yankee_in_SC

Dear WoodyRN, Where I work, there are all kinds of food and beverages around (of course never on top of the vent, haha)..as a matter of fact, ordering food in is just about as important as patient care! There has never been an issue of beverage prohibition, EXCEPT when JCAHO is inspecting. When JCAHO is here, then all the drinks go in the lounge. Hope that helps!

AVOIDANCE I am good at...haha. It goes against the grain of who I am, but it is necessary. I can keep totally busy and to myself for the entire 12 hours. I am trying to get more acquainted on Swans (more of clinical applications) so I can read if I have free time at work. It is a sad state of being when you prefer reading about Swans rather than interact with humans!! This has been a tough journey for me, and although I hate to admit it, moving south may have been a mistake. The South seems to be brutal everywhere, not just in the hospital setting. Less whining, more action! That's my motto! thanks for your support!

Let me tell you my opinion on management...As Long As the Work is Done, They Don't Care. Period. They see what they want to see. They have to account to the higher ups for the work, they certainly don't care to deal with the "squabbling". Is this a negative attitude? Absolutely. Comes from experience of going "to the office" and fighting for what's right. It's good in theory, poor in implementation. As far as my manager intervening, I am sure she would. She seems to be very interested in her staff (as a matter of fact, I almost had to get my dropped jaw rewired when she told me that NO meeting was more important than her staff--that was a first for me to hear from a manager). But more importantly, this nasty nurse is a BODY, a Body who works nights, and to be honest, it's worth keeping her just for that, from a management perspective. So that's where it is, I wish I could do more, but I am of the belief that she will get what's coming to her...as a matter of fact, she's had a few instances since me that she's given bad nursing care, and she knows it. It's just a matter of time.

lita, like I said in a previous post, no amount of orienting can prepare you for the nuances for the job. And in critical care, the nuance can be a life-or-death issue. Sometimes the stress level of "what am I walking into tonight" can make all that learning go out the window. I am the most level headed relaxed person I know, but being mentally "slapped" by snide comments and looks does nothing but destroy what confidence and learning that has been built. You can usually tell the ones that will make it--it becomes pretty obvious after awhile. Hope your experience is pure positive!

Hi Hollykate, You are right about teaching (and may I include orienting as well?)--no amount of training prepares you for the trenches. You have personality clashes, can't find the supplies, don't know who to trust, can't locate the paperwork...and that doesn't even begin to describe the challenges of the "job"! I feel sorry for new grads, having no experience base to fall back on... I still have gads of checklists and modules left to complete, as there was no time during work to discuss them. Ah, the joys of short staffing...OH, there's TWO of you?? One preceptor and one orientee? Then you can have the absolute worst patients on the unit, because after all there's TWO of you... I'm heading back to work tomorrow, and am going to trudge on..but hollykate, if it isn't working, I'll be sure to be in touch! Thanks! J There are positive people where I work, don't let me mislead you..but the few negative ones ruin it for all the staff.

Hi Duckie: Thanks for the insight..I think the problem is that nurses are so overworked these days that it is just a race from clock in to clock out. Who has time for patience these days? I had a charge nurse who waited until I left the unit ( when I was requested to put an IV in a pt on the floor that no one else could get) to increase one of the drips on my patient and then told me "while you were gone, I increased the drip"..it had not even been discussed with me. I know they mean well, but that was not helping me, by not discussing with the primary nurse actions that needed to be taken. Am I just too sensitive? I can only experience so fast--if I could accelerate my critical care experience, I would. You are truly right--it's no wonder why nurses leave the profession. You begin to wonder if it's truly worth it. Thanks for replying..J

Hi TEXERRN..Thanks for the advice..there are lots of agency nurses working at my hospital, and believe me, I engage them in conversation whenever I can to get info!! Let me clarify that there are several friendly and helpful nurses where I work...but you know how it is...a few ruin it for all of us!! thanks for the advice! j

I still have 18 months to go with my contract in order to keep my sign on bonus... but there is another large hospital in this city, along with a smaller one about 25 miles away. As soon as I can get mentally and emotionally stronger, I am going to try to pick up some PRN work at one of these and see what it is like. I have gained 30+ pounds since July out of depression, so there are lots of "issues" that are telling me that this current job may not be quite the right one for me. I always said that I had a healthy fear and respect of ICU, now I struggle with the fear of not knowing what I thought I knew!! I ordered over $100 in books on Critical care and hemodynamic monitoring, but hands on experience is the only way to learn things. There is no joy in going to work these days, but maybe I am just feeling super sensitive??? Thanks Julie, for your input..sure feels good to have some friendly support way over here! Jen

Hi everyone, I am new to this website and board. I have a big dilemma that I need some feedback on. I moved down south last July to take a nursing job in an Open Heart/Surgical ICU. I had 4 years of nursing experience, 3 in cardiopulmonary stepdown. I moved my two children and myself to an area where I had no family and friends, in order to take this job. I thought this would be a great opportunity..better job, better salary, better climate, and a HOUSE of my own for the first time in my divorced life. The problem I face is that some of the more senior nurses expect the newer nurses to be at the same working knowledge as they are. The doctors (99% of whom have no respect for the nurses) have NO respect for the new nurses--it is a big anxiety time when they make rounds in the morning. If I don't turn my wrist the right way to cut a suture, he snaps at me in front of the patient..etc etc. You get the point, I am sure. Obviously our mind reading capabilities are not quite up to par with the more senior nurses..haha. I feel the new nurses are "being tested"..to see if we can take it. I had a charge nurse (who isn't in charge very often because of her lack of ability and poor attitude) who basically let me drown with a dying patient, then reported to the dayshift charge that I "couldn't handle it". I waited a week to calm down and discussed it with my manager, and told her my side of the story. I asked her if there was a problem with my work--the answer was no. The manager offered to intervene, and I declined, as I have found that "discussions" with management usually do no good in matters like this. I told her I would practice avoidance for now, and thanked her for her offer. I switched my weekend schedule around (which I had already planned on doing prior to this), and am just avoiding that nurse in general. I guess I feel that the job is just too hard to have to deal with people like that. There have been a few other things go on, but the core of my question is this---what do the new ICU nurses have to do to survive? I'm not a new graduate, I have knowledge and experience to offer. But how can I succeed when a charge nurse feels that "her" way is the only way? At this point, I took some vacation time this week to relax, and have done a lot of thinking about this job. I don't even want to take care of open heart patients anymore, if it means having to go through this on a daily basis. My confidence has been undermined, and if I felt comfortable in my knowledge and skills in ICU, I would just laugh it off. But I only have 6 months worth of ICU experience under my belt and know that there is sooo much more to learn and absorb. Unfortunately, the learning environment is structured more like "throw them to the wolves". I talked about this with some newer nurses that have been in this unit a bit longer than myself. What they told me is this---you will get to a point where you don't care. That is the answer?? To not care? A little kindness goes so far, and it takes so much less energy to be nice. So, could anyone please offer up some advice to me? Maybe I need to grow some bigger shoulders...Thanks.