university specialty hospital?

hreddevil29 · May 24, 2006

Hi, there. I moved to Md last year, and took a job at this hospital. First of all, the pay, and benefits seem great, but the place is awful. You will have, on average, 9-10 patients, trach's, IV antibiotics, MRSA, VRE, total care patients, the list goes on and on. The hospital itself is filthy, you can't get the supplies you need, you can't get the doc's to respond to your calls, and when they do, it takes an emergency to get them to order what you need for your patient. Example: my last week there, I had a patient who was obviously in acute renal failure. His creatinine and BUN were sky high, his lungs were full of fluid, he could barely breathe, and he had a 104 temp. He was already on multiple antibiotics for infection, so the doc, when I called, said that the temp was due to the infection refused to do anything about the man's repiratory status, or his labs, wouldn't even order this man a chest xray. I called the doc, I kid you not, at least 15 times that day. I went to my manager, the clinical coordinator and the administrator, trying to get them to help me get the man transferred, it was horrible. I left that night feeling like I had failed the pt. I was off the next couple of days, and when I went back, the man was gone. The doctor, TWO days after all of this was going on, decided to call in a renal doc. The renal doc- immediately transferred the man to another facility. I don't want to discourage you, but if you haven't been a nurse for very long, this is a dangerous place. Its dangerous for all, but even worse when you are new. I had been a nurse for 7 yrs when I was there, had worked in multiple areas, and left there every day feeling so physically and mentally exhauted. It just wasn't worth my license that I had worked so hard for, nor was it worth the exhaustion that I had every day. I hope that if you take the position, it works out okay for you, but I doubt very strongly that the place has changed any since December.

yanowah · May 24, 2006

wow. that was one of my fears. i'd been thinking of shadowing one of the RNs if they'd let me, because i felt i might not be ready for the heavy load and traffic on the floors. what you wrote was like me shadowing you on the floor already. sharing your experience and opinion really helped. thank you very much indeed!

summerlee · Jul 31, 2006

I totally agree with the email about USH!!! It is a DIRTY DIRTY PLACE!

adnstudent2007 · Aug 1, 2006

My experience with USH from the other side (family member of a patient) were awful as well. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

bmoregirl · Aug 5, 2006

i work at shock trauma we refer patients there it is not a nice place to work take harbor hospital