"Bad" Evaluation..I'm So Frustrated and ready to quit!!

[RNforLongTime]

Thanks Rick, micro and Jenny P! I'll see if I can tough it out till October. Have a feeling though that I'll be working on the floors more than anything as that's what's usually been happening to the junior RN's that have to float out. One nurse said (she no longer works there) she went 6 months before she got a chance to work in the ICU and then when she did, she felt really uncomfortable cause it had been so long.

I'm going to my interview and am gonna ask a LOT of questions. They are supposed to give me a tour of the ICU's that day. I liked working in the bigger hospitals and this one is a TOP 100 hospital (not that that means diddely) but they have the latest newest technology for the most part.

I wish there was a critical care course being offered around my area. I've been looking believe me! In February of each year there is a Critical Care Symposium at the Cleveland Clinic that is supposed top be really good. If I am still there in February then I'll get to go for all three days.

I don't expect on the job training but, according to my AHN, it is part of the night shifters job to lend me a hand and teach me things. I have several Critical Care Nursing texts at home that I am constantly referring to for info. I joined the AACN back in February as soon as I found out that I had gotten this job.

Thank you all for your support and kind words! You ROCK!!

Kelly

[911fltrn]

Dont stay somewhere you dont feel welcome! Typical back stabbing. Been doing this for awhile. Find somewhere that your desire to learn is nurtured. Our job is hard enough with out supporting co-workers. I wish you all the best

[Jenny P]

How do they expect to break in any "newbie" if they keep making you be the float nurse every shift? That is so totally unfair-- you should never have to float more than once a week (if that often), because you will never feel comfortable there when you finally get to take care of a critical patient. That is NOT how you retain new nurses! But then again (as you have found out) there are other ways to scare new nurses off also!

On my unit, we write down the float dates and the oldest float date is the next one to float. The only ones who do not float are those that have been there over 20 years (and that is now about 10 of us, including me, out of about 70 nurses). Even us old timers float if everyone else has floated within the last week! The exception to this rule is if someone is a primary nurse for one of our complicated pts. (train wrecks); they usually don't float while that pt. is with us. This is a good exception because usually these pts. are difficult to care for and it has taken a while to sign up any primary nurses for them! (Which is worse: having to primary a pt. with multiple health issues and family; or floating to another unit for 8 or 12 hours?)

[RNforLongTime]

Because I work in a unionized hospital, the most junior RN always has to float! They do not rotate it. That's how it works on any unit not just my ICU. Most of the night shift RN's have over 10 years seniority. I knew that when I accepted this job that I would have to float most of the time. But that's my point exactly!

How am I supposed to learn to be a good Critical Care nurse if I am never working in the ICU? They say it takes at least a year to feel comfortable in the ICU setting but how am I supposed to do that if the majority of the time I am out on the floor?

[RNforLongTime]

The last hospital I worked at (not union) rarely, if ever floated out their ICU nurses. The CVICU RN's never floated out! Even if there were no pt's they never floated. Once in a while they would float non critical care nurses into the general ICU and give that nurse pt's that were ready to be transferred to the floor. When I had an ICU RN floated to my floor, rather than give her an assignment, we'd have her answer bells, get VS, check blood sugars that kind of thing. It's hard for a critical care nurse to work on a med-surg floor and vice-versa.

[CEN35]

stick to the plan kell....and you'll be fine! :)

[Jenny P]

Kelly, I work CV-ICU, and when we float we only float to the critical care units or tele; and I'm in a unionized hospital also; but I think I like the way our contract is written better than yours.

You'll do fine as long as you follow your previous plan, Kelly.