really sad

CrossCountryRN2008 · Nov 26, 2013

Don't beat yourself up. Do take your lunch to eat. When you pass by the nutrient room drink water. You do need to care for yourself to stay healthy and care for others

SwansonRN · Nov 26, 2013

You sound just like me. I will bend over backwards to make sure I have done everything I need to have done and that the patient is clean, medicated, and is stable by the time the next shift rolls in. Lord knows that's not always possible. Those nurses have no idea how hard you worked; they're probably just cranky that they're at work and you get to go home. Don't let them make you feel badly about yourself. Clearly you worked your butt off and it's a 24 hour job.

1sister1101 · Nov 26, 2013

We like to think that everyone in the nursing profession is kind and loving, but that's just not true. Do these rude nurses' act this way with everyone? Or do they just rag on you? We treat people how we feel about ourselves and they must be unhappy souls in every aspect of their lives. You HAVE to let that wash off of you. I have a feeling you set impossible standard's on yourself and these nurses' sense that and would gleefully knaw on your bones. Being a perfectionist in a hospital setting is deadly for your mental health. It sounds like a really crappy job anyway and it might not hurt to start looking for a "gentler" place to work. Wouldn't you hate to look back twenty years from now when you have an ulcer and migraines and chest pain and curse yourself for not leaving? For not finding a job that made you happy and fulfilled?

ausrnurse · Nov 26, 2013

These people are *** holes, and they work in every unit. Nursing is 24 hour care and they just need to deal with it.

MadpeysRN · Nov 26, 2013

Thanks everyone. I have been applying and had a couple interviews. I think working nights is getting to me too. So hopefully something pans out. I work in m/s now and still less than a yr new. These rns I am referring to have been there several yrs and I think they just have no patience for new nurses. A lot of other newer nurses I work with say the same about them. So it's not just me. I would say 95% of my floor is very nice, it's just the select few that really know how to make you feel like a crappy nurse.

The people we get on our floors are people that would be in an icu in a smaller community hospital, so I've been told by other more seasoned nurses I work with. We get the transfers from a lot of OSH for complicated cases, so and we are total care floor. So I get the feeling once I leave here, I'll have a bit of relief even if it is another medicine floor. It's not uncommon to have 4-5 pts with no tech. (Day shift gets a tech though)

It's just hard because it's not like I can be like oh last night sucked it was really busy, I didn't sit down all night because our pts are very sick and days are even worse, so it's like preaching to the choir because they don't sit down all day either I'm sure. At least some nights we have time to rest, but not all. And when it's bad it's usually bad. I feel for day shift, I also feel like even if they told me I could go to days there I wouldn't. That's one of the reasons I never make anyone feel bad about orders they can't get to. And it's not like this order was put in at 1930 right after I got there, it was put in literally right before report.

weirdscience · Nov 26, 2013

I hear you. Less than a year new grad, almost 6 months on my own, and my second biggest driving force (apart from trying to be the best I can be for my pts) is trying to get everything done so I don't get the eyeroll/sigh combo from day shift. You know, because we SIT DOWN ALL NIGHT. And NOTHING HAPPENS AT NIGHT. Ha. Let me think...the last three shifts: 1) I charted during lunch; 2) I didn't GET a lunch; and 3) stayed late to make sure an order to I&O cath written at 0710 was done for day shift (paged MD at 0620, MD at bedside writing orders at 0710, I'm supposed to clock out at 0715. Tell me again why I should consistently be treated like a lazy-$$$? I stayed an extra hour so day shift didn't get stuck cath-ing this pt at the beginning of their shift.)

It's very frustrating giving shift report from nights to days, even more so when you're new.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2013

I was going to ask if you work night shift - I figured as much from the "so what did you actually DO your whole shift" remark - but you answered my question.

Unfortunately, some nurses and even the majority of whole units (as is the case where I work) tend to simply look down on night shifters as doing a lot less work for more pay. You're never going to change their mind. I just smile, shrug, and continue on with report. And I pride myself on doing what you do as well -- nursing IS a 24/7 job so if something didn't get done on day shift, even if I'm taking report from a nurse who is also browsing ESPN, I don't say anything and I work hard to make sure that all orders get done before my shift ends even if it's for something complicated like a pan culture put in at 0645. Been doing that for two years. And still will never change the perception of some nurses that we do absolutely nothing on nights or are lazy.

So don't beat yourself up about it. There's always going to be a few on every unit.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Nov 26, 2013

What is your facility's policy regarding the time frame to carry out an order/ complete an admission?

Most places give an hour between shifts, for example..

If you leave @ 7:30, any order/admission ( except stats of course) written after 6:30 goes to the next shift.

The harder you try, the more the oncoming shift will browbeat out of you.

IGNORE the eye rolls, etc.

Do not let them interrupt your report. When they try... stop , look them in the eye ans tell them you will finish your report, then answer any questions.

You need to take control of your hand off. You can do this.

MadpeysRN · Nov 26, 2013

I will definitely be looking up this policy tonight. I know I looked up before about how long to do an admission/assessment because sometimes it's darn near impossible to get to that new admission right away. But as far as orders specifically I will be checking into this.

Dirtyhippie, I'm not sure about where the quoted remark was that you talked about haha, but yes nights are where I roll. I got 5 weeks of days on orientation so I'm no stranger to how crazy day shift can be on my unit!

CrazierThanYou · Jan 4, 2014

I can totally relate. I tend to be sort of emotional when I'm tired anyway and I tend to take snarky or b****y nurses personally. We have a couple on day shift that insist on going through all the night shift nurses charting before they will even take report. It really ticks me off. It's not their job to audit charting.

AOx1 · Jan 4, 2014

Part of the issue is that they may be picking up on your guilt in not "completing everything." If you have done all that you could with appropriate prioritization and they are rude, draw clear boundaries.

Ex- You: I've done w, X, and Y, but Z still needs to be done.

Them: *eye roll* I guess I'll have to do it myself...again!

You: I noted that you are rolling your eyes and implying that I am inefficient. When you're ready to communicate directly and professionally with me, let me know.

If needed, set even firmer boundaries. Ex-Jane, if you continue to speak disrespectfully to me, I will no longer communicate with you. We can address this with (supervisor) if needed.

However, although we all have bad days, be sure to note if you have more of them than others. It took me several years of practice to fully develop my best time management practices. If time management might be playing a role, forgive yourself for not being perfect and ask a kind peer for their best tips. This is part of Benner's novice to expert. A novice just focuses on "mustn't kill the patient," and anything above that takes time. By six months, I felt safer. By 1 year, I no longer felt like a rank idiot. In two years, I had decent time management. By three, I knew I was developing my expertise. By ten years, very little bothers me, but I still have bad days!

Also, part of the reality of nursing is that some units are just chronically understaffed, and getting it all done May not be realistic.