So I lost it? Am I out of Line?

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I'm a new nurse, in my job for just a year now working on a med/surg floor. Being older than my co-workers and having previous work history, I tend to be more adamant about some of the rules and ways things should run.

My most experienced co-worker ( on this shift) has 20 months experience due to the high turnover here: 100% at 2 years is the current according to recruitment.

Anyway, I was made charge a couple nights ago and things were just insane as usual. We were running short 1 nurse and we were getting slammed with admits. 5 in the first hour plus an AMA and an irate family to deal with because day shift had neglected to tell them they could'nt leave until the pt urinated - pulled their cath @ 1900.

I had 5 patients: one with SaO2 @ 63%, one getting 2 units PRBC's with Lasix and fluid overload and one with 9/10 pain and we were out of meds as usual.

My co-workers were in a similar bind with their crazy night.

The Unit secretary calls and says I'm getting an admit. I said it was wrong and the assignment sheet was made up differently, she told me that too bad I was getting it anyway the House Supervisor wanted that room.

I called the House Sup and refused saying we were completely overwhelmed and would not accept the pt. His response was to tell ER to put the pt in the room and I would call later for report.

In other words they dumped the pt and left! Further they never even told me the pt was there. I got really pissed and I even called the NM at home. Understand, Admin is only on duty here 0730- 1530 , we have NO admin here on nights weekends or holidays.

The NM's answer was I don't have enough time management and everybody runs short and we all have to deal with it.

As to having no meds from pharmacy - a regular issue here - she said that I need to address the issue and I should also confront the Unit Secretary to tell them they don't assign duties.

It's always the answer here: Deal with it & You do something about it.

The last year has been entirely like this: 5 & 6 hours to get meds from pharmacy, no stock of different doses so we have to give 6 or 12 pills for a dose, we spent two days over memorial days with no tylenol because we were out of stock and the always standard answer from Admin that we need to deal with it.

Anyway, I'm bad, I got really mad and threw a chart at the desk and was rude to the house supervisor.

Now I'm not afraid of firing, after all they've had staffers threaten homicide and they don't get dismissed, but I am afraid for my licence and the likelihood of bad references for a new job.

Recently they gave poor reviews to two staffers to keep them here and they were very blunt to them saying that they didn't need to leave so they would not get positive evals.

I do have a foot in the door at an agency for various PRN & contract work. Should I cut and run? Give notice and go?

Is it like this everywhere? The hospitals I did clinicals at in school sure seemed better.

Frustrated and burning out!

fizz2nurse

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

First of all (((HUGS))) I have been there more times than I care to admit. No, you should not have lost it, but you don't need us to tell you that. This is a crappy work assignment. It is not like that everywhere. Yes, you should cut your losses. This won't cause any problems for you, but not taking care of a patient that was assigned to you may. You see, they dropped and ran and THAT is what put your hard earned nursing liceanse (how come I can NEVER spell that word, lol) at risk.

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Specializes in ER.

Get out. If it is physically impossible to do the job it will rot your soul and ruin nursing for you.

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Run, do not walk, to the other job opportunity. No, you should not have lost it, however you should not have been in that position either.

No Tylenol in stock???? Are you kidding me???????

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

You do not deserve to treated like that, neither do your co-workers, and the patients are not getting even close to a fair shake.

I do not believe it is "like this everywhere". You are correct to worry about your license. You need to resign ASAP.

If you have to work another shift there, and they try to admit pts after being informed there is no staff, be sure to file an incident/occurence/whatever it's called @ that facility report.

Best of luck to you. Keep in touch!

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I agree with the others RUN RUN RUN!!! I have been in this situation more than once. It was a weenkend and I was in charge and orientating. Short staffed and admitting like crazy because the other floors were too short staffed to take patients. I called nursing supervisor and was told I cannot refuse to admit. I called my NM and told the same thing. She came in to do paper work with a orientee and I talked to her at the desk about how it was crazy was and how I couldn't leave one orientee by herself no matter how close to coming off orientation she was to take another orientee and group since I was still responsible for her and her patients. I did ask staffing for another nurse and was sent 4 nurse externs. I did have them assigned to help out in various ways but I told staffing I needed 2 RN"S, and I was sent 2 RN's from the physical rehab unit. All they would do was pass meds and do treatments I was told they were not allowed to take a Assignment even though we are expected to on their unit. I went in the back where the NM and orientee who was leaving at 7p were doing care planning paperwork and I told her that since she was here she should "Get some scrubs on and get to work" I lost it. I shouldn't have but I did because I was so overwhelmed. I have never acted like that again. So I do know the situatuion you were in.

The ER shouldn't have given you the pt without report. That is dumping. I would write a incident report/redfrom/occurance report or whatever your job calls it everytime you are shortstaffed.

I also worked another facility on the 7p-7a shift and asked my boss one day as a new grad how she thought it was safe to give us 10-11 patients a piece and some getting blood and others q2h neuros and sometimes having 6/10 on tele and her response was "You need better time management and it will come with time." I should have not stayed at this place as long as I did. At this facility the aides didn't even do VS or chemsticks. I had to assess and VS,and Chemstick 10-11 patients. The aides turned,changed,fed,bathed, passes waters, and took temps. Some would do VS eventhough technically they were only allowed to do that on certian floors.

Seriously don't continue to put your license on the line. Look elsewhere. Your stress level will go away considerably. Once I left the second mentioned place my migrained dramatically improved. My attendence improved. So please find somewhere else. Give the agency a try. 100% turnover should tell administration something unless they are to dumb to realize.

So please move on from that awful place.

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Specializes in OR, DR, RR, ER, OPD.

I must admit I was surprised to know your hospital lacks Tylenol...I am here in the Philippines, and my friend who's working in IL recently came home for a vacation and she dumped in my palms around 20 tablets of Tylenol because she said her hospital has too much of it that once it is accidentally dropped on the floor, it's considered a waste.

Sure there are bad hospital set up like yours but not all. Many of my friends have good and positive feedbacks about hospitals where they are working in there in the US. Protect your license, get out from there and find the one where you can be at your best. It's not your loss but theirs.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
...she dumped in my palms around 20 tablets of Tylenol because she said her hospital has too much of it that once it is accidentally dropped on the floor, it's considered a waste...

Are you implying that your hospital doesn't consider drpped meds waste?!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.

OMG, and they wonder why they have 100% turnover in two years. How can a supervisor advise a nurse to abandon a pt (that is what the ER nurse did by bringing that pt to you w/o giving report). You should definitely run out the door of that place and drop a note to your state BON on the way out. And pray for the chance to give an exit interview!!:)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I think in a way you answered your own question when you brought up about being worried about your license. As others have said RUN at the end of the day you have to look after number 1 and that is yourself, loosing your career is just not worth it. If their turnover is 100% in 2 years then they obviously do not care about staff and patients, what can they gain by quick turnover except run what staff they have to the ground. They sound like they can not be bothered about the stress they put on everyone (there is stress then there is STRESS) then they are not good to work for

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Specializes in Emergency.

Run away now! Seriously, no one should have to put up with that on a consistent basis. We all need to stand up together and say "enough is enough"; for both our sanity and for the patient's safety.

Also, the ED shouldn't have dumped the patient - I'm in the ED and I refuse to send up a patient until I give report. But, please forgive us in the ED! I get so frustrated when I try to call report and they are too "busy" to take report from me even though a bed is ready and clean (busy being "I'm on break, call back"). Meanwhile, we'll be running a code in the ED, and I'll have a patient with runs of v.tach with his pacer firing, and another patient whose labs just came back with an elevated troponin...and the EMS radio just won't stop beeping! :mad: I don't know how many patient's roll through your ED, but we're often close to splitting at the seams, and if we have ICU holds (grrrr) we need to ideally have 1:1 to 1:2 nursing care. The safest thing I can do for my patients under these circumstances is get them upstairs ASAP, but only if their nursing care can be continued...

Your nursing license is with the state, not the hospital...and don't let them bully you any longer. Good luck.

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Specializes in OR, DR, RR, ER, OPD.
Are you implying that your hospital doesn't consider drpped meds waste?!

The meds she had given me are safely, securely, individually packed. No tear, not holes nor any teeny-weeny bit of a dirt can be found.

Maybe what you're referring to is a pill that's ready to swallow?

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