Turning in my resignation Monday

[banditrn]

I've had enough.

We had our nurses meeting Friday and our DON stated that we are no longer allowed to work ANY overtime. Like anyone really wants to. And she made the statement to me that she didn't understand how anyone that worked nights would ever need to work OT. That did it.

We have up to 40 beds and at nite I get 1 cna. The greater proportion of these residents are total care - I've found it hard to believe that they expect 1 cna to do it all. Plus at nite, I get to do all the bookwork type stuff.

They just recently pulled my wonderful nite aide to days, and gave me a new aide - she will probably work out, but she's new, and still trying to get her routine down.

Now, I've been told I'm the only nurse who will stop during med pass to take a resident to the BR. I'm sorry, I thought this was part of patient care. I'm to practice better 'time management'. Well, with only 1 cna, and if she's on the other side of the building, I'm supposed to tell them NO?

I'm never late with my medpass, and have the cart stocked and waiting for the day shift when they walk in the door. But if things have been running crazy during the nite, I save any piddling charting for then.

During this meeting I told the DON that she needed to come spend some time on our shift if she thinks we have it so easy.

But it doesn't matter - I applied at another home that I've been waiting for an opening to come up. They're bigger, and I really was impressed with their DON, and have talked to a couple of the nurses there and they like it.

[Kelly_the_Great]

Can you imagine having 'customers' that could go by themselves?!!

Oh my goodness, that's too funny!!! On second thought, I probably couldn't work @ Starbucks b/c if I had been reading this with a latte in hand, I'm sure it would have been flyin' straight through my nose!!!! :rotfl:

[Todd SPN]

I know exactly what you are talking about and how you feel. Last evening was my last shift and will be starting at my new facility in a week. I was not the first to leave and it sounds like I won't be the last. Our new DON is a midwife with no LTC experience. If this new place does not work out, I think I will be done with LTC. I kind of like the McDonalds drive thru position. Take the order, take the money and move on. I was surprised at the number of residents who came up to me and said they were sorry to hear I was leaving. It was kind of heart wrenching. Despite what I was told by my higher-ups, I must have been doing something right. Good luck to your.

Todd

[NurseCard, ADN]

Hey,

I think Starbucks would be cool, I mean, hello...marble mocha macchiato, need I say more? Also, all the pastries...mmm good! Oh, and, they got the internet connections too (so you wouldn't miss out on any allnurses news)!!!

What would be even better, is if it was a Starbucks connected to a Barnes & Nobles. LOL

Oh wow, I couldn't agree more! If I ever actually find the time for a fun little part time job to make extra money, that is exactly where I am heading!!! :)

[mickeypat]

Boy, do I ever understand what you're saying! I just left a job that I really liked to get away from the crap that keeps coming from administration! I was working night shift, expected to do all the cleaning because the other nurse is a male, and males don't clean or defrost fridges! (sorry guys!) Went to day shift and was told that I wouldn't have to do anymore nite shifts.. well, long story short, they had me work Fri & Sat nite and come back Monday morning! With little to no sleep, and then when I told them I stayed because they had said I wouldn't have to work nites, would have days only. I was told that I would have to work the nite shift because none of the RN's would do any other shift and because I am an LPN, I needed to be greatful to have a job. They also told me that they couldn't afford to have a LPN working med cart with an RN as charge, but scheduled me to work the cart! Talk about talking out of both sides of their mouth! It was the administrator that was doing this, the DON was behind me 100%! She even told the Admin that I would leave and went with me to the meeting with the administrator!

Have been lucky enough to find a job in a different area of nursing and am excited but scared to start this job.... It will be different.... but at least I know I won't have to work nites!

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

I've said this several times in my career:

Nursing reminds me of Al Pacino in the Godfather III: "Just when I thought I was out, they suck you back in!"

It's just enough money to make the Mickey D's window just out of my reach.

Sigh. But, on the bright side, I bought a lotto ticket today.

~faith,

Timothy.

[Todd SPN]

" Being a good nurse is not always the same as being a good employee."

Timothy,

I love that quote. Ain't it the truth.

[banditrn]

Ah, Timothy - If I ever win the BIG lotto...........sigh!! I'm gonna buy a little nursing home, and do it right. Won't make any money, but that'll be OK.

Gonna pay the GOOD cna's what they are worth. Gonna appreciate my GOOD nurses - and the DON at my current LTC won't even have a chance! :) I'm gonna pay for the LPN who trained me to finish her schooling - then she's going to be in charge of nurse education!!

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

What would be even better, is if it was a Starbucks connected to a Barnes & Nobles. LOL

We have a Starbucks inside our B&N and every time I go there I think, "What a wonderful job!"

Best of luck to the OP!

[NaomieRN]

What about the patients, if you all quit, who is going to take care of them?

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

What about the patients, if you all quit, who is going to take care of them?

That's management's problem.

Not to be unsympathetic, but one of nursing's key failings, historically, is this 'need' to solve everybody's problems.

Look, the right work conditions and the right salary will bring in the right workers. Period.

If we 'solve' these problems for management everytime they occur, those salaries and working conditions will always be elusive.

And that's not good for us - or for those patients.

~faith,

Timothy.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

Hey, thanks, Kelly. If it doesn't work, I think I'm going to be done with LTC. I've had a hankering to work for Blockbuster Video!! :)

It's going to be interesting - after I quit this is going to leave them with only 1 RN - and she is actively looking. The other part-time RN quit the other day.

They advertised for a long time before I took the part-time nite job, then supposedly hired me for my years of experience - then pay no attention when I try to tell them anything - for instance the recent trach patient I posted on.

When I interviewed, I asked why previous nurses had quit, and was told that every one of them was a bad nurse. I'm sure that the next person will be told that about me.

Where do they get these people who become don's. They're not all orificees. Hope you have a better culture at the new place. Keep in touch.

[Kelly_the_Great]

Where do they get these people who become don's. They're not all orificees.

Subee...LOL :rotfl:

Nursing reminds me of Al Pacino in the Godfather III: "Just when I thought I was out, they suck you back in!"

Ahh, truer words have never been spoken! And, you know, it's not just the $$$, it's your emotional connection you develop with your patients and co-workers. And, me thinks, management knows this all too well. Appealing to this false sense of obligation while sacrificing our own needs, standards and integrity to put up with all kinds of atrocities and unsafe, hostile work environments with sentiments such as:

What about the patients, if you all quit, who is going to take care of them?

Okay, it's only just now 0910 but I'm choppin' at the bit to hear how things went, Bandit! Inquiring minds want to know...lol Wishing the best for you today & the future...