I graduated from my PN program in August, 2009. I was immediately hired to work in LTC. I absolutely ADORE it! It doesn't even feel like work when I'm with the residents.
I am the NOC shift LPN for our facility. Last night we found one of our only full codes face down in a large amount of emesis, unconscious. We had another resident sitting at the edge of her bed happily engaging in coprophagia. Still another with multiple as yet unfound skin impairments that needed measuring, cleansing and wound care as they were open and bleeding. As you all know, with each incident that arises, there are scads of paperwork to complete. So I had a social services consult, 2 3 page incident reports one for the fall and one for the resident eating her feces as well as one for the skin impairments as well as treatments to add to the MAR for said skin impairments, charting to do on each resident, detailed physician faxes to write and send re: the aforementioned incidents w/the 3 residents. Charting for the rest of the residents, and the rest of the tasks associated w/regular NOC shift duties.
When the 2 day shift nurses arrived, I still hadn't completed the paperwork that needed to be done, and we had a resident that needed a suppository (they're given on my shift at our facility) that I hadn't gotten to yet.
I was also jumped on because our 2 NOC aides didn't get anyone out of bed for day shift. Even though it's already been discussed NUMEROUS TIMES that NOC aides are not responsible for this unless a resident is awake.
I went to grab the suppository that I forgot to give and the entire refrigerator door fell off in my hand.
In the meantime I have an RN telling me it's o.k. to cry, when I'm absolutely fine. All I want is to get my work done correctly. This particular RN is very sensitive and when the refrigerator door fell off in my hand, I was yelled at to get out of the way, and I finally said: Look. I want to fix this, and go home. I honestly just want to go home. I've had enough for one night.
The sensitive RN thought I was mad that she lectured me about calling the unconscious resident's husband and then told the other nurse that she was going to talk to our boss because I responded with "I haven't called her husband yet..she's in the ER, with stable vitals, I am finishing my work and calling her husband will be done before I leave today." The resident was found at 4, end of shift is at 6. I should've called the resident's husband immediately, of course. And I'm perfectly o.k. with being admonished and taught, I'm a brand new LPN!
But the drama associated with being a nurse, is just something that I'm not built for. My people skills are impeccable. I have a gift for loving others in the truest sense of that word. But when it comes to interpersonal nonsense that gift is just not applicable to me.
So after sitting at the nurses station trying to handle my responsibilities so that I left nothing for day shift, and being ******* at because our aides didn't get anyone out of bed, I calmly finished the things I needed to get done, grabbed a post-it, and wrote out my 2 week notice. I then stuck it under my bosses door, clocked out, and went home.
I have adult ADD. I am very, very self conscious about it because it's devastating for anyone who has to come after me and clean up a mess. I make meticulous lists for everything that I'm required to do to ensure that I forget nothing. Otherwise, I will forget everything. People have asked me if I'm stupid, or if there's something wrong with me when there are deviations from what I'm accustomed to and I get confused and don't understand what's going on. Just the other day a nurse moved our carts around and put one cart where the other cart normally was and vice versa... both sets of keys to both carts have keys for each cart on them, so the nurse handed me the key for the cart, I opened it and just stood there confused and trying to understand what was wrong. I didn't say anything because I was trying to understand why the cart had nothing in it that it was supposed to have, and she stood there laughing at me and telling me that something was wrong with me.
I love nursing. But the minutiae associated with our jobs, coupled with the constant drama is something that I fail miserably at and I'm so sad that I have to walk away like this.
I'd just personally like to say, God bless you for working in an LTC/nursing home. Just being IN one of those places stresses me out, bad. I could never never never never NEVER work there, in fact if forced I probably would go get a job at a Walmart
I'm assuming by your post that this is your first job as a LPN... I think it sounds like you're doing wonderfully. You care deeply about your work, especially about getting it done right the first time, and that is a highly important quality in a nurse. I think others are not realizing your potential nor your eagerness to be all you can be not only for them, but for your residents. And I think that's a damn shame, but I hope you will not let it tarnish your view of nursing enough to leave the profession. We, as a profession, do not have nearly enough people like you, and we need everyone we can get that is like you.
Everyone has bad days, that is true, but if you are unhappy, or fed up, look somewhere else for a different nursing job... Your opportunities in nursing are virtually endless, and there are so many wonderful places where you are needed and would be appreciated.
I have recently came to an inpatient hospice facility. We have a lot of LPNs who have come to hospice from LTC with the same story you have. They love hospice and are glad they made the change. LTC is so tough! The staff is stretched so thin in a place where it shouldn't be. Our elderly deserve so much better...
Don't give up on what you worked so hard to get. Maybe it is time for a change. I myself, felt at one point that I wanted to get out of nursing. I'm an 09 grad with a BSN who worked tele in a hospital and hated it. So, I got out. And although my resume may look crappy for jumping out of my first job so quickly, I know I made the right decision. I love where I work now. Hospice nursing may not be for everyone, but I get to really CARE for people who need it the most. And the families of the patients I care for are so appreciative. I finally feel like I found what real nursing is all about...
So before you throw in the hat, give another area of nursing a try. There are so many different areas you can work in and you may find one that fits you better!
I would seriously look elsewhere IN the nursing field, instead of just walking completely away from nursing. The other nurses on this board are right....try homecare, private duty, or hospice. I am a 2009 LVN grad and I have been fortunate to find a niche in pediatric private duty/homecare (as well as some pedi school cases). Each case/job has its own stressors, but I imagine that the "stresses" that I deal with pale in comparison to that which one would deal w/ in LTC (which is why I chose to steer clear from that environment altogether). Good luck to you and seriously, reconsider Walmart! :)
I believe your user name is daughter of Zion. Then you know that there will be hard times and heart breaks. Is Zion in travail. I believe so after reading your post. Phil. 6:9 says "and let daughter of zion be not weary in well doing for in due season she shall reap if she faints not." I believe that nursing is your calling. The compassion you have for your residents and staff is remarkable. I believe every nurse should have these characteristics.
I've been nursing for 6 years and last year my patient coded. It was nothing that i'd done, but because of all the things and paper work associated with it I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. I felt like throwing in the towel. I didn't return to work for about a month.
Before making any decisions pray about it and wait on God to answer you. Try not to make a decision about your future based on others immaturity and jealousy.
I believe you are a strong young lady and can acheive anything that you desire. If you leave the field of nursing and it's your true passion, you will always go back to it to find fulfillment and satisfaction. Why? because this is your love.
Prov. 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord and lean not unto your own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.
You would really quit a job that you love because ONE night didn't go as smoothly as you like? I've only been a nurse for 5 years and have probably had over one hundred horrible shifts and never once thought about quitting. Chin up, and tell the day shift to get their panties out of a wad.
that's life. nursing isn't a walk in the park that's why the pay is better than average although somewhat not worthit at the same time because of stress. you just had a bad experience and maybe you need some time from the trauma and stress you got from what happened. but nursing is a good profession to give up so if i were you don't walk away...
You had a HORRIFIC shift and for that I'm sorry. But like others said : don't quit. Try another specialty like an MD's office or home health or community group homes that serve the mentally and physically disabled. You sound too caring and kind to throw away the $$ and time you invested in this career.
My husband is active duty military, and I was not aware that I qualified for FMLA leave while he's deployed. My boss told me she was taking me off part-time and putting me on PRN, without informing me that I was able to go on leave and have my shift w/benefits back when my husband returns.
Yesterday, I was told that she gave another nurse all of my shifts. I am no longer working in the LTCU, and it's apparent that my boss didn't want to deal w/me anymore.
I cried long and hard yesterday. I absolutely and without a doubt adore everything about humanity. People are so precious, and to be able to be a part of the lives of others in such an intimate way is humbling and beautiful for me.
But I can be very defensive when I feel like something isn't right and conflict resolution is a skill that I seriously need to strengthen.
I'm not going to give up on nursing, it's just a field that challenges me because so many of the people that work in it are just not nice. Before nursing I went to college to be in urban missions, so that I could work with addicts and the homeless and the lost and broken. I love the people that are thrown away, and I have a heart for those that society deems unlovable. But I'm starting to think that God gave me a burden for nursing because He knew that I needed to be humbled and be confronted with the parts of me that need to mature. Otherwise, there's no way in the world I would put myself into a situation where people are constantly not nice. Now, I have no choice but to face it, learn how to deal w/these situations in a healthy way and grow up.
It's just sooooooooooooo haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!
My husband is active duty military, and I was not aware that I qualified for FMLA leave while he's deployed. My boss told me she was taking me off part-time and putting me on PRN, without informing me that I was able to go on leave and have my shift w/benefits back when my husband returns.
Yesterday, I was told that she gave another nurse all of my shifts. I am no longer working in the LTCU, and it's apparent that my boss didn't want to deal w/me anymore.
I think what your boss did may have been illegal. I believe employers are required by law to inform their employees that they are eligible for FMLA when their spouses are deployed. Please contact someone in your husband's unit or MilitaryOneSource for assistance with this.
On the other hand, it is her loss. She so does not deserve to have as good an employee as you.
You would really quit a job that you love because ONE night didn't go as smoothly as you like? I've only been a nurse for 5 years and have probably had over one hundred horrible shifts and never once thought about quitting. Chin up, and tell the day shift to get their panties out of a wad.
It's not one night. We have a nurse that constantly writes me up. Once it was because I didn't write in the MAR notes after I circled a med why I didn't give it. Another was because she couldn't read my initials. Another time she left me by myself on evening shift early so she could go to the bar, and lied to me and said it was because her husband was calling from Korea and she couldn't miss the call. She just walked out and left me. A friend of hers, another LPN, wrote me up for not giving an 8:00 p.m. med. My shift ended at 6pm, it was a 4x/day med and I wasn't going to give a patient a double dose of sinimet to make her job easier. These 2 particular nurses are new LPN's like me and they're just a little immature. None of the CNA's like working with them and they're just very young and egotistical. It happens.
The foundational issue though, is that our boss really likes being friends w/everyone. She doesn't want to confront issues directly, and it's causes interpersonal problems when issues arise w/the rest of us. We had an aide that was abusing residents and everyone tried to warn our boss and she did nothing about it. The aide ended up dropping a resident who subsequently died from the fall.
It's little things that add up to serious issues and in the past 8 months I've been o.k. because it's usually petty things that aren't worth it. The other day I just snapped, I'd had enough.
You people mean the world to me right now. I'm a little angry w/myself for being so sensitive about this. I've always said that life isn't supposed to be fair, just worth it. I'm mad at the way I handled this, and at myself for giving up.
I am so thankful for all of you. You have no idea how much you're blessing my heart.
JustEnuff2BDangerous, BSN, RN
137 Posts
I'd just personally like to say, God bless you for working in an LTC/nursing home. Just being IN one of those places stresses me out, bad. I could never never never never NEVER work there, in fact if forced I probably would go get a job at a Walmart
I'm assuming by your post that this is your first job as a LPN... I think it sounds like you're doing wonderfully. You care deeply about your work, especially about getting it done right the first time, and that is a highly important quality in a nurse. I think others are not realizing your potential nor your eagerness to be all you can be not only for them, but for your residents. And I think that's a damn shame, but I hope you will not let it tarnish your view of nursing enough to leave the profession. We, as a profession, do not have nearly enough people like you, and we need everyone we can get that is like you.
Everyone has bad days, that is true, but if you are unhappy, or fed up, look somewhere else for a different nursing job... Your opportunities in nursing are virtually endless, and there are so many wonderful places where you are needed and would be appreciated.