Too many chiefs, not enough indians

[callmecrazyRN]

I've been a nurse for 3 years now - (1) year in medsurg, (2) in psych. I'm beginning to despise not just my job, but nursing in itself. I feel that we are the most trampled on in a hospital service. I've never written one of these before, so I don't know where to start...

1) On our unit we have Case Managers/Counselors (who are not RNs/LPNs and have no medical experience whatsoever rounding hospitals, seeing consults, and accepting these patients without any experience or knowledge of their medical background. So, when they accept these patients they come over to our unit sometimes as a complete train wreck. We're a psych unit and our patients are to be medically cleared, but they'll accept them when they're in a coma (not joking....this has been done) because they have a history of anxiety.

Another favorite is whenever we're short staffed Case Managers will still require an RN to "monitor" their geriatric group, no matter if we're admitting, discharging, or doing a Code Blue. Case Managers come first before medications and patient care....it has been said.

2) Administration does not back up their nurses.

3) Our admits take 3 hours long. I wish I were kidding, too. After completing the Meditech paperwork, calling to get orders, writing treatment plans, searching and consenting the patient, and filling in the kardex you're left scrambling to find your other patients because you haven't seen them in 3+ hours. Who brought up the bright idea to have all this paperwork? A retired psychiatrist. Do our psychiatrists read our information? Not at all. So why is it necessary for our paperwork to be so lengthy?

I really can't list all of my concerns/ pet peeves. I don't even know how to word them. The nurses on my unit feel undermined. We are but numbers who apparently are not worth being paid the effort. This seriously can't be how it is everywhere, is it? Where you're written up for what a psychotic patient said about you withholding medications that the doctor never ordered? I'm rambling. Any suggestions?

[PedRN86]

Well I work in pediatrics but have a few friends in mental health and your situation sounds kind of horrible to be honest. Perhaps instead of giving up on nursing, start browsing for a better managed ward. Nowhere is perfect but I wonder if you met a few managers and learned about how they do things you'll find a new (work) home that's a better fit and more supportive. Good luck!