Hippy chick

My hospital system has become notorious for quick promotion to management. 1-2 years of experience is all you need. Upper management makes these young nurses Patsy's. Once they are promoted, they are told exactly what to do and say to staff. Then, when units have problems, the young nurse is met with and given the option to resign or be fired. Then another young nurse is promoted. We have charge nurses at night with 6months of experience, being left with a staff of less experienced nurses. Then, they wonder why there are so many complications hospital wide. The most ridiculous thing is they are trying to go for magnet status!!!

The tech was checking in on the patients, answering call lights, etc. but didn't document it. 2 of our nurses were floated to other floors, house sup said no to getting anyone back to help. I was left with someone that graduated in May, and has been off orientation for 3 weeks. It really makes me sad. My unit had the lowest turnover for years. Our patients loved coming to our unit. Then the manager was fired for suggesting that an idea our cno had needed to be revisited before implementing. She was told that the organization didn't need her negativity. So, someone with 2 years of nursing experience was promoted to her position. I've been trying to stick it out. But, I think it is time to follow the mass exodus.

Our census was really low that night. 2 nurses and a tech for 11 patients

Has anyone successfully dealt with burn out? I still love patient care. The absolute ridiculousness of some of the policies has me jaded. I dread going to work because there is something new every day! The last straw was being written up for not doing hourly rounds during a 5 hour rapid response that turned into a code (no icu beds available to transfer to). I'm seriously ready to leave nursing all together, bagging groceries would be better

Everywhere I've been is like this! Most of the people I've seen lately in management have limited bedside experience. 1-2 years of experience and if you are a "yes" person, you are on the management track. This is why resources are wasted, and staff are pushed to the point of leaving. Managers who don't really understand what it is like to be in the trenches. They expect you to bend over backwards to help them out, come in extra to cover holes, cover their duties when they "just can't make it in". When the shoe is on the other foot and you need something FORGET IT, rules are the rules! I havee been a nurse for 2 decades. This is the worst I've seen, I'm ready to leave the profession

2 decades ago, I entered nursing. 2 decades ago, it was emphasized that nurses should carry themselves with dignity. 2 decades ago professionalism and patient safety were expected. Unprofessionalism and unsafe patient conditions were not tolerated. WOW how our culture has changed. Last week, I attended a MANDATORY skills fair. It was graciously started at 7am for the night shift, I seriously feel the neurons firing with the new knowledge I gained. If you have never felt this, it feels very much like a headache. I was seriously drunk with the knowledge I was gaining. The station that made my neurons fire like the morning after drinking 3 bottles of champagne was entitled ABG interpretation. I saw the sign and decided to go here first because I was thinking ROME, CO2 acid/respiratory, Bicarb base/metabolic, got it! I'll be on my way home in 30 minutes! I was greeted with you are having a baby, we have to figure out WHO DA BABY DADDY”. I stopped looked up and confirmed that I was at the ABG table. 30 ABG's were listed on the page for each one I was never asked what the result interpretation was, I was told what was wrong and asked now, WHO DA BABY DADDY?” My hand was literally slapped for attempting to make it end and work ahead, just to make it end and show what I already knew. The presented told me NO JUST STOP! Listen to me!” WHO DA BABY DADDY?” I got the picture, this was an exercise for me to be dazzled, the only was it was going to stop was if I played along and stroked the ego about how intelligent the presenter was and how beneficial knowing WHO DA BABY DADDY” was to my professional practice. Once I was amazed, it went fairly quickly and I was finished with THIS STATION in about 45 minutes. Next, I moved on to accessing a port a cath. Again, something I had done a million times, just needed to be sure I was following policy to a tee! I knew had the drill down, stroke the presenter's ego and you will be done. I couldn't! I just couldn't. She had on ill fitting pants that were downright Mediaographic. Nothing on the anterior perineum was left to the imagination. The pants filled in all the crevices and folds. The long head of hair was uncombed except for a perfect roll of the bangs in the front. Again, not once was I asked if I knew how to do this and just checked off. No, I had to be dazzled by someone else touching the equipment and telling me all that she knew. After another 30 minutes, I was done here. 1hour and 15 minutes- 2 out of 10 stations done. The last station I went to had another staff development educator with uncombed hair, it was on positive communication with patients. I looked at her, looking like she just rolled out of the bed. 8:45 am on my watch. I COULD NOT DO IT ANY MORE. New nurses missed the strict nurse educators who were crisp and polished. Now those of us who scurried when they showed up on the unit, are left realize you don't know what you've got until it is gone. Now our new nurses on have the role models of WHO DA BABY DADDY? CAMEL! And SLEEPY. Has anyone ever stopped to think that the way we enculturate our young dictates their behavior and what they deem as appropriate.

I've been in my field for 21 years and done almost everything there is to do. Even taught novice nurses. Recently, I decided that I needed a change. A midlife crisis, I guess. So, I decided to put in for a transfer to another department. To say that this was a mistake was well.... an exaggeration of the HORROR of the process. So, for your reading enjoyment, I give you the play by play of the 3 day disaster. Day One- Meet the director. So, the night before I am supposed to go. I have a feeling of impending doom. My gut, literally, cramped. I was laying in the floor unable to move. The next morning, still feeling like this is a disaster waiting to happen, I put on my best face, and best clothes and "GO MEET THE BOSS". Remembering the best interview practices, I arrive 10 minutes early, off site of my job in a strip mall. It is at this point that the humor of this whole process began. I am sitting waiting for the interviewer to arrive when I notice a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the secretary's desk. This mind you is the secretary in the front lobby of the building. This should have been a clue to someone who looks for those things. But not me! I decide, Heck with it, I'M GOING IN! Well, Hold up just a minute. I wasn't going in, because, the boss is nowhere to be found. Not answering the phone. Not answering text. Just not answering. If you are an individual that detects clues, this one would have been it. But, not so much. I live a , by the seat of your pants existence, so again, I just rolled with it. Finally, the boss arrives 45 minutes late. She rolled in quickly to the parking lot at a speed that looked as if she was going to run through the building. Then quickly ran into the building, cell phone in hand. Apologizing for her previous meeting had started late, and thus finished late. I assumed that tardiness was acceptable in this department. Hey, I'm cool with tardiness and I could see myself coming in to work late. So, I'm still good! Then we get down to the interview. What I applied for, what was posted, was NOT exactly the job that they were looking at hiring me for. But, you know I can learn anything. So Heck yeah! I keep going for it. Then I get to the part about 2 more interviews. Why not, I think despite all the clues that this was NOT the job for me. Day 2- Meet the managers 5 days later I must meet with the managers that I will be working with. I am truly anxious about this! Still I have a little voice in my head saying "DANGER Day 3- Meet the team. Day 3. Unlike the previous 2, this one started ON TIME. I should have known this was about to be a shark attack. I am escorted to a very long, very narrow room. with a long table down the middle. I was dark and gloomy. I felt like detectives Benson and Stabler were about to come in and begin questioning me. I could have only been so lucky. I began to know what someone having a heart attack is feeling! IMPENDING DOOM! This was not going to go well. My mind was saying get up and run. Feign illness. Vomit. Do something. GET OUT of this situation. But like any good horror story, I stayed. Much like the someone going into the water during the Jaws movie. (You know when you are thinking DON"T GO INTO THE WATER can't you hear the music) Yet, I stayed as I watched the sharks come strolling with smiles on their faces as if I were fresh meat on a platter for them. What ensued was a blood bath. A barrage of questions unrelated to any portion of the job description that had no answer. Yet, they were looking for the answer. ie, What impact does the current price of tea in China have on healthcare in the United States? I answered with as much grace as I could possibly muster. How fast can a hybrid car in the United States driving 70 miles an hour, get to Hati? All ot the blood was leaving my extremeties and as my fight of flight mechanisms kicked in I began shaking. It quickly went from a comfortable 75 degrees in the room to the Antarctica. The room began to spin. I felt no need to feign illness, I was about the VOMIT for real. THe sharks are smiling and speaking in their most gentil voices. They were circling as the smell of fresh blood began to pour into their noses. Finally, the question of how many licks does it take to get to the center of the Hippy CHick pop was just like the commercial from the 1970's; THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW. As the big bite came in. Well, let's revisit the Hati question, I don't feel like you answered it completely. I leave and call my current boss telling her that I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. This was a disaster. DAY 4- The call The cell phone rings at 8:30 AM. The voice on the like, "After careful review, We don't feel like you will be a good fit for our department." I wanted to scream some rant of profanity telling them that would emphasize my non-fitness for their position. Yet, I don't. I thank them for their time. Nursing, rather society has become like that in so many areas. We have overweight, depressed individuals, with a host of medical problems, family problems, and the list goes on and on. Yet, rather than just be nice to each other, we have to go into attack mode. The mentality of if I make you look stupid, I will feel better about myself. I for one am taking a stand, no more sarcastic remarks to co-workers, no more talking about someone at the nurses station. I AM TAKING A STAND! If you engage in this behavior. I am calling you out