Longleggedstar

So as I embark on my journey to pursue my masters and specialize in geriatrics I find myself in LTC. Some of you who have worked in a hospital vs LTC can clearly see the culture/rule shocks. But when does it go too far?? A few weeks ago the 7-3 nurse questioned me as to why I didn't give our patient his 8am IV abts meds (I come in at 3). She began to state how she told me he missed it because he was at dialysis. And I should have given it. I then immediately explained to her that, that would be a med error and she was not a doctor, she cannot tell me to just "give a medication". Now keep in mind he receives that same dose of IV abts on my shift at 8pm. So she wanted me to give at 4 which is around the time she finished to give me report and then again at 8pm. Apparantly I pushed a hot button because she immediately began to get loud and insult me at the nurses station. Then stated, "just for that I refuse to give you report or count with you." I immediately went to the unit manager and ADON, and DON. 3 weeks later I am still having trouble getting report and being able to count correctly (ie if the count is off she will say something like, well someone else forgot to sign or if she can't find the book, she will say something like, somebody playing games up in here, I'm fixing to leave :|. I am SICK of this!!!! No one is doing anything, and I can't talk to her because then she begins to throw insults and go completely off topic about all the other things that are wrong on the unit! What do I do!!!!!

I have never done that, the butterfly normally has a grey rubber at the end, how and why are you attaching it to a syringe?

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I am more curious to know why you would think 30 anything is too old to go back to school to become an RN. I strongly believe that once you figure that out, you'll be able to answer your own question

Luckily, at this facility, the nurses are with me and sick of it as well. Even little things like our CNA's sitting at the nurses station on the phone when we need to chart.I feel so defeated here, maybe it is time to move on.

No unions here...The DON's knows about the situation, she is the one I gave the report to (BIG MISTAKE not following the chain of command). The report was then given to my unit manager, who then gave it to the CNA supervisor. The CNA supervisor stated that she would handle it. When I returned to work I asked so what happened, she says, "I talked to her". That was last week, yesterday I asked her to answer the call lights. (The other CNA working with her on that hall was on break) She says, "that's [Jane Doe's] side of the hall, we don't play that round here, she know to take care of her patients before she go on break. I looked at her and waited for about 30 seconds in silence. She then got up handed me a write sheet and left. She handed ME the write up sheet!!! What the...So I had no choice but to stop charting and get up to answer the light and change the patient myself. I wrote her up again and gave it to the unit supervisor. We will see what happens. Something has to happen because this is too much for me.

I could literally go on and on. I work in ICU and was doing home health. But the Home health census has been slow so I picked up an LTC facility on my days off (I'm paying off student loans). I love LTC, and the places I have worked at before (in a different state) was AWESOME! But the LTC I am at now, I have NEVER experienced such (for a lack of a better word) ghetto acting CNA's. The atmosphere here is different, the CNA's seem to have so much authority due to the decades of service there. I guess my question is, have any of you dealt with this type of "situation" how do you delegate in this type of environment without fear of your tires being punctured or punched in the face! Literally, one employee angrily told me, "Leave me alone, just because your an RN, don't mean you run sh**). Evaluating the attitude coming off of her, I kindly shut my mouth and walked away. I wrote her up of course, the nurse on staff that had to sign the write up with me literally said, "I was wasting my time" with the write up, and she was right! I am not leaving!!!! This job works nicely for me, I just need advice on how to effectively deal with my "not so lovely" CNA's. An tips/tricks are greatly appreciated.

How exactly do you plan to know every single detail of the textbook from front to back? I would love that secret! And No, they wont go over the A&P of a system they are teaching (if they do, it will be brief), but it will most likely be on the PowerPoint and you can always review the material if your foundation of it is not strong enough to grasp the lecture.

Let me tell you a secret: Any nurse who passes meds on a consistent basis who says they have never made a med error...Is lying. Shhhhh...

BILLS.

You kind of sound like you just need a break..I smell burn out all over your post. You don't HAVE to move around because it's been a year and half. When you do find a specialty or something you love, the more med/surg experience you have the better! You've expressed that your not sure what you want to do. I suggest being still until you have an idea. But definitely take a break dear our health is important too! Good Luck! Extra: If the advice of taking a break and just being still doesn't tickle your fancy--outside hospital jobs you might try as an RN are Treatment nurse in LTC, home health, QA nurse (nurses who give prior authorization for home health visits from insurance companies), school nurse.

My heart goes out to you, I would like to tell you that your stutter is not a factor keeping you from getting the job you are applying for (as it shouldn't be), but I don't know the minds of the people interviewing you. But aside from that, the NICU is really hard to get into depending on the area you are in. Do you have your CCRN, ACLS, BLS, PALS certification? Do you have any hospital med/surg or acute care experience? In my area all of those are required, along with a BSN or enrollment in a BSN program within 1 year of employment and completion in two. However good you think your resume is, it can be better. You seem determined, keep trying, you'll get it. How does the saying go.....seek and you shall find!

Iguana Med-Nice! Thanks so much for the input. They kind of remind me of Med couture. As for Dickies, I've always adored their scrubs but the sizing is too small (for me anyway) I usually wear a Medium top with them I need a Large and their tall scrub pants don't dare fit me, the hem always falls short

Hilarious!! and exactly they way I feel towards scrubs that fit that way. And also, I saw Jaanuu that floral print is beautiful but I am a solid color kind of nurse all the way.

Yup! I use the old ones around the house too, I repainted my art room and did a few projects around the house, they were perfect!

OH YES! I have those lots of those stretchy scrub pants (from heart soul) that are form fitting but comfortable and actually cover all of my legs, from previous employers I've worked for and their colors don't match my current employers colors so why let them go to waste? I pair it with a cute tank and flip flops and out the door I go!

Well I assume the same germs that can be found on their shoes, watches, purses, their arms, in their hair (for those who like wearing it down at work) I try not to think about that it can drive you crazy.

The situation you are facing is one I have faced more times than I would like. We talk about waste in the healthcare system, but refuse to start in the most obvious places. I've aided in spending hundreds of thousands of dollars stabilizing 70-80-90 something year old's with terminal diseases (insured and uninsured). Years ago, I cared for a 93 year who had a pacemaker put in, who ended up coding twice in surgery, then being placed in ICU for 2 weeks then dying. Yet I still have to grin through discussions about should we or should we not turn away a pregnant immigrant having concerns because her prenatal healthcare only covers a certain number of visits. I have to keep quiet and turn a blind eye and sometimes pretend I didn't hear a lot of things. There are so many gray areas in healthcare and it can sometimes leave you speechless.

Embarrassed to wear scrubs in public..Lol...we have a complete opposite appreciation for scrubs. Guess I'm just weird all alone.

So by sizing up you make your yoga scrub pants baggy? I see, well to each its own

I don't like tight clothes either, too much junk back there. The whole day will be spent readjusting, not to mention the whole oops I split my pants thing that could occur. That stretchy comfy but form fitting material gives me Life!!!! Thank you, I've seen that logo before but could never pin the designer. And yes it is the story of my life. ME: Oh that's cute where did you get it THEM: At such and such, its on sale too! ME: goes searching......finds it--"Oh not in my size, wait wait what if I lower the hems... YES! another good find, stretchy fabric seems to be in. There scrub jackets look professional almost like a business suit top Yeah looks like I've been sleeping on Cherokee. Thank you! These are cute and inexpensive too, you guys have no idea how grateful I am for these selections! Overall thanks guys, I could literally write an article to help fill closets with all these selections!

Anything yoga..usually screams form fitting and comfortable to me so I was pleasantly surprised to see scrubs that came like this...but very perplexed by your comment. The Koi Women's Tall Morgan Ultra Comfy Yoga-Style Scrub pants seem form fitting to me.

Well I don't wear my scrubs form fitting with the intention of my patients to look at my body, I wear them that way, because I work a lot and I want to look good for myself. When I look good I feel good. Baggy clothes are comfortable but I am above 6 feet on me baggy clothes make me look lanky and sloppy.

Maybe to you there is a valid reason but for me over the years I have realized there is no such thing as good and bad people only circumstance. Given the circumstance a person can go from good to bad and vice versa real quick, which is another reason why any cold shoulder given by the family would be irrelevant to me in the nursing world. The complexity and adversity of the cards some people can be dealt in life forced me to understand that some people do terrible things to survive in a terrible world. Generally, there is no reason to give a gift, your kindness and service to them is usually enough, but we are paid to do a job that involves caring, and as the flawed humans we are, some patients have the ability to spark a compassion that compels us to go the extra mile and as myself and previous nurses have posted, the sentimental gift giving being done by some is not a usual or frequent occurrence and is something used to produce a small moment and memory of happiness for them and their patient. And personally when I see others give (whether it be gifts, time, service, etc) when they really don't have to I think helps restore faith in humanity.

OK...I am most definitely a very girly glam girl. I love having very neat and form fitting scrubs. Which can get tedious seeing that I'm 5'13" (just go with it)! Its an obsession that developed after I bought some great scrubs and was no longer pulling and tugging at the back of pants at work (after all I'm not a plummer!). Any who, I notice that I will find myself staring at other people's scrubs (when the scrubs are cute of course) trying to pin the designer. I sometimes even wear scrubs on my off days. Am I just alone and weird in this? Or anyone else out there slowly developing an obsession. If so, what are your go to scrubs or coats. Mine thus far, are Greys Anatomy, Med Couture, and Heartsoul Heartbreaker line.