Sad and confused

javanurse2000, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2005

Nursewendy, you must be in upstate south carolina if most of the facilities are under HMR. Good luck! I could never hack nursing homes,the atomsphere is usually depressing and the staff abusive towards each other.

LOL...yep, upstate south carolina is correct! I have learned on allnurses that LPNs in different areas of the country get to work in acute care (not anymore around here) In this area its doctor's offices ($11/hr), homehealth nursing ($13-14/hr), detention center ($?), subacute ($12.38/hr) or nursing home ($15-16+ perhour depending on experience). On the weekends, I was making enough to feed the kids and make (most of) the bills. So, if I go back as a full-time student and get a professional judgement for the financial aid we should be ok with me working on the weekends even if its not as much $ as the nursing home. After I've licked my wounds and get settled in at the new place (moving in two weeks) I was going to do some volunteer work with those of advancing age :balloons: maybe like a book club or something and then we can do something different every week like swap recipes or share experiences. I LOVE listening to older residents telling the stories of how they met their spouses or when they were kids. I just feel like this life is over so fast....maybe there is a way I can do good for people without risking putting myself in that position again....oh hey, I was offerred at school nurse position one time at a local high school. $14,000/year. Anyway, thanks everybody for your help!

CAWFEEprn4ME · Jun 20, 2005

LOL...yep, upstate south carolina is correct! I have learned on allnurses that LPNs in different areas of the country get to work in acute care (not anymore around here) In this area its doctor's offices ($11/hr), homehealth nursing ($13-14/hr), detention center ($?), subacute ($12.38/hr) or nursing home ($15-16+ perhour depending on experience). On the weekends, I was making enough to feed the kids and make (most of) the bills. So, if I go back as a full-time student and get a professional judgement for the financial aid we should be ok with me working on the weekends even if its not as much $ as the nursing home. After I've licked my wounds and get settled in at the new place (moving in two weeks) I was going to do some volunteer work with those of advancing age :balloons: maybe like a book club or something and then we can do something different every week like swap recipes or share experiences. I LOVE listening to older residents telling the stories of how they met their spouses or when they were kids. I just feel like this life is over so fast....maybe there is a way I can do good for people without risking putting myself in that position again....oh hey, I was offerred at school nurse position one time at a local high school. $14,000/year. Anyway, thanks everybody for your help!

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How does one type something like I am about to type without sounding like a cheerleader? lol. In an attempt, I will say that you are a good nurse. You KNOW in your heart that you have done the right things over and over again. I have seen you diligently passing out your meds; your patients smiling and enjoying that you not only want to talk to them, but you you are actually listening to what they have to say. I have seen you go the extra mile. I have seen you bring up concerns that should have been addressed but instead were ignored. I watched you stay late while no one offered to assist you. I watched you go without praise. Now that you are gone, I see your patients are missing you. The bubbly and joyous medpass that they once knew has been replaced with who ever will grab that extra shift- doesn't matter if they give all the meds or not- just as long as the slot on the schedule is filled. You have done the right thing by leaving, before they stuck you with something in order to shut you up. I'm the nurse on the other wing that can see your hall from mine. Don't give up on nursing just because nursing sometimes gives up on you. Instead, think back and grab the memory of why you once became a nurse to begin with. Patient advocacy was one of those reasons. You have done your job then. Now you go somewhere else and you do that job again. And again and again and again. You do not give up. Isn't that what you told me when I wanted to quit? lol. Somehow, you will make it through all of this like we all have. And someday, you will be typing to the nurse from the other wing. We're in a circle here, there are issues and problems no matter where you go. Some places you can tolerate, some you can't. But you never give up nursing because it is not an option.....something in your heart caused you to become a nurse......you can't just forget a peice of your heart. Nurses like "Miss 45 minute medpass" are a constant reminder of what we others stand for. Although we might not hear verbal praises from our bosses or have cooperation from administrations, we get that 'feeling' when we know someone is doing wrong.....THAT is our gift. You can't throw a gift away NurseWendy. Now, go out there with your gifted self and find a new group of patients to take care of :)

old rural nurse, RN · Jun 20, 2005

Hey, that works! thankee

Hey Zoeboboey, Be thee a fan of the Gunslinger series? I would love to find a fellow nurse who is also a Stephen King fan, and since you are from Maine, I think it is a good chance!

To the original OP: It is NOT like that everywhere! At least not where I live and work. I do think you would do best to find another job, as you would be beating your head against the wall daily there. Remember, there are bad organizations in ANY type of nursing environment, you just need to find one who would appreciate your conscienciousness. Since you say you are in school, I assume you mean nursing school, use that to your advantage, I'm sure you will be more "attractive" to other facilities when you get your RN. (No offense to LPNs, she said LPN jobs were limited there) Good Luck, and don't give up hope of finding the right job!

javanurse2000, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2005

Sara, what you wrote made me cry....I know you understand why. Thank you so much. Hey, welcome to allnurses! Its a great place to be!! To Old Rural Nurse, I am a big Stephen King fan.....my kids are constantly having to put up with my Pennywise impressions...they haven't actually seen IT but they know Pennywise's lines by heart :uhoh21: . Actually, I am a premed student (I'm that crazy). I vow not to turn into an a** if/when I get my doctorate. I really love medicine. If I was younger, I would probably have specialized in surgery (I got to pack an open abdomen when I was in nursing school and I made sure to premedicate the pt for comfort) but I have the faith that the One who has called me knows what He's doing. I hope to be the kind of doctor that would make someone say "wow- she'd make a great nurse" --does that make sense? Thank you for all of your encouragement.

Liddle Noodnik · Jun 21, 2005

Hey Zoeboboey, Be thee a fan of the Gunslinger series? I would love to find a fellow nurse who is also a Stephen King fan, and since you are from Maine, I think it is a good chance!

For some reason I was feeling very "Shaker" ish LOL - yes I'm from Maine, yes I enjoy Stephen King, but no, I've never gotten thru the gunslinger series I don't think! LOL!

Liddle Noodnik · Jun 21, 2005

"wow- she'd make a great nurse" --does that make sense? Thank you for all of your encouragement.

Yeah, my doc (DO) was an RN at the same time I was graduating from nursing school LOL!

Hope you do well!

Mandylpn · Jul 3, 2005

*********
How does one type something like I am about to type without sounding like a cheerleader? lol. In an attempt, I will say that you are a good nurse. You KNOW in your heart that you have done the right things over and over again. I have seen you diligently passing out your meds; your patients smiling and enjoying that you not only want to talk to them, but you you are actually listening to what they have to say. I have seen you go the extra mile. I have seen you bring up concerns that should have been addressed but instead were ignored. I watched you stay late while no one offered to assist you. I watched you go without praise. Now that you are gone, I see your patients are missing you. The bubbly and joyous medpass that they once knew has been replaced with who ever will grab that extra shift- doesn't matter if they give all the meds or not- just as long as the slot on the schedule is filled. You have done the right thing by leaving, before they stuck you with something in order to shut you up. I'm the nurse on the other wing that can see your hall from mine. Don't give up on nursing just because nursing sometimes gives up on you. Instead, think back and grab the memory of why you once became a nurse to begin with. Patient advocacy was one of those reasons. You have done your job then. Now you go somewhere else and you do that job again. And again and again and again. You do not give up. Isn't that what you told me when I wanted to quit? lol. Somehow, you will make it through all of this like we all have. And someday, you will be typing to the nurse from the other wing. We're in a circle here, there are issues and problems no matter where you go. Some places you can tolerate, some you can't. But you never give up nursing because it is not an option.....something in your heart caused you to become a nurse......you can't just forget a peice of your heart. Nurses like "Miss 45 minute medpass" are a constant reminder of what we others stand for. Although we might not hear verbal praises from our bosses or have cooperation from administrations, we get that 'feeling' when we know someone is doing wrong.....THAT is our gift. You can't throw a gift away NurseWendy. Now, go out there with your gifted self and find a new group of patients to take care of :)

Oh, how beautifully written, it made me cry, :crying2: this is how I feel about being a nurse! :nurse:

Liddle Noodnik · Jul 3, 2005

Oh, how beautifully written, it made me cry, this is how I feel about being a nurse!

SO COOL! isn't it?

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Nurses and all}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}]

stevierae · Jul 3, 2005

I just read everybodies posts so far. Thank you everyone for the advice, support and beans. There's a small hospital about 5 minutes from me and they have a sub-acute unit. Maybe I will apply. Convenience stores around here make btwn $8-9/hr. I graduated in 2000. I lost my job in January at a long term care facility I had been working at for 4 years...had to do with an ice storm and I recognize some of you as helping me back then. Both this facility and that one are under HMR. It was within my 90 days so no unemployment(each facility hires separately) They just had there DHEC survey and the were re-surveyed (d/t 18 deficiencies) I want to thank you guys again for your encouragement...I don't think anyone else but nurses can understand what we go through and it really helps to have you guys. Ok, I have dial-up and I may be 'off-line' for a few weeks while getting my phone bill in a respectable condition Not sure when they'll disconnect - could be any minute :uhoh21:

Nursewendy, I feel so badly for you. I haven't read through all the pages of posts as yet, nor do I recall the ice storm incident----however, did this facility not have an inclement weather policy? That is, the one where you lost your job over an ice storm?

If you find out that they did--and most do--I would march straight to the unemployment department and put in for unemployment, retro to January. That facility will likely appeal your claim, but you can fight it, and you will likely win. I know where I used to work, none of the single parents came in on inclement weather days, and NONE of us faulted them for it----we realized that they were literally all their children had, and those children would be orphaned if that single parent slid on black ice or even off a bridge and was killed. (In fact, we didn't fault ANYONE for not coming in on inclement weather days--it was our right to take it off, particularly if you didn't live near easily accessible public transportation, which was often down ITSELF on inclement weather days.)

Then again, if you were still within your 90 day probationary period, as I just realized, having read your post over, you may not be eligible for unemployment. Still, wouldn't hurt to ask at unemployment what your rights are according to your state. I am guessing you were not union.

Do you happen to have any retirement homes-------NOT nursing homes, but upscale retirement homes where very elderly (and usually very wealthy) people who are still totally "with it" live in their own apartments, having moved there so that they can enjoy a luxurious lifestyle and not have to cook? You know, where a chef prepares all the meals; there is a beauty salon; bar; planned fun activities (bridge and poker games, etc.) and a facility shuttle drives them to the store, etc.? I used to do foot care at a place like that, and I felt truly privileged to hear their stories----many were Holocaust survivors who came over here with literally nothing---some had tattoos they got in concentration camps---and created new careers and wealth for themselves. They were so inspirational.

Foot care is not the only thing you can do there; often they hire nurses to assist with medication, blood pressure checks, glucose testing, etc. for those residents who need a little help (sometimes simply due to arthritis) or just want the extra assistance, as money is not usually an object for them.

Hang in there. You are a good nurse. Keep in touch---I know some good recipes, and can direct you to others.

Oh, and remember this, which I truly believe: "When a door closes, a window opens."

It was THEIR loss, Wendy.

javanurse2000, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2005

Thank you guys for all of the encouragement and support! I found a cheaper place for the kids and I to live...about 5 minutes from the place we were...we moved last Friday. I enrolled for the fall semester...full-time and can for the meantime live on the grants, loans and child support. I will keep in touch. Thank you all, again! - Wendy

Liddle Noodnik · Jul 8, 2005

Thank you guys for all of the encouragement and support! I found a cheaper place for the kids and I to live...about 5 minutes from the place we were...we moved last Friday. I enrolled for the fall semester...full-time and can for the meantime live on the grants, loans and child support. I will keep in touch. Thank you all, again! - Wendy

Bless you Wendy, I'm so glad this is working out!