seasoned nurse needs advice

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so i just started a new job recently. i mean i worked five shifts there. it was not going well at all. i have about 10 years experience in sugical tele, oh step down. i took a job on a med tele floor. which really was like a nursing home icu. NOT what i wanted to do. the preceptor they assigned me to was just not right. idk...a personality disorder or something. she would tell me one thing to do and then another about the same thing. the paper work was out of hand. (who WRITES nursing dx. out anymore??). so to get to the point of this: at the end of my day yesterday i was asked to talk with the manager and someone else....the said they had 2 patient complaints on me in one week and someone else had said that i was using cuss words in the breakroom........ok i will admit to the cuss words. but, i thought i was alone VENTING to my husband and trying to fight back the tears....the thrid day i was there was awful and ms. nursey nurse was NO WHERE to be found to help me, then i caught her talking about me in front of everyone at the nurses station......so basically in this meeting i was asked to quit and i did.....i really dont give a **** about this job/unit it really was bad. they had been on their like 4th manager and had hired about 20 or so new personnel. RED FLAG. but the patient complaint thing i cannot get over. i had another job within the hour. so no biggie there. idk what to do. i really feel like she (preceptor) sabotaged me in some ways. i know that i am a good nurse. has this ever happened to anyone else???

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Specializes in Home Health currently, med/surg prev.

It sounds as if the unit is dysfunctional -high staff turn over rate. That's never a good sign. The pt complaints would bother me too. Yes, in my experience, I have seen a preceptor sabatoge the nurse they were supposed to be helping.

I'm sorry you had to experience that. Enjoy your new job and try to put this bad experience behind you. I know. . . that is easier said than done. :nurse:

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Specializes in CVICU, Burns, Trauma, BMT, Infection control.

Yes,unfortunately I had a similar problem and was backstabbed by clinical nurse specialist(or some such rot) who was basically a new nurse w/ a higher degree than mine who would go around mostly interfering w/ pt care telling experienced nurses to do stupid and useless things. Most didn't say anything to her,I did because I don't tolerate fools and was bounced out. The unit was already hemorrhaging nurses and horribly run.I'm glad I'm out but I hate that I went through that. I will take good care to avoid anyplace like that in the future. It's really gotten out of hand.:angryfire

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(((hugs)))

my 7th grader's language arts teacher uses an acronym i like: fido -- forget it and drive on.

remember you are a good nurse and enjoy your new job. good luck!

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I think most nurses have probably had patient complaints. Sometimes you just can't win.

I agree, forget about it.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

It may well be that you did not wrong, but the patient was told you had done something that the pt. should c/o about, by someone trying to sabotage you. "she did what? oh no, that was wrong. She should have done it this way instead, you had better let my boss know about that" type comments.

I once had a nurse who ran an LTC w/o the title, but everyone knew who the power was there. She would tell the aides I was just on a power trip and they didn't have to do anything I said. One aide saw her physically abuse a resident, reported it and was under enormous pressure to withdraw the charge. She stood her ground! Nursie lost her license for 6 months and was back in the facility running things again. Aide was transferred to another state, (I think at her own wish.)

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How do you even know these patients complained?! Someone could just say they did and management took that for fact. I would start that new job and not even give this place or these people another thought.

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O.K. You got mad and used the F... word in the breakroom and then again somewhere else, while you husband was there? Then you admit to swearing while in a work environment. You took a job you did not like and then took it out on your employer. I really want to ask you why your spouse was in your work place? I don't think it was about you mentor, it was about you being someplace you did not want to be.

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Specializes in ER.

I think that if you are in the breakroom with the door closed you are on your own private time. It was probably unwise to complain about the facility when a coworker was present, but what's done is done. Doesn't sound like the job was worth much anyway.

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Specializes in NICU.
O.K. You got mad and used the F... word in the breakroom and then again somewhere else, while you husband was there? Then you admit to swearing while in a work environment. You took a job you did not like and then took it out on your employer. I really want to ask you why your spouse was in your work place? I don't think it was about you mentor, it was about you being someplace you did not want to be.

My spouse joins me for dinner fairly regularly. It's MY breaktime, I'm NOT getting paid for it, and I can use it as I would like to. It's fairly common on our floor. However, the odds are high that she may have been on the phone.

To the OP - It would chap my orifice for a loooooong time, but I would just consider myself lucky to have only given 5 days of my life to that place and move on.

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O.K. You got mad and used the F... word in the breakroom and then again somewhere else, while you husband was there? Then you admit to swearing while in a work environment. You took a job you did not like and then took it out on your employer. I really want to ask you why your spouse was in your work place? I don't think it was about you mentor, it was about you being someplace you did not want to be.

i just want to clear up a few things from the above post.

i didnt use the f word, i never said that i did. i was on the phone with him. he was not there at the workplace. i THOUGHT i was alone in the break room did i say anywhere in the post that i used it somewhere else? i used the word bull****. i DID NOT take it out on the employer. can you read?? no it was not the job that i wanted, but i thought i could stick it out for 6 months until i could transfer. this is the problem that i had there, my words being twisted around. my other job i NEVER had any compliants, rarely. so that is what i am so shocked about. i could care less about the job. i had the new one on the way home from the old one. i seriously think that your comment about swearing in the work environment is funny. lol. how many nurses on here can say they have NEVER sworn at work??? like i said before I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE IN THE BREAKROOM ON THE PHONE.

my question/comment was regarding anyone ever having been sabotaged like this by a preceptor. the lady was a nut. the first hour i was there she was telling me how her ex husbands family accused her of abandoning her kids.....like i really want to know about that kind of thing.....but she couldnt help me with important things, like which doc is who, or how to get in touch with them....and other really important things that you need to KNOW in order to do the job. nursing care is nursing care....but the paperwork and systems are different everywhere.

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the pt complaint was because i sat a pt that was on aspiration precautions up in bed. her "friend" stated that i was rough with her....but all i did was hit the hob button up a little bit.....no joke : )

seriously the lady was flat and choking as her pal shoved the food down her throat.....a sitter was there at the bedside and witnessed the whole entire thing. she too had tried to sit the lady up, but to no avail. i explained to the friend what i was going to do.....before i did it.

i guess i am just mad at myself for not standing up for myself more.....any thought on me calling hr or the manager back since i have had time to think about it more??? i dont want to work there again but i dont feel that the preceptor should get away with throwing me under the bus like that!

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