Tell me what you think ...

Published Oct 16, 2007

864 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, ER.

OK.

So I'm a pretty new traveller in a neuro ICU just started 2 weeks ago. On my first day when I got to the unit I told my preceptor that I needed to get my passwords for accuchecks, etc and I should go get them that day. She just plain refused and told me I had to do patient care and even the charge nurse that day told me to stay and do pt care. So I stay for the first few hours. I tried to make it perfectly clear that later on nurses will be mad if I don't have my passwords, etc. Well the manager realizes I should have gone to the official hospital RN orientation and sends me like 5 hours late after all the passwords had been taken care of and the orientation instructor was pissed that I was late and didn't want to help me at all so threw back into the manager's turf. Well of course I still don't have the passwords. So while I'm waiting for my passwords all subsequent charge nurses have been mad at me because I am the only new traveler who doesn't have my passwords yet. I am getting them but it's going to take more time.... Well so one day I come into work and take report on a pair at 07:00. I go into pt B's room, do my assessment, give all her meds, get an order for stepdown admission and DOCUMENT ALL OF THIS. Then I move onto my next patient's (A) room at about 08:30. Well at around 09:15, in comes the charge nurse into pt A's (who btw was ventric on pressors, much more sick), accusing me (in front of A's family) in a really attitudinal voice of not having seen pt B yet and that B's family was complaining that I hadn't done anything for B. Well clearly B's family had arrived recently without my knowledge. She then accused me of not having given the AM meds or anything WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING INTO MY CHARTING OR THE PYXIS where she would have seen that it had all been done. When I told her that it had all been done and maybe she might want to consider checking my charting and the pyxis, she didn't even have the character to apologize.

So here is my question... should I just get out? Should I tell the manager I am being treated like crap? Or should I just grin and bear it? There's a pretty hefty completion bonus at the end of this contract which I really need.