Second day from hell PCT, need to vent and advice!!

[jr1991]

* Background before the story is that I have NEVER worked as a Patient Care Tech before and the only experience I have is 3 weeks of Nursing school under my belt.*

I started my new job this past Saturday and I was being oriented on what duties a PCT does and how to do them. The most I did on Saturday was assist feeding, and assisted the PCT with a bed bath. The nurses reiterated that importance of asking questions if I ever feel confused. After leaving my first day of orientation I was happy and excited to be apart of a great company and could not wait to do it all over again on Sunday.

Sunday rolls around and I'm thrown into a pack of wild wildebeests. The PCT I was scheduled to orient with left early because she felt "sick" and before she left (she left 2 hours into our shift) I told her and the charge nurse I don't mind staying but I do NOT feel comfortable being with patients alone just yet. But I was reassured that another PCT will be there with me to show me the ropes since I didn't learn much of anything the previous day. That was a lie. The new PCT I was supposed to shadow kept leaving me alone with 27+ patients alone to either smoke multiple cigarettes, go to McDonalds on her 15 (which we aren't supposed to leave campus on our 15) and took an hour and a half lunch to go to Arbys (we only get a 30 min). & conveniently every time the PCT went missing 10 call lights would go on and the nurses would yell at me to get them all simultaneously by myself. SO any time I had questions on what to do I had to ask the nurses who either didn't want to be bother or they told me I'll be okay to figure it out on my own. Well I asked the charge nurse (the only nurse available at the time) how to place a bed pan because I haven't learned that portion yet in Nursing school. The Charge Nurse responds, "I thought you were in nursing school, how don't you know this?" & with an attitude she showed me how to do it. Basically making me feel like idiot and a burden.

I cried & had an anxiety attack periodically during my whole shift (it was also my birthday). And I almost dropped a patient that needed help walking back from the bathroom. I kept apologizing to each patient about how bad of a job I was doing and kept explaining it was my second day and that I was still learning and was very nervous.

The advice I received from my professors from this situation was what I was put through was unacceptable and that I should consider resigning because I'm still so anxious about working with that same PCT who abandoned me. I requested to talk to my manager about Sunday but should I rat out everyone? I don't want my coworkers to hate me but what I went through was unacceptable. I also am considering just quitting all together because of how the charge nurse made me feel but I have my clinicals on that same floor (PCU) next semester and I'm unsure how that'll look.

[Neo Soldier, BSN, RN]

I'm sorry about your experience. It honestly sounds like your time was wasted there. I wouldn't recommend ratting anyone out because it's never a good look and you have clinical there so it may just complicate things for you. Even if you go somewhere else to work, there's no guarantee it will be a great experience.

Is this how it always is in that hospital? Could it be that it's just those particular people?

The truth is that there are people who just make life difficult for others. If you decide to stay there, you will have to pick your battles. Remember, you won't be there as a PCT for long if you stick with your goal of becoming a nurse. Consider this a learning experience. If it gets too unbearable after you start working and you're established in your role, then leave quietly but don't burn bridges, you never know who you need.