kmsussman

I graduated in 1987 & all the posts had me lol & I am still smiling! I also liked that there wasn't so many alphabets after your name on ID pin/badge & numerous titles. Strict visiting hours & were enforced!! I miss team nursing- Enjoyed getting to see all the patients on the floor for myself & actually seeing their medical status. Kardexes were our bible & Residents, + Attendings would use them also, if chart wasn't available. Did anyone else give "Black & White" for constipation? Worked great!! IV pumps were scarce & only a few Meds mandated use. Thanks to all for sharing & Excellent post? !! Refreshing how all responses were +, :)

I wish I had someone like yourself recommend that great tip when I was in nursing school. Long story short-9th grade developed severe mono-out of school for 3 months, my algebra teacher(tenured) refused to give my tutor any of my class/homework assignments. I failed my NYS REGENTS exam & had to retake it next year. Also agree sometimes very snippy comments not just on this forum, but on a lot of forums in general.

Organized chaos, I sent you a reply, computer acting kooky, & please check last page comments. KSussman

I am truly sorry that you experienced this!! I have been in your shoes before, as I am sure others have. Try to hold on, especially with all the other important events in your life. I know blatant favortiism sucks!! Hold your head, keep up your good attitude & school, polish up the resume & keep your eyes & ears open for other positions when they come up & remember the world KARMA-maybe not today, but what goes around comes around & I guarantee YOU will have the last laugh! Keep your eyes posted maybe for a posssible lateral transfer to another critical care you float too & see how the staff,morale,etc is worked for me. I again, am sorry you got screwed over, make this your mantra:KARMA!! & what goes around comes around..

Dear djh123, You are on to something, just the sampling here we could have a very big thick read & let's reach for the stars-Possibly a tv show that shows real nursing, Best EX-ER tv show. Why not shoot for the moon-lol!!

OMG, this story still gives me the "icks", Sadly I give yours #1 worst,still shaking my head & sorry for your & innocent child. You can't make this stuff up, thank God for this site! Intended for story on OB floor when child told her about the noises in mom's rm.

Amen to your post!! Ita w/every word!! Listing their "CV" & reasons for extraordinary accomplishments was condescending enough, but to insult ACTUAL NURSES who HAVE ACTUAL YEARS of experience IS THE ONE I WANT TAKING CARE OF ME/MY LOVED ONES & I ALWAYS SOUGHT OUT SINCE DAY 1 IN 1987 to be MY: coworker/friend/mentor/advisor & it always SERVED ME & MY PATIENTS WELL!! I could go on about HOW much I benefitted, & respected them!! Give me an "old timer" like Ruby anytime over a "newbie" with so many Alphabet soup credentials after RN who has an "elitist" attitude & legend in their own mind mentality...Sad that they don't get the "real" world, telling your superior that their "request is stupid" = no common sense IMO.

Horseshoe, Oh boy, Your experience is horrible & sadly proves how horrible gossip is & could possibly damage someone's character & reputation needlessly. Btw, guarantee CEO wouldn't even know who you were if you passed by this person in the hallway-lol. Thanks for sharing.

I also dated & met my husband @ work, He was an attending cardiologist w/a big practice in Hospital. The rumor mill BS that I had to put up with for 3 years was annoying, I was 25 @ time, What made me lol the most was: people double my age were the worst w/the gossip/stories,etc & like poster above, IF WE DID everything WE supposedly did WE WOULD HAVE NO TIME TO SLEEP,WORK,etc...My husband & I also did not talk about OUR dates,etc, no PDA's & it still was like above poster. If it works out great, but be prepared to have a "thick skin", hear ridiculous stories & gossip, people asking rude inappropriate ?'s @ most embarrassing times. If you do even go for coffee, DO IT OUTSIDE WORK!! FYI-Because of my age & being young & he was a bachelor for a while, I really missed out on "all the people I apparently dated before him & vice versa",lol!! This kind of gossip happened to me if I innocently shared a meal w/a co-worker of the opposite sex,ex: staff dining room. IMO-hospitals are such gossip mills, worse than junior high @ times. My fav was finding out how 2 coworkers were getting/got married & how others would freak out that they didn't know??!! Good luck & take in great advice given in everyone's post!

OMG! Having bad personal issues but your post & last sentence still has me smiling!! Thank you!! Another Middle Aged RN

I have been through a lot of marital/family drama, reason for late reply. When I was in a 2 year RN program, They brushed fast all the important duties, skills, CNA's do-learned this as a new grad: transfer tips, changing beds & pc care under extreme situations. I knew it was important as a student & 18 yo med secretary. Felt I was cheated with this, FF 3 yrs, became AHN on day shift, when we would get screwed staffing wise on heavy,med surg floor, I would work with my. 20+ Veterans work Hx NA's & I would do 22beds of AM care w/them & realized how little I knew, I would buy all 4 of us lunch &, happily all ended on time. More importantly, All 4 of us worked as a team, & no friction, mostly laughs=priceless & closer workers & Who gave a damn what NA thought, they gave us a ridiculous work assignment.?? I love CNA's, very unappreciated members of the team & everyone I worked with, still have special relationships with.

Ita, society & hospital administrators Are the problem & too liberal visiting policies. When I started critical care & would see the patient telemetry changes when I worked nights proved my point, Most patients are done after 10 mins, I never had 1 patient Yell @ me when I ended visits due to what I heard, seen, & telemetry changes in my fresh open hearts. I always got a BIG thanks, & no more tachycardia after family left. Visiting Hours are in place for many reasons, patient rest & asst activities for postoperative benefits,etc...Wish We could go to stricter hours, I saw how it helped,not hurt staff & patients

OMG,you are bringing back memories for me during my numerous WC injuries & hard fought txs. I did what You did & was the PITA who had no problem ringing bell when rmmate was decomping, & always got a big thanks from primary nurse-lol..

Ita, please see my comment to Student who may have not even done clinicals in a hospital & told her to stick to student section, Until she has atleast 1 year on the job. I understand & appreciate your POV, as WE ALL have been in Your shoes. Please vent to me anytime, & stay safe, regarding injuries:)

If & when You graduate nursing school, please get back to us in about 1 year after YOU have worked as a nurse>1 year. I was going to be extremely nice until, I saw your backstory. I AM 49 y/o & I bet You never worked in healthcare in any capacity & F.Nightingale in training, Your only mentor is your instructor who escaped doing what WE deal with everyday/night! Again, talk to US again 1+ year on the job & then maybe we will listen to your "POV", keep to your books & student section of site UNTIL YOU HAVE WALKED THE WALK. I also saw your a BSN student, I am a proud Assoc degree RN who started clinicals Week 2 of my first semester. You don't touch a pt until your 3rd year & IDK if you even have done that yet, again IMO Please stick to student sections as YOU have not walked the walk yet, & Bash US that walk the walk everyday!!!

ITA with your post. When I working in a very "clickey/sp",cuthroat Cardiac-Surgery Floor on a stepdown unit, there was a 20yr SICU nurse who was very bright & Oriented new staff besides taking care of fresh post-op open heart pts. One very sad day/btw-I worked nights. The seasoned RN had a new grad, one fresh open heart pt w/complications & a 2 day post-op pt. The orientee gave the pt incorrect Heparin SQ. Seasoned RN immediately caught error, spoke to PA/situation handled, pt suffered NO s/s from this. SHE appropriately wrote up incident report, told her NM. Next day, SHE came into unit, told to go to DON by NM & was promptly fired because of the MED ERROR?!! Orientee was not reprimanded,wrote up & nor fired. Hospital is a NON UNION. Nurses, MD's etc WERE ALL VOCAL ABOUT HER TERMINATION. The "unofficial" but true reason was SHE COST TOO MUCH $$ FOR HOSPITAL & CAN GET 2 NEW RN's for HER SALARY!! They didn't care what an ASSET SHE WAS FOR ALL, especially the PATIENTS!! Also have witnessed "older" NEW nurses not get jobs, written up for small/ridiculous things, My "FAV" thing that they were told before being dismissed is YOU TAKE TO LONG VS SUZY Q who IS 1/2 THEIR AGE.. This is not unique just to nursing, Sadly this is becoming a common issue across every profession. Sadly, Idk what the solution is, I wish I knew & wish that age discrimination like all types doesn't exist, but it does...

Thank you for being so open & honest about this. The importance of your very hard lesson learned & how YOU changed yourself is so refreshing. I feel her ? can be put in any profession. Again, I applaud for your honest,cautionary tale & how You live your life now

ITA w/you. TO ALL-DID ANYONE CHECK OUT THE SITE THIS CAME FROM-I DID & was not a legit site like this...I felt like a "troll" started this to see what comments,etc..would occur. Would love what others think about the origin of where this story came from-thanks.

Sad isn't it. It seems to be getting worse since I graduated in 1987. I wish the hierarchy would realize ALL NURSES ARE IMPORTANT-NO MATTER WHAT SPECIALITY OR LOCALE YOU WORK IN,alas it seems the great divide is getting worse,sadly..

Susie, Thanks for your great post. It seems that the 2 of us were trained & started our careers very similar. I also found my 2yrs of MED/SURG training strengthened my clinical skills,exposed me to various clinical situations that HELPED ME IMMENSENSELY IN HOMECARE,Pulmonary Critical Care Research, & Stepdown Cardiac Surg/Telemetry, & SICU-fresh CABG pts. What I frequently came across from my coworkers who jumped directly into Surgical Critical Care is the lack of expertise of colostomy management,foley inserts,management of decubitus care,GT/NGT management & trouble shooting,etc...... I find it sad that having a good foundation of Med/Surg is not valued anymore. IMO-I would still make all new RNs work there for @tleast 6months. I guarantee they wouldn't regret having a good,solid,learning foundation to start with would be more helpful in every area of practice than most realize. to the post below who is in peds-IT DID TEACH YOU HOW TO BE ORGANIZED & PRIORITIZE YOUR PATIENTS during your shift @ the very least-jmo-fwiw.

Would you please clarify for me what you mean by "basic CNA stuff"? outside skills lab. I do not want to prejudge you/your post before understanding what you mean w/that statement-thanks

Sounds so familiar, today I'm sadly finding this attitude is the " new normal".

I totally agree with both of you. Worked 2years as a unit secretary during nursing school and 2years Med/Surg after graduation. MY units were were intense-vents,multiple serious conditions who needed to be in the ICU-no beds. Learned to hone my clinical,diagnostic skills there before going to Critical Care. I knew this helped me. For ex-worked on a step down CV surf unit-ONLY RN w/my hx: my coworkers freaked out,could not do colostomy care,insert Foleys, feeding/NG tubes,etc..I became the go to "girl" for these types of pts. No one else had my medsurg experience=priceless to me and my pts. Did not care that. Others looked down on it. IMO-smartest advice my professor ever told me. Sorry so long-held this INSIDE to long. AGREE with original post/ comment regarding "elite" attitude with this very topic

When I started as a new grad in 87 on a med-surg floor-No RNS were allowed to catheterize men-their rationale was we could damage a gentlemen's prostrate-Personally I think something must have happened & it was a CYA hospital policy...I agree that if you are required to-do it. I wouldn't feel offended if you asked me to chaperone you in the room or show you how to do it. I am sure you can find another nurse who feels the way I do regarding this-also it might make the female patient feel better also-especially if they bring it up to you right? It might also make you feel better asking the female patient do you mind me doing this procedure to you-Guarantee you will get more no's than yes-sincerely. JMO.

I feel sorry for your situation but the above post from "SALLYRNRTT" is a great idea! My husband is a cardiologist/partner of a large multi-speciality medical practice. They have helped all types of people who work there get a foot in the door in the hospital when they graduated from a certain speciality,passed their boards etc...My advice to you though is which I don't think will be hard is when you do get a job in let's say a medical office,facility-go that extra mile everyday employee,let others in higher positions than you know YOU ARE TAKING THAT REVIEW COURSE,ask ?'s about higher things than just lunch-kidding to a point but have overheard this many times,take on extra responsibility so you can get that great reference when YOU FINALLY TAKE & PASS YOUR BOARDS-IMO I would start studying & look into getting a job in healthcare again like tomorrow if you are serious as you say you are-Good Luck!!