So TIRED OF IT

I do so love it when something I said is taken out of context. For the record part of effective commination is to not to allow your argument to be clouded by emotion as it takes away from your credibility.

For the record I said: For a non-psychotic patient de-escalation when properly applied always works. The problem is that most nurses and it's not their fault don't know how to properly apply it. It takes more than a CEU class or annual in-service to learn these techniques. They need to be practiced with intensive role-playing which few facilities have the time or budget for.

Again my comment about patient behavior being driven by staff was not about the mentally ill patient which I clearly stated. The mentally ill patient requires and even higher level of training and depending on their psychosis may not be able to respond to de-escalation. Haldol and Ativan when given as an emergency injection is considered chemical restraint and a facility and nurse better be able to document all the level's of non restraint used prior to their implementation.

I also never said I wanted or could save the world. To do so would require a much larger skill set than I have. I'll leave such errands for the crusaders. Going back to my corner of the sandbox now.

Hppy

Let me start out by saying that I recognize you from around the forum. I always read your responses when I see your avatar and generally agree with you - I admire your attitude.

However (Ah, forgive me!), you concede that a mentally ill patient will need lots of attention, and will potentially need pharmacological interventions to de-escalate.

I really responded to the OP, because, in the population of my local hospital's med/surg unit (where I was a CNA), we dealt with A LOT of drug addiction - diagnosed and un-diagnosed in patients, lots of patient's visitors, etc. Twice, I had tables kicked into me. Once, I was bodily cornered and threatened in a patient's room. I was groped too many times to count. Hearing comments like yours.....well, it is hurtful, though I KNOW that you do not intend it as such. I took the Crisis Prevention Intervention classes every year. I did (and do) pride myself on my interpersonal communication: I had many patients I was told were difficult, who I got along great with. I did the online learning multiple times. I know Im not supposed to let myself get cornered in a room, I know what they taught me about "When you...Then we can..." statements, etc. But, when we were trying to monitor and respond to a full load of patient's physiological conditions....it's really hard to keep up with the large subset that also needs EXTENSIVE psychological support as well. Being frustrated with the lack of support and overwhelming need is OKAY.

I've left med-surg, but I just saw a facebook post from the sweetest nurse I knew there - broken ribs, from a patient. The danger is REAL, and being told that we simply are not doing our jobs properly is very hurtful. We all know that certain responses have a better chance of de-escalating situations. We all know Nurse Ratchett is out there... but can we also agree that something is truly rotten in the state of healthcare, when nurses are the victims of so much violence and abuse (both mental and physical), and are so poorly supported?

Now that you are an LPN, do you understand that a nurse has duties that might need to come before answering a light?

Sure do, however the nurses I worked with then often had Sandals resorts and Coach purse websites open on their workstations. Answering lights should certainly come before that.

I agree 100% @OP. I regret so much going into student loan debt for this stupid career only to be treated like ****. I'm so ******* tired of the lack of respect and being forced to take constant abuse with a smile.

I want to change careers, but I'm terrified of failure. I'm also terrified of waking up at 40 and realizing it's too late to change careers. I wish I would have studied that I actually wanted in the first place, instead of allowing my family to pressure me into a career I knew I would hate since day 1 of job shadowing.

...But I'm terrified of failure. I'm also terrified of waking up at 40 and realizing it's too late to change careers. I wish I would have studied what I actually wanted in the first place, instead of allowing my family to pressure me into a career I knew I would hate since day 1 of job shadowing.

Nah, don't worry that aspect. Plenty of folks have mutiple careers. My RN is my third "career", and I didn't get licensed until I was a ways past 40 :).

I'm also terrified of waking up at 40 and realizing it's too late to change careers.

Wow. Narrowminded and ageist much? I was licensed as a nurse at age 40. Do you think 40 is some age where you become decrepit and incapable of change or of learning new things?

You might want to open your mind and check your prejudice just a little.

Wow. Narrowminded and ageist much? I was licensed as a nurse at age 40. Do you think 40 is some age where you become decrepit and incapable of change or of learning new things?

You might want to open your mind and check your prejudice just a little.

it's ok to calm down. i'm 35, so yeah, 40 is right around the corner and I'm terrified because I'm not naive about how much age discrimination goes on in my country, especially in tech (which is what I want to do).

Complaining about age discrimination as you actively engage in it

I agree 100% @OP. I regret so much going into student loan debt for this stupid career only to be treated like ****. I'm so ******* tired of the lack of respect and being forced to take constant abuse with a smile.

I want to change careers, but I'm terrified of failure. I'm also terrified of waking up at 40 and realizing it's too late to change careers. I wish I would have studied that I actually wanted in the first place, instead of allowing my family to pressure me into a career I knew I would hate since day 1 of job shadowing.

I say if you want to change careers go ahead and do it. I do realize that age discrimination is alive and well but that doesn't mean it won't work out for you. Nursing was my second career and I wish I had done something else that was less stress and more money, (for all the reasons on this thread). Do a little research first and then go for it, you are still young! If I was younger I would start over too.

Complaining about age discrimination as you actively engage in it

saying that I am worried about age discrimination is "engaging in it"? ok whatever.

I say if you want to change careers go ahead and do it. I do realize that age discrimination is alive and well but that doesn't mean it won't work out for you. Nursing was my second career and I wish I had done something else that was less stress and more money, (for all the reasons on this thread). Do a little research first and then go for it, you are still young! If I was younger I would start over too.

thank you so much for the encouragement; i appreciate it :)

saying that I am worried about age discrimination is "engaging in it"? ok whatever.

Stating that 40 is too old to start a new career is engaging in age discrimination.

Stating that 40 is too old to start a new career is engaging in age discrimination.

i'm not going to comment on this again, as I do not want to further derail what is supposed to be a topic for venting about rude/abusive/overly-entitled patients. so for clarification: I do not believe that anyone should be considered "too old" to start a new career; however, I recognize that age discrimination does happen and is rampant in certain industries, and I fear being on the receiving end of it when attempting to get out of nursing and into tech in my mid-to-late 30s. Recognizing that something happens is not the same as condoning it.