-confidence and self-worth. You're there as a brand new nurse, so everything you don't know is exposed. And instead of experiencing empathy from these nurses -- who should know how you feel since they were once in your shoes -- you're experiencing judgement and rejection. I'm very sorry you're experiencing this. You don't deserve it. When you need guidance and instruction, they should provide it without their condescending and belittling attitudes. You shouldn't be left wondering where you stand. I think an honest meeting with your nurse manager is in order. You shouldn't have to be subject to this kind of abuse. Yes, it's rampant in nursing, but that doesn't make it right. Best of luck to you. Some facts about nurses and bullying: Bullying decreases job satisfaction and morale and increases absenteeism Almost 21% of nursing turnover can be related to bullying 60% of new RNs who quit their first job in nursing within 6 months report that it is because of being bullied Replacing one nurse can cost up to $88,000 USD In a study on workplace bullying, most of the respondents reported being bullied by the charge nurse, manager, or director One in six nurses (13%) reported being bullied in the past six months Bullying of nurses leads to erosion of professional competence as well as increased sickness, absence, and employee attrition Bullying victims may suffer stress-related health problems, such as nausea, headache, insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight changes, and alcohol and drug abuse Nurses who survive bullying early in their careers tend to carry their learned behaviors with them. They accept the bully culture as part of the job and eventually may choose to bully other nurses The Joint Commission (2008) acknowledges that unresolved conflict and disruptive behavior can adversely affect safety and quality of care

LOL

Get out now. Seriously. There are plenty of careers where you can help people and not be run into the ground. Nursing is great...except for the workload, the stress, the exploitation, the shift work, and the hazards involved, including violence, bullying and humiliation by your own peers. They do this because they feel powerless, exploited and miserable, just like you will. Consider things like speech pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, pharmacist. Or if you must be a nurse, go straight on for your MSN and go into administration, or quality assurance, or become a nurse practitioner. Chose anything where you will be respected as a professional AND as a human being. Choose anything that doesn't count on a complete lack of personal boundaries to be able to tolerate the job. Anything.

I've had a few people say things like "I've got this symptom and that symptom, and I've been to four doctors, three were specialists and one was at the Mayo Clinic, but they don't know what it is. What is it?" And when I don't know, they're shocked. But then when I DO know what something is, no one believes me! For example, I had a friend complain of how she had a headache every single weekend. I asked her about her caffeine intake, and it turns out she drank a 32-ounce coke before work monday through friday, but never on saturday or sunday. I had to practically force her to drink a cup of coffee at dinner one night before she would believe it was caffeine withdrawal. Her headache was gone within 10 minutes. Another friend asked me why she always had big red zits on the right side of her chin. I told her telephones were the culprit, and that she needed to start cleaning any phone she used with alcohol on a regular basis. She suffered more red big zits for a year before she tried my suggestion, and then after a few zit-free months, she thanked me. LOL

"“I agreed to whatever,” he said. “They didn’t show any leadership or support to me and they had an opportunity, as a nursing school, to act like a medical community, and they didn’t...They instead decided to pander to fear and hysteria,” Wilbur said." Kaci Hickox, boyfriend leaving Maine after Ebola quarantine fight - The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram I don't blame them for leaving. They were shunned and treated like outcasts, for no reason. It amazes me how easy it was to be rejected from a community they used to belong to, one that they were valuable members of. It's an important lesson about the power of the reptilian brain -- it shows us just how easy it is for 'intelligent humans' to devolve to their basest element when fear takes control. Scary stuff. Mob mentality at work. The neocortex is on thin ice. When the going gets tough, the amygdala takes over.

I know you said you were going to accept the offer, but just in case you haven't yet, I think you should reconsider. Unless you're destitute, don't do it. The VA will still be there in a couple of years. Night shifts + sleep deprivation + 2 children + BSN school + not enough support + husband who isn't completely agreeable = ??? If you do go ahead with it, I wish you all the best.

True, there must be damages in order to win a suit. Mental anguish, perhaps?

The conditions you were expected to perform your job in were deplorable and unacceptable, and it put patients at risk of serious harm. You are set up to fail in deplorable conditions like this. The fact that YOU are being blamed is inexcusable. If I were a patient on that unit that day -- or the loved one of a patient -- I would make damned sure the right people knew about the PERIL me or my loved one was subjected to. Absolutely inexcusable. As long as nurses put up with this sh*t it's gonna keep happening, because management sure isn't going to be the one to stop it. What the heck is your union saying about this? What are you paying them for? STOP blaming yourself right now. Everyone on this earth has a limit as to how much they can do. You were way beyond yours, through no fault of your own. Anger would serve you a lot better than fear and sadness.

ljrn135, How about... BE AWARE….and Care Bullying: is the purposeful attempt to control another person through verbal abuse - which can be in tone of voice or in content such as teasing or threats, exclusion, or physical violence. Bullying is the most common type of violence in contemporary US society and can exist at any level of an organization. Bullies can be superiors, subordinates, and colleagues. Exists: in the home, the school, and the workplace. If an environment does not uphold high standards for the way people treat each other, then bullying may be more likely and/or prevalent. Bullying is a real problem in nursing and can become a major issue if it’s ignored or unchecked. It can lead to a loss of valuable human capital and medical errors. Acknowledge: that bullying may be a problem in your organization. Nurse leaders should talk about bullying and encourage staff to speak up and be heard if it does happen. The more it’s acknowledged, the more you can do about it. Leaders that minimize its impact or deny its existence create a culture of silence that impedes solutions to this problem. Watch: for the signs of the bullying throughout the workplace. Be sure supervisors and managers know how to recognize the signs of bullying. Don’t wait for it to be brought to your attention. Act: when you notice signs of bullying by directly intervening, and /or getting help. Bullies lose their power when people stop passively accepting their behavior. Refuse to be a silent bystander. It is everyone’s responsibility to have the courage to play a key role to prevent and stop bullying. Get involved and take a stand against this issue. Reflect: on the incident and your action. Reflect on what was perceived to go wrong and start to reflect on what worked well, and why. Analyzing the incident may help you to:  “reflect-on-action” (past experience),  “reflect-in-action” (as an incident happens), and  “reflect-for-action” (actions you may wish to take in future experiences). Empower: staff to collectively and safely respond to bullying they see and hear. Create a mechanism for staff to confidentially report bullying issues in the workplace without fear of retaliation. … and Care You might find some more help with your project where I found the info above (scroll down to the bottom, and on the right you'll see Truth, Wisdom, Courage, etc. Each contains fact sheets, assessments, etc. Civility Tool-kit: Resources to Empower Nurse Leaders to Identify, Intervene, and Prevent Workplace Bullying Home - Stop Bullying Tool-Kit Some statistics related to bullying in nursing:  Bullying decreases job satisfaction and morale and increases absenteeism (Chipps & McRury, 2012)  Almost 21% of nursing turnover can be related to bullying (Johnson & Rea, 2009)  60% of new RNs who quit their first job in nursing within 6 months report that it is because of being bullied  Replacing one nurse can cost up to $88,000 USD (Jones, CB, 2012)  According to a study by the US Bureau of National Affairs, there is a loss of productivity of $5-6 billion/year in the US due to bullying in the workplace  In a study on workplace bullying, most of the respondents reported being bullied by the charge nurse, manager, or director (Johnson & Rea 2009)  One in six nurses (13%) reported being bullied in the past six months (Sa & Fleming 2008)  Bullying of nurses leads to erosion of professional competence as well as increased sickness, absence, and employee attrition (Hutchinson et al., 2010; Johnson, 2009)  Bullying victims may suffer stress-related health problems, such as nausea, headache, insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight changes, and alcohol and drug abuse (Townsend, 2012)  Nurses who survive bullying early in their careers tend to carry their learned behaviors with them. They accept the bully culture as part of the job and eventually may choose to bully other nurses (Townsend, 2012)  The Joint Commission (2008) acknowledges that unresolved conflict and disruptive behavior can adversely affect safety and quality of care

That's all Prissy does now, too. If she ever turns down my bed, I will run screaming out the door. Another thing she did during that time: My mom said the worst time for her was in the middle of the night, when she was alone and couldn't sleep. Unbeknownst to me, Prissy would leave my bed at those times and go sit with my mom, gaze into her eyes, and lick her tears away. My mom said Prissy was more helpful than anyone else had been; she found her quiet, attentive presence more of a comfort than any human was during that time. Perhaps that was my dad too, but it could have just been Prissy, because that's the way she's always been. I'm all out of ghost stories, unless something new comes up. I'm looking forward to everyone else's stories -- Love this thread!