1. Paper work --- For God's sake people!!! I know that we have to cover ourselves, but really. When there is a new piece of f-ing paperwork coming out every week I can't even keep up! Some one needs to stream line the beast and finally get a freaking computer system that works.
2. Education --- I entered the nursing profession well aware that I would need to continue my education. But hospitals (or at least my hospital) seem to have so many types of education that you "must have" but very little of it co-insides with each other. Example? CEUs and CEs are two different things at my hospital and CEs do not cout as CEUs but they take just as much time. Hence I really end up with like 24 education credits instead of 12. Furthermore there is no directory or written instructions as to where I need to go to get this education, nor is there someone to help me figure out when it is due. I find this frustrating because I can barley keep up with my patients in a 12hr shift. I don't find that I really have time to go around asking my managers if there is some sort of education thingie that I need to do! I also hate that these classes are on line and I end up doing them at home on my own time instead of getting paid for it. Furthermore I find that most people cheat to get their education completed in the given time line making the whole idea of continuing education a joke.
3. Snotty nurses who like to tell me how much they can complete and how they can give complete care of their patients while I'm over here drowning. I am glad that there are people out there that are so organized and wonderful that they can do this very demanding job, find pleasure in it, and still dot all their i's and cross all their t's. Please realize that I don't think most nurses can be that way and get the hell off your high horse.
4. Older nurses that get easily frustrated with me becasue I'm asking questions and just get up and do the task I was asking them about instead of teaching me how to do it OR older nurses who get frustrated/***** with me because I'm drowning in my patient load to the point that I'm unsafe and I'm asking for help.
5. Needy family members and patients who won't give me two freakin' seconds to try to get them what they were asking for before they come find me again OR they have real issues understanding that I am taking care of someone sicker than they are at the moment and will deal with their petty issue when I know my other patient isn't going to crash on me. (Please note that I really do empathize that it sucks to be in the hospital and with as much as patients have to pay...or we pay in taxes for the pateint to be there....they should have all of their wants dealt with within a reasonable time. Like 2 mins or less. However that is not the case.)
6. Other nurses telling me I should ask for help when I need it. I find this frustrating because they usually say it when I'm to my eyeballs with orders and issues and I've been trying to get help all day. I mean really if I'm acting like I'm freaking out and really stressed and comming up to you and telling you how much crap I have to do, why wouldn't you think that I need help?! Furthermore, it is easy to say "just ask for help", but really when you need help there is no one around to come to your aid so really it's a waste of breath for you to say "just ask for help."
Okay I think that is all I have to complain about tonight. I get to go back to work tomorrow and torture myself again. Oh, joy.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I find it very dissapointing that the general consensus seems to be against pt families.
I have absolutely nothing against family members unless, of course, they make hateful statements and do abusive things to the nursing staff. My mother was extremely sick and hospitalized for an extended period of time at 2 different hospitals, so I have been the family member previously. However, I would never belittle the nursing staff or dump on them.
For one, I have noticed that many family members are sudden 'experts' because they browse the internet and watch fictional medical dramas on TV. Some of these families feel so empowered after watching the latest episode of E.R. or reading the latest internet article on electrolytes, that they are now telling the nurses how to do their jobs.
One recent family member, a wealthy oilfield owner, physically spit on some of the LPNs who cared for his father because he felt they were "dumb" and "lower-class."
I live in a city where black healthcare workers are a highly visible presence in the local hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. One family member shouted, "I'm sick and tired of the care being provided by all these _____ (insert the 'N' word)."
Other family members do unsafe things to sabotage the care of the patient when nursing staff is not looking, such as messing with IV tubing, turning up the oxygen concentrator settings, flushing feeding tubes, removing dressings and bandages that need to stay in place, and administering unapproved medications. One family member attempted to give her comatose daughter a dose of Ambien because she had heard that this drug helps patients emerge from comas.
Some days I wanna say "I am here to SAVE your butt NOT kiss it!" It's crazy when I have a million things to do and a pt want something everytime i walk past their door. Ice, tissue, pillow, to talk etc. Come on this is a hospital not a hotel
One - I find it very dissapointing that the general consensus seems to be against pt families. My mother (a nurse) struggled with cancer for 2 years and during that time we spent A LOT of time in the hospital. There were some absolute angels that offered care and some nurses that seemed frustrated that I was there. As the person who did her home care, when I got the the hospital, I did have some valuable insight into what works for her and what didn't. Most of the time, it was well received and we built a lot of great relationships. But, I always found it frustrating when the nurses didn't see me as part of the "treatment team."
I nearly dismissed this before I realised that there are some valid points made, however having worked around a number of families it is a rare occurence for families to be as straight forward as the above post suggests. While believing that they tread firmly on the side of angels and are doing the right thing by their family member and the staff caring for them, most family members I have encountered have been anything but helpfull.
Imagine a Pt who could walk less than 2/24 previous becoming "paralysed" because a family member didn't want to see her in pain. Said Pt was given instructions by the family not to move to lessen the pain and ensure healing. Eventually that Pt couldn't move even when she wanted to. What movement we could get her to do when her family were gone wasn't enough, instead of going home after 4/7 (as per standard careplan for her condition) she died 3/12 later without leaving her room.
Another Pt whose husband has been the carer for the past 5 years is considered a bad Pt to get assigned, because her husband, (trying to do the right thing) constantly involves himself in trying to Ax & Dx her problems and trying to find fault in what is being done. Recently the nurse looking after his wife spent 25/60 explaining that hiccups are a normal bodily function and a single bout lasting less than 3/60 is not a result of poor medical management or due to the medication that she has been on without incident for threee years. No the Dr does not need to be called, is it OK if I can finish my medication round before you find something else that needs explanation, (The last bit was the plea screamed silently as her busy shift got busier due to the wasted time) It would be easy to say "walk away" until you understand the passive aggressive nature of someone trying to maintain some semblence of control- he is basically another (invisible to management) Pt on that assignment that just doesn't require medication, just time...lots of it.
I could go on, but I think everyone knows where I am coming from
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I agree that needing to vent does not mean needing to rethink your career choice.
However, many nurses have reevaluated their career choices and, unfortunately, decided to vote with their feet by abandoning the profession altogether.
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
For one, I have noticed that many family members are sudden 'experts' because they browse the internet and watch fictional medical dramas on TV. Some of these families feel so empowered after watching the latest episode of E.R. or reading the latest internet article on electrolytes, that they are now telling the nurses how to do their jobs.
One recent family member, a wealthy oilfield owner, physically spit on some of the LPNs who cared for his father because he felt they were "dumb" and "lower-class."
I live in a city where black healthcare workers are a highly visible presence in the local hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. One family member shouted, "I'm sick and tired of the care being provided by all these _____ (insert the 'N' word)."
Other family members do unsafe things to sabotage the care of the patient when nursing staff is not looking, such as messing with IV tubing, turning up the oxygen concentrator settings, flushing feeding tubes, removing dressings and bandages that need to stay in place, and administering unapproved medications. One family member attempted to give her comatose daughter a dose of Ambien because she had heard that this drug helps patients emerge from comas.