Support Stickie for New nurses who are not coping

traveler85 · Mar 5, 2011

I spent 18 months as a nurse and never found the right way to cope. The hospital I was at was in transition of being taken over by another, we lost our manager 3 months after I started, the director (who happened to have her little brown nose stuck way up the *** of upper management) had to take over all management duties, patient safety was nil.... In other words, the place was terrible!

After less than 6 months, I was ready to quit, don't know why I didn't. After a year the director was fired and a new manager and director were hired, but by that point, I was beyond miserable. I went down to part time, but was still unhappy to the point where I was dreading work a week in advance. Eventually, I became depressed to the point where my PCP wanted to put me on medication. That was when I had enough and just left. I have been out of nursing for about a year now. I'm considering getting back into nursing (could really use the paycheck [not trying to be a 'just for the money' kind of nurse, but I have to pay the school loans somehow]) but I really don't know if I can do it. I don't want to go back to a job where I have to take medication to be happy and function

kohlbesc · Mar 6, 2011

I've been working at a SNF for 4 months now and I feel like it is not getting any easier. I leave every night feeling guilty about something I didn't get to or worrying that I did something wrong. I have 28-32 residents and I'm struggling. Every day I make some sort of mistake and I never leave work feeling good about my job. I cry every night over something that happened whether it be snotty coworkers, med error, or just the general stress of the job. Everyone says that the first year is hard but it's almost unbearable. I'm learning that the stress of the job is ruining my quality of life. Are there any branches of nursing that are more rewarding than stressful? I just don't think I'm cut out for long term care.

smwiller · Mar 7, 2011

It's really funny how we complain while in nursing school, we spazz out over NCLEX, we gripe about not finding a job, then complain that there is too much work when we finally do get a job, then for those nurses who have been in the field for a long time, they complain about how unsatisfying their job is. FOR GOODNESS SAKES stop the moaning and groaning. If you are in a situation that you are not happy with then change your situation. I will not apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings with this post, suck it up, pay your dues until you can either get what you want or get a new career.

With all due respect, nurses like you are the reason why new nurses leave the profession. Get a clue for heaven's sake. Guess we are not all perfect like you.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 8, 2011

Might I draw everyone's attention to the title of this thread: SUPPORT Stickie for New nurses who are not coping. It isn't helpful or supportive to exchange barbs over opinions. Nor is it helpful to be overly harsh to those whose experiences are more difficult that they expected. There is a way to offer reality checks and advice and to provide support without resorting to personal attacks.

smwiller · Mar 8, 2011

My apologies. I believe I am a little over sensitive at the moment. I do appreciate this forum.

peachesRN27 · Mar 8, 2011

I've worked part time at an SNF for almost 8 months now. It's my first real job out of nursing school, and everyday I dread it more. I work days, and I have anywhere from 20-26 heavy duty patients. Like a previous poster, I go home praying I didn't forget anything. I am basically intimidated into punching out and then continuing to work and chart, measure wounds, change dressings, work on new admissions. It's ridiculous. A couple weeks ago I had an unexpected admission in the last two hours of my shift, so I did the assessment sheet and by the time I was done it was time for 2pm med pass, then before I knew it, it was 3:30 and time to leave. My daughter had an appointment at the pediatric gastroenterologist at 4:30, I live 5 minutes away, the dr's office is another 5 minutes away. I had to get out of there, but I still had to call the doctor to inform her that the new admit was there, and go over the meds. I did that, and I informed the oncoming staff that I had to leave, I gave them report and left. I actually came back later that night to make sure I had the rest of the admit in order and finish charting! But from what my friends on the 3-11 shift tell me is that my boss grabbed the admission and got angry that the care plans were not done, so she did them herself. Last week I get called into her office. She says that I am not delivering safe care. It took them that long to find a mistake of something I did: I took a T.O. for a BID dosing on an antibiotic at 2pm, I faxed it to the pharmacy, I did everything else right, BUT i forgot to write it on the MAR. I called the next morning before med pass and told the nurse that I forgot but I ordered the med. This is actually common practice, just not the calling to alert the nurse, we usually find out when pharmacy delivers the med...anyway, my DON says because of that and the fact I did not document that I gave an elder a prn dose of robitusson, they claim the elder told them (i tried to give it because she asked for it, then refused it!), that I am being written up. The write up is so severe that it is deemed a final warning that will stay on my file for the next 18 months, and if any other issues pop up I will be terminated. I don't even know where to go from here. I know that I will not be there much longer because of that. I am on everyone's radar. The next day I went into work and she actually had made the same kind of error! She wrote in the MAR a resident was on IV fluids, I went to toilet the resident and there was saline everywhere so I turned off the pump and went to take out the "IV" when I almost had a needle stick...it was a subcutaneous button for subcutaneous fluid replacement, or hypodermoclysis--->NOT in the MAR, but she did write and sign off on that order. I just want that write up gone, and I want to leave the organization. She is obviously very petty, and she and her staff do not foster the educational environment they claimed to when I got hired in not even 8 months ago!

2newtoknow · Mar 25, 2011

I am so thankful to hear that I am not alone. The floor I work on is the worst experience of my life. I had had just about all the abuse I could take in nursing school and my self esteem was already low. Now I go to work to be talked about behind my back, and told that if I think its difficult for me than I should be like most of my phillipeno co workers who had it even harder. I do want to quit but then who would hire a brand new nurse with only a few months of experience, and I would be afraid of the reference they would give me anyway. I just don't know what to do anymore.

colouredglass · Mar 26, 2011

PeachesRN27 - Think I may print this out and post it to my fridge :)

TexMex22 · Apr 2, 2011

I'm still doing clinicals and I'm having nightmares! I wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. after every shift worrying "did I do it right??" For hours after I come home after every shift I'm rethinking every procedure, every interaction with patients & their families, and every medication given. I'm having migraines and my stomach is upset all the time. I'm not sure it's worth it. To top it all off, my clinical preceptor is NUTS!! She seems to be manic depressive or bipolar. She swings from happy to nasty, mumbling under her breath from minute to minute. She acts child like, smacks & pokes at other nurses, talks baby talk to them, and only calls patients things like "hun, babe, sugar, doll." Oh my, God! Seriously!! She has made ethnic comments about patients and their families that are so offensive I can't even post them. She got kicked off an assignment a week ago purposely. The minute the patient arrived on the floor she told me she would not take care of this patient because "you know how THEY are." Within 30 minutes, the family is in the hall crying to the charge nurse, demanding another nurse. So --- what happens? Exactly what she planned. Another nurse was assigned. She told the charge nurse to screw herself (in so many words). She made some more ethnic comments (loud enough for the entire unit to hear). The charge just stood there. I was shocked & amazed. I was ready to quit that minute. I wanted to lock myself in a bathroom and puke. In general, 50% of the floor nurses are mean, nasty and angry. They seem to dispise students and dispise the patients even more. They spend as much time as humanly possible at the desk or in the hallway at their pods. Sarcasm and hateful remarks fly all day long. It is an exhausting environment to be in. If this is nursing today, count me out. I am enjoying the patient care so I'm frustrated about the staff, nasty attitudes and just plain scary conditions. Charting consists of clicking screen after screen -- most of it totally untrue. Personally, I have refused to chart anything I have not personally seen or done, but my preceptor tells me that's the way they do it and I should just "get over it." HELP!!!

acavazzi · Apr 2, 2011

I have been a rn for 10 months now. I was super paranoid in school during clinicals that i didn't do things right and would sit up all night worrying about it. Here I am 10 months into my nursing career and it hasn't gotten a whole lot better!!! I am constantly worrying at work and second guessing my actions (but always double check with a more experienced nurse or the Dr. if i have any doubts about something) When I come home I am a complete mess!! I will lay in bed and think about things I did and if they were supposed to be done another way or if I didn't chart things correctly or even at all. I am SUPER PARANOID about ending up in a lawsuit because of something I did and losing my license. I will wake my husband up at 4 in the morning in tears because I am so stressed out and scared I have done something wrong. I envy the nurses I work with who can make a mistake and just brush it off! I have watched nurses make med errors and just say oh well! I don't know what to do about this!! I can't keep this up! :no:

TexMex22 · Apr 2, 2011

acavazzi: You are not alone. I bet you are a perfectionist. I know I am. I've already been written up for getting too involved (emotionally) with patients. That's right. I was written up and told I would fail because I went back to check on a patient who was no longer assigned to me. That makes me a "bad nurse." I've seen a lot of the same things you have - about medication errors being laughed off (oh well, sh*t happens), procedures not being followed (we don't have time), I could go on and on. A few times I've taken a deep breath and mentioned something I've noticed, like "oh I thought ... blah blah" or "in school we were taught .... has that changed?" The responses have generally been something along the line of "HA! This is the real world. Grow up" or "this isn't school. This is how we do it on the floor."

I feel most frustrated when I hear all the b*tching, moaning & complaining about lack of time, work overload, etc., but there always seems to be time to sit at the station and talk (really loudly) about:

1) Weight problems & food

2) Men and kids (problems mostly)

3) Hair

4) What to eat next

5) How horrible work is

6) How irritating the doctors, patients and management are

7) Always plenty of time to play on cell phones & check messages and send texts.

I recently watched an RN sit at the station for probably 6 hours of a 12 hour shift with her feet up in a chair or on a desk and literally eat donuts, pick her nails, re-do her hair and play on her cell phone. We were BUSY (lots of admits, discharges -- you know, a usual day), phone ringing off the hook, call lights buzzing and she's just sitting there!! Oblivious to everything. And the amazing part was no one said anything! They just worked around her like she was a rock in the ground.

My husband and I have been talking about all of this. My migraines are getting increasingly worse. I'm not sleeping well. Not eating well. He's worried that I'll be so stressed out I'll crack or make myself sick worrying. Maybe floor nursing in a big hospital isn't the right fit for me. I'm seeing fascinating stuff as far as diagnoses, post-ops, procedures, etc., but I don't want to get to a point of complacency ever. I need to find someplace smaller with a lower patient-to-nurse ratio. Maybe that's a fantasy world that doesn't exist. There are lots of nurses who are doing great jobs -- wearing themselves out giving great care. However, I'm seeing lots of burn outs that are angry and bitter. Maybe I've just hit a rough patch and need to tough it out. It's got to get better, right??

For some it seems nursing has become a list of meds to push & procedures to do without ANY consideration for the patient or the family. If I mention a patient by name, I get an annoyed look, a nasty tone of voice "WHO???" and then the "what room number" or "oh you mean the post op appy in 43." I'm feeling a bit disillusioned and like I've made a mistake. My grandmother was a nurse and I dreamed of following in her footsteps, but things have changed -- a lot.

Valhalla_Pure · Apr 16, 2011

I am now 9 months into my first year as an RN, and I am not sure how I feel. I know I love NURSING itself, but I think its my workplace that is bringing me down. We are chronically short staffed, none of our equipment works, and I spend most of my day on the phone with pharmacy, renal unit, etc trying to figure out why meds weren't send on time, etc. I come home from my day shifts just BEAT. I am drained mentally and physically. Our manager is unsupportive, but thankfully the staff I work with are amazing people. Even the more experienced nurses are commenting on how the floor has changed. I couldn't even find my patient a wheelchair today, for heaven's sake, and there were no dressing supplies for his wound available on our floor.

Our unit is a busy med-surg floor with the highest admission/discharge rate after the ER. We don't even have appropriate unit clerk coverage. We don't even have funding for a care aide or nursing assistant to help us out.

I just feel like I can't provide the quality of care I want to give. I spend most of my day doing TASKS, when I want to be forming relationships with people in addition to providing quality care. Is this a pipe dream? I think nursing can be both.

Perhaps a change of environment is what I need. But its such a tough job market right now. I think I am going to stick it out to the one year mark, then try to get sponsored to take a high acuity certificate and change units. Hopefully the job situation will pick up. I am lucky I even have a job right now!

Thanks for listening to my rant. I am post day shift two right now, onto nights tomorrow. I can barely think straight.